Results of the Annual Meeting 2002

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization
Damascus, September 18-22,2002

Under the patronage of His Excellency Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa Miro, the Annual Meeting of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. International was held in Damascus during the period September 18-22,2002 . Dr. Ghassam Al Refai, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade opened the meeting on behalf of the Prime Minister. The meeting was attended by Mr. Bassam Rustum , Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; Dr. Rateb Al-Shalaah, Head of the Syrian Chambers of Commerce Union of ; Ministers Assistants ,a number of Arab and foreign ambassadors, businessmen, economists, managers of Abu-Ghazaleh Group, and members of the Boards of the Arab Society for Intellectual Property and the Arab Knowledge Management Society from all Arab countries.

In the opening session, the Prime Minister?s representative welcomed the participants in Syria. He praised the important professional subjects on the agenda, including the ISO Seminar, the Digital Education Seminar, meetings of the Arab Knowledge Management Society and the important professional subjects of accounting, auditing and information and communication technologies to be discussed during the meetings.

Dr. Ghassan Al-Refai called for keeping pace with the great changes in the information and communication technology revolution to transform the society to become wholly a society of knowledge. He discussed the issue of Syria?s request to join World Trade Organization, and emphasized that the responsible parties are closely following up the efforts for building the Arab capabilities in the world trade system, including negotiations with WTO through the qualification programs held by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization in cooperation with the Arab Knowledge Management Society and the Center for Applied Studies in International Negotiations ( CASIN), Geneva.

The Minister indicated that the Arab Republic of Syria, under the leadership of Dr. Bashaar Al-Asad, is seeking to realize modernization and development. He called on this occasion for combining the efforts to consolidate a professional environment which adopts professional standards and principles, whether in the accounting and auditing sector through the expertise and role of the Arab Society of Certified Accountants, or in the intellectual property sector for updating legislation and laws through the expertise of the Arab Society for Intellectual Property and Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property.

In the opening session, Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and Chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization also delivered a speech. He confirmed that the Group, would be more than happy to place it thirty years of expertise in all arab countries at the service of all sectors in Syria. Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh expressed his thanks and appreciation to president Asad and the minister .

Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh praised Syria?s decision to apply for joining World Trade Organization. which He said is a great challenge to the officials in Syria, but Syria would make it in spite of the deficiency and the lack of fairness in the world trade system.

Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh talked about the digital gap, which separates the Arab countries from the West. He said that this gap would be temporary and that it will be removed because the Arab countries have the will and the capabilities to do so. He warned against the coming bigger challenge represented in the biological integration of information, and the resulting superiority of one human-being over the other. He said that if we do not become ready for this and if we fail to keep pace with this development, a catastrophe will occur.

Work Sessions & Seminars
Following the opening session, work sessions and seminars started. In the first session presentations on the importance of professional training and the Arab countries? need of various training programs were submitted. The importance of may be "publishing "Of the Abu-Ghazaleh / Cambridge Award in IT Skills program in Arabic was discussed. The status of the accounting and auditing professions, professional qualification, rendering of assistance and advice with respect to world trade system, and the obligations resulting form joining WTO by some Arab countries were also discussed.

ISO Seminar
A specialized seminar on ISO 9001-2000 specification benefits to the Syrian industries was held on September 18, 2002 in cooperation between Damascus Chamber of Commerce and Al-Dar Consultancy (Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Associates Ltd.). The seminar was attended by factories, production, and quality managers from more than 200 industrial organizations. It was also attended by a large number of highly qualified participants and rich in its subject matter such as Eng. Khalid Abu-Osbeh, Consultancy Executive Manager in Abu-Ghazaleh Group and Member of the International Technical Committee of ISO 176 specification delivered a lecture. Technical discussions took place amongst the attendees and with the lecturerwho addressed the issue of the importance of obtaining ISO certificates by Syrian companies .



Meetings of the Arab Society for Intellectual Property (ASIP)

The General Assembly of the Arab Society for Intellectual Property held its meetings under the chairmanship of Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, on Friday morning, September 20,2002. Among the subjects discussed were the program of granting Intellectual Property Expert Certificate, joining of new members, the web site , and the amendments of ASIP?s by ? laws ( statutes). Following that, ASIP Board of Directors held its meeting , with members including IP experts and leaders from all the Arab countries. Mr. Bashar Al-Saqqa, Manager of the Industrial and Trade Property Protection at the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade in Syria, was elected as member in the ASIP Board of directors as a representative of Syria , and he was thanked for his efforts and role in this field.



