The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is working on a “Regional Initiative for Promoting Small-Scale Renewable Energy Applications in Rural Areas of the Arab Region (REGEND)”, which is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). REGEND aims to improve the livelihood, economic benefits, social inclusion and gender equality of Arab rural communities particularly marginalized groups, by addressing energy access, water scarcity and vulnerability, climate change and other natural resources challenges in three targeted countries, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.
 
In this context, ESCWA 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, …), in partnership with the General Commission for Regional Development (CGDR) and the National Agency for Energy Conservation (ANME) in Tunisia, 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 experiences 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 theoretical and practical knowledge and skills acquired will enable the trainees to improve their performance in the areas of diagnosis, planning, management and finance of local affairs while ensuring Gender integration in order to ensure sustainable development of the region through optimal use of natural resources to create / develop local income-generating activities.