Beirut-Nairobi, 28 May 2019 (ESCWA)--United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Rola Dashti, signed yesterday two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with UN Environment and UN Habitat on the sidelines of her participation in the first UN Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.
 
Dashti signed an MoU with the Executive Director of UN Habitat, Ms. Maimunah Sharif, to strengthen cooperation between the two and achieve common objectives concerning the New Urban Agenda (NUA), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and internationally agreed environmental commitments. The MoU also includes consultation and exchange of information in addition to exerting joint efforts to contribute to the implementation of the Arab Strategy for Housing and Urban Development 2030 as a Regional Action Plan (RAP) for the implementation of the NUA that will represent the regional expression of NUA in the Arab region.

 
In addition, Dashti signed an MoU with the Acting Chief of UN Environment, Ms. Joyce Msuya, to pursue mutual cooperation on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; environment-related consultations for the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development; support to the Joint Committee on Environment and Development in the Arab Region, the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment; in addition to climate change, disaster risk reduction, RICCAR, and climate change negotiations for Arab countries among others.

 
Both MoUs come as part of the efforts of ESCWA to join hands with a wide array of partners to support member States in achieving their international commitments in socio-economic development.
 
 

 
For more information:
-Nabil Abu-Dargham, Head, ESCWA Communication and Information Unit,
+961-70-993-144; email: dargham@un.org
-Ms Rania Harb, Public Information Assistant, +961-70-008-879; email: harb1@un.org