The Expert Group Meeting is organized by ESCWA in cooperation with UNCTAD. The participants included high-level economists and experts from Arab universities and think tanks and representatives of Arab regional and sub-regional organizations such as the League of Arab States and the Arab Maghreb Union. The meeting aimed to critically review the drafts of the recurrent publication on the third edition of assessing Arab economic integration and the non-recurrent publication on trade costs in the Arab region. The meeting discussed also the findings of the World Investment Report 2019 prepared by UNCTAD.



The regional meeting reviewed the progress made by ESCWA member countries in the implementation of Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (2002).

Within the framework of the “Regional Initiative for Promoting Small-Scale Renewable Energy Applications in Rural Areas of the Arab Region (REGEND)” Project, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in partnership with the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), and the Arab Federation for Food Industries (AFFI), is organizing a capacity-building workshop on “Good food packaging, labeling, and marketing practices”.
 
This workshop will build the scientific and technical capacities of REGEND’s beneficiaries, on good food packaging, labeling, and manufacturing practices through a simplified scientific and distinctive approach integrating lectures, exercises, and practical training.

ESCWA has recently contributed to an international forum, which gathered high-level delegations and leading energy experts to explore how to drive change; how to drive the need for regional cooperation and planning, and the imperative of nexus solutions as part of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.