AF. Promoting social justice in selected countries in the Arab region
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
($301,000)
Background
215.
Social justice ranks high in the priorities of many ESCWA member countries. A resurgent
Arab region is faced today with very pressing demands for transformative change towards
new development models based on sustainable development principles that embrace the
interrelated objectives of social justice, democracy, freedom and human dignity. Arab
countries need to rethink their social contracts, social policies, economic growth
strategies, taxation, governance systems and legislative and regulatory frameworks to
make them more inclusive and to safeguard the principles of equality, equity, rights and
participation upon which the concept of social justice rests.
216.
Many Arab countries lack the required tools and mechanisms for developing social
justice strategies and making them operational within their development plans.
Consequently, this project will focus on strengthening the capacity of Arab countries —
particularly those experiencing instability owing to conflict or undergoing political
transitions — to operationalize social justice principles and integrate them in their
development strategies and programmes.
217.
The project will produce and apply tools on integrating social justice principles in the
development process. It will also develop strong cooperation between local actors and
central Governments, civil society and external actors. This outcom e will contribute to
the ability of government to strengthen the capacity of Arab countries to support more
effective, equitable and participatory policy processes, including inclusive models of
growth and policies for financing social and sustainable deve lopment.
218.
ESCWA has amassed a vast technical cooperation and capacity-building experience in the
region through its participatory development training modules and its work on
partnerships for democratic governance. Most recently, it has produced a pio neering
training toolkit under the rubric of “Developing social protection policies using a
participatory approach in the Arab region”. This project, through the organization of two
subregional
workshops,
will
train
participants
from
all
22 Arab member countries and empower them to use this efficient tool during the process
of national social protection policy formulation. Additional support will be accorded to
three member countries from the Mashreq, Maghreb and Gulf regions through the
provision of advisory services. ESCWA would collaborate in this interregional project
with other key regional partners, such as the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and
the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). These entities will contribute to normative
work and add to it their experience in the areas of human rights and gender equality.
Objective of the Organization: To enhance the capacity of
selected countries in the ESCWA region to adopt and implement
rights-based social policies that promote social justice and lead to
equitable, inclusive and participatory socioeconomic development
Relationship to the biennial programme plan for the period
2016-2017: Economic and social development in Western Asia
subprogramme 2 (Social development) and subprogramme 6
(Advancement of women)
Summary budget
(Thousands of United States dollars)
General temporary
assistance
Consultants
Expert group meeting
Travel
Contractual services
Workshops/training
Total
Expected accomplishments of the Secretariat
Indicators of achievement
(EA1) Improved capacity of policymakers in
(IA1.1)
Increased ability of member
10.0
47.2
38.0
24.0
17.8
164.0
301.0
target countries to design and implement gender
mainstreaming strategies and plans for the
elimination of gender discrimination and
violation of the economic and social rights of
women
countries to bring national, subregional or
regional frameworks into line with
international conventions, conferences and
agreements related to gender mainstreaming
(EA2) Improve capacity of beneficiary countries
to develop rights-based social policies and
programmes that promote social cohesion, social
inclusion, social protection and the provision of
adequate services for all
(IA2.1) Increased number of programmes,
measures and policies formulated to promote
social protection, social cohesion and inclusion
using the participatory approach
(IA2.2) At least 70 per cent of trained
participants confirm capacity to develop rightsbased social policies and programmes that
promote social protection, cohesion and
inclusion
Main activities
219.
