http://www.escwa.un.org.com/ Weekly Updates en-us Copyright 2012 ESCWA. All Rights Reserved. 5/16/2012 9:33:21 PM 20 http://www.escwa.un.org/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=686&referenceNUM=helsinki16 May 2012 00:00:00:000]]>A group of Political Studies students from the University of Helsinki visited ESCWA today and explored its objectives and programmes. The students were briefed by Ms. Ahed Sboul, Chief, Conference Services Section on the opportunities provided by the Regional Commission and the challenges it is facing, especially following the drastic change that has occurred in the region since January 2011. In her briefing, Sboul stressed on the regional priority agenda items particularly the Rio + 20 Conference, which will be convened in June 2012, and the efforts provided by ESCWA in preparing its member states for this event. Sboul shed light on the major priorities and programmes of ESCWA, namely Integrated Management of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development; Integrated Social Policies; Economic Development and Integration; Strengthening the Statistical Capacities of the Countries of the Region; Increasing the Focus on Arab Women and Gender Issues; and Conflict Mitigation and Development. Before visiting the ESCWA Library, the students had an audience with Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf, who encouraged school and university briefings on ESCWA, in order to explore the services provided by the Commission. In the Library, the Helsinki University students were briefed by Mr. Malek Tannir who showed them the UN references and resources students and scholars can benefit from. http://www.escwa.un.org/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=684&referenceNUM=youth palest15 May 2012 00:00:00:000]]>Three Palestinian young officials, Kahrumana Jarrar, Head of Department of UN and International Organizations in the Palestinian Ministry of Planning and Adminastrative Development, Rabii Al-Hantouli, First Secretary of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, and Omar Awadallah, Head of Department of UN and Specialized Agencies in the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the ESCWA 27th Session held on 7-10 May, 2012 at the UN House in Beirut, as part of an annual training programme organized by the Division of Palestinian Rights (DPR) at the United Nations Head Quarters in New York. The Programme, launched in 1996 and dedicated to Palestinian officials, entails acquainting the trainees with the work of the different organs of the United Nations, their functions and respective agendas. This year, DPR proposed sending the trainees to the ESCWA Headquarters in Beirut in order to explore its policies and activities. During their visit, the young officials attended orientation sessions with senior staff members from the different substantive divisions at ESCWA; observed various meetings of the Session and were acquainted with the process and proceedings of these high-level meetings. The Palestinian staff also met with the Executive Secretary of ESCWA, Ms. Rima Khalaf, who presented them with certificates for completing the training sessions. The Commission also arranged meetings for the trainees with representatives of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), who briefed them on the work of both entities and on the coordination among UN System agencies in Lebanon. http://www.escwa.un.org/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=682&referenceNUM=ministerial 905 Oct 2012 00:00:00:000]]>The 27th Ministerial Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) opened today at the United Nations House in Beirut. Speakers at the opening ceremony were Mr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in Jordan, which chaired the 26th Session of the Commission, Mr. Sultan Bin Said Al-Mansoori, Minister of Economy in the United Arab Emirates chairing the current Session, Ms. Rima Khalaf, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCWA, and Mr. Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon. Mr. Derek Plumbly, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon delivered a message by the United Nations Secretary-General addressed to the Session. Mr. Al-Kharabsheh stressed the importance of general policy issues in the ESCWA region that were to be discussed during the Session such as “The Role of Participation and Social Justice in Achieving Sustainable and Balanced Development, Inclusive Finance in the ESCWA Region: Current Status and Future Prospects, and Preparations for Rio+20 in the Region,” which are of main concern to all citizens in the Arab World, forming the basis of what is happening in the region. The Jordanian official thanked the Commission for producing a regional profile on Rio+20 preparations and expected outcomes, which were concluded in a series of preparatory meetings previously held in Cairo. For his part, Mr. Al-Mansoori commended ESCWA’s role in establishing regional integration, in increasing the pace of coordination, in consolidating partnerships, in reinforcing the principle of transparency and effective communication among the peoples of the region, and in