Beirut, 23 April 2020--The devastating effects of COVID-19 on economies worldwide are yet to unfold, but they will definitely not spare the Arab region which is set to witness its greatest decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) on record. A new policy brief issued today by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) to shed light on the impact of the pandemic on Arab trade and investment estimates that the region is likely to lose 45% of FDI inflows in 2020.
 

Speaking at a training workshop on “Conference Diplomacy” today, UNESCWA Executive Secretary Mervat Tallawy said that civil society organizations and the media are a basic factor impacting multilateral negotiations and the diplomacy of international and regional conferences. She said some countries are weakened by the fact that information is kept from civil society organizations and media at a time when these institutions can play an effective role in stating the position of nations on major issues that have a direct impact on the livelihood of peoples.

Under the patronage of Jordanian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali and in her presence, UN-ESCWA will hold a Subregional Brainstorming Meeting entitled “A Decade of UN-ESCWA Achievements in the Field of Local community Development” at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Amman, Jordan, on 4 March 2007.