The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) held an expert group meeting to review a publication of Comparative Analysis of Civil Society Participation in Public Policy Formulation in Selected Arab Countries at the United Nations House in Beirut on 1 and 2 December 2010. The meeting was attended by a group of experts and specialists from Governments, civil society, regional academic and media institutions, and United Nations agencies.
The meeting was aimed at discussing the publication and submitting practical proposals about the following three topics: (a) a general overview of civil society and the modern orientations of its functions; (b) case studies on civil society participation in policymaking, particularly in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen; and (c) the impact of civil society participation in policymaking.