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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)

1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.

 

  • The Arab Regional Action Plan (the Regional Action Plan) for Sustainable Development Data sets out the following six strategic areas that follow the Cape Town Global Action Plan:
  • Coordination and strategic leadership on data for sustainable development:
  • Innovation and modernization of national statistical systems:
  • Strengthen basic statistical activities and programmes, with particular focus on addressing the monitoring needs of the 2030 Agenda:
  • Dissemination and use of sustainable development data
  • Multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development data
  • Mobilize resources and coordinate efforts for statistical capacity-building:
  • The Regional Action Plan adopted in 2017 was reviewed, and the progress was assessed in 2019 by the Statistical Committee of ESCWA.

 

2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes

 

  • To improve data and statistics for the 2030 Agenda, ESCWA is implementing a capacity development work programme comprising:

 

  • The 10th tranche DA Programme on Statistics and Data that builds capacities in: (i) institutional issues related to SDG statistics; (ii) modernization, new sources and technologies; (iii) environmental statistics; (iv) demographic and social statistics; and (iv) economic statistics;
  • A capacity development programme on disability statistics aimed to increase the rate of disaggregation of SDG data by disability. The programme resulted in increased availability of data on persons with disabilities and on an agreed methodology: “Regional Guidebook on Disability Statistics”.
  • An integrated Gender Statistics Toolbox (The Toolbox) aimed at increased availability and quality of data for SDG5 and other gender relevant indicators. The Toolbox consists of a self-paced e-learning and a classroom training curriculum implemented by member States themselves.

 

2.2 Aligning the structure of the organization with the transformative features of the 2030 Agenda, including any challenges and lessons learned in doing so

 

Leaving No One Behind

 

  • In 2018, ESCWA organized an Expert Group Meeting on “Leaving No Women Behind: Addressing Gender Intersectionality in the Arab region”. The meeting contributed to determining how to apply the intersectionality approach to reduce gender inequalities and enhance the overall development process. It concluded with an agreement on the main guiding principles that will enable development practitioners and researchers to operationalize the concept of intersectionality in a way that helps address gender inequalities in the region and achieve SDG5.

 

  • In 2018, ESCWA prepared a Research paper on women’s economic empowerment (emphasizing linkages between economic development and women’s empowerment) In addition to SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women, women’s economic participation is, among others, essential to end poverty in its all forms (SDG 1), ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all (SDG 4) and promote sustained and inclusive economic growth (SDG 8). Women’s economic empowerment ensures that they can benefit equally from development in coherence with the principles of right to development and “no one left behind”, which underpin the 2030 Agenda. The paper argues that although women’s economic empowerment is multifaceted in nature, it is often examined from an exclusively economic perspective and in isolation from the broader gender context in Arab States. As a result, compared to other regions, contemporary research into the drivers of low female economic participation rarely factors in issues such as the unequal distribution of unpaid care work or violence against women. The paper reviews these “missing links” and suggests pathways towards a holistic research agenda that reframes and integrates these hitherto overlooked gender issues into analysis of women’s economic participation, highlighting recent ESCWA initiatives in this regard.

 

  • ESCWA is producing a special edition of its Social Development Report (3) on “Leaving no one Behind: Reaching the Most Marginalized in Selected Arab Countries”. It will also hold an Expert Group Meeting on the same issue in Beirut, from 13-14 May 2019, in partnership with UNESCO and LAU.

 

2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:

- ESCWA has integrated its full programme logframe into UMOJA by building projects structures for its Regular Budget programme as well as all, Development Account, Technical Cooperation and XB projects. In doing so, ESCWA has created markers for SDGs and targets for all outputs using the "free user fields" available in UMOJA. This will allow ESCWA to better understand the relationship between proposed outcomes / results in the plans and the SDGs as well as identify areas of strength and adjust to any weakness in the coverage of relevant SDGs across ESCWAs work both in programmatic and financial terms.

 

2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:

- ESCWA's substantive divisions have been reviewed to ensure that national development plans, social development strategies and national policies leave no one behind. Outputs design and activity objectives reflect the principles of integration, inclusiveness, and participation. Grounded in the principle of development as a right for all, the work of ESCWA on persons with disabilities, migrants, youth, older persons, and other vulnerable groups aims to achieve the SDGs, specifically those targets with most relevance to social justice, equality, inclusion, and social protection. Key knowledge products and evidence-based analysis, in tandem with advisory services, are being made available to policy-makers working on social affairs, international migration, youth, sustainable urban development, people with disabilities, older persons, as they engage in integrated development planning and set national priorities and targets in line with the SDGs.

 

3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:

 

    • ESCWA conducted in March 2018 a workshop on "Sustainable Development Goals and their Implementation Mechanisms at the National Level" for the Working Group on Freedoms and Human Rights in Jordan. The workshop supported the members of the WG, which was constituted to act under the National Higher Commission for Sustainable Development in Jordan, to understand its mandate, role and scope of work in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level and ensure that its efforts are consistent with the other task forces. During the workshop, the participants examined the areas of overlap between Executive Development Plan of Jordan, the National Human Rights Strategy, and the 2030 Agenda with a focus on SDGs 5, 10, and 16.

     

    • ESCWA organized a training workshop on mainstreaming SDG 5 in national policies and strategies in Oman in May 2018. The training workshop contributed to enhancing the capacity of government officials to mainstream gender equality in national policies and strategies. It introduced the 2030 Agenda to participants, shed light on how gender is mainstreamed through its various goals and focused on the requirements of goal 5.

     

    • ESCWA organized a workshop on the international human rights framework and its relation to SDGs in January 2018 in Riyadh in cooperation with the Family Affairs Council in KSA. The workshop contributed to enhancing the knowledge of the 25 members of the professional staff of the newly established Family Affairs Council in the international human rights framework and mechanisms in relation to the 2030 Agenda.

