The purpose of this ninth issue of the Bulletin on Population and Vital Statistics in the ESCWA region is to present available statistics for ESCWA member countries on registered vital events, including births, deaths, marriages and divorces, with special emphasis on demographic determinants and population changes; present the main indicators for each of these events; compare them with the estimates prepared by the United Nations Population Division; and facilitate comparison across countries and years.

Increasing evidence shows that policies that are not grounded in the principles of inclusiveness, empowerment and equality can have harmful impacts on the communities and exacerbate tensions and conflict. The meeting will aim to unpack the principles of inclusiveness, empowerment and equality, how they relate to sustainable development and peace building in conflict settings.

On 4 June 2014, ESCWA Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Development and Globalization Division (EDGD) Abdallah Al Dardari called on a group of university students from the Economic Science And Business Administration Studies Faculty of the Lebanese University, Aley branch, to write an academic paper on gas production and its benefits in Lebanon, which would be discussed at ESCWA with a group of experts.

ESCWA opens its “Expert Group Meeting on Moving the Development Agenda Forward: Opportunities and Potential Gains”, tomorrow Thursday 5 November 2009, to discuss challenges facing Arab countries amidst the ongoing global developments.

The opening session of this meeting, which convenes at 10:00 AM, will witness a statement by UN Under-Secretary General and ESCWA Executive Secretary, Bader AlDafa.