ESCWA WEEKLY NEWS No. 53

Arab region caught in an inequality trap

The region is caught in an inequality trap, argue ESCWA and the Economic Research Forum (ERF) in their new report titled “Rethinking Inequality in Arab Countries”, which was launched in Beirut on 16 December.
 
The report, an outcome of the largest research project on inequality in Arab countries to date, shows that the region has achieved significant human capital gains. However, these gains were not closely matched with a decline in inequality of opportunities.

The report recommends capitalizing on young people and improving policies to effectively target the disadvantaged, and reduce poverty and inequality, while simultaneously ensuring a competitive thriving economy. All this would foster political stability, increase economic growth and enhance human development.

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ESCWA launches energy progress report at COP25

On the sidelines of COP25 in Madrid, ESCWA and IsDB launched the SDG7 Tracking Report for the Arab Region on 6 December.

Several stakeholders discussed means to accelerate progress towards the energy-related SDG 7. They addressed the main related challenges faced by the Arab region and the priority actions required to build a sustainable energy future, including through climate action at both the regional and country levels.

The report concluded that meeting SDG7 targets will require significantly scaled-up progress in integrating renewable energy into Arab countries’ energy mix, and in decoupling regional growth from energy consumption through improved energy efficiency.

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Nutrition-sensitive value chain development in the Sudan

In Khartoum, on 8 and 9 December, ESCWA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Sudan organized a technical meeting on nutrition-sensitive agriculture value chains assessment and development, in cooperation with AOAD.

Thirty participants discussed and practiced value chain selection, and the research required to design sustainable interventions from a nutrition-sensitive perspective. They also analysed market barriers and highlighted priorities to promote an enabling environment, including through appropriate rules and regulations.

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Workshop on digital transformation in Morocco

In partnership with the Digital Development Agency (ADD) in Morocco, ESCWA conducted a capacity-building workshop on 12 December to discuss best international and regional digital transformation strategies, and formulate a national road map for the development of such a strategy in Morocco.

Key messages of the workshop included the importance of adopting electronic channels to provide public services, in order to contribute to social and economic development. Participants also emphasized the need to upgrade the expertise and skills of public sector employees, to enable them to contribute effectively to digital transformation.

Did you know...

… that ever-increasing amounts of natural resources are used to support economic activity? The total amount of raw materials extracted to meet final consumption demands increased by 113% since 1990 – faster than both population and economic output. About one third of the food produced each year is lost or wasted, most of it in developed countries.

In the Arab region, current patterns of economic growth have largely relied on extraction of natural resources and excessive generation of waste. The total amount of raw material consumption increased significantly by 131% since 2000, faster than both population (31%) and economic output (9%) growth.

Photo credit: Mohamed Bassem Farhat, Palestine

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