     

    • Women’s full and equal presence in the judiciary fulfils their right to equal participation (SDG5), is a prerequisite for the development of inclusive institutions (SDG16) and increases access to justice for all (16). In the Arab States, however, the presence of women judges and public prosecutors remains generally limited. Policy brief on women in the judiciary and gender justice outlines key elements of the normative framework regarding women’s presence in the judiciary, with a focus on equal participation, the role of judicial institutions in achieving gender justice and access to justice. The brief also reviews global and regional evidence demonstrating why women’s presence in the judiciary matters. The brief then an overview of the status of women in the judiciary in the Arab region, before offering policy actions to enable Arab States to meet their international commitments, including toward the SDGs.

     

    • ESCWA provides advisory services (i.e. EGM on “Implementing Agenda 2030: Economic Governance and National Development Planning in the Arab Region”) as well as tailored technical support on mainstreaming the SDGs into national development plans to Government representatives who are involved and/or responsible for national development planning efforts (e.g. DA project on national development planning). Focusing on regulatory reform and overall improvement of economic governance (e.g. competition policy), ESCWA advocates facilitating market access for innovative and/or social entrepreneurs who address sustainable development challenges.

     

    • Other than substantive research and analysis, ESCWA also provides a forum for regional, sub-regional as well as national level knowledge exchange, dialogue and cooperation on economic governance and national development planning serving the achievement of Agenda 2030 by bringing together stakeholders and by raising the position of UNESCWA member States in international fora.

     

    • ESCWA, in partnership with IOM and the League of Arab States and the member agencies of the Working Group on International Migration in the Arab Region, organized a capacity building workshop on migration and development in July 2018. The workshop, which was designed for mid-level policy makers, aimed to strengthen government capacities in achieving migration-related SDGs and targets, including those regarding decent work, migrants in crisis, migrants’ rights and health, climate change and urban development issues, through mainstreaming migration in development planning. ESCWA, with its partners, are currently planning a second capacity workshop to be organized in 2019 that will focus on the Global Compact for Migration, its interlinkages with the 2030 Agenda, and its policy implications for the region.

     

    -      ESCWA has published “Sustainable Development Goals: the 2030 Agenda & the Nexus Approach” to advance Cluster Approach to implementing SDGs and assist member states in adopting the Nexus thinking in implementing the SDGs.

     

    • In 2018, ESCWA developed a study on “The Sustainable Development Goals in an Arab Region Affected by Conflict: Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals with Household Survey Microdata”: The study provides guidance on how to leverage existing data, so that it can be used better by policymakers and academics. The present report illustrates, in a concrete and informative way, the importance of using microdata for measuring and monitoring progress towards achieving the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda.

     

    • In 2018, ESCWA developed a study on “the Arab regional challenges associated with conflict and the 2030 development agenda”:  This paper highlights a framework for understanding and modeling the regional challenges associated with conflicts and their impacts on the 2030 Development Agenda.

     

    • In 2019 ESCWA published a series of Arab Governance Reports I-II-III and IV: Set within the strategic framework of SDG 16 within the 2030 development agenda. The AGR IV strengthening institutional framework for conflict prevention consistent with the SDGs and activities outlined in the General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on Sustaining Peace, i.e. activities aimed at preventing the outbreak, escalation, continuation, and recurrence of conflict.

     

    • In 2018, ESCWA developed a working paper on “The Drivers and Impact of Conflict on the Sustainable Development Agenda in the Arab Region: A snapshot of human, socioeconomic and structural impacts with a focus on regional and cross-border effects”: this working paper provides a snapshot of the challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Arab region, in the context of ongoing conflict and uncertainty. It particularly notes the threat posed by conflict through all of these channels to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and that without instilling a peaceful environment with stable institutions as per SDG 16, regional progress towards the entirety of Agenda 2030 is at risk.

     

    • In 2018, ESCWA developed a report on the impact of the Israeli Occupation and practices: the report, submitted to the thirtieth session of ESCWA pursuant to those resolutions, provides a snapshot of Israeli policies and practices and a number of their immediate and long-term cumulative repercussions on the Palestinian population living under occupation, particularly on their social and economic conditions, Despite the occupation and against all odds, the Palestinian people and their institutions not only pursue their efforts to attain their inalienable rights, but also seek to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.

     

    • In 2019, ESCWA developed a study on “Palestine Under Occupation II: The determinants of the socio-economic conditions of Palestinian households 2012-2017”: The study aims to assist Palestinian institutions to mitigate the impact of the occupation on sustainable development in the occupied Palestinian territory. The 2030 agenda is thus at the core of the expected results of the study.

     

    • In 2019, ESCWA developed a study on “Empowerment, Inclusiveness and Equality as Pathways to Peace and Sustainable Development”: this study aims to explore how advancing empowerment among citizens and communities will serve to 1) transition out of conflict and 2) build resilience and support the attainment of the 2030 Development Agenda and to produce policy-oriented recommendations tailored to the current realities of the region. 2019

     

    • In 2019, ESCWA developed a study on “The challenges for development in current conflict settings: Impact of conflict on demography”: This study provides baseline estimates on population dynamics in conflict afflicted countries and their implications for the future year-on-year progress in achieving the SDGs.

     

 

3.2 Mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies:

 

  • The Arab Financing for Development Scorecard/tool-box was developed by ESCWA as a regional toolbox to measure financing requirements and availability of finance to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.”. The results of the Arab FfD Scorecard were quoted by, and shared with, the World Bank and Arab Heads of States and Governments at the 2019 Arab Economic and Social Summit.

 

  • The Social Expenditure Monitor and the country specific CGE models are tools under-production by ESCWA. They provide countries with a comprehensive evidence-based assessment of social expenditure and quantify the contribution of different policy alternatives to achieving the SDGs. The notion of social expenditure may vary across countries, which depends upon progress of the country on the SDGs and social development priorities. Ideally, social expenditures aim to maximize levels of human well-being and human capital through access to quality services including education, health care, housing, and social protection, all areas in which the 2030 Agenda aims for ensuring universal access. It is also important for promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.

 

  • ESCWA’s report on “Social protection for persons with disabilities” (2017) highlighted the existing coverage gaps in Arab countries and the specific challenges countries face when mainstreaming the social protection concerns into social protection strategies in order to transition from segregation towards inclusion.

