The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is organizing a regional conference on "Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas of the ESCWA Region" during the period from 26 to 28 November 2013, in Rabat, Morocco This regional conference is organized in collaboration with the Directorate of Electricity and Renewable Energy, affiliated to the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment of Morocco, the Energy Department at the League of Arab states (LAS), and the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), within the context of the activities included in the project entitled "Capacity building on climate change mitigation for  poverty alleviation in Western Asia”, currently undertaken by ESCWA, and financed from the United Nations Development Account (DA).