Minister Fady Jreissati
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Good morning.
 
Allow me to warmly welcome you all to ESCWA. We are honoured to host this distinguished “Forum on Climate Finance and Sustainable Cities”. Special thanks to our partners at the UNFCCC and the Standing Committee on Finance, the Islamic Development Bank and the Union for the Mediterranean, and to the Governments of Norway and Australia for their generous contributions to this Forum, as well as to the Government of Lebanon for its continual support.

Since the Millennium Summit in 2000, countries and international agencies have been compiling data to monitor progress towards the MDGs. The availability and quality of the data at the international and national levels is however not the same. The UN Statistical Commission has called attention to the need of reducing these discrepancies, and countries worldwide have pointed out the importance of assessing progress at sub-national levels and better explore national sources.

Every year, the partners of ESCWA from governmental and non-governmental organizations, media, educational and scientific foundations await the launch of the “Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region”. It is a report intended to assess the Arab economies in the global context of economic events that took place recently and also to address pressing policy agenda in the region by a theme-based in-depth research.

On 11 December 2014, ESCWA and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) launched of a four-year project to bolster food and water security in the Arab region. SIDA has donated USD 2.7 million while the contribution of ESCWA will amount to USD 0.8 million. The project generates unique national and regional data on the present and future situation of food and water security; design coordinated regional policies to enhance food and water security; and help governments respond to dwindling arable lands and increased water scarcity, while meeting growing food needs.