ESCWA WEEKLY NEWS No. 31

08 July 2019



	Artificial Intelligence and local industrial development ESCWA held an expert group meeting on 1-2 July focusing on “Artificial Intelligence and Local Industrial Development” organized in collaboration with the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO). The opening session featured statements by the Executive Secretary of ESCWA, Ms. Rola Dashti, delivered by her deputy, Mr. Mounir Tabet, as well as the Director General of AIDMO, Mr. Adel Sakr, and the owner of the largest intellectual property company, Mr. Talal Abou Ghazaleh. Experts in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Frontier Technologies discussed the contribution and impact of AI on local industrial development and topics related to AI and productivity, labour force impact, as well as talent investment and infrastructure in the Arab region. Discussions focused on mitigating the displacement effects of AI implementation on the labour force and how AI implementation can lead to an increase in demand for skilled labour. Read more

	Open government and emerging technologies in the Arab region On 2 July, Lebanese Minister of State for Administrative Reform May Chidiac opened a 3-day regional workshop at ESCWA on “Open Government and Emerging Technologies in the Arab Region.” The workshop sought to build the capacities of government officials on open government for enhancing accountability and developing participatory approaches in public institutions. Based on the ESCWA four-phased framework on open government, the workshop provided participants with knowledge, options, tools and actions to develop and implement open government initiatives in the Arab region, especially related to open data and participation. It is the second one organized by ESCWA under a broader project entitled "Institutional Development for Better Service Delivery Towards the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Western Asia" launched in 2016. Read more


	International conference on national human rights institutions’ role in SDGs implementation An ESCWA delegation took part in the “International Conference on the Role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in the Implementation and Follow-up of Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs),” convened in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on 26-27 June. Regional Adviser on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment at the Commission Akram Khalifa delivered a presentation on the “Principle of Leaving no one behind.” He talked about the linkages between the 2030 Agenda and International Human Rights Frameworks with focus on mainstreaming gender equality and women’s empowerment in the implementation of SDGs. He also tackled the role of NHRIs in making sure that the “Leaving no one Behind” principle is integrated at the levels of SDGs’ implementation and follow-up, as well as in the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) processes. In addition, Khalifa highlighted the outcomes of ESCWA latest publication entitled “Guidelines for Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Voluntary National Reviews.” Read more

	The future of Arab economic integration In Tunis, ESCWA held a high-level regional workshop on 1-2 July focusing on “The Future of Arab Economic Integration in a Changing Global Trade Landscape” with the support of regional Arab organizations as well as international and regional specialized agencies. The workshop was held in conjunction with the 34th meeting of the Arab Customs Union (ACU) Committee of the League of Arab States (LAS). Tunisian Minister of Economic Reform Tawfic Rajhi emphasized in his opening statement the importance of this workshop at a time when international trade relations are witnessing a major shift towards protectionism and regionalism. He stressed that this calls for a strategic vision for future Arab trade policies that can help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more


	Regional forum on green economy ESCWA co-organized the 2019 MENA Regional High-level Forum on Green Economy, held in Manama, Bahrain, from 2 to 4 July 2019. The Forum aimed to strengthen the impact of transition to a green economy through scaling up and replication of successful experiences at the regional level. A video message by the Executive Secretary of ESCWA, Rola Dashti, was screened at the opening ceremony, whereby Ms. Dashti highlighted the huge potential that exists in the Arab region to benefit from opportunities offered by green technologies. These opportunities contribute to economic development and job creation, particularly for women and young people, thus laying the foundation for a safer region. ESCWA also chaired/ facilitated a session on national level capacity development for the green action, along with contributing to the resource efficiency executive training. Read more


	Did you know... … that income inequality is on the rise and that the top 10% of the population in the Arab region holds 60% of the share of income, the highest rate in the world? Evidence from developing countries shows that children in the poorest 20% of the population are up to 3 times more likely to die before their 5th birthday than children in the richest quintile. Measurements show that income inequality in many Arab countries has increased since 2000 and several Arab countries have the highest level of inequality globally. Read more