This summary of Millennium Development Goals in the Arab Region 2005 was prepared as a collaborative ‎effort of United Nations agencies in the region on the occasion of the September 2005 World Summit and ‎the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, this effort was coordinated by ESCWA. It provides an ‎overview of progress in the Arab region ‎ towards the stated aim of achieving the Goals by 2015 and ‎highlights key challenges and issues. Data and analyses are presented by sub-region.

ESCWA Disability Framework: 115 indicators to bridge the gap between policy and statistics, is the first three-dimensional disability framework that maps disability-related indicators to three major development frameworks: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Framework and its 115 indicators embodies a major step forward in bridging the gap between policy and statistics and monitor progress made. The Framework will be an important tool for guiding efforts at the national, regional and global levels to harmonize the production of comparable data. It will facilitate reporting on the situation of persons with disabilities in critical disability-inclusive development goals. These include inclusive education, employment, empowerment, health and justice. The framework will, through improved disability statistics, provide a clearer picture to compare persons with disabilities and those with no disabilities. The framework will also assist data producers to provide valuable and better information for policymakers to ensure that all people with disabilities everywhere and anywhere are indeed included.

The study examines successful experiences and good practices in the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Arab countries. The study discusses ways for Arab countries to withdraw their reservations in order to ensure the full implementation of CEDAW.

The performance of Arab countries in 2007 was uneven. Some sectors increased their share in the world economy while others saw their share decline. This issue of the Annual Review assesses, through an analysis of economic indicators, the performance of the Arab economies in achieving regional integration and integration into the world economy, with an emphasis on foreign direct investment. The Annual Review also discusses labour migration as one of the regional integration indicators.