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 manufacturing and hygiene practices and hygiene requirements for food storage”.
 
This workshop will build the scientific and technical capacities of REGEND’s beneficiaries, on good food manufacturing and hygiene practices through a simplified scientific and distinctive approach integrating lectures, exercises, and practical training.

Economic integration is an important means to generate income and employment, to boost investment and to spur structural transformation toward more diversified and broad-based economic models. Services do not only satisfy domestic consumption and investment demands but are also exported and used as intermediate inputs and, through their vital impact on the productive efficiency of other sectors, services are a determining factor in a country’s  participation in international production networks. Coupled with the fact that the services sector tend to account for rather large and growing shares of output, employment, and foreign direct investment, services remain a key area in deeper regional economic integration efforts to reap sizable socio-economic benefits.

In the week of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women (25 November), Arab parliamentarians participate in the second regional workshop on the “Roles of Parliamentarians in the Implementation of CEDAW”, organized by UN-ESCWA and the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UNDAW), on 26-28 November 2008 at the UN House, Beirut.