Geographic location is needed to know where a situation is present or where an event has occurred, and to allow decision makers to respond. The integration of geospatial information with data and statistics for SDGs is also instrumental for the production of a number of indicators and in enabling data interoperability across data ecosystems and linking data sets within and across countries.

Within the framework of the project on advancing digital cooperation and development Arab States Action Programme, ESCWA is organizing the Second Regional Expert Meeting on “National Digital Development Reviews 2.0 – Enhanced Methodology and Updated Guiding Template”, via internet. The meeting will gather the Arab countries that participated in the first round of the National Digital Development Reviews (NDDRs) for 2019 and countries wishing to participate in the 2021 round.
The Regional Expert Meeting aims to introduce the enhanced toolkit to be used for developing the 2021 National Digital Development Reviews (NDDRs) and the next Arab Digital Development Report (ADDR) edition to help Arab policy makers devise tailored evidence-based policies and strategies for advancing digital development and digital cooperation at the national and regional levels. Innovative suggested tools will also be discussed for potential piloting by interested countries and organizations. Furthermore, the meeting will pave the way towards the collaboration in the elaboration of the Arab ICT Strategy/Arab Digital Agenda (ADAICTS) which initiation and details will be further discussed with prospective partners in a dedicated meeting planned to take place on 21 December 2020, whereby ESCWA and LAS will join efforts with Arab countries and concerned UN and Arab organizations to shape the ADAICTS and agree on the way forward for advancing digital development and digital cooperation in the region for the next ten years.

This conference will also serve as the closing meeting of the Adaptation to Climate Change in Water Sector in the MENA Region (ACCWaM) project.

The regional workshop aims to review the different ways of census data dissemination and usage in development planning; to highlight the importance of communication of census data between producers and users and the role of population and housing censuses in providing indicators of the 2030 sustainable development agenda; and to discuss how to use individual census data in the process of research and planning.

Meeting Details