Meetings of the Arab Knowledge and Management Society (AKMS)

The Arab Knowledge and Management Society?s General Assembly held its Annual Meeting in the evening of the same day, and was chaired by Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh. It was followed by a meeting of AKMS Board of Trustees in which AKMS role in enhancing its message of maximizing the benefit from the information and communications technology revolution, and its effect on the development in the management systems were discussed .

It is known that the Arab Knowledge and Management Society is a member of the Multilingual Internet Names Consortium (MINC), and is responsible for coordination and studying of the ways of suing Internet names in various world languages, and not only the English language as the case is now . Accordingly AKMS is the sole member which represents Arab non-profit organizations in MINC Board of Directors.

Meetings of Abu- Ghazaleh Intellectual Property

Abu- Ghazaleh Intellectual Property held its meetings on Sept. 21 & 22, 2002 with the participation of the branch managers from all the Arab countries. Discussions were held on the professional services provided by the company through these branches for its clients all over the world, and how to improve the capabilities and professional efficiency of employees, so that Abu- Ghazaleh Intellectual Property will maintain its leadership and remain the first institution which operates in the field of intellectual property protection in the world.

Seminar on Abu-Ghazaleh / Cambridge IT Skills Award Program
The professional unit of the Information Engineering Faculty ? University of Damascus and Abu-Ghazaleh / Cambridge IT Skills Center organized a seminar on Sunday evening on September 22,2002 on Abu-Ghazaleh / Cambridge IT Skills Award Program on the uses of computer and the Internet in the Arabic language. The seminar was attended by more than 300 participants.


Meetings with Officials
At the end of the conference works, Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa Mero received Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh who expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Prime Minister. Mr. Abu-Ghazaleh listened to the Prime Minister?s views and suggestions to develop and enhance the economic and business environment, as well as the professional efficiency. These directives focused on the education democracy and how to link it to the community needs, the professional qualification being a condition for practice, research investment, scientific research in education, Arab cooperation , joint Arab market, and the role of Syria in the Arab economic dimension. Also was discussed the link between industry and trade, and the private sector?s contribution to professional qualification and training. Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh indicated that the meeting was rich and fruitful as regards information, and confirmed that these valuable views and remarks will be included in training and qualifying programs according to the laws, policies, and licenses valid in the Arab Republic of Syria.

During the conference works Mr. Talal Abu- Ghazaleh held meeting with a number of officials. where discussions couered developments related to world trade system , the mechanism and obligations of joining WTO. The officials with whom mr Abu- Ghazaleh had the opportunity to meet were :

-Dr. Ghassan Al- Refai, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade.

-Mr. Bassam Mohammad Rustum, Minister of Supply and Foreign Trade.

- Mr. Adnan Omran, Minister of Information.

-Dr. Fu?aad Al- Sayed, Assistant to the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade.


New copies of the professional and economic publications were sent to a number of ministries. Some of these publications were:

- Abu ?Ghazaleh Accountancy and Business Dictionary.

- Intellectual Property Dictionary.

- Business Guide to the World Trading System.

- Business Guide to the Uruguay Round.

- International Accounting Standards.


A Dialogue through the Syrian TV Channel:

The Syrian TV channel hosted Mr. Talal Abu- Ghazaleh for a live dialogue in a special program. He discussed the Arab economic position, the world trade system and a number of significant economic issues.


Conference Works Results
Following the discussions which lasted for five days, the participants to the conference concluding their conference with the following statment:


After extending thanks and appreciation to the Syrian President Bashaar Al- Assad, and to his government and people for the facilities which were provided for holding the conference in Damascus and for their hospitality, and to the Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Mustafa Miro for patronizing the conference and for delegating Dr. Ghassan Al- Refai to open the conference, after extending thanks to Dr. Ghassan Al ? Refai, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade for attending the opening session as representative for the Prime Minister and delivering a directive welcome speech in the conference, and to Mr. Bassam Rustum, Minister of Supply and Foreign Trade for attending the opening session to Dr. Rateb Al- Shalaah, Chairman of the Chambers of Commerce Union, ministers assistants, Arab and foreign ambassadors who attended the opening session, and after expressing their appreciation

their thanks to the Damascus Chamber of and Industry for its role in arranging the ISO Seminar and to the professional unit of the Information Engineering Faculty at the University of Damascus for its role in organizing the seminar of Abu- Ghazaleh/ Cambridge IT Skills Award Program, the conference participants as need on the following conclusion .


