Under the auspices of Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Nohad El Mashnouk, and on the occasion of the Third UN Global Road Safety Week, ESCWA convened a workshop in Beirut, which gathered political, cultural and artistic personalities. The workshop was launched with a choir of Abi Bakr Al Siddiq School students who performed traditional songs promoting road safety. Following the opening, attending personalities signed the "Child Declaration on Road Safety".

It is well known that the Arab region suffers greatly from water scarcity, which is directly related to food and Energy security. Many of the countries in the region resorted to unconventional methods to provide for their water needs such as desalination or use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy. Nanotechnology is one of the most important emerging technologies to help meet these challenges. It can provide effective and environmentally acceptable solutions.

In the context of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, marked annually on 3 December, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is organising a three-day event on including persons with disabilities in the labour market.
Expected participants will represent 16 ESCWA member states, as well as Lebanese civil society and the private sector.

Beirut, 5 June 2012 (ESCWA Communication and Information Unit) – The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is marking the World Environment Day (WED) 2012, which turns 40 this year. Since 1972, WED is celebrated annually on 5 June to raise awareness on prevailing environmental issues and encourage global action. The WED 2012 theme is “Green Economy: Does it include you?” WED bears a special importance this year, as it will be hosted in Brazil, only two weeks prior to Rio+20.