Because economic and social development would not be achieved without the human and artistic aspect, ESCWA today received Lebanese renowned diva Majida El-Roumy who got briefed on the the Regional Commission and its work. From ESCWA Headquarters El-Roumy called for giving the youth adequate importance "because they are the future and the crucial means for change." She also invited young generations to consider refined arts as a part of sustainable development. El-Roumy began her visit at with an audience with UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf.

Under the joint patronage of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the First Annual Arab Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be hosted by the Kuwait Information Technology Society (KITS) on 9-11 October 2012, at the Regency Kuwait Hotel. The meeting will be held in collaboration with the Arab IGF Secretariat represented by the National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (NTRA) of Egypt, and is sponsored by a number of institutions, including Zain, Réseaux IP Européens (RIPE), ICANN and APTLD.


Is life getting better? Are our societies making progress? Indeed, what does "progress" mean to the world’s citizens? There can be few questions of greater importance in today’s rapidly changing world. And yet how many of us have the evidence to answer these questions?