Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to the ESCWA region dropped by 15 per cent between 2009 and 2010, settling on 57 billion USD from the former 67 billion USD. Save for Oman and Lebanon, this drop affected all ESCWA countries. These are the highlights of the presentation by Abulgasim Abdullah, Chief of Financing for Development Section at ESCWA Economic Development and Globalization Division, at the launching of World Investment Report 2011 (WIR 2011).

Beirut, 5 June 2012 (ESCWA Communication and Information Unit) – The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is marking the World Environment Day (WED) 2012, which turns 40 this year. Since 1972, WED is celebrated annually on 5 June to raise awareness on prevailing environmental issues and encourage global action. The WED 2012 theme is “Green Economy: Does it include you?” WED bears a special importance this year, as it will be hosted in Brazil, only two weeks prior to Rio+20.

Beirut, 17 May 2018 (Communication and Information Unit)--The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) condemns the killing of 61 Palestinians, including 6 children, by Israeli forces on 14 May 2018 during a demonstration at the border fence in Gaza. The apparent disproportionate use of force, namely the use of live ammunition against unarmed demonstrators, constitutes another violation of international humanitarian law and a disregard for human life and dignity on the part of the Israeli military.