ESCWA Deputy Executive Secretary Nadim Khoury stressed that the League of Arab States (LAS) and ESCWA are longtime partners in development in the region, adding that since its establishment, the Commission has viewed its partnership with LAS as a critical component in its regional role, both by mandate and in practice. Representing ESCWA at the annual UN-LAS Cooperation Meeting that was held on 10-12 July 2012 at the UN Office in Vienna, Khoury delivered a statement saying that Khalaf placed partnership with LAS in the front and centre of the organization’s strategy.

ESCWA Staff Council organized a ping-pong tournament in August, under the auspices of Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf. Fawzat Salloum of the Security and Safety Section and Naela Haddad of the Social Development Division won the final matches on the categories of men and women, respectively, and received their trophies from the Executive Secretary on 30 August 2012.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCWA Rima Khalaf today said that full Arab integration, which takes into account its economic, social and cultural dimensions, can no longer remain a purely intellectual luxury. Rather, it is a strategic choice and a fundamental prerequisite of an Arab renaissance, which can provide security and welfare for people, and prosperity and invincibility for countries.

Roula Majdalani, Chief of Sustainable Development and Productivity Division at ESCWA, said, "Working to avoid energy waste and improve its efficiency in terms of production, transport, conversion, distribution and consumption, is urgent and required in order to preserve the environment and the national economy, as well as the interests of future generations." Majdalani was speaking at the opening session of the Regional Training Workshop on "Promoting Energy Efficiency Investments for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Development." The meeting, which kicked off Monday in Tunis, was