Overview
The Arab Forum for Equality (AFE) brings together political leaders, concerned ministers, the private sector, experts, civil society organizations, and youth from the Arab region to address regional priorities to tackle inequality, review national and international experiences, and engage multi-stakeholders in a dialogue focused on practical solutions and policies to reduce inequality.
The Forum is held annually by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and other partners, as well as hosts multiple national and regional organizations.
The second Arab Forum for Equality (AFE-2023) continues discussions that began at the first Forum (Amman, 30–31 May 2022) among various decision makers to propose practical solutions for tackling inequality and youth unemployment. This Forum will address the issues of equality and food security raised in a regional report prepared by ESCWA and its partners, and will recap the progress made towards achieving the “Josour initiative”, which aims to address youth unemployment in the Arab region.
AFE Highlights and Reports
Arab Forum for Equality 2022 [ First edition ]
The Arab Forum for Equality (AFE), in 2022, discussed practical policy solutions for tackling inequality and exclusion, with a focus on youth unemployment as one driver of multifaceted inequality in the Arab region. The “Josour” Initiative was also launched. It aims at creating concrete opportunities for unemployed young people and graduates and providing them with services that enhance their employability.
Wrap-up Video: Day 1 Wrap-up Video: Day 2 WebsiteInequality Regional report 2022
Arab Forum for Equality 2023 [ Second edition ]
The 2nd Arab Forum for Equality (AFE), in 2023, will resume the discussion of the first edition and will propose additional practical solutions for tackling inequality. In 2023, the Forum will address the issues raised in a regional report prepared by ESCWA and its partners on inequality and food insecurity in the Arab Region. Decision-makers and experts will discuss inequality in the field of food security in the Arab region and the policies that hinder it.
Inequality Regional report 2023
Opening Session
The Executive Secretary of ESCWA
will deliver the welcome remarks to launch the Forum.
9:30 - 9:45 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
Rola Dashti
Executive Secretary of ESCWA and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Mehrinaz Elawady
Master of ceremony
Cluster Leader, Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development, ESCWA
Plenary Sessions
DAY ONE
Session 1
Global and regional socio-economic developments: A perfect storm
10:00 - 11:30 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will discuss the global scene and its implications for the Arab region. It will highlight recent polycrises, including the uneven recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts in the region, the war in Ukraine, the unprecedented cost of living and inflation, increased debt and unstable exchange rates, and how these issues have exacerbated inequality globally and in the region.
Moderator:
Recorded video
Panelists
Session 2
Whatever happened to inequality in the Arab region?
12:00 - 13:30 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will provide an overview of various forms of inequality, with a special focus on wealth inequality, gender inequality, poverty, youth unemployment, and income inequality.
Moderator:
Speakers
Session 3
Food security in the Arab region: A serious risk
13:30 - 15:00 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will discuss the inequalities that exist at the country and household levels in terms of food availability, access, utilization and stability, and how these inequalities lead to varying levels of undernourishment, obesity, and food insecurity for different countries and individuals. The session will focus on the repercussions of food-inflated bills for the most vulnerable groups, including the poor, women, children, older persons, people with disabilities, and refugees. It will also discuss the implications of the region’s dependency on other countries to secure its basic food needs.
Moderator:
Speakers:
DAY TWO
Session 4
Policy innovations for food security
9:15 - 11:00 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will highlight policy solutions that deliver equality, especially in the area of food security. It will focus on regional cooperation and partnerships, job creation, and progressive taxation, among other solutions. The global Inequality and Policy Portal, developed by ESCWA and Pathfinders, will also be launched at the session.
Moderator:
Speakers
Session 5
Integration and engagement of multi-stakeholders
11:30 - 13:00 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will highlight the role of various actors in ensuring equality in food security. It will highlight the key role of governments, the private sector, regional organizations, and civil society organizations in achieving equality in food security.
Moderator:
Speakers
Special Sessions
Special Session 1
Update on the “Josour” regional initiative
9:45 - 10:00 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will review the Josour initiative that was launched at the first Arab Forum for Equality.
Moderator:
Speakers:
Special Session 2
Desertification Day 2023 - “Her land, her rights”
16:00 - 17:00 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Tuesday, 6 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The special session aims to celebrate World Desertification and Drought Day 2023 with a specific focus on this year’s theme “Her Land. Her Right”.
Moderator:
Speakers
Special Session 3
Young people as change agents for food security
13:00 - 14:00 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
The session will focus on digital solutions for food security developed by young people and small and medium enterprises. It will present the innovative solutions identified by the two groups, submitted through an online competition on the topic.
Moderator:
Speaker:
Winners of the Youth Competition
Compost Baladi is a social enterprise that addresses environmental and agricultural challenges by transforming organic waste into valuable agricultural inputs.
Increasing of challenges to access low cost,healthy and nutritious food,a consequences of this is lower attention spans during classes,lower cognitive functions,and of course hunger.This is actually problem happen in Darfur for 60K university boarding house students and 1.1 M in all Sudan.
Cupmena is taking in the Agri-tech and waste management space. It builds a waste collection system to collect the spent coffee ground” SCG” to maximize value by reusing it to develop and empower solutions for the Agri-sector.
Closing Session
Closing session
Closing remarks and key messages
14:00 - 14:30 (Beirut Time – UTC+2)
Wednesday, 7 June 2023
ZOOM/Hybrid
Closing remarks and key messages of the Second Arab Forum for Equality (AFE-2023).
Competitions
My Healthy Lunch Challenge
A healthy diet is very important, beginning in childhood. To trigger awareness of food security and healthy food and habits, ESCWA invited children (10 and under) from Arab countries to submit a creative drawing/painting of their favorite healthy lunch. Ninety-eight drawings were submitted. They will all be framed and exhibited at the Second Arab Forum for Equality at the UN House in Beirut on 6 and 7 June 2023.
Food Security and Inequality Challenge
Food insecurity is both a cause and a consequence of inequality. To this end, ESCWA searched for innovative ideas for solutions to produce local and healthy food to promote equality in access to affordable food and nutrition. This was in an open challenge inviting submissions of solutions that can contribute to positive change. Young persons (35 and under) and entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Arab countries were invited to submit ideas and proposals in the form of videos. Twenty-nine videos were submitted, and the top three winners will be awarded during the Second Arab Forum for Equality at the UN House, Beirut, on 6 and 7 June 2023.
Media Corner
News and Press Releases
2nd Arab Forum for Equality kicks off in Beirut Read more
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AFE 2023
- Arab Forum for Equality (AFE-2023) Playlist Watch
- Highlights from day 1 of the Arab Forum for Equality 2023 Play Video
- Highlights from day 2 of the Arab Forum for Equality 2023 Play Video
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