United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)

Established in 1973 as the Economic Commission for Western Asia, the Commission was re-designated the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCWA) in order to recognize the vital social component of its work.

Established in 1973 as the Economic Commission for Western Asia, the Commission was re-designated the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCWA) in order to recognize the vital social component of its work. It is comprised of 13 Arab countries in Western Asia and its mission is to provide: a framework for the formulation and harmonization of sectoral policies for member countries; a platform for congress and regional / subregional coordination; a home base for expertise and knowledge-sharing / dissemination; and an information observatory.

Alongside the formulation and promotion of appropriate development assistance activities and projects based on needs and priorities of the member countries, ESCWA also acts as an executing agency for relevant operational projects. Specifically, the objectives of ESCWA are: to support economic and social development in the countries of the region; to promote cooperation between the countries of the region; to encourage interaction between member countries and promote the exchange of experience, best practice and lessons learnt; to achieve regional integration between member countries; and, to ensure interaction between Western Asia and other regions of the world, familiarizing the outside world with the circumstances and needs of the countries in the region.

Energy at UNESCWA

The Energy Section places significant emphasis on the issue of sustainability of the energy sector. The main programme areas in energy that are being implemented by ESCWA address: (a) energy efficiency and conservation; (b) renewable energy; (c) energy and the environment; (d) energy sector’s regional integration and reform; and (e) energy for transport.

Services provided by UNESCWA include:

• Supporting member countries and decision makers in integrating into their policies and plans the social aspects of managing energy resources that would facilitate the creation of new jobs, the generation of income and the empowerment of women so as to support poverty alleviation
• Increasing awareness of decision makers and users with regard to critical energy issues
• Providing training programmes and materials on building institutional and human capacities in the management of energy resources and systems
• Promoting regional cooperation mechanisms for enhancing national and regional capacities in the field of energy