Under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, one decade is left to push development and compile much needed evidence to measure progress, stagnation and setbacks. The present report entitled “Between now and 2030: A statistical overview of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region”, provides the Arab region’s progress in each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It highlights where the region now stands from 2030 with a 2000 baseline.

After an intensive discussion at the UN House, international and regional experts as well as senior government officials agreed that engaging citizens in attaining national development agendas is an imperative. Over 35 participants attended the meeting organized by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and ESCWA, from 3 to 6 December 2012, in Beirut. Taking cue from their governments at the Rio+20 Summit this June, the participants agreed on the importance of governance and the inclusion of socially vulnerable groups in achieving sustainable development.

Beirut-Amman, 9 December 2019 (ESCWA)--Today, ESCWA concluded the 1st session of its Committee on Trade Policies in Amman, Jordan, to discuss in depth trade-related topics, Arab economic integration and the progress achieved in the past period as well as the priorities for the upcoming one.
 

In light of the sweeping changes in the Arab region, ESCWA has launched a series of civil society dialogues entitled: "Exploring New Frontiers". These dialogues aim to take stock of the transition that Arab countries are going through and discuss the changing role of civil society and the emerging challenges and windows of opportunity. They are also intended to discuss the process of institutionalizing new citizen participation frameworks, and ensuring social cohesion.