 

  • ESCWA’s report on “Social protection reform in Arab countries” (2019) presents the considerable efforts Arab governments currently undertake and highlights the transition towards a ‘systems approach’ to social protection that integrates SDGs 1.3 and 10.4 on social protection floors with SDG 3 on health, SDG 4 on education and SDG5 on gender equality.

 

  • Sectoral normative work on SDGs also include the “Technical Paper on Intergenerational Justice: Meeting the Needs of the Future Arab Generations”. It discusses the relationship of intergenerational justice with social justice and sustainable development while emphasizing the questions of rights, equity, equality and participation. It proposes various mechanisms and policy options that that can be adopted by Arab countries to ensure that the rights of the future generations are protected, in line with SDG framework.

 

  • ESCWA also produced the paper on “Inequality in the SDGs: Fighting Multidimensional Inequality in the Arab Region”, which seeks to advise decision-makers and other stakeholders on the relevance of redressing inequalities in the Arab region as a means to contributing to the overriding objective of achieving the three pillars of sustainable development and the attainment of SDGs.

 

3.3 Data and statistical capacity building:

 

  • ESCWA is implementing a multi-year project on Data and Statistics for SDG Monitoring under the 10th trance of the DA. This programme implemented numerous workshops (regional and national) and technical assistance missions in the areas of intervention that included all three components of sustainable development, as well as institutional issues of SDG statistics.
  • Together with UN Environment (UNE), ESCWA co-organized a workshop on environment related indicators – SDGs 13, 14, 15
  • Together with UNFPA, ESCWA co-organized a workshop on population related SDG indicators that resulted in a set of priority indicators on population and social SDG data in the Arab region.
  • Together with UN Habitat, ESCWA co-organized several workshops on SDG 11 aimed at improving data availability and compliance with standard definitions, concepts and calculations.
  • ESCWA organized a regional workshop on managerial issues related to statistics and data for 2030 Agenda. The workshop brought together the policy makers and statisticians at the senior level and addressed issues of partnerships at the national level.
  • ESCWA prepared analysis of gaps in 2017 and 2018 – also identifying possible ways on how to address these gaps.
  • ESCWA provides, annually, regional training workshops for officials from member States on measuring multidimensional poverty. These workshops allow members states to develop capacities of monitoring multidimensional poverty levels, geographically, by dimensions, by age group, by gender, etc.

 

  • At the national level, ESCWA supported Egypt and Iraq in building their national Multidimensional Poverty Index, reporting on SDG 1- End poverty in all its forms everywhere, especially indicators 2.2- Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions and 1.4.1- Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services.

 

  • ESCWA’s two regional reports on “Disability in the Arab Region” (2014 and 2018) present the first regional datasets on disability for Arab countries. The 2018 report for the first time presents data that is comparable across countries, harmonized and accords to international standards (WG SS). The production of the 2018 report was preceded by a series of capacity building workshops for National Statistical Offices (NSOs)

 

  • ESCWA is launching an interdivisional project to set a Social Expenditure Monitor in Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan and Kuwait to monitor expenditures and social investments which will eventually build into the indicators of the SDGs.

 

3.4 Science, technology and innovation for the SDGs:

- ESCWA organized an Expert Group Meeting entitled “Technology as a Renewed Hope to Achieving Gender Equality in the Arab Region: Fact or Illusion” in October. The meeting initiated a regional discussion to conceptualize how information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the Arab region could rise to the challenge and boost the realization of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

 

3.5 Multi-stakeholder partnerships:

 

  • ESCWA organized in February 2018 a roundtable discussion on partnership for Gender Equality. The roundtable discussion provided substantive analysis of Lebanon’s efforts to adapt SDG5 to the national context and key achievements and obstacles in terms of implementation.

 

  • In an attempt to engage decision makers and garner traction over the actions needed to curb illicit financial flows as prescribed by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and SDG.16, ESCWA organized a conference on financing sustainable development in November 2018 to support the efforts of the G77 and China in advancing action against illicit finance based on the report’s findings. The conference which was dubbed by the international Civil Society Group on FfD as “a timely and important initiative… in removing many of the structural barriers to the socio-economic transformation and advancing systemic reforms to sustainable development” provided a unique regional multi-stakeholder platform engaging 35 regional and international organizations to trigger the next frontier of research on illicit financial flows, especially as these flows were evolving, both in sophistication and use of technology. On FfD ESCWA partners with the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), Global Financial Integrity (GFI), UNCTAD, UN Regional Commissions, IATF-FfD, UNSRFG, ICSO-FfD, G77 and China, and civil society groups.

 

  • On poverty and inequality, ESCWA partners with UNICEF, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the League of Arab States (LAS). ESCWA provides comprehensive analysis and policy advice to address poverty and inequality in all its dimensions. In addition, ESCWA is engaging with the above-mentioned agencies to leverage its impact and align the work and service to ESCWA member States. Another key advantage is the regularity and accumulation in knowledge (products) and capacity building workshops that ESCWA provides to MSs, towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

 

  • On competition, ESCWA partners with UNCTAD and the OECD to leverage their individual strengths for the benefit of the people in the Arab region.  In collaboration with the ESCWA member States, a joint approach to foster:
  1. Coordination and policy coherence (regional and inter-regional level);
  2. Support to national capacity-building, technical cooperation & advisory services; and
  3. Research & Analysis.

 

  • On national development planning, ESCWA’s cooperation with ECLAC leverages inter-regional experience sharing. ESCWA’s work on economic governance and national planning is unique as it integrates latest research, practical project experience and capacity-building to offer a comprehensive advisory for the member States in Western Asia. ESCWA also partners with representatives of National Competition Authorities, representatives of National Planning Institutions, academia, NGOs civil society and private sector organizations.

 

  • On employment and labor market, ESCWA partners with ILO and ALO as key partners to support member States. ESCWAs’ adds value by approaching the labor market from the demand-side.

