http://www.escwa.un.org/whatsnewarchive.asp Weekly Updates en-us Copyright 2009 UN-ESCWA. All Rights Reserved. 11/23/2009 8:33:36 PM 20 /main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=434&referenceNUM=concert resized11/16/2009

<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none">Music lovers flocked to the Maronite Cathedral of St. George in Downtown Beirut, Lebanon, last week to attend a special classical concert held on the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of ESCWA. The Commission’s Executive Secretary, Bader AlDafa, and the German Foundation <EM>Podium Junger Musiker</EM> had jointly extended the invitation to a concert entitled "Orient Meets Occident: the Arabian Passion according to J. S. Bach."</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none">The concert was attended by representatives of the top three Lebanese leaders, with Information Minister Tarek Mitri representing the Lebanese President, MP Hagop Pakradonian representing the House Speaker and MP Bassem al Shab representing the Prime Minister. Also attending the event was Bishop Boulos Matar representing Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Sfeir, along with a host of political, diplomatic, economic, artistic and cultural figures, and UN staff. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none">"Music is what remains in life. It is the language of all. Through it, peoples and nations rise, and with it, immortal images are painted throughout time," said AlDafa, quoting French novelist Leon Bloy, at the opening of the concert to which 36 musicians and four singers lent their talents. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none">"Peace is unquestionably what each one of us aspires to. For it to become a solid reality in our lives, and a culture for the coming generations, peace should blossom under the umbrella of economic, social and cultural development. Such was the message of ESCWA, ever since its inception in this precious region. The concert is part of a series of activities ESCWA is organizing to celebrate its 35th Anniversary. Earlier this month, the regional commission opened an exhibition at the UNESCO palace in Beirut for a group of pioneer Lebanese painters whose creative works helped maintain a colorful presence for their country on the Arab and international cultural scenes. The coming month, ESCWA will inaugurate another exhibit for talented UN staff who will display paintings, sculptures, photographs and other forms of artistic expression," AlDafa said in his address.</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none">The head of the German Foundation <EM>Podium Junger Musiker</EM>, Willy Rellecke, commended for his part the cultural exchanges between East and West, emphasizing the significant contribution of music to breaking down borders, in a reference to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, which Germany and Europe recently celebrated. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 12pt 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The orchestra, directed by Valdimir Ivanoff, performed a great variety of pieces brilliantly mixing eastern with western tunes and melodies.&nbsp; </DIV>

/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=432&referenceNUM=RCM 200911/3/2009

<DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today opened the 13th Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) meeting at the UN House-Beirut. The meeting was attended by the directors of regional UN agencies, officials from regional organizations and Lebanese Minister of Education and Higher Education, Bahiya Hariri. </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>The aim of the two-day meeting is to discuss broad issues of regional relevance, to address the lessons learned and the challenges faced in coordinating joint activities, and to outline the way forward, looking to strengthen the work and role of both the RCM and the Regional Directors Team (RDT)</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>In addition to Migiro, speakers at the opening session were UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Bader AlDafa, Assistant Secretary-General and Chair of the RDT, Amat Al Alim Alsoswa. </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>In her statement, Migiro stressed the need to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the deadline expiration in 2015, and said the Arab region faces important challenges in achieving the MDGs and addressing the impact of climate change. She also tackled the issue of the financial crisis, which has pushed 100 million people back into extreme poverty, and cost more than 50 million jobs this year alone. "This is why we have put forward a Global Jobs Pact and this is why we are creating a new Global Impact Vulnerability Alert System (GIVAS)." </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>Migiro reiterated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's remarks on regional cooperation and integration, at the Arab Economic and Social Summit, during which he said: “many of the region’s most pressing challenges, from migration to managing water resources, require cross-boundary solutions. Regional cooperation is your strength.” </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>The Deputy Secretary-General emphasized common grounds among the various UN agencies, united by their "commitment to the right of all children, women and men to live full and dignified lives, with the opportunity and freedom to realize their full potential." She also underlined the importance of ensuring the success of the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change in December. </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt" align=right>AlDafa, for his part, highlighted the critical time that precedes the 2010 MDGs Summit, especially that merely five years separate us from the 2015 deadline for the achievement of these goals. "This is the time to take stock of our progress so far, and put together a coordinated plan for the future." </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-line-height-alt: 12.0pt" align=right>He went on to say, "this is a critical time for our region and for the globe. The rise in poverty and hunger, the depletion of natural resources, and the volatile effects of climate change are grave challenges to human, economic and social development." </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>In her statement, Alsoswa said : "our collective challenge is not only to prevent or stem the&nbsp; decline in development gains, but to ensure that the trajectory of development is skewed in one direction-namely, achieving all of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets." Adding that the Arab region has made several achievements in the development realm during the last two decades, but certain indicators call for pondering when putting together future strategic plans.&nbsp;&nbsp; </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>She referred to a number of strategic initiatives RDT took to support UN Country teams in responding to national and regional development priorities and accelerating progress towards the MDG targets, such as the nexus and inter-dependence of food security and climate change issues; the youth "bulge" and its development implications; re-thinking the conventional wisdom on, and the development paradigms for, the development challenges faced by middle-income countries; and organizing coherent RDT strategic support to the UNCTs I the preparation of nationally-owned Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>Speaking on the RCM, UNIC-Beirut Director Bahaa Elkoussy said: "the meeting will review all the related issues such the adoption of the RCM-TOR, the regional responses to global crises, the Human Rights in the Arab World, thematic interventions etc." He added that "the RCM intends to strengthen coherence and cooperation among UN organizations in the Arab region; exchange information at the inter-agency level; and facilitate coordination and promote joint action in order to better serve the countries of the region and to maximize combined impact of the UN work." </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>Lebanese Minister of Education and Higher Education Bahiya Hariri also delivered a statement, which touched upon the particularities of the RCM as it studies integration mechanisms and their impact on the ground. "it is now time to ask a simple question, that is 'how do we work together?'. This question reflects the responsibility needed for complementary and coordinated work, and the awareness of the challenges lying ahead," the second Arab economic and social summit in Egypt. </DIV> <DIV dir=rtl style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; DIRECTION: rtl; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-layout-grid-align: none" align=right>&nbsp;</DIV>In his intervention, Chief of Cabinet of Arab League Secretary-General Hisham Youssef addressed cooperation between the Arab League and the UN, which extends to holding conferences, implementing development programs and other areas. He stressed conferences and meetings are important but we should not lose sight of the fact that it is the change on the ground that counts. He suggested strengthening cooperation between the UN and the Arab League through several measures, such as establishing cooperation programs for the preparation for the next Arab economic and social summit, and establishing a structured capacity-building program for the Arab League.

/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=430&referenceNUM=ESCWA Logo10/27/2009

<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">ESCWA signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on measuring the progress of societies during the 3<SUP>rd</SUP> OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy, held in Busan, Korea.</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Speaking at the session on <EM>"Charting Progress, Building Visions, improving Life: In A Time of Crisis", </EM>ESCWA Executive Secretary Bader AlDafa laid out the objectives and scope of work of the UN Commission. He emphasized the regional dimension of ESCWA's work, which focuses on ensuring regional integration, economic and social development, interregional cooperation and contribution to the global agenda. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In the context of quantifying progress and crises alike, AlDafa noted the challenges lying ahead, such as the role of statistics in measuring crises, preventing them and providing policymakers with information. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">To face these challenges, the Executive Secretary laid out some practical steps, such as reforming the statistical legislation, establishing national strategies for development of statistics and ensuring the presence of efficient national statistical institutions. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The forum is noted for its agenda and keynote speakers, who include high level participants, politicians, policy makers, opinion leaders, Nobel laureates, and representatives of civil society from all over the world. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Third World Forum is being run as part of the Global Project on "Measuring the Progress of Societies". Hosted by the OECD, and organized in cooperation with other international and regional organisations, the Global Project seeks to become the worldwide reference point for those who wish to measure and assess the progress of their societies. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">For more information about this meeting: <A href="http://www.oecdworldforum2009.org/">http://www.oecdworldforum2009.org/</A> </DIV>

/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=428&referenceNUM=UNIC and ESCWA10/22/2009

