Press release

15 Sep 2014

Tunis

Regional Commission's Session Expresses Solidarity with Palestinian People

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The 28th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) continued its discussions this afternoon in Tunis and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people. Participants discussed the regular work of ESCWA at the service of the Palestinian people, which includes technical support to civil servants and advisory services to government officials. Participants also proposed additional activities by ESCWA particularly in the field of raising awareness and holding Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Addressing the recent military aggression on Gaza more specifically and the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (2014), ESCWA highlighted its awareness development campaign through traditional and social media, as well as the denunciation by the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of Israel’s policies that amount to racial discrimination and apartheid and their impact on Palestinian development. It further announced a comprehensive program to support the Palestinian People and presented its main guidelines. The program includes building a body of knowledge on the impact of the Israeli occupation and its practices on development in Palestine and the rest of the region; strengthening state and civil society institutions; addressing the conditions and role of Palestinians in the diasporas; developing strong advocacy tools to highlight Israel’s continued violations of international law; and forging Arab Palestinian partnerships. Hosted by Tunisia from 15 to 18 September, the 28th Session of ESCWA will conclude its senior official’s discussions tomorrow with a series of recommendations to be adopted by the ministerial segment. The Session’s ministerial meeting opens on Wednesday in the presence of Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomâa. It is intended to close with a ministerial declaration on Social Justice. ESCWA is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. It provides a framework for the formulation and harmonization of sectoral policies for member countries; a platform for congress and coordination; a home for expertise and knowledge, and an information observatory. It aims at supporting economic and social cooperation between the region’s countries and promoting development process in order to achieve regional integration. Libya, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Tunisia became members of ESCWA in September 2012. By this new membership, the number of ESCWA countries rose to seventeen, including: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, The Sudan, The Syrian Arab Republic, The United Arab Emirates and Yemen. **** For more information, please visit: http://www.escwa.un.org/about/gov/sessions/maine.asp?lang=e&ID=173 Or contact: ESCWA Communication and Information Unit (ECIU): +961-70-993144/76-046402/ 03-910 930 dargham@un.org, abi-zaki@un.org, sleiman2@un.org, escwa-ciu@un.org United Nations Information Centre-Tunis: +216-71902203/71906615 +216-22-487247/+216-20-300110 kaouther.bizani@unic.org, bizani@un.org, samia.sfar@unic.org, sfar@un.org
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