 

  • Based on its past accumulated achievements, specially the legal instruments adopted in road, railway and maritime transport ESCWA is in a unique position to lead the integration of transport within the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, in close cooperation with the League of Arab States and its Transport related institutions as well as other partners such as IRU, ECE, DESA, IDB,  WB, WHO, UN Road Safety Trust Fund, EU (EuroMed Transport Support Project) and FIA.

 

  • On trade, ESCWA works closely with its regional partners, mainly LAS, GCC, and UMA. ESCWA is also coordinating with specialized agencies in the delivery of its activities, mainly UNCTAD, ITC, WTO, WCO, OECD, ITFC, UNESCAP, UNECE, UNECA, IFPRI among others.

 

  • ESCWA has also established two inter-governmental policy networks on disability policy and on social protection, which are comprised of government experts, responsible for developing and implementing policies in these two policy fields

 

  • ESCWA organized two workshops to build the capacity of different stakeholders on “Partnerships for Democratic Governance” within the context of the implementation of goal 16 and 17 of the SDGs. The “Sub-regional training workshop on Building Capacities for Partnership in Democratic Governance was held in Beirut, 6-8 November, followed by the “Training of Trainers’ Workshop on Capacity-Building for Partnership in Democratic Governance, held from 11-13 December 2018 in Beirut.

 

 

  • ESCWA is pioneering the concept of National Committees of Practice which is a standing committee between civil society and various other stakeholders to carry forward development tasks under the SDGs.

 

 

3.6 Sub-national plans/strategies and implementation for the SDGs:

 

  • ESCWA is creating a platform for Integrated Development Planning for its member States. Enhancing national development planning contributes to improving the means of implementation and achievement of the 2030 Agenda, including touching on each of the 17 SDGs, in the Arab region. The activities of the project are grounded in knowledge sharing and multi-stakeholder collaboration, fundamentally linking it to goal 17, specifically targets such as (17.9) to “enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation”. In addition, the objectives of this project directly address additional targets of goal 17, for example on fiscal reform, and policy and institutional coherence as well as other systemic issues.

 

  • Based on Countries requests, ESCWA is supporting member States in developing national measures of multidimensional Poverty and informing national policies and strategies. The support includes tailored capacity building to national counterparts to ensure regular monitoring of multidimensional poverty.

 

 

3.7 Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets:

 

  • ESCWA is working to enhance sustainable development prospects and reduce poverty and opportunity gaps, in a multi-dimensional way, to improve the life of all people in member States of the region by ensuring inclusive, sustained and integrated economic development, regionally and globally.

 

  • In the field of Transport and Logistics, a paper on Transport and Sustainable Development Goals was presented in ESCWA 17th Inter Governmental Meeting on Transport and Logistics (IGM), held in Cairo on 23-24 January 2017. The paper inspired from a systems approach applied to transport to map the interlinkages between transport activities and many of the Sustainable Development Goals and related targets. The paper suggested 17 indicators of the transport sector that play a role in enhancing the SDGs goals and targets.

 

 

  • Following the launch of the 2030 agenda, ESCWA published the Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report https://www.unescwa.org/publications/multidimensional-arab-poverty-report in 2017. The primary objective of the report is to provide practical proposals to support Arab efforts in the eradication of poverty in all its dimensions and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.  To this end, the report examines household and child poverty using normative methodologies which were adapted to the needs of the Arab region after a consultative process with regional and global experts, and representatives of governments in the region. After establishing the root causes of multidimensional poverty in the Arab region, the report offers key recommendations for addressing gaps in education, improving social protection systems, investing in children, developing rural areas and accounting for the challenges and limitations in the development of an Arab multidimensional poverty index (MPI). In 2019, ESCWA is developing country specific poverty profiles and revisiting the Arab MPI. In addition, ESCWA provides training workshops for member states officials, building their capacity to measure multidimensional poverty at the national level, annually.

 

  • Disability as well as social protection policies can only be successful if designed and managed as multi-disciplinary undertakings. ESCWA has supported countries in establishing institutional set-ups that can ensure such integrated policy development that, for example, ensures disability policy that caters for the education, health and social protection needs of persons with disabilities as well as their need to be surrounded by an accessible environment. The monitoring framework in Morocco that combines CRPD and SDG implementation with regard to disability may serve as an example.

 

3.8 Others:

 

Other Capacity Building Initiatives

 

 

  • An advanced national workshop was organized for the Kingdom of Bahrain (23-26 April 2018) to provide a fresh outlook on ‘Financing for Development, Fiscal Policy and Taxation-BEPS’. The workshop was attended by 20 high-level officials, in addition to legal advisors from front-line Ministries (Finance, Trade, Commerce, Tourism and Justice) as well as senior officials from the Central Bank. ESCWA showcased the findings and recommendations of its research on financing for development and the stakes of running undue exposures to illicit financial flows. ESCWA shared insights on what could be rendered from curbing illicit financial outflows, including through international tax-cooperation and by protecting the tax system from base-erosion and profit shifting. Following the workshop, Bahrain announced that it would adopt ESCWA recommendations and declared its intention to adopt the Multilateral Agreement and Inclusive Tax Framework. Bahrain was later removed from the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

 

  • Based on the request received from the Presidency of the G77 and China (The Arab Republic of Egypt, 2018), ESCWA provided a regional assessment and perspectives on the state of financing development. ESCWA assessment served as an input to the statement of the G77 and China at the General Debate of the Forum on Financing for Development and review of the financing for development outcomes and the means of implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development (April 2018).

 

  • A national workshop on international taxation, base erosion and profit shifting was held on 20-23 February 2017 in Cairo. The workshop was attended by the Vice Minister of Finance for Tax Policies, the First Under Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Senior Advisor to the Minister of Finance and the Former Head of the Egyptian Tax Authority as well as 25 participants from the Ministry of Finance. The workshop aimed at training a team of national experts that would be tasked to undertake an extensive review of all treaties on avoidance of double taxation. The workshop reviewed international tax concepts, including BEPS application to the Egyptian context, and included a discussion of case studies, best practices and tutorials on the new FfD global framework, its implications on base erosion and profit shifting in the Arab region, perspectives on international taxation, and the negotiation of international tax treaties.

