ESCWA WEEKLY NEWS No. 43

30 September 2019



	ESCWA at the 74th General Assembly in New York This week, ESCWA Executive Secretary, Rola Dashti, attended the 74th General Assembly and several related events, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit. On the sidelines of the UNGA, Dashti participated in the launch of the Arab Strategic Framework for the Eradication of Multidimensional Poverty by Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, with World Bank Senior Vice-President, Mahmoud Mohieldin, and Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Ghada Wali. The Executive Secretary also held bilateral meetings with high-level officials from Bahrain, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and United Arab Emirates, among others. She assured them of ESCWA support and, in turn, the ministers voiced their readiness to deepen collaboration with the regional commission. Read more

	Review of regional progress in implementation of the Beijing Declaration About 50 Arab and international experts concluded on 26 September at ESCWA two-day discussions of a regional report on progress made by Arab countries in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which will be launched on 28 November. The meeting was organized by ESCWA in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Arab Women Organization (AWO). Twenty countries had submitted national reports that fed into the Beijing+25 regional report under review. Recommendations will help shape a unified Arab position that will be presented at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2020. Read more


	Transitioning to renewable energy and sustainable prosperity in Lebanon Within the framework of the Sida-funded REGEND Project, ESCWA, in partnership with University College London (UCL) IGP, the RELIEF Centre and Chatham House, organized on 23 September a workshop on “Transitions to Renewable Energy and Sustainable Prosperity in Lebanon: The Role of Municipalities, Education and Future Scenarios for 2030.” Planning officials, scholars and energy practitioners met to discuss how equitable energy supply systems and alternatives can be built in Lebanon. Key recommendations were provided during the sessions, which covered topics including providing modern energy services; raising energy literacy; financing the transition; integrating renewable energy technology at the microscale level for a renewable energy transition that does not solely rely on governmental structures. Read more

	ESCWA and IRENA renew cooperation agreement for five years On 25 September, ESCWA and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) renewed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) they had signed on January 2015 to strengthen cooperation between them in the coming five years. By this MOU, both partners seek to promote widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. The MoU provides for joint activities to support Arab States in the renewable energy field, such as accelerating renewable energy deployment; and collaborating with the Arab Centre for Climate Change Policies to strengthen contribution of renewable energy to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Read more


	Did you know... … that maternal and child mortality rates have been reduced, life expectancy continues to increase globally, and the fight against some infectious diseases has made steady progress? Progress has slowed or stalled, however, on global efforts to eradicate other diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis. In the Arab region, maternal mortality has declined and stands at 142 for every 100,000 live births, way below the global average. However, in Arab least developed countries, the number rises to 493, more than twice the global average. Similar trends are observed in under-five child mortality. Read more