ESCWA held a press conference today in cooperation with the UN Information Center in Beirut (UNIC-Beirut), at the UN House to launch the "Information Economy Report 2009" released by the UN Conference on trade and Development (UNCTAD). <BR><BR>Speakers at the conference were Bahaa Elkoussy, UNIC-Beirut Director, Youssef Nusseir, Director Information and Communication Technology Division at ESCWA and Rami Zaatari, Information and Communication Technology Officer, ESCWA. <BR><BR>Elkoussy said that the importance and vitality of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the past decades has emerged as an engine that speeds up the pace of economic and social development. This technology has opened new horizons and prospects in developed and developing countries alike. The rapid penetration of information and communication technology in various parts of the world, particularly in the mobile phone and Internet sectors, has exceeded the expectations of most experts. <BR><BR>Elkoussy added that the mobile communication sector is capable of confronting the current economic crisis relatively well. However, the gap remains wide between the developed and developing worlds with respect to the availability of Internet service via broadband. "Despite the positive progress towards bridging this gap, there is still a long road to achieve equality among the various parts of the world on this matter," he said. <BR><BR>Nusseir, for his part, said that while the Information Economy Report 2009 discusses trends and future outlook, it focuses on the implications of the global economic crisis on ICT. The report looks at the progress that has been made and discusses different options for countries hoping to seize the opportunities created by new technologies. <BR><BR>Nusseir referred to the three chapters of the report. He said that In Chapter I, and in the context of analyzing ICTs for development, the report takes stock of recent trends with regard to extending connectivity worldwide. "Special attention is given to the challenge of providing broadband access to the Internet. Chapter II monitors development in enhancing the use of ICTs among enterprises and Chapter III looks at how international trade in ICT goods and in IT and ICT-enabled services is evolving. As the report was prepared in the midst of the most turbulent economic times since the Great Depression, potential implications of the economic crisis are discussed in all chapters," he added. <BR><BR>According to Nusseir, the dynamism of the different ICTs varies a great deal. While fixed telephone subscriptions are now in slight decline, mobile and internet usage continues to expand rapidly in most countries and regions. At the same time, there is a wide gap between high-income and low-income countries in the area of broadband connectivity. At the end of 2008, the number of fixed telecommunications subscriptions in the world was around 1.2 billion and the number of mobile subscriptions reached 4 billion. There were an estimated 1.4 billion internet users around the world at the end of 2008 and an estimated 400 million fixed broadband subscribers. <DIV><BR>'While ICT goods belonged to the most dynamic areas of world trade until 2000, they have subsequently expanded less rapidly than global trade as a whole. Between 1998 and 2007, the value of exports of ICT goods rose from $813 billion to $1.73 trillion, representing 13.2 per cent of all merchandise trade, while it use to constitute 17.7% in 2000," Nusseir said. </DIV> <DIV><BR>The report acknowledged that there are concerns the current financial and economic crisis, which is the worst in 60 years, will negatively impact the positive trends in ICT diffusion and the investment needed in order to ensure universal access to ICTs. As of mid 2009, there was still great uncertainty about the degree to which it would affect different countries and economic sectors. The crisis is expected to influence developed and developing countries and various regions within developing countries differently. Many governments, faced with the current economic crisis, have identified enhanced ICT use as a strategy to quicken recovery. Several developed countries have made ICTs an integral part of their economic stimulus packages, both by stimulating the demand for ICT goods and by continuing to enhance the supply side. </DIV> <DIV><BR>Finally, Zaatari gave a PowerPoint presentation in which he referred to the ongoing growth in the use of mobile phones and a decline in the use of fixed lines. He said that some ESCWA countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, UAE and Oman, have ranked among top countries in terms of mobile penetration.</DIV>

/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=426&referenceNUM=AbbasZaki-16Oct10/16/2009

<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">ESCWA Executive Secretary Bader AlDafa today received the Ambassador of Palestine and Representative of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, who paid a farewell visit to the Commission.</DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">AlDafa commended Zaki's efforts to strengthen relations with international organizations and to effectively represent his country's issues. He also wished him luck in his coming missions. </DIV>

/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=423&referenceNUM=SudanAmbassador-Oct0910/7/2009

<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">ESCWA Executive Secretary Bader Omar AlDafa today received Ambassador of the Sudan to Lebanon Idriss Suleiman Youssef Mustapha who is visiting the UN House for the first time after his recent appointment in Beirut. The meeting was attended by Abdel Hadi Al Siddiq from the Sudanese Embassy and from ESCWA by Albagir Adam, Secretary of the Commission. </DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The courtesy call was an occasion for both officials to discuss existing cooperation between ESCWA and its newest member, the Sudan. The meeting tackled new grounds for common work, and how the UN Commission could put its expertise at the service of the Sudan. </DIV>