Within the framework of the “Regional Initiative for Promoting Small-Scale Renewable Energy Applications in Rural Areas of the Arab Region (REGEND)” project, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in partnership with the General Commission for Regional Development (CGDR) and the National Agency for Energy Conservation (ANME) in Tunisia, is organizing a capacity-building workshop of the Municipality of Chorbane on planning, management, and finance (diagnosis, participatory local planning, gender integration, administrative and financial management, and development of sources of finance, …).
 
This workshop aims to build/enhance the knowledge and practical capacities of a group of participants that includes some members of the elected municipal council of the municipality of Chorbane (Governorate of Mahdia, Republic of Tunisia) and some of the administrative/financial staff of the municipality, in relation with the best mechanisms for diagnosis and participatory municipal planning while ensuring Gender inclusion. The workshop will provide participants with theoretical knowledge and practical experience regarding methods and techniques for mobilizing traditional and non-traditional funds, including international cooperation funding and grants, in particular in the fields of food, energy and water, through the adoption of modern training methods that integrate technical theoretical presentations and practical training through case studies and work groups.

The secretariat of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is organizing the Eighth meeting of the Technical Committee during the period 10-12 December 2013. The Technical Committee will begin its meeting with an opening session at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 10 December 2013. The Committee will start its working sessions at 10.15 a.m. with one session in the morning and two sessions in the afternoon. It will resume its work at 10 a.m.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), one of the regional bodies of the UN, said Western Asia is facing a dangerous strategic challenge in relation to the water situation given that the origin of most water in the region lies outside it. This statement came in an UNESCWA statement on the occasion of World Water Day, 22 March 2006.