Iraq’s Representative to UN Meets Under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of ESCWA

The Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, Dr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid, met with Dr. Rola Dashti, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

The meeting discussed the upcoming visitation schedule of the Executive Secretary’s to Baghdad, which will include meetings with ministries and institutions concerned with joint projects and programs, dedicated to supporting Iraq’s development vision and achieving the Sustainable development goals. The two sides also discussed ways to enhance coordination between Iraq and ESCWA in the areas of economic and social development, in addition to mechanisms to benefit from the technical expertise and institutional support provided by the Commission to member states.

As well the meeting touched on the ongoing preparations for holding the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development in Beirut, which is a major platform for regional dialogue on implementing the 2030 sustainable development agenda.

On his part, Dr. Obaid stressed the importance of ESCWA’s role in providing technical and advisory support to member states, especially in exchanging best practices and expertise to achieve sustainable development, and finding innovative solutions to the common challenges facing Arab countries, he also stressed the need to enhance cooperation between Iraq and ESCWA to implement Iraq’s development vision, and support national efforts to achieve environmental sustainability, with a focus on building national capacities in the fields of renewable energy, artificial intelligence, natural resource management, and addressing environmental challenges that affect food and water security.

The meeting also highlighted Iraq’s experience in implementing the population census, as a strategic step towards achieving sustainable development and providing accurate data that contributes to formulating effective development policies.

In a broader context, the meeting discussed ESCWA’s role in supporting the common priorities of the G 77, particularly in the files of sustainable development, development financing, and building strong economic communities, the two sides affirmed the importance of enhancing coordination between ESCWA and the Group to ensure the achievement of common goals, thus contributing to enabling Arab countries to achieve sustainable development and enhance international cooperation in this field.