ESCWA WEEKLY NEWS No. 30

01 July 2019



	ESCWA 12th session of the Committee on Energy On 24-25 June, the 12th session of the Committee on Energy of ESCWA was held at the UN House in Beirut. Representatives from member States and energy experts discussed progress made since the 11th session of the Committee; developments in the Energy sector in the Arab region; Arab cooperation in dealing with climate change; progress in the implementation of energy-related SDGs in the Arab region; and the proposed 2020 programme plan for integrated management of natural resources for sustainable development. The Committee announced the establishment of the Arab Centre for Climate Change Policy to support member States through the provision of technical assistance and advisory services. It also set out a score of recommendations that included enhancing capacity building for Arab countries and providing regional knowledge, data as well as information products. Discussions also tackled activities of the ESCWA Group of Experts on Fossil Fuel. Read more

	ESCWA 13th session of the Committee on Water On 27-28 June, ESCWA held the 13th session of the Committee on Water Resources and concluded with a set of recommendations, including to prioritize implementing water-related sustainable development policies. The Committee focused on the progress made in integrating sustainable water-related development goals into national development plans; the water-energy-food nexus; the impact of climate change on water resources and other productive sectors such as agriculture, as well as enhancing regional cooperation, coordination and communication with and among member States to achieve a sustainable development that leaves no one behind. It also urged to avail from the services offered by the Arab Centre for Climate Change Policy in terms of data, studies, projects and partnerships to develop integrated policies and strategies in water sector. The 2-day session also reviewed the proposed 2020 programme for integrated natural resources management for sustainable development. Read more


	Social Expenditure Monitor for Arab States ESCWA hosted the regional workshop on Social Expenditure Monitor (SEM) for the Arab States on 24-25 June. The workshop is the first in a series of events to be conducted under a project called the “Social Expenditure Monitor: An Integrated Framework for Supporting Macro-Fiscal Policies and the SDGs”. Aligned with the SDGs approach, the SEM provides a comprehensive mapping of social expenditure, including education, health, social protection, housing and community amenities, employment and labour market interventions, environment protection and culture and recreation. Member States strongly resonated that the SEM would serve as a unique tool for the policy makers to rebalance public expenditures priorities and improve their public finance management, especially in improving allocative efficiency in budgeting toward achieving sustainable development goals. Member States participating in the project are Tunisia, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine and Morocco. Read more

	Enhancing capacity building on links between water and energy On 25-26 June, ESCWA and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) jointly organized an experts’ meeting on “Enhancing Capacity Building Addressing Water and Energy Interlinkages for Sustainable Development in the Arab Region” with support from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund. Positive experiences on the nexus perspective were illustrated by case studies from the region on electricity consumption in the water sector, water treatment, desalination efficiency and Renewable Energy integration. Finally, a set of recommendations for promoting integrated approaches were elaborated during working groups on institutional and policy strengthening, data sharing and monitoring, and finance, technology transfer and capacity building. Participants at the Committees on Energy and Water Resources and experts from both Water and Energy sectors joined this event. Read more


	Tracking and monitoring food security in the Arab Region “Tracking and monitoring food security in the Arab Region” was the title of a coordination meeting held on 26 June at the UN House in Beirut to introduce the Food security Monitoring Framework. The meeting for National Statistical Offices in the Arab Region was a collaboration between ESCA, as well as the FAO and the Arab Organization for Agriculture Development (AOAD). The Food security Monitoring Framework was adopted on 28 March 2019, during the 49th meeting of AOAD Executive Bureau, in resolution #6/49 and is as result of a long consultative process that included extensive desk research and a thorough analysis of both national and regional policies that relate to food security through any of its four dimensions. This meeting presented the chosen food security indicators and related dashboards in preparation for its dissemination through training workshops and preparation of the First report on the status of Food security in the Arab region. Read more

	Climate change impact and vulnerability assessments for Tunisia A “National Training Workshop on the Application of Climate Change Impact and Vulnerability Assessments for Tunisia” was conducted in Tunis from 24-28 June 2019. The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of ESCWA member States in the use of Regional Climate Modelling (RCM) and Regional Hydrological Modelling (RHM) outputs in a GIS environment to inform climate change analysis and climate action at the regional, national and sub-national levels. This was part of the Regional Initiative for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources and Socio-Economic Vulnerability in the Arab Region (RICCAR) and was organized by ESCWA, the League of Arab States, and the General Directorate of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries in Tunisia. Read more


	Writing English for the UN On 28 June 2019, the ESCWA Administrative Services Division concluded a week-long training on “English Writing for the United Nations.” The course, attended by 22 participants, was designed to enhance the skills and confidence of staff members who draft a variety of UN materials in English, and to familiarize them with the principles of good writing and the effective use of grammar and vocabulary. The training was the result of close collaboration between the Conference Services Section and the Human Resources Section at ESCWA and the Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development Section at the UN Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM). The same course will be offered again at ESCWA, depending on future demand. Read more


	Did you know... … that progress in technology is a key driver of sustainable growth? Innovation is still weak in the Arab region. Among Arab countries, expenditure in scientific research ranged from just 0.2%-0.4% of the national GDP. The number of researchers per 1 million inhabitants in Arab countries ranged from more than 2,400 to as few as 64, compared to world averages of 1,100. Meanwhile, mobile phone subscriptions in the Arab region are 106.4%, above the world average 103.5%, but the regional average of internet subscriptions is 43.7% falling slightly below that of the world average, 48%. Read more