This brief deals with youth migration in Arab countries, as it reviews the reasons of this migration as well as the different mechanisms of its administration.  In recent decades, Arab countries registered several social accomplishments that improved the living standards of a wide range of social categories. Through enhancing education opportunities for different social classes, countries managed to limit the gaps in school enrolment rates for both sexes, as well as between large and small cities and urban and rural areas.

During 2010-2011, the ESCWA has focused its work on emphasizing to member countries the importance of planning national policies for youth under the framework of the World Programme of Action for Youth. This booklet sheds the light on the youth statistical profiles and national strategies in each member country and shows success stories achieved in member countries in the area of launching and implementing national programmes and projects for youth development and empowerment.

This bulletin reviews the impact of the global financial crisis on international migration from and to the Arab region. Starting with an overview of the crisis and the resulting challenges and opportunities for the region, it then reviews lessons learned regarding the impact of wars and previous financial crises on international migration. To this end, the bulletin sets out three cases: the 1973 oil crisis, the 1990-1991 Gulf war and the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.