Beirut-New York, 27 January 2021— The United Nations today warned that the devastating socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt for years to come unless smart investments in economic, societal and climate resilience ensure a robust and sustainable recovery of the global economy.

This document provides a summary of the Arab report on the periodic review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action after 25 years. The aforementioned report reviews the achievements made by Arab countries in fulfilling their commitments under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and analyses the challenges facing the region in that regard through highlighting the regional political, security, economic, social and cultural dimensions and analyzing how these impact gender equality and women’s advancement.

This report reviews the situation of Palestinian women and girls during the period July 2016-June 2018, focusing on political, social, economic and human rights developments. Building upon previously published research of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on the status of Palestinian women and girls, and drawing upon the most recent data available, this report highlights the complex situation of women and girls, revealing both progress and setbacks in the context of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza.

Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) today said the Arab Spring is a knowledge and professional challenge for United Nations agencies which these organizations do not shun, and have rather begun to reconsider the development paradigm itself building on lessons from this experience. ESCWA Deputy Executive Secretary Nadim Khouri said the Arab Spring has amplified responsibilities of governments, international organizations and peoples to identify their clear path towards a national and Arab developmental, revivalist project.