ESCWA and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) convened a two-day conference in Beirut to examine how stronger institutions, innovative policymaking and knowledge rooted in regional realities can advance sustainable development across the Arab region and the Global South. The conference, titled "The Future of Governance and Development Policymaking in the Global South: Perspectives from the Arab Region", was held on 2 and 3 November at United Nations House in Beirut.
Amid geopolitical, environmental and technological transformations, the conference brought together researchers and experts to examine structural challenges affecting development and governance in Arab countries. Discussions highlighted the need for resilient, effective and accountable institutions that can adapt to crises, as well as planning and policymaking mechanisms aligned with sustainable development.
Opening the conference, Chief of the Governance and State-Building Division at ESCWA Younes Abouyoub underscored the importance of approaching governance and development in ways that are grounded in the region's realities and priorities.
"We should look at the region not as a testing ground for ready-made models, but as a source of knowledge and experience, and as a partner in shaping the questions and approaches that the future of development requires and that respond to national priorities," he said.
Discussions across eight sessions focused on institutions and the governance of development policies; resilience in contexts of conflict; knowledge and education policy; women's participation and representation in the public sphere; digital transformation and artificial intelligence governance; administrative reform and public services; security and development; and State-building and reconstruction. Participants explored practical questions ranging from institutional bottlenecks and citizen-centred public services to the responsible adoption of AI, meaningful participation in policymaking and locally owned approaches to post-conflict institution-building.
Editor-in-Chief of Hikama journal on public policy and public administration Abdel-Fattah Mady highlighted the need to translate research into practical approaches to public policy and institution-building.
"Our aim is not simply to examine the structural and political challenges facing our countries, but to help bridge the gap between theory and practice in the management of public affairs by exploring ways to formulate effective public policies and build innovative institutions rooted in the realities of our societies and responsive to the aspirations of our peoples," he said.
A central thread running through the conference was the importance of developing a forward-looking South-South perspective that reflects the specificities of local contexts, while strengthening research cooperation among developing countries and dialogue between researchers, experts and policymakers.
