The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN ESCWA) was established in 1973. The regional organization comprises 17 Arab countries in Western Asia; among others including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.
Objectives
- Supporting economic and social development in the region.
- Promoting cooperation between the countries of the region.
- Encouraging interaction and achieving regional integration between member countries.
RICCAR
UN ESCWA coordinates the “Regional Initiative for the Assessment of the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources and Socio-economic vulnerability in the Arab Region” (RICCAR). ACCWaM is one of the partners of RICCAR and supports its efforts.
The initiative is an outcome of a collaborative effort between the United Nations and the League of Arab States (LAS) and respective specialized organizations to respond to the request of the Arab Ministerial Water Council (AMWC) and the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE).
The initiative follows the common objective of the Arab States to deepen the understanding of the impact of climate change on water resources and its associated implications for socio-economic vulnerability in the Arab region as well as to establish a common platform for addressing and responding to these issues.
By the establishment of a knowledge hub UN ESCWA contributes to regional capacity development and further enhances regional cooperation in the field of climate change and water resources.
