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Beirut, 27 May 2003 (United Nations Information Service)--The
seventh meeting of the United Nations Regional Coordination Group
will be convened by the Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia (ESCWA) on 29-30 May 2003 at the United Nations House, Riad
Solh Square, Beirut.
ESCWA Executive Secretary Mervat Tallawy will open the Meeting at
9:30 on Thursday 29 May, launching a discussion on a range of
important agenda items such as Peace Building, Recovery and Human
Development; Mainstreaming Human Rights in Development Programs of
the Various UN Agencies; an Integrated Approach to Poverty
Reduction and Community Development; the Implementation of the
Arab Initiative on Sustainable Development, as well as the UN
System Regional Presence and Coordination.
ESCWA will give a presentation on the Regional Coordination Group
Web site, which is meant to be a mechanism for coordinating and
reporting on UN Agencies activities, disseminating information on
the UN accomplishments, and providing a common calendar for
coordinating meetings and activities.
It is expected that participants will prepare for the next
meeting, which will be convened in Beirut in October 2003.
Participants in the Meeting are representatives of the regional
offices of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Food
and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the
United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention
(UNODCCP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Universal Postal Union
(UPU), the World Food Program (WFP), the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Fund
for Women (UNIFEM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International
Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Joint Inspection
Unit of the United Nations System (JIU), the International
Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), as well as the representatives of the United
Nations Missions accredited to Lebanon.
It is worth noting that on the initiative of ESCWA, pursuant to
calls by the United Nations Secretary-General and Member States
for closer coordination of United Nations activities, the Regional
Interagency Coordination Group (RICG), comprised of United Nations
regional offices, was established in 1995 to facilitate
coordination among United Nations regional organizations.
During its first meeting, chaired by United Nations Deputy
Secretary-General Louise Frechette, in March 1999 at the United
Nations House in Beirut, the members of the RICG agreed on
re-designating the Group as the United Nations Regional
Coordination Group (RCG). The Group’s six other meetings were also
held in Beirut during the period 1999-2002.
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