 

  • ESCWA was requested to participate in the regional seminar organized by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on illicit financial flows in North Africa (Cairo: December 2017). The seminar discussed the various policy measures that can be taken to curb illicit financial flows. ESCWA presented the findings of its report in this regard, including estimates of illicit financial flows and ways to curb trade-based money laundering in the Arab region. ESCWA also discussed the different channels and drivers of illicit flows, which were consistent with the other regional reports presented at the meeting. 

 

  • A regional workshop on taxation, international tax cooperation and avoidance of double taxation agreements was held in March 2016, in Manama. The workshop aimed at strengthening the capacity of participants in dealing with tax treaties and addressing tax avoidance issues. The workshop reviewed the latest developments in that area, including the taxation of cross-border permanent establishments and the treatment of base-eroding payments of interest.

 

  • In November 2018 ESCWA, in partnership with the GIFT-MENA network and Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan of Lebanon as well as other supporting partners: the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the French Directorate General of Civil Service and Expertise France, organised a two-day Regional Workshop on Building capacities for Sustainable Development: Understanding the 2030 Agenda and Integrating the SDGs in Learning Approaches. The topics of the Workshop were: 1) 2030 Agenda and the SDGs; and (2) roadmap for the integration of the SDGs in learning activities and in training curricula and for setting up of a regional task force within GIFT-MENA.

 

Future Initiatives (2018-2109) (not an exhaustive list):

-              Meeting of the inter-governmental working group on disability.

               

-              Workshop of the inter-governmental working group on social protection, focusing on cash transfers and social registries.

               

-              Report on social protection reform in Arab countries (2019)

               

-              Report on political participation of persons with disabilities (2020)

 

  • Expert Group Meeting on “Empowerment, Inclusiveness and Equality as Pathways to Peace and Sustainable Development”. April 2019

 

4.1 Supporting the intergovernmental body of your organization in contributing to the thematic review of the HLPF:

 

  • ESCWA organized a High-Level Conference on Financing Sustainable Development (28-29 November 2018) https://www.unescwa.org/events/financing-sustainable-development-curbing-illicit-financial-flows to support the G77 and China in leading action over the taxonomy of fiscal policy equalization to enhance domestic resource mobilization, establish effective taxation systems and overcome pervasive financing gaps and inequalities. The Conference showcased 40 international and regional experts and speakers, with 30 international and regional organizations sharing their experience alongside 21 officials from capitals, 15 accredited missions in Beirut, and 6 non-ESCWA member countries (Algeria, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Philippines and Argentina). The multi-stakeholder outcome document adopted by the Conference (‘The Beirut FfD Consensus’) showcased the first integral mapping of the FfD regional landscape and the opportunity-lost exposures undermining effective SDG-financing. The mapping serves as an integral development assistance framework, a first step towards devising integrated national financing frameworks to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national levels and to advance the VNR process.

 

  • The Beirut FfD Consensus and ESCWA analytical findings were recognized by the international Civil Society Group on FfD as “a timely and important initiative in advancing systemic reforms to sustainable development”. The Beirut FfD Consensus was heralded as an important regional milestone ahead of the 2019 High-Level Dialogue on FfD and the High-Level Political Forum and supports the United Nations Secretary General’s recently launched ‘Financing the 2030 Agenda’ Strategy (2018-2021). According to the feedback received from RCNYO, “the success of the First Arab Conference on Financing for Development organized validated that ReCs should proceed to institutionalize, elevate or consolidate, as appropriate, their various forums dealing with issues of FFD in annual regional forums that would feed into the global forum on FFD on one hand and into their respective regional forums on sustainable development on the other hand”. The PGA was in full agreement with such assessment.

 

  • A regional workshop on road safety management in the Arab countries (SDG 3.6 and 11.2) was implemented by ESCWA in Beirut on 27-28 November 2018, in cooperation with the UNSG’s Special Envoy for Road Safety and the World Bank. The workshop gathered the highest-ranking officials of the Ministries of Transport and Interior in the Arab region and concluded on the main priorities to achieve road safety related SDGs through better road safety management leading to the implementation of evidence-based policies, strategies and action plans.

 

 

4.2 Contributing to policy/background briefs for the HLPF:

- In 2018, ESCWA contributed to the “Global Synthesis Report” to the HLPF on Goal 11

 

4.3 Helping organize SDG-specific events in the preparatory process:

 

- The Preparatory Meeting for the 3rd Arab Forum on Sustainable Development (2016) and the 2nd United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) examined the Arab region's priorities with respect to the goals related to environment and natural resources' management in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the impacts of the regional context on the implementation of these goals in the Arab region, based on the results of the First Edition of the Arab Sustainable Development Report.

- The "Preparatory Meeting on the Regional Environmental Issues and Priorities for 2017 AFSD" examined the Arab region's priorities with respect to the environmental dimension of the sustainable development goals, with a focus on natural resources management and its implications on reducing poverty and advancing prosperity. The meeting highlighted the importance of natural resources sustainability to maintain livelihoods of the poor-specifically the rural poor, women and refugees- ensuring their access to water, energy and land resources, and ultimately their food security.

- A paper on trade and SDGs was prepared by ESCWA and presented during the IGM trade held in Beirut in November 2017.

 

4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:

- The 2018 HLPF provided an opportunity for ESCWA to engage in several events and panels. The plenary session on the regional dimension was an opportunity for all five regional commissions Executive Secretaries to engage in a dialogue on key regional achievements and challenges to implementation and progress assessment.

 

4.5 Supporting VNR process:

 

  • In 2018, ESCWA produced guidelines on mainstreaming gender perspective in national voluntary reporting.

 

  • In 2018, ESCWA organized two regional Capacity Building workshops targeting members of the sub-committee on Gender and SDG’s. These workshops supported member States in their efforts to prepare their VNR to be presented at the United Nations High-level Political Forum.