contributing to the formulation and development of policies and legislation. He added that the Session is a fundamental verse to reinforce regional cooperation “because nobody can work alone and away from others.” Delivering the message of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Mr. Plumbly said: “I commend ESCWA’s decision to focus this session on the correlation between social justice and sustainable development as a contribution to preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development next month in Rio de Janeiro. Rio+20 is a generational opportunity to take bold action to address the interrelated problems of poverty, environmental degradation, scarcity of natural resources and related threats. We need comprehensive solutions that cut across these linked challenges. For example, more efficient energy sources can spur economic growth, protect the environment and spread the benefits of development. I count on ESCWA to help us connect the dots and chart a path to the future we want.” In her statement, Ms. Khalaf said: “The opportunities and challenges that confront us today are many, but they differ considerably from those that we spoke about during the twenty-sixth session. At that time, we were concerned about the crisis raging in the world’s financial centres, which quickly became a debilitating economic crisis… Today, we witness a different spectacle. Today, it is our region that is producing the newspaper headlines, and it is others who fear the consequences… Like earthquakes, these regional and global changes are shifting the very ground beneath our feet. We must implement reforms and development efforts expeditiously to keep up with these changes and to protect our economies and the well-being that is our peoples’ right.” On the other hand, Mr. Miqati said: “Lebanon supports the requests of Tunisia, Morocco and Libya to join ESCWA. It confirms the regional countries’ confidence in ESCWA and their commitment to regional integration.” He added: “We are here today at a time where Arab countries are witnessing drastic changes which put it on a historic crossroad to which we should respond by achieving development through reform, rejuvenation, and democracy. We are in front of a phase full of hope, yet, it is full of difficult choices and dangers. Therefore, we are in need of all social factions, especially the youth, the governments, and civil society institutions, who should work together to improve our economies within a new development paradigm, for a future full of freedom, dignity and human rights.” The 27th Ministerial Session of ESCWA will conclude its meetings on Thursday 10 May 2012 with discussions on inclusive finance in Western Asia and a launching ceremony to promote the Commission’s Cyber Legislation Directives. http://www.escwa.un.org/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=680&referenceNUM=opening ministerial session07 May 2012 00:00:00:000]]>The Senior Official Segment of ESCWA’s 27th Ministerial Session opened today at the U.N. House in Beirut. Speakers at the opening were the Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCWA, Mr. Nadim Khoury, the Director of International Cooperation in the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Ms. Zeina Touqan, representing the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which chaired the 26th Session, and the Executive Director of the Economic Policy Affairs in the Emirati Ministry of Economy, Mr. Mohamad Saleh Shalwah. In his statement, Khoury said that data already suggest that if current negative trends continue, including a decline in investment and growth rates and an increase in unemployment, mostly attributable to deteriorating political and security conditions, addressing the social consequences will become increasingly difficult, and the prospects for future generations increasingly murky. He added: “ESCWA works to keep track of the conditions, changes and aspirations in the region to ensure that its programmes are informed by the real situation of the region and the ambitions of its peoples, and that the commission works to achieve regional integration through harmonization of legislation for the benefit of future generations.” Khoury also said that ESCWA functions as mediator in bringing successful developments, practices and experiences from development processes around the world to its member countries while keeping in mind the cultural specificities of the region. Conversely, it conveys the aspirations and concerns of its member countries to the international community for incorporation into the global development agenda. The Deputy Executive Secretary briefed participants on programme, administrative and organizational questions to be addressed during the Session, adding that there will be three round table discussions on the following policy issues of importance to the ESCWA region, mainly: The Role of Participation and Social Justice in Achieving Sustainable and Balanced Development; Preparations for Rio+20 in the Arab Region; and Inclusive Financing in the ESCWA Region: Current Situation and Future Prospects. For her part, Touqan said that ESCWA has achieved a number of goals with the region