Twenty senior civil servants from the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights have completed a management training in Beirut. The training that forms a component of the Danish Government funded UNDP project “Return to Law and Promotion of Human Rights”, was organized by UNESCWA in coordination with the OHCHR. The training program focused on management topics and was complimented by Human Rights issues that were of benefit to many of the staff of the newly set-up Ministry.

Using information and communications technology (ICT) in ports is essential to ensure accurate, real-time control and pre-planning for port management operations. ICT applications benefit trade facilitation at ports by decreasing time, cost and human error during vessel and cargo operations, and many ports are therefore using ICT as a key tool in their operations. Adopting the combined system as the recommended architecture for ports in ESCWA member countries, this publication includes case studies on best practice in the application of ICT in seaports in selected member countries.

Current and former concerned ministers as well as a number of economic and social affairs experts will gather at the UN House in Beirut on Friday 23 November 2012 to participate in ESCWA’s First Arab Economics Forum.
The Forum, which will be held with the partnership and support of the European Union, will last until Saturday 24 November 2012. A press release on the Forum’s details will be issued by ESCWA Communication and Information Unit (ECIU) on Wednesday.