 

  • In addition to providing an annual opportunity for its member States to share experiences and lessons learned from VNRs during the AFSD, ESCWA provided support to its member States throughout the VNR process. Upon request from countries and/or UNCTs, ESCWA ensures that technical assistance needs are met. ESCWA interventions in 2018 included advisory support to Oman and Iraq.

 

5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT?  Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:

 

Collaboration with UN System at Regional Level:

 

  • ESCWA has used the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) to achieve greater coherence and synergy in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with UN system organizations. The 2030 Agenda was a main theme of the RCM annual meetings in 2015, 2016 and 2017.  In 2017 and 2018, the RCM was organized back-to-back with the meeting of the R-UNSDG with joint sessions on the 2030 Agenda. The RCM and R-UNSDG also set up a Joint RCM R-UNSDG Working Group on the 2030 Agenda, composed of all UN organizations working in the region and the League of Arab States. DESA took part in the 2018 joint RCM R-UNSDG meeting at it was agreed that DESA would be invited to attend all future RCM R-UNSDG meetings.

 

  • This Joint Working Group oversees the work of four distinct Taskforces on the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development; the Arab Sustainable Development Report, SDG Data, and Country MAPS support. For more, click here.

 

  • In January 2019, the RCM and R-UNSDG further operationalized their commitments to pursue greater coordination by agreeing on a joint Operational Framework for Collaboration, which seeks to:
  • Enhance regional coordination through the closer alignment and integration of the RCM and R-UNSDG meetings and secretariats;
  • Ensure more effective analysis an action on regional and transboundary issues;
  • Improve the capacity of the regional UNDS to deliver integrated policy advice in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda to Member States and UN Country Teams;
  • Enhance leadership and coordination in the area of data;
  • Reduce duplication and enhance cooperation in the production of regional knowledge products.
  • ESCWA participates in the Regional UNSDG on social protection
  • ESCWA partners with the ILO in a project on “Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the labour market” that builds national capacity for data collection, establishing business networks for disability inclusive employers and designing more inclusive government employment policy, which addresses SDG 8 on productive employment and decent work.
  • ESCWA also partners with ILO, WFP, FAO and UNICEF in assisting countries in reforming their social protection systems, which addresses SDGs 1 and 10, but also SDGs 3, 4 and 5.

Joint Activities with other UN entities:

  • ESCWA provided substantive inputs, interventions, proposals and furnished regional perspectives on financing for development within multilateral and UN-led FfD processes, fora and meetings, including inter-alia:

 

  • The High-Level Meetings on Financing the 2030 Agenda (fostering an enabling environment to finance the 2030 Agenda; Mobilizing private investments for Sustainable Development and Innovative solutions to finance the SDGs-September 2018) https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/financing-2030/ ;

 

  • Senior Management Group meeting on the review of the 2030 Agenda and preparation for the 2019 High-Level Dialogue on FfD and HLPF under the aegis of the UNGA (November 2018);

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Secretary-General’s report on Trends and progress in international development cooperation (April 2018) http://undocs.org/E/2018/55 ;

 

 

 

  • Expert Group Meeting on Implementing agenda 2030: Economic Governance and National Development Planning in the Arab Region (May 2018). The attendees included MS representatives from competition and planning authorities, UNCT, UNSMIL, academia, private sector, UNDP, the World Bank and Resident coordinators) https://www.unescwa.org/events/economic-governance-national-development-planning-arab-region.
  • ESCWA co-chairs the inter-agency Working Group on International Migration in the Arab Region, whose main goal is to promote joint research and interventions on international migration in the region. Following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, several joint activities have been dedicated to Target 10.7, which calls to “facilitate orderly, safe and regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of well-managed migration policies” (ECA, ESCWA, FAO, ILO, IOM, LAS, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, UNODC, UN-Women, UNRWA, WFP, WFP, and WHO).
  • ESCWA partners with ILO, WFP, FAO, UNRWA and UNICEF in supporting Arab countries to reform their social protection systems.
  • ESCWA partners with ILO in a joint regional project on “inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market”
  • ESCWA in partnership with ESCAP and UNECA organized the “Interregional Youth Policy Forum”, in Bangkok from 21-23 November 2017. The event provided a platform for international exchange of experiences and substantive knowledge on youth policies, as well as for exploring the implementation of ICT in engaging diverse stakeholders to enhance the role of youth in achieving the SDGs. The forum, which was attended by policy makers and youth leaders from the three target member States, Jordan, Tunisia and Kuwait, also built the capacity of participants on how to implement and sustain effective youth policies.
  • Arab Forum for Sustainable Development: RCM and R-UNDSG members and LAS
  • 2019 Arab Region Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda: ESCWA,UNDP-RBAS and IsDB in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Results/Lessons Learned:

 

Participation in Systemwide Coordination Mechanisms:

 

  • Coordination in the area of statistics and data:

 

  • ESCWA cooperates and coordinates closely with UN and non-UN entities active in statistics in the region. Primarily, ESCWA participates in the following global coordination mechanism:
    • Committee of Chief Statisticians of the UN System;
    • Committee for Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) established under the auspices of the Chief Executives Board (CEB)
    • Bi-monthly teleconferences between the UN Statistics Division (DESA) and Statistics Divisions of the 5 Regional Commissions.
  • ESCWA co-leads, with UNFPA, the regional coordination in the Arab region through a Task Force on SDG Data established under the auspices of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for the Arab States.

 

  • ESCWA participates in the Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) to the UN CRPD, which is a global network of disability focal points in all UN agencies. ESCWA chaired this group in 2014.

 

  • ESCWA also participates in the special working group of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), tasked to develop guidelines for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action, which will be concluded in 2019.