The main activities of the project will include:
(A1.1)
Develop a training kit on gender mainstreaming in national institutions in the
Arab region focusing on approaches and tools, including a set of manuals
covering different thematic and programmatic areas. The manuals will build
on existing knowledge on this issue but with added aspects that address the
specificities of the Arab region, particularly in conflict, peacebuilding and
transition settings;
(A1.2)
Organize a technical expert group meeting to provide critical assessment and
validation for the training kit. Participants will include regional and national
experts with knowledge of both the specificities of the Arab region and
established approaches to gender mainstreaming;
(A1.3)
Organize three subregional capacity-building workshops for relevant
stakeholders, including national women’s machineries and concerned nongovernmental organizations, to introduce and pilot the training kit. Senior
representatives of women’s machineries (including ministries and councils for
women’s affairs) will be involved. As a follow-up to the workshops, ESCWA
will provide regional advisory services and technical support to member
countries and relevant non-governmental organizations on the activation and
implementation of plans;
(A2.1)
Organize two subregional training workshops on the ESCWA toolkit entitled
“Developing social protection policies using a participatory approach in the
Arab region”;
(A2.2)
Provide
support
policies
social
technical assistance and capacity-building in three countries to
the use of the toolkit and the development of rights-based social
and programmes that promote social protection, social cohesion,
inclusion and the provision of adequate services to all.
AF: Promoting social justice in selected countries in the Arab Region
Duration: 2016 – 2019
Implementing entities: ESCWA
Objective: To enhance the capacity of selected countries in the ESCWA region to adopt and implement rights-based social policies that promote
social justice and lead to equitable, inclusive and participatory socioeconomic development
Summary budget
(Thousands of United States dollars)
General temporary
assistance
Consultants
EGM
Travel
Contractual Services
10.0
47.2
38.0
24.0
17.8
Workshops/training
164.0
Total
301.0
Detailed budget (US dollars)
General Temporary Assistance
 Temporary assistance to perform the tasks of Administrative Assistant in
support of activities A1.2 and A1.3 (4 work months) x ($2,500 per work
month) = $10,000.
Consultants
National / Regional consultants
 National consultants for task(s) of developing a bilingual training kit on
gender mainstreaming in national institutions, in support of activities
A1.1 (3 work months) x ($5,000per month) = $15,000.
 National consultants for task(s) travel to the EGM, in support of activity
A1.2: $1,800 for travel = $1,800.
 National consultants for task(s) of facilitating the sub-regional
workshops, in support of activity A1.3: $1,800 for travel x 3 subregional workshops= $5,400
 National consultants (2) for task(s) of preparation for the training
workshops and undertaking the training for two workshops on the
“Toolkit for Developing Social Protection Policies Using a Participatory
Approach, in support of activity A2.1 (1.5 work months) x ($5,000 per
month) x 2 = $15,000.
Evaluation Consultant
 International consultant for the final project evaluation: $10,000.
Expert Group
 Expert Group Meeting for the purpose of providing a critical assessment
and validation for the Training Kit (Lebanon, 3 days, 20 participants) in
support of A1.2 ($1,900 per participant) x (20 participants) = $38,000.
Travel of Staff
(a) UN Staff from the Implementing Entity
 Eight missions by UN staff for the purpose of 1) organizing and
10 000
47 200
38 000
24 000
attending one training workshop in Cairo (2 staff members) and; 2)
providing technical assistance and capacity building in three countries to
support the use of the Toolkit (travel of one senior-level staff member on
six missions to three target countries to provide advisory services), in
support of activities A2.1 and A2.2. ($2,000 average mission cost) x (8
missions) = $16,000.
 4 missions by UN staff for the purpose of participating as resource
persons, in support of activity A1.3 ($2,000 average mission cost) x (2
missions) x 2 staff members = $8,000.
Contractual Services
 In support of all activities: Editing, Translation, and printing of Training
Kit = $9,500.
 In support of all activities: interpretation services = $8,350.
Seminars, Workshops and Study Tours
 3 workshops, in support of A1.3 (3days, 15 participants each: $1,800 per
participant x 15 participants x 3 workshops = $81,000.
 Two training workshops, in support of A2.1 ($1,800 per participant) x
(22 participants) x (2 workshops) = $79,200.
 In support of all activities: $760 per workshop: $760 x 5 workshops =
$3,800
17 850
164 000