UN-ESCWA participated in the Arab Regional Workshop entitled "Opportunities and Challenges of Civic Engagement in Socio-Economic Policies", organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in Amman from 13 to 15 March 2007. UN-ESCWA presented a paper on "The Role of Civil Society Organizations in the Formulation of Social Policy at the Grass Root Level in the UN-ESCWA Region" highlighting its experience in promoting participation at the local community level.

 

The Meeting's final report highlighted the main recommendations of this paper that emphasizes the need for enabling a sound environment, developing new paradigm for governments, and establishing strong social capital among stakeholders at the micro-level. UN-ESCWA representative played a key role in identifying stakeholders in the development process, namely non governmental organizations and government representatives, as well as strengthening the networks of cooperation among them in order to forge a better partnership for development. The meeting adopted the "Amman Declaration on the Opportunities and Challenges of Civic Engagement in Socio-Economic Policies in the Arab Region", which stressed the importance of building the capacities of community-based development organizations with a view to enhance their participation in the social policy formulation and implementation.