The Statistical Abstract of the Arab Region presents time series statistics and indicators on core areas of economic and social development in ESCWA member countries. This issue consists of twelve chapters, each focusing on one of the following topics: population, labour force, education and illiteracy, health, gender equality, air pollution, energy, national accounts, industry, foreign trade, financial statistics and prices, and information and communications technology.

This issue presents data and statistical indicators on external trade in goods of ESCWA member countries. Data are presented in time series until 2007 and were drawn primarily from national sources, as well as from secondary sources where appropriate. ESCWA hopes that this issue of the External Trade Bulletin, which provides total and detailed data on intraregional and international trade of member countries, would be useful to policymakers, analysts, researchers and other users at the national, regional and international levels. This issue comprises three parts.

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.