 

6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:

 

Engaging with Civil Society Organizations:

 

  • Symposium on Women and Water Security for Peacebuilding in the Arab Region

The symposium brought together representatives of Arab member States, representatives from relevant international, regional and national organizations, as well as civil society institutions and experts engaged in gender and water security challenges affecting women and girls in Arab States. The primary objective of the Symposium was to review and advance the emerging water security gender nexus in the Arab region in the context of current geopolitical considerations. The symposium therefore aims to strengthen the national capacities of the Arab region to integrate water security and gender approaches in their national plans and strategies. The specific objective of the activity is to enhance the capacity of governmental and non-governmental practitioners from the region, to formulate and implement strategies, policies, frameworks and programs in support of Goals 3, 5, 6 and 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

 

  • ESCWA partners with global and regional organizations of persons with disabilities in almost all disability-related projects and workshops.

 

  • ESCWA partnered with CSOs in each of Jordan (WANA), Tunisia (Youth observatory and Ministry of Youth) and Kuwait (LOYAC) to organize three workshops on “Enhancing the Capacities of Arab Youth Participation in Public Life and Decision-making Processes.” The workshops, which included each around 20 participants (youth activists, youth NGOs and government officials in concerned line ministries), aimed at enhancing youth participation in decision making processes, including SDG implementation.

 

  • ESCWA held a series of “CSO dialogues”, which targeted several ESCWA Member States and focused on selected areas of SDGs implementation such as SDG 10 and SDG 16.

 

  • In April 2018, ESCWA organised the Regional Meeting of Civil Society on Sustainable Development in the Arab Region, which reviewed the efforts of civil society organizations to engage in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Arab region and its FUR processes. It also facilitated the exchange of knowledge and experiences among organizations as well as launching a platform for dialogue on sustainable development. (https://www.unescwa.org/events/meeting-arab-civil-society-sustainable-development)

 

Engaging with Parliaments and Parliamentarians:

 

  • Building on the success and recommendations of the 2017 Regional Seminar for Parliamentarians in the Arab region on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (https://www.unescwa.org/events/seminar-parliaments-arab-2030-agenda), the 2019 Arab Region Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda, which was held at ESCWA Headquarters in January 2019, built on ongoing efforts to enhance the awareness of parliamentarians on their role in the implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. Deliberations linked parliamentary functions to the principles of sustainable development, the underlying sectoral and thematic interlinkages, and their implications for policy-making. The Forum was organized by ESCWA, UNDP and the Islamic Development Bank Group, in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). https://www.unescwa.org/events/2019-arab-parliamentary-forum-2030-agenda

 

Engaging with the Private Sector:

 

  • The Union of Arab Banks are regularly consulted and invited to ESCWA thematic expert group meetings and Inter-Governmental Meetings on Financing for Development to several policy areas, recommendations and actions in support of SMEs, including the measures that need to be taken by Arab Banks, and more broadly Arab financial markets regulatory authorities, to better serve the needs of SMEs in the Arab region. ESCWA outreach in this area also extends to individual commercial banks operating in the Lebanese market.
  • ESCWA took the initiative to re-define its engagement with the Global Compact Network (Lebanon Chapter) and invited the Global Compact for SMEs to lead the outcomes on domestic private finance and financial inclusion at the first ‘International Conference on Financing Sustainable Development’ held in Beirut on 28-29 November 2018.
  • The outcome document adopted by the Conference paved for concrete action to be taken, beyond the confines of the UN-Business Cooperation framework, to advance the principles of the Global Compact, providing regional pathways to mobilize the private sector to advance the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2030 Agenda. ESCWA also capitalizes on its convening power and builds on existing private sector networks to engage in policy discussions both at expert group meetings and intergovernmental bodies that ESCWA hosts. ESCWA also takes part in SME-led Forums such as the Global Entrepreneurship Week. Through such an engagement, ESCWA disseminates its analytical and policy recommendations to a large group of stakeholders, including private sector entities, including members of the Arab General Union of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the League of Arab States Investors’ Union.

 

Engagement with Governments

  • Egypt regulatory reform (August 2018): In response to a request for technical assistance by the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, ESCWA organized a training workshop on regulatory reform in Egypt to lift the capacity of Egyptian senior level technical staff from several ministries and governmental departments. The training workshop also leads to bolster and support the government of Egypt in their efforts towards integrated national development planning and achievement of the SDGs

 

7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.

 

  • ESCWA organized the first International Conference on Financing for Development to coordinate regional efforts towards Financing Sustainable Development, an important milestone ahead of the 2019 ECOSOC Financing for Development (FfD) Forum. The conference brought together members of the G77 and China as well as 37 representatives of international and regional organizations to reorient the trajectories of development finance and foster a transition from ‘funding to financing’ transformative change. It provided an inclusive platform for decision-makers, practitioners, international experts, civil society and institutional stakeholders to shape policy outcomes.

 

  • The Conference adopted a multi-stakeholder outcome document: “The Beirut Consensus on Financing for Development” factoring in regional and national specificities to finance the 2030 Agenda. The Beirut Consensus responds to mounting challenges facing developing and least developed countries in mobilizing the trillions needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda. These include: (a) weaknesses in the global enabling environment, (b) insufficient public and private finance, (c) policy and market failures across the financial system, and (d) international economic conditions and policy approaches that do not advance sustainable development. https://www.unescwa.org/fsd-2018

 

 

  • ESCWA in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund and the League of Arab States, organized the “Arab Regional Conference on Population and Development: Five Years after the 2013 Cairo Declaration” (30 October - 1 November 2019). The Conference brought multiple stakeholders from the region to review the progress made with regards to the 2013 Cairo Declaration objectives. It provided a platform for peer learning and an opportunity to reflect on emerging population trends, priorities and challenges. It also focused on the convergence of the 2013 Cairo Declaration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and highlighted the need for an all-of-government, all-of-society approach to achieve the goals of both frameworks. The Conference Report containing the key messages that emanated from the Conference will be submitted to the Commission on Population and Development of the Economic and Social Council at its fifty-second session, as a document setting out the key messages from the Arab region. The report will also be submitted to the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, to be held in New York from 9 to 15 July 2019 on the theme “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.

