This issue disseminates population census data and comparable national data on registered vital events (births, deaths, marriages and divorces) in the ESCWA region, with complementary analysis. To optimize accuracy, data have been checked for consistency against national, regional and international sources and for comparability purposes, rates have been computed using the World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision prepared by the United Nations Population Division.

This paper discusses migration policies in ESCWA countries and their impact on development on both the theoretical and practical levels, highlighting good practices and major gaps.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, ESCWA honored Arab women voices: singer and poet Jaheda Wehbe, Palestinian-American poet and scholar Lisa Suhair Majaj and Palestinian-Lebanese filmmaker Carole Mansour. Held in cooperation with the Resource Center for Gender Equality (ABAAD) and under the title "Voices of Arab Women," on 5 March 2015 at the UN House, Beirut, the ceremony saw the participation of Second Vice Chair of the National Commission for Lebanese Women Lama Tammam Salam, and Lebanese Minister of Displaced Persons Alice Chabtini.

“Violent extremism walks in when shared society withdraws,” said former Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina and member of “Club de Madrid”  Zlatko Lagumdzija, who paid a visit to the UN House in Beirut on 29 May 2017, and met with Under-Secretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Mohamed Ali Alhakim. The meeting was attended by ESCWA Deputy Executive Khawla Mattar and Director of ESCWA Emerging and Conflict-related Issues Division Tarek Alami as well as “Club de Madrid” Senior Program Officer Maram Anbar.