EGYPT'S First Lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, the Chairwoman of the National Council for Women (NCW), opens on Saturday the first conference of female parliamentarians, who represent members states of the Euro- Med Union Initiative that was colaunched by President Hosni Mubarak and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy. “Participants in the three-day conference, held under the theme of Female Parliamentarians as Active Development Force”, will discuss the role of female lawmakers in a host of Union-related issues such as water management, and a joint programme for managing immigration and cultural exchanges. The meeting will be held at the Cairo-based NCW Headquarters with the participation of representatives from more than 30 Euro-Mediterranean countries. On Wednesday night, Mrs. Mubarak held talks with Sigrid Kaag, the UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa on bolstering co-operation between Egypt and the world agency in implementing projects aiming to improve the wellbeing of Egyptian children. During her three-day visit, Kaag will launch a UNICEF appraisal study to determine access and effectiveness of social services and other development indicators that have an impact on the well-being of children. The study aims to equip national policy makers and development assistance agencies with the necessary information to support the elaboration of a long-term national socio-economic strategies to improve the well-being of Egypt's children.
