The 2030 Agenda acknowledges the “essential role of national parliaments through their enactment of legislation and adoption of budgets and their role in ensuring accountability for the effective implementation of our commitments”.

Until 2017, an Arab regional initiative to involve the legislative branch in the implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda was lacking. In response, ESCWA organized the first event of its kind to engage parliamentarians from the Arab region in the dialogue on the 2030 Agenda, and to raise their awareness and build their capacity. The track includes the Arab Regional Parliamentary Forum that feeds into the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development, which is also well-attended by members of parliaments from the region.

Our approach

ESCWA and its partners annually organize the Arab Regional Parliamentary Forum on the 2030 Agenda so as to provide members of parliament and parliamentary staff with the opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss common challenges and identify strategies that contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Parliamentary Forum provides parliaments with up-to-date information on the status of SDG implementation in the Arab region and offers recommendations for accelerating transformative change. The Parliamentary Forum is designed to engage parliaments in key regional follow-up and review processes. It concludes with key messages that feed into the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development and consequently the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development so as to ensure that the voices of parliamentarians are heard and their needs and interests are amplified.