Wissam Fattouh, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Banks, called on financial institutions to promote and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), emphasizing that such projects combat unemployment and create jobs—and can create even more if they receive adequate funding— while revealing that there are more than 50 million unemployed people in the Arab world.

In his speech, Fattouh stressed the need for banks to increase financing for the SME sector, explaining the role of these enterprises in employing young people and preparing them to enter the labor market. Fattouh highlighted the role of the Union of Arab Banks in combating terrorism during his participation in a session held at the Council, noting that cooperation and partnership between the banking sector and security and judicial agencies constitute what is known as public-private partnership.

During the session in which he participated, he referred to the five permanent members of the Security Council, in addition to delegates from 10 countries: Egypt, Ukraine, New Zealand, Angola, Japan, Paraguay, Malaysia, Spain, Senegal, and Venezuela, to a recent report by an international organization, which stated that the unemployment rate in the Arab region exceeds 27.1%.