The workshop focused on innovation as a capacity that makes it possible for the public sector to deliver better services tailored to the needs of citizens thus advancing the development of knowledge societies.

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.

The first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in Geneva during 10-12 December 2003, adopted a Declaration of Principles (DoP) and a global Plan of Action (PoA), setting the stage for international cooperation to close the existing digital divide between developing and developed countries while involving all stakeholders in building an inclusive information society.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) holds a meeting to discuss challenges to the development and adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) applications in the region, with a special focus on e-services in the public sector. The meeting will recommend steps to overcome these challenges, focusing on accelerating the deployment of these applications and providing effective e-services.