ESCWA WEEKLY NEWS No. 29

24 June 2019



	Sixth meeting of the ESCWA Executive Committee convenes in Morocco The sixth meeting of the ESCWA Executive Committee was held in Marrakech, Morocco on 15 and 16 June. Participants followed up on the implementation of the fifth meeting recommendations and of the Beirut Consensus on Technology for Sustainable Development in the Arab Region. They reviewed the main findings of the Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region 2018-2019 and the ESCWA system for monitoring and evaluating Arab economic integration. Discussions also revolved around a proposed framework to track social expenditure in Arab States, regional and national efforts to reduce multidimensional poverty, the social and economic situation of Palestinian women and girls, and the barriers to women’s economic participation in the Arab region. The Executive Committee took note of the preparations for the 31st ESCWA session to be held in Tunis in 2020, and endorsed the proposal presented by the secretariat for its main theme on youth issues in the Arab region. At its closing session, the Committee adopted recommendations on various topics, including tackling multidimensional poverty, rationalizing social expenditure, increasing women’s economic participation, and developing the ESCWA tool for assessing institutional capacities in post-conflict settings. Read more

	Executive Secretary discusses mutual cooperation with senior Moroccan officials On the sidelines of the sixth meeting of the ESCWA Executive Committee held in Morocco on 15-16 June, Executive Secretary Rola Dashti met with Prime Minister Saadeddine Al Othmani and other high-level officials. The Executive Secretary reaffirmed the readiness of ESCWA to support Morocco in addressing socio-economic challenges, and to achieve a well-balanced development vision that leaves no one behind. Dashti met with the President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, Mr. Ahmed Rida Al Chami; the Minister of Family, Solidarity, Equality and Social Development, Ms. Bassima Hakkaoui; the Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ms. Mounia Boucetta; and the High Commissioner for Planning, Mr. Ahmed Lahlimi. All commended the support provided by ESCWA to Morocco in implementing its development plan and called for expanding this cooperation particularly in implementing Agenda 2030. Read more


	Rethinking cooperative enterprises in post conflict agriculture in Syria “Rethinking Cooperative Enterprises in Post Conflict Agriculture and Integrated Rural Development in Syria” was the title of a meeting held on 18-20 June at the UN House in Beirut. The meeting was a collaboration between the NAFS programme at ESCWA, SDPD, as well as the FAO and WFP regional offices of Lebanon and Syria. The meeting sought to understand the contribution of agriculture cooperatives to improve resilience, food security and social cohesion in post-conflict Syria and to strategize how cooperative enterprises should be supported and better positioned to play an efficient role in improving the socio-economic conditions of Syrian producers under post-conflict recovery and reconstruction. The reflections of the three-day discussions will produce a set of policy recommendations, key messages, lessons learned, and basic principles to set the ground for a competitive cooperative sector that is able to improve productivity and competitiveness of small producers in Syria and eventually improve their resilience to various agriculture shocks including drought and market disorders. Read more

	ESCWA at the East Mediterranean Maritime Conference A delegate from ESCWA participated in the East Mediterranean Maritime Conference held in Beirut on 19-20 June. The Commission’s intervention presented by Adel Alghaberi emphasized the importance of preparing the Arab region for the consequences of the fourth industrial revolution and the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative which are likely to have strong impact on the region maritime industry. The changes of the pattern of international trade led by changes in trade policy of the United States and other countries will affect participation of developing countries in Global Value Chains (GVCs) thus the shipping industry as the flow of goods across regions will certainly be subject to changes. To face the various challenges, the Arab region needs to enhance the efficiency of its logistics and various services and engage the private sector more in maritime services and infrastructure development. Revisiting the maritime policies and further integration among Arab countries in this sector are of essence. Read more


	Promoting renewable energy applications in North Lebanon ESCWA held a participative Focus Group Meeting (FGM) on 18 June to finalize the selection of the rural community in Lebanon that will host small-scale renewable energy applications pilot projects and capacity-building activities. Akkar El Atika and Chaqdouf in Akkar Governorate were selected. The meeting comes within the framework of the Regional Initiative for Promoting Small-Scale Renewable Energy Applications in rural areas of the Arab Region (REGEND) funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). In this FGM, ESCWA was joined by its local Lebanese partners, the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute (LARI). Read more


	Did you know... … that, with more than 190 million people out of work, youth are 3 times more likely to be unemployed than adults and that the global youth unemployment rate in 2017 was 13%? In the Arab region, high levels of youth unemployment have persisted since the 2008 financial crisis. In 10 Arab countries, joblessness among youth is at 30%, more than twice the world average. In some countries, young women’s unemployment rate exceeds 60%. Women are 4 times less likely than men to work in the formal economy in the region: only 21% of women work in the formal economy in the region, compared to 75% of men. Unpaid care work is a major barrier to women’s economic participation. Women undertake as much as 80 to 90% of all unpaid care work in the Arab region. Read more