UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA TO HOLD

 

23RD MINISTERIAL SESSION IN DAMASCUS 9 – 12 MAY

 

(Reissued as received.)

BEIRUT, 15 April (UN Information Service) -- The Syrian capital of Damascus is set to host the twenty-third United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) ministerial session at the Ebla Cham Palace Hotel from 9 to 12 May 2005, following a decision by the United Nations Economic and Social Council on 5 November 2004.

The agenda of the session includes a number of region-specific concerns and priorities:

-- Peace and Security and their impact on economic and social development:  A round table will bring together heads of delegation and high-level representatives to discuss the impact of peace and security on Arab regional integration and on economic and social development.

-- Cooperation between ESCWA and the League of Arab States and the measures needed to ensure cooperation and means of coordination between the two institutions in a number of activities on priority issues for the ESCWA member countries.

-- Social policies in ESCWA member countries:  Heads of delegation and high-level representatives will participate in a round-table discussion based on a document detailing the activities of the ESCWA secretariat to support decisions by member countries.  These decisions are aimed at formulating integrated social policies through the implementation by ESCWA of a multi-phase programme.  The first part of this programme resulted in identifying success criteria for social policies in selected countries.  Participants will review the activities ESCWA intends to implement in the second phase aimed at determining the specific needs of the member countries in this regard.

-- Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals:  In a round table, participants will discuss ESCWA’s 2004 Report on the attainment of Millennium Development Goals in member countries.  The heads of delegation will be joined in this discussion by heads of UN agencies operating in the region.

The twenty-third ministerial session of ESCWA will include the signing of a “Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of maritime transport in the Arab Mashreq”.  A large portion of foreign trade transport in ESCWA member countries relies on maritime transport due to the advantages it affords in terms of greater mass and lower costs when compared to other modes of transport.

Coming in the wake of the “Agreement on International Roads in the Arab Mashreq” and the “Agreement on International Railways in the Arab Mashreq” prepared by ESCWA and which ESCWA member countries signed, this step aims to:  bolster cooperation and integration in the economic sphere; and acknowledge the importance of maritime transport in serving and enhancing intraregional trade.

Daily press briefings will be given during the session to provide delegations with the opportunity to highlight their most significant achievements in those areas addressed by the agenda.  The briefings will also provide a venue for the ESCWA secretariat to launch a number of flagship studies and reports, including:

-- Annual Review of Developments in Globalization and Regional Integration in the UN-ESCWA Region, 2004:  Assesses progress of globalization in the Arab States and monitors progress towards Arab regional integration.

-- Report on Progress Made towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the UN-ESCWA Region, 2004:  Shows the achievements made in the region in the framework of the Millennium Development Goals and the major challenges facing their realization in the ESCWA member countries.  The report demonstrates the different development tracks of these countries and the far-reaching impact of instability on these tracks.

-- Report on “Arab Women:  Beijing+10”:  Documents the most significant achievements of Arab women and the obstacles and challenges they faced in the implementation of the Beijing Plan of Action.

Parallel to the session, there will be an exhibit displaying the most important field projects executed by ESCWA in the past two years and the projects it intends to carry out in the future in the region.  The exhibit will highlight the role of private companies and institutions financing these projects such as the Abdullatif Jamil Company Ltd, Issam Fares Foundation, and Safadi Foundation, as well as ESCWA cooperation with AGFUND, Alcatel, the German Technical Cooperation Foundation (GTZ), and others.  The exhibit will focus on the four priorities of countries in the region:  water and energy; globalization and World Trade Organization (WTO) issues; information and communication technology; and social policies, including ESCWA related activities.

Ministerial delegations representing the member countries of ESCWA are participating in the twenty-third ministerial session, in addition to representatives of United Nations agencies and non ESCWA member countries; governmental and non-governmental organizations and donor organizations.  Officials from the host country, Syria, will attend the opening ceremony, as well as diplomatic missions accredited to Syria.

The ESCWA is the regional arm of the United Nations in Western Asia.  It is composed of 13 member countries:  Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The objective of ESCWA is to facilitate economic and social cooperation among the countries of the region in order to achieve regional integration.  This is of particular importance in view of the regional dimension that has become fundamental to dealing with issues of globalization.  The Commission also aims to familiarize the outside world with the conditions and needs of the countries in the region.  ESCWA activities strengthen regional integration and consider the issues and problems of its members through a regional, rather than a purely national, perspective.

As an organ of the United Nations system, ESCWA seeks to harmonize the policies of member countries in various sectors, including water, energy, industry, agriculture and technology.  It also works on unifying databases, statistics and information and provides and distributes them to users.  The Commission conducts analytical studies and implements field projects aimed at serving various social strata, including women and children, the elderly and those with special needs.  In addition, ESCWA organizes conferences, intergovernmental and expert group meetings, training workshops, lectures and study sessions.  It coordinates its activities with those of the departments and main offices of the UN Headquarters, the UN specialized agencies and international and regional organizations, including the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

For more information:  www.unescwa.org

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