This document presents “ESCWA's vision on the work modalities for producing, developing and implementing the Arab Information and Communication Technology Strategy (The Arab Digital Agenda)”. It proposes a new approach for joining efforts to launch a technical cooperation project by ESCWA’s Secretariat and the League of Arab States’ General Secretariat, Arab States members of the Arab working group on the Arab ICT strategy, representatives of the Arab ICT Ministers, with the participation and concerted efforts of concerned sister UN and Arab organizations.

Beirut, 29 December 2020--The Arab region faces two economic scenarios for 2021: an optimistic one projecting a growth rate of 3.5% and one that is less optimistic, limiting growth prospects to 2.8%. The actual path will hinge on the ability of Arab countries to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused losses of about $140 billion for the region, resulting in an estimated -3% growth contraction in 2020.