UN-ESCWA considers that there is an urgent need for member countries to enhance their capacities in compiling, disseminating and exchanging data and metadata. In this sense, the DevInfo statistical program provides the statistical community with a tool for effective working partnership among different data producers to facilitate exchanging a unified official statistics to relevant agencies and the regional commission in the region.

ESCWA marked this year's International Women's Day in the presence of a host of diplomats accredited to Lebanon, music and movie stars, representatives of civil society and the media, in addition to ESCWA staff . The event, organized in cooperation with the Lebanese American University (LAU), featured film screening and music and play performances highlighting discrimination against women and gender inequalities.

Beirut, 6 December 2019 (ESCWA)--ESCWA today discussed how public expenditures can be better targeted to achieve social development priorities, using the recently launched Social Expenditure Monitor (SEM) that seeks to align thinking on social policy interventions with national budgets and macroeconomic policy.
 
The workshop held at the UN House in Beirut gathered experts from the region to review a discussion paper on SEM and invite Arab States that have not yet done so to adopt it.