UN agencies to host forum in Beirut on using technology to alleviate region's poverty

Two United Nations agencies today announced plans for an upcoming seminar in Beirut focused on using new technologies to create jobs and alleviate poverty in the Arab region.

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will deliver the keynote address when the three-day forum opens tomorrow, according to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The event aims to promote awareness about the possibilities offered by new technologies, particularly those in the information and communications field, in the area of employment creation, decent work and poverty alleviation.

The first two days will be devoted to discussing papers on these issues, while the third will see the launch of ESCWA's Consultative Committee on Scientific and Technological Development and Technological Innovation, a body which will serve to produce recommendations for countries of the region.

Arab ministers are expected to attend, as well as representatives of the UN and regional and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Scientists and other experts who have helped to introduce and disseminate new technologies in a wide range of States will also be on hand to discuss their experiences in this field.