ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL2.GPID/2023/POLICY BRIEF.1
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Policy briefs
Cluster: Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development
Focus Area: 2030 Agenda, Climate change, Gender equality
Initiatives: COVID-19 Stimulus Tracker, Reforming social protection systems, Women’s rights and gender mainstreaming, Arab Forum for Sustainable Development
SDGs: Agenda 2030
Keywords: Sustainable development, Covid-19, Human development, Social policy, Governance, Labour market, Social protection, Gender equality, Arab countries
Key policy directions in the Arab region for ensuring the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
February 2023
The Arab region’s path to sustainable development is stridently challenged by slow growth, rising inequality and persistent poverty, and weak and fragmented social protection mechanisms, all of which exacerbate the exclusion and marginalization of the most vulnerable, including migrants and persons with disabilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified pre-existing socioeconomic challenges and exposed numerous vulnerabilities across societies, institutions, economies, and labour markets in the Arab region. In particular, it has further aggravated existing vulnerabilities for workers in the informal sector, women and young people, increased unemployment, pushed 16 million people into poverty, deepened existing gender inequalities, amplified women’s socioeconomic vulnerability, and massively scaled up displacement.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has also caused significant disruptions to global trade; food, commodity and energy prices; and the prospects for a post-pandemic economic recovery. As such, this policy brief provides a number of key messages and policy recommendations for building forward better post COVID while ensuring an integrated and comprehensive approach to social policies and human development and strengthening governance and institutional frameworks at all levels and based on a life-cycle approach.
Related content
2030 Agenda
, Climate change
, Gender equality
The Arab region’s path to sustainable development is stridently challenged by slow growth, rising inequality and persistent poverty, and weak and fragmented social protection mechanisms, all of which exacerbate the exclusion and marginalization of the most vulnerable, including migrants and persons with disabilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified pre-existing socioeconomic challenges and exposed numerous vulnerabilities across societies, institutions, economies, and labour markets in the Arab region. In particular, it has further aggravated existing vulnerabilities for workers in the informal sector, women and young people, increased unemployment, pushed 16 million people into poverty, deepened existing gender inequalities, amplified women’s socioeconomic vulnerability, and massively scaled up displacement.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has also caused significant disruptions to global trade; food, commodity and energy prices; and the prospects for a post-pandemic economic recovery. As such, this policy brief provides a number of key messages and policy recommendations for building forward better post COVID while ensuring an integrated and comprehensive approach to social policies and human development and strengthening governance and institutional frameworks at all levels and based on a life-cycle approach.
