The Abstract presents socioeconomic data from the region at the macro-level, covering many topics. The figures were drawn from national and international sources.

Beirut, 25 June 2018 (Communication and Information Unit)— On Monday, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) kicked off its 30^th Ministerial Session at the technical level by welcoming dozens of senior government officials to its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, to discuss global and regional developments ahead of a ministerial segment on Wednesday.
 

The eleventh session of the Committee on Transport represents a continuation of efforts made by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to complete the development of the Integrated Transport System in the Arab Mashreq (ITSAM) and follow up the implementation of its components in accordance with ESCWA resolution 279 (XXIV) of 11 May 2006, with a view to facilitating trade and transport between the countries of the region and achieving regional integration.  At this session, progress made in that regard since the tenth session of the Committee, which was held in Beirut f

Conventional wisdom, based mainly on surveyed household income distribution statistics, suggests that inequality is generally low in Arab countries. At the same time, little attention has been devoted to social inequalities, whether in terms of outcomes or opportunities. This column introduces a forthcoming report, which offers a different narrative: based on the largest research project on the subject to date and covering 12 Arab countries, the authors argue that the region is caught in an inequality trap.