Arab sustainable development report: prototype edition - technical summary 2015

This technical summary of the Arab Sustainable Development Report aims to provide an abridged overview of key points and recommendations drawn from the full report, focusing on: (i) the science-policy interface and evidence-based policy in the Arab region; (ii) a snapshot of the status and progress on sustainable development in the Arab region across priority thematic issues; (iii) an integrated review of sustainable development in the Arab region; and (iv) recommendations for preparing the region for the SDGs and post-2015 agenda through a highlight on more effective national and regional institutional framework.

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other UN agencies, and under the League of Arab States (LAS), undertook the task of developing a prototype edition of the Arab Sustainable Development Report (ASDR) to provide a baseline of the status of sustainable development in the region.

Data quality, accessibility and availability along with limited human and financial capacity and the need for a shared and agreed upon approach to measuring sustainable development, are all hurdles that will have to be overcome as the region enters a new era of sustainable development monitoring and evaluation.