Following is the statement of Mr. Bader Al Dafa, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN-ESCWA Executive Secretary on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November).

Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammed Safadi opened the 7th Arab Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) "Concerned Issues of the Arab Countries" at the UN House in Beirut on 26 April. The conference was organized by the Arab Organization for Administrative Development (ARADO), which is affiliated with the League of Arab States, in cooperation with both the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade and ESCWA.

The fourth issue of the UNESCWA “Annual Review of Developments in Globalization and Regional Integration in the Countries of the UNESCWA Region, 2005” is due to be launched on Wednesday 1 March 2006, at 11am in the UN-House, Beirut. This flagship publication analyses the degree to which the Arab economy is integrated into the world economy and the extent of economic integration between Arab countries. It targets decision makers in UNESCWA member and other Arab countries, in addition to researchers, academics and others interested in the economy of globalization and regional integration.