 

  • ESCWA organized an EGM on the new framework on Inequality “Opportunity, Outcome and Autonomy”, to discuss and vet the framework ahead of its adoption. The meeting explored innovative ways to look at issues of inequality of access and the fact that personal autonomy is part of the narrative on inequality to achieve the SDGs.
  • ESCWA, in collaboration with the League of Arab States and other United Nations organizations operating in the Arab region, organized the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development-2018 (AFSD-2018) on the theme “Natural resources, future generations and the common good”, which was held in Beirut from 24 to 26 April 2018. The multi-stakeholder included representatives from high-level representatives of ministries, bodies concerned with planning and following up on the of the 2030 Agenda, parliamentarians, a wide range of regional and international institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, academic and research centres, and the media (https://www.unescwa.org/events/arab-forum-sustainable-development-2018).
  • In 2018, ESCWA, in partnership with OHCHR and the International Commission of Jurists, organized an Expert Group Meeting on women in the judiciary. The EGM discussed the challenges faced by female judges and prosecutors and concluded with a set of recommendations to enable Arab states to enhance women’s presence in the judiciary in accordance with their commitments towards SDGs 5 (equal participation at all levels of decision-making) and 16 (inclusive institutions and equal access to justice).
  • ESCWA organized an EGM on “Women, Peace, and Security: Resilient National Women’s Machineries, Conflict, Occupation and Transition in the Arab Region” in December 2018. The EGM discussed the role of national women’s machineries in the implementation of SDGs 5 and 16 with a focus on the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in times of conflict, occupation and transition.
  • Policy brief on The Due Diligence Standard, Violence against Women and Protection Orders in the Arab Region
  • Arab States are exerting considerable efforts to combat violence against women (SDG 5), the increasing presence of such legislation in the region means that protection orders will play a substantial role in Arab States’ response to combating violence within the family and supporting survivors. For States without such legislation, it is important that protection orders are viewed as an obligatory mechanism, under the due diligence standard, within a larger coordinated response to violence against women and understand what such legislation should entail. The brief begins by defining protection orders, and then introduces the concept of the due diligence standard and its applicability to violence against women in both the public and private spheres perpetrated by State and non-State actors. The due diligence standard is then applied to the State’s provision and enforcement of protection orders as part of an evolving norm under customary international law. This includes a detailed overview of relevant international and regional jurisprudence concerning the State’s obligation to provide protection orders to survivors of violence. Lastly, the brief discusses the contents and application of protection orders within Arab States and highlights the steps taken and the steps needed to ensure such orders are in line with international best practice and are survivor-centered. The brief then concludes with a series of recommendations directed at the regional and State level.
  • ESCWA organized a Gender Discussion Series to present the first draft of the study titled “Beyond Boundaries: Utilizing Protection Orders to Cultivate a Holistic Response to Marital Violence in the Arab Region”. This study aims to shed light on legislation at the state level that provides for protection orders, utilizing data from the region, and to advocate for action to ensure that protection orders are part of a larger coordinated response to marital violence that not only meets international standards, but also is part of a larger socio-legal response that is survivor centred (SDG 5). The meeting brought together a group of regional and international experts who discussed and validated the draft study, and brought forward a set of policy recommendations for member states and stakeholders.

 

Upcoming Events:

 

  • An upcoming ESCWA event : “From plan to implementation for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals: Budgeting in support of effective institutions” (May 2019). There has been substantial debate at global, regional and national levels on how budget processes can support national institutions to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through their relations to the institutional principles highlighted in SDG 16, including effectiveness, accountability, transparency, anti-corruption, access to information, inclusive decision-making and non-discrimination. To formulate lessons learned on effective budgeting for national development planning and in support of implementing Agenda 2030 as well as to carve out ideas and recommendations specific to the Arab region, the expert group meeting brings together a range of international experts and stakeholders
  • ESCWA, in collaboration with the League of Arab States and other United Nations organizations operating in the Arab region, is organising the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development-2019 on the theme ““Empowering People and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality in the Arab Region”, which will be held in Beirut from 9 to 11 April 2019 (https://www.unescwa.org/events/arab-forum-sustainable-development-2019).

 

8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:

 

  • ESCWA partners with Government of Malta and the European Commission to hold the first Euro-Arab Forum on disability, scheduled to take place on 24 and 25 April 2019 in Valetta.

 

  • The second edition of the Arab Sustainable Development Report will be issued later in 2019 and will utilise a two-pronged approach to situation analysis and implementation of the 2030 Agenda, presenting a situation report on how the Arab region is doing on each of the SDGs and related targets, in comparison to other regions. It also highlights variations in performance amongst Arab states. The report will show trends in target achievement within the Arab region and where corrective or accelerating measures would be most needed.

 

10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:

ESCWA has started to organize joint meetings of producers and users of disability statistics in order to initiate a dialogue, to support evidence-based policy making and to facilitate SDG monitoring. The first workshop took place in Cairo in 2018 and will be followed by focused workshops in 2019 and 2020, in cooperation with UN Habitat and other UN organizations.

 

11. Has your organization established any multi-stakeholder partnerships for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If yes, please describe how their performances are being monitored and reviewed? Where do these partnerships get funding and other resources, including human resources?

 

  • ESCWA undertakes joint statistical activities, produces joint statistics related outputs and coordinates the programming of statistical activities that involves also costs sharing with various UN Agencies, League of Arab States, other Arab organisations, financial institutions, research institutions and international organisations.

 

  • ESCWA has established two regional policy networks, which comprise government experts from across Arab governments. The first network on disability policy, the “Inter-governmental group of experts on disability” (IGED) comprises experts from 17 out of 18 countries, and the second network on social protection currently consists of experts from 8 Arab countries. These networks meet at least one per year in workshops on specific policy questions such as disability assessment procedures or cash transfer programmes.

 

  • ESCWA is in the process of establishing additional National Committees of Practice, which is a multi-stakeholder partnership to advance SDG Goal 17 and work on issues of participation (Goal 16), inequalities (Goal 10) and other similar issues. These Committees are run by participants in capacity building events and self-funded by member organizations.  They meet periodically to carry forward their development work.
ECESA Plus Member
ESCWA
Year of submission: 2019