UNESCWA will present the key-note speech at a two-day conference on "Municipality Action" at the Crown Plaze Hotel, Manama, Bahrain, on 26 March.
More information can be found at:

What are the direct implications on Arab countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 6th Ministerial Conference? What are the objectives these countries are seeking to achieve by joining WTO, in view of the proliferating bilateral and regional trade arrangements? And what would be the negotiations priorities once Arab countries choose to maximize their stakes from the Doha round negotiations and WTO membership?

The Director of the UNESCWA Sustainable Development and Productivity Division, Ms. Anhar Hegazi today said, “Despite the achievements of Arab countries in answering the basic needs of their populations, including providing housing, infrastructure, and social and service sectors as well as ensuring the continuity of these efforts, the absence of equal rights and the gap in answering the basic needs of various social segments represents a major threat to development results and to achieving sustainability.

The Seventh Session of UNESCWA Committee on Transport will convene at the UN House, Beirut, on Monday 17 April 2006 at 10:00 a.m. under the auspices of Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Mohammed Safadi. The meeting will continue until 19 April and discuss major issues that concern the transport sector due to its importance and its direct impact on the economies of the countries in the region.