Press release

13 Sep 2008

Beirut

UN Deputy Secretary-General Opens 12th Regional Coordination Mechanism Meeting; Says Arab Region Emerging as True Leader in Development

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UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said on Saturday that the Arab region is emerging as a true leader in development – from burgeoning intra-regional investment in infrastructure to energy security. The Arab countries and people are doing more and more to contribute to one another’s’ development. “It is not an exaggeration to say that the Arab Region is one of vast historical and cultural richness. Today this wealth is, in many cases, complemented by economic prosperity,” Migiro said. Migiro made her remarks at the opening session of the 12th Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) meeting that UN-ESCWA is hosting on 13-14 September 2008. “Regional solidarity is a key asset as your countries endeavor to deal with the myriad of challenges they face,” Migiro said. “While the region is home to some of the most prospering countries in the world, some of its members are among the most poverty-stricken. This region accounts for eight out of the 10 most water-scarce counties in the world and, paradoxically, for more than 66 percent of global oil reserves,” she added. According to the Deputy Secretary-General, the disparities impact on the region’s response to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), as reflected in the report on attainment of MDGs in the Arab Region (The Millennium Development Goals in the Arab Region 2007 Report). Gulf Coperation Countries are on track to meeting the majority of the Goals and this is a remarkable feat by any measure. Yet, on the other hand, the Arab Least Developed Countries, particularly those enduring conflict (Iraq, Palestine and Sudan) are lagging significantly behind. “Many of today’s emerging challenges cross several boundaries – from, climate change to the food crisis, from HIV and AIDS, to water resources. They all require collective and cross-boundary solutions,” Migiro said. She added that by promoting a region-specific approach to development, by stepping up regional integration, UN agencies working in the Arab World can do so much to address these challenges and link global commitments with national action plans. The Deputy Secretary-General went on to say that it is encouraging that all the relevant UN agencies in the region are represented in the meeting. “I commend you all for your strong commitment and continuous efforts to support Member States in their work to meet the developmental goals to which they have committed,” she said. “UN Regional offices need to strengthen partnerships with other sub-regional and regional groups. The League of Arab States is represented here; this is important. Our respective institutions share a common vision for development in the Arab region. They have reaffirmed their desire to build a strong partnership in tackling political, economic and social challenges. The General Assembly has proposed that our alliance can be enhanced further by the League of Arab States becoming an official member of the Regional Coordination Mechanism,” Migiro added. In addition to Migiro, UN-ESCWA Executive Secretary Badr Omar AlDafa also gave an opening statement. He said that the challenges facing the Arab region, including climate change, food security and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, require that “we combine our efforts, and build on our strengths and comparative advantages in working together to maximize the impact of our limited resources.” AlDafa said that the RCM proved to be a good vehicle for deriving a common set of policy directives and specific goals and initiatives for joint-action. The last regional coordination meeting, held in 2006 in Beirut, constituted an important milestone in that it embodied the principles of collaboration and commitment, and witnessed the participation of the League of Arab States, an important regional counterpart and partner. He went on to say that one of the important achievements of the 11th RCM was that UN agencies working in the region agreed upon a set of joint-actions and products. “The issuance of a key regional publication, “The Millennium Development Goals in the Arab Region 2007: a Youth Lens”, is a testimony of collective effort and demonstrates the UN-wide commitment to supporting member countries in meeting the MDGs in the Arab region,” he said. AlDafa announced that on Sunday 14 September, an information guide on Gender and the MDGs will be launched, also a product of joint-collaboration among UN agencies working in the region. The RCM aims to strengthen coherence and cooperation among UN organizations in the Arab region; exchange information at the inter-agency level; and facilitate coordination and promote joint action in order to better serve the countries of the region and to maximize combined impact of the UN work. This year’s RCM Meeting is reviewing emerging global issues and challenges and their implication for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Arab region including the subjects of Climate Change and Food Security. In addition, the meeting is reviewing the implementation of the recommendations of the last RCM meeting, which was held in June 2006 at the UN House in Beirut.
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