The 11th Session of the ESCWA Committee on Social Development, which will open at 10:00 AM on Tuesday 17 October 2017, aims to provide a forum for representatives of member States to discuss, share experiences and present proposals on priority issues in the field of Social Development. The information contained in the documents and reports presented during the Session shall constitute the basis for discussion, as ESCWA continuously seeks statistical data and information on major developments, and actions taken by member States in order to enhance the quality of its services, including facilitating negotiations and adopting common regional positions, strategies, programmes and action plans on the various social issues discussed at the international forums.
The Session will tackle three salient issues in the field of Social Development in the Arab region, namely the New Urban Agenda which was endorsed by the UN General Assembly at its 71st session in December 2016, and the follow-up by ESCWA on its implementation from a social development angle; age structural transitions and sustainable development; and intergenerational justice.
The Session will start with a review of actions taken by the ESCWA Social Development Division and of progress achieved in implementing the programmed activities in the field of Social Development and recommendations issued by the Committee at its previous session. In particular, the ESCWA secretariat will brief the Committee on actions taken to form an intersessional group of experts on persons with disabilities; the results of the questionnaire on the programmes and activities of the Social Development Division; the implementation of the Tunis Declaration on Social Justice issued by the 28th Ministerial Session of ESCWA; and technical assistance for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Committee on Social Development was established pursuant to the ESCWA resolution 198 (XVII) of 31 May 1994, which was endorsed by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in its resolution 1994/27. The objective is to enhance regional cooperation in planning and implementing the ESCWA programme of work in the field of Social Development, through the effective participation of relevant parties in ESCWA member States. The Committee held its first session in Amman in 1997, its second, third, fourth and fifth sessions in Beirut in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2005 respectively, its sixth session in Amman in 2007, its seventh and eighth sessions in Beirut in 2009 and 2011 respectively, its ninth session in Amman in 2013 and its tenth session in Rabat in 2015.
ESCWA in Brief
ESCWA is one of the five UN regional commissions. It is part of the UN Secretariat, and works under the supervision of ECOSOC. 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.
Mauritania became member of ESCWA in October 2015. The Republic of Tunis, Libya, and the Kingdom of Morocco had joined it in September 2012. By those new memberships, the number of ESCWA countries rose to 18, including: Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
*****
For more information:
https://www.unescwa.org/committee-social-development-11th-session
For more ESCWA news, please visit:
Website: www.unescwa.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/unescwa Twitter: @ESCWACIU