facing critical circumstances, which stimulated socio-economic development and reinforced cooperation among the Commission’s member countries. She also pointed that the Ministerial Session is being held as the region continues to face harsh conditions that demand great and interactive efforts to discuss. She added that the policy issues proposed for the round table discussions outline the fundamental causes behind the so called “Arab Spring,” and pave the way to develop solutions, and set policies to achieve these solutions. According to Rule 12 of the ESCWA Procedure, which states that member countries shall assume the sessions of the subsidiary bodies of the Commission on a rotating basis, in the Arabic Alphabetical order employed by the United Nations, the United Arab Emirates assumed the Chairmanship of the 27th Session, while Jordan assumed the position of First Vice-Chairman, Bahrain the position of Second Vice-Chairman, and Syria the position of Rapporteur. At the end of the opening, the UAE Representative, Mr. Mohamad Saleh Shalwah was called to the podium, where he delivered a statement, highlighting the advisory and technical services provided by ESCWA and the implemented work program for the biennium for 2010-2011. He hoped for achieving expected results in the proposed issues to be discussed. Participants discussed today “The Report of the Executive Secretary” on the activities of the Commission including: Programme Performance Report for the Biennum 2010-2011; The Implementation of the Resolutions Adopted by the Commission at its 26th Session; The Technical Cooperation Programme and Regional Advisory Services; the Finanacial Status of the Commission; and The Reports of the Subsidiary Bodies on Their Sessions. Deliberations of the Senior Officials Segment will continue till Tuesday 8 May, 2012, and will revolve around management issues including: The Evaluation of the Work of the Commission; Proposed Amendments to the Work Programme for the Biennium 2012-2013; The Revised Draft Strategic Framework for the Biennium 2014-2015. Participants will also consider the requests of Tunisia and Libya for membership in the Commission. The ministerial segment of the session will be held on 9-10 May, 2012 under the patronage of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati. To find out more about the 27th Ministerial Session, please refer to the links below. http://www.escwa.un.org/about/gov/sessions/editor/Download.asp?table_name=sess26_menu&field_name=ID&FileID=76 For English: http://www.escwa.un.org/about/gov/sessions/maine.asp?lang=e&ID=72 For Arabic: http://www.escwa.un.org/about/gov/sessions/maina.asp?lang=a&ID=80 http://www.escwa.un.org/main/scroll/printwhatsnew.asp?id=678&referenceNUM=regpro04 Apr 2012 00:00:00:000]]>The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) today said that countries with a low Gross National Income (GNI) spend on the information and communication services more than the developed ones, and that the Arab region comes in the second rank in terms of the cost of these services. The regional Commission, which launched a flagship report on “Profile of the Information Society in Western Asia 2011”, at the UN House, Beirut, also noted that the use of Arabic on Internet recorded its highest growth percentage between 2000 and 2011, while the range of Digital Arabic Content (DAC) was estimated between 1.5 to 2.3 per cent. ESCWA Director of Information and Communication Technology Division Haidar Fraihat said this report describes and evaluates the data on the information society in the region. “The performance of ESCWA Member Countries improved since 2005 when the World Summit of Information Society convened its second phase,” he said. Fraihat added that the Commission focuses on bridging the digital divide through all its programs and activities. For his part, ESCWA Information and Communication Technology Officer Rami Zaatari ran through the report’s chapters, saying that fixed-line penetration rates remained neutral at zero per cent compared to 20 per cent increase in mobile penetration rates. The Internet sector remains the most competitive in the region despite its expensive services fees. He said the report calls on setting independent regulatory frameworks to speed up the liberalization of the communications sector and to increase its competitiveness. E-government applications in some countries are nowadays seeking citizens’ feedbacks on the information and communication services and the public policies formulation in spite of a weak e-participation rate in the region. Zaatari highlighted the report’s recommendations, which called on using the Internet to improve the development process, and to build capacities to use the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) through including them in the academic curricula and making them accessible to all. The report referred to the importance of modernizing national legal frameworks in line with the requirements of the Information Society, and to the creation of an enabling environment for DAC growth. NB: The report is available on the following link: http://www.escwa.un.org/information/publications/edit/upload/E_ESCWA_ICTD_11_4_e.pdf