Accounting, Auditing and Economic Consultancy Sectors:

1. The conference expressed great interest in the invitation of Dr. Ghassan Al- Refai, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade to join the efforts to create professional environments for adopting and enhancing professional standards and rules a, in order to advance the accounting and auditing sectors through the Arab Society of Certified Accountants and to increase the importance of this profession as the case may be in most Arab countries.


The conference expressed its full preparedness to make available all the expertise of the Society and the Talal Abu- Ghazaleh Organization. to fulfill the needs of the responsible parties in both the public and the private sector.


2. The conference stressed the importance of adhering to, and application of the International Standards on Auditing in companies, institutions and industries in the preparation of final statements of accounts, and also as a necessary, important and motivating encouraging factor to the Arab and foreign investors to enter the Syrian market with confidence.

3. The conference stressed the importance of developing educational courses, and continuous qualifying and training for accountants and graduates of commerce and economics faculties in order to meet the market?s needs of qualified individuals who are capable of working according to the best standards of professional efficiency.


Intellectual Property Sector:

1. The Conference valued the proposal of Dr. Ghassan Al-Refai with respect to the need to develop intellectual property legislations and laws to remain in conformity with the International developments, but particularly to be in harmony with the Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) which is one of the World Trade agreements, specifically because Syria has applied to join this organization. The conference expressed the readiness of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property and the Arab Society for Intellectual Property to offer their expertise and to contribute to the development of legislations and laws in Syria .


2.The Conference stressed the importance of expediting the granting of Intellectual Property Expert Certificate. This program is adopted by the Arab Society for Intellectual Property ,it was especially designed for qualifying the employees working in various intellectual property fields in the Arab countries, according to the curriculum prepared by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) , and is being applied by ASIP according to a franchise agreement with WIPO , towards developing the profession in the Arab countries.

3. The Conference stressed the importance of abiding by and the application of intellectual property laws as a motive for investment and as an encouragement for innovation and the innovators.


Information and Communication Technology:

The conference praised with a lot of admiration the interest of the Syrian leadership and the government in the information and communication technology sector and in enhancing it in various institutions and sectors and as well as in education phases. The Conference confirmed the readiness of Abu-Ghazaleh / Cambridge Information and Communication Technology Center to contribute to launching a comprehensive national campaign for computer and Internet uses in Arabic according to Abu-Ghazaleh Cambridge program, in order to participate in the elimination of computer and Internet illiteracy at all levels of the community and business sector, to benefit from the application of the program in Arabic for the first time .

ISO Sector :

- As a result of the intensive attendance of ISO seminar which was held in cooperation with the Damascus Chamber of Industry , and of the technical dialogue between the lecturer and the audience, it became clear that the industrial organizations and institutions are much interested in applying the environment, quality and safety systems management. Accordingly, it is necessary to maintain the awareness campaign in all other governorates of the country in this important and vital sector;

- To urge all factories and production companies which have not yet obtained ISO certificate to seek to do so vigorously . The same applies to the services sector in obtaining the ISO certificate .

- To provide the financial support through international bodies and through support funds to the industrial institutions and companies which are willing to apply quality and safety systems, in order to cover part of the expenses of preparing the systems for obtaining the certificate.

- To take note of the expertise of other countries in this field to maximize the benefit of implementing environment, quality and safety systems management.

Establishing an Innovation Unit :

The conference Chairman showed special interest in the agreement reached during his meeting with Mr. Bassam Rustom, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade to establish a unit for encouraging creativity and innovation at Al-Basel Innovation Center for encouraging Arab innovators and inventors.


???.. and a course on managing electronic sites:

At the request of the Minister, the necessary arrangements will be made for establishing a training program on managing electronic sites and the Internet, to which the officials in the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade will be invited to attend.

Issued in Damascus on September 22, 2002 at the end of the Annual Conference Works 2002 of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization. International Group of Companies.


Talal Abu-Ghazaleh

Conference Chairman