Beirut, November 29, 2011 (United Nations Information Sevices at ESCWA) -- ESCWA organized its yearly official ceremony to celebrate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, under the patronage of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati. The event was attended by U.N. Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCWA Rima Khalaf, U.N.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on those who believe in a future of freedom and dignity to come together and help people of the region and their leaders to write the next chapters. He said that from the very beginning of these revolutions, from Tunisia through Egypt and beyond, he has called on leaders to listen to their people, a call that some heeded and benefitted while others did not, and today are facing the storm. "I say again to President Assad of Syria: Stop the violence. Stop killing your own people. The path of repression is a dead end," he demanded.

The Deputy Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Nadim Khouri called for the need to take advantage of available opportunities to improve food security in the region through trade and foreign investments to ensure benefits for all. The call came in a statement delivered today by Khouri at the opening session of the international conference entitled “A Food Secure Arab World: A Roadmap for Policy and Research,” jointly organized by ESCWA and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and held at the UN House in Beirut.

A United Nations ESCWA annual survey on the Economic and Social Developments for 2010-2011 was released on 31 January, reflecting the dramatic changes the region has witnessed while moving from the first to the second decade of the 21st century. The survey made observations, provided data to understand and explain the dynamics of regional, sub-regional and country-specific social and economic trends. Its objective is to provide a snapshot of the current socioeconomic situation and an outlook for 2012.