Beirut, 07 February 2019 (Communication and Information Unit)--The newly appointed United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Ms. Rola Dashti, today arrived in Beirut to assume her duties at the helm of the regional commission.
She was received at the Rafic Hariri International Airport by her Deputies, Mr. Mounir Tabet and Ms. Khawla Mattar, the Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Karim Khalil, the Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Mohanad Al Musawi, several ESCWA officials, as well as the representative of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Mr. Bassel Oweidat.
Ms. Dashti stressed that ESCWA will continue to play a pivotal role in the coordination of efforts aiming to enhance cooperation among Arab countries in view of ensuring stability, prosperity and all-inclusive growth, as well as in view of sustaining values of peace, justice, citizenship across the Arab region. She also asserted that ESCWA will maintain its support, cooperation, and efficient contribution with member States and its regional and international partners to meet regional and development challenges, as well as to take advantage of the available regional opportunities to move forward in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and create a promising future for youth and the upcoming generations.
Ms. Dashti congratulated Lebanon on the new Cabinet formation, which comprises four female ministers, including the first female minister of Interior in the Arab region, which showcases the Lebanese belief in the historical role of women in maintaining balanced and sustainable development.
Ms. Dashti, a leading Kuwaiti economist and long-time champion of women’s rights and gender equality, is currently serving as member of the Supreme Planning Council in Kuwait. From 2012 to 2014, she was Minister for Planning and Development and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. Ms. Dashti played a pivotal role in advocating for the decree to allow Kuwaiti women to vote and run for parliamentary elections, and in May 2009, she with three other women, became the first women to be elected to Kuwait’s parliament. She has also held key positions in research and development institutions and worked for major local and international financial and development institutions.
Ms. Dashti was born in Kuwait in 1964. She holds a doctorate degree in population dynamics, a master’s degree in economics and finance, and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture economics.
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