These guidelines are intended for government officials, programme managers and researchers looking to estimate the costs of domestic violence in the Arab region. They are designed to enable users to understand the purpose of costing studies and the steps required to undertake a costing exercise in the users’ country.

The guidelines are divided into three parts. The first part details the purpose and importance of costing domestic violence, with a focus on the Arab region, as well as the recommended steps to take when conducting a costing study. The second part outlines how to translate the research findings into concrete actions to ensure impact. The third and final part presents four case studies from a selection of countries which have successfully undertaken or are in the process of undertaking costing studies.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the UN agencies members of the Regional Network on Migration in the Arab Region, and with support of the UN Network on Migration will coordinate the first regional review process in the Arab region.

The “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders in the ESCWA Region” (AIGLE) project aims at helping policymakers in Arab countries to build capacities, in order to narrow ICT human resources gaps, reduce barriers to ICT adoption and promote the application of ICT in accelerating socioeconomic development.


The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted in 1995 by the Fourth World Conference on Women, and reconfirmed at the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly in 2000. The Beijing Platform for Action constitutes a global framework for realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.