The Arab Forum for Public Finance and Budgeting kicks off in Beirut, calling for smart spending to achieve sustainable development
Beirut, With the participation of the Ministry of Social Development, represented by Mr. Ashraf Al-Barghouthi, Assistant Deputy Minister for Administrative Development and Planning, the First Arab Forum on Public Finance and Budgeting was launched this morning in Beirut under the theme “Enhancing Spending on the Social Sector and Achieving Fiscal Sustainability.” The forum was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and held at the United Nations House in Beirut.
The two-day forum brings together Arab ministers of finance, social development, and planning, alongside senior government officials, experts, and development partners, to exchange experiences and explore innovative financial solutions and policy approaches that enhance efficiency, equity, and fiscal resilience.
The Arab region loses approximately USD 112 billion annually due to inefficiencies in social spending—equivalent to around 3.2% of the region’s GDP—which underscores the urgent need to develop smarter, fairer, and more sustainable public spending policies that accelerate progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In his opening remarks, Lebanon’s Minister of Finance, Mr. Yassin Jaber, stated that the Arab region has the capacity to recover from crises and move toward a new social contract based on restoring citizens’ trust in state institutions and their ability to manage public funds with justice and efficiency. He emphasized the importance of improving the targeting of social spending and directing resources toward productive sectors and investment in human capital as key pillars for building more resilient, equitable, and growth-oriented economies.
He also expressed hope that the forum would serve as a practical step toward strengthening Arab cooperation in social spending and laying solid fiscal and economic foundations that contribute to a more stable and prosperous future for the peoples of the region.
The forum builds on the findings of the Social Expenditure Monitor, developed jointly by ESCWA, UNICEF, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which indicates that most Arab countries allocate a lower share of their budgets to social sectors compared with the global average. The report also highlights challenges related to weak monitoring systems and fragmented sectoral programs, which negatively affect the efficiency of public spending.
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On the International Day for the Elimination of Child Marriage, MoSD Affirms: Protecting Girls Begins with Education, Protection, & Family Empowerment
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On World Children's Day, MoSD: Palestinian Children Face Harsh Realities of Loss, Displacement, Violence, & Deprivation
Ramallah – On the occasion of World Children's Day, observed annually on 20 November, the Ministry of Social Development emphasized that Palestinian children are facing extremely harsh conditions amid the continuing consequences of the Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip and escalating attacks, displacement, home demolitions, and movement restrictions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. These conditions have deprived children of their lives, families, shelter, education, care, and safety. According to available United Nations data, at least 21,700 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip, while approximately 45,000 have been injured, including more than 11,000 children who have sustained life-altering injuries. Meanwhile, thousands of families continue to experience repeated displacement and deprivation of essential services. In the West Bank, including Jerusalem, children continue to face attacks, forced displacement of families, and damage to schools, homes, and infrastructure. More than 1,700 children have been displaced since the beginning of 2026 as a result of settler violence, movement restrictions, and demolitions. The Ministry stressed that the consequences of war and occupation extend beyond immediate casualties to include bereavement, family separation, hunger, school dropout, child labour, violence, exploitation, acquired disabilities, and psychological and social distress. These risks require a comprehensive and long-term child protection response. The Ministry explained that child protection is a central pillar of its work, implemented through Child Protection Departments in its directorates. These departments receive reports, assess levels of risk, provide case management and family follow-up, facilitate referrals to specialized services, and intervene in cases of violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Their responsibilities also include protecting children engaged in labour or begging, children who have dropped out of school, and children in conflict with the law, in coordination with relevant government authorities and partner organizations. In the Gaza Strip, children's protection and care needs have intensified significantly, particularly among orphans, children deprived of parental care, separated and unaccompanied children, and those requiring psychosocial support. In cooperation with its partners, the Ministry is working to provide alternative care, social follow-up, sponsorship programmes, psychological support, and food, health, and in-kind assistance, while strengthening and restoring child protection services across the Gaza Strip. The Ministry emphasized that protecting children is inseparable from protecting their families. Accordingly, child protection services form part of a broader social protection system encompassing food, cash, and non-food assistance, health insurance, education, school bags and stationery, psychosocial support, services for persons with disabilities, and family economic empowerment. These interventions aim to reduce the risks associated with poverty, displacement, loss of income, and family instability. The Ministry of Social Development called on the international community, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and donors to provide sustainable support for the Palestinian child protection system. It urged continued funding for alternative care programmes, orphan sponsorship, psychosocial support, education, nutrition, and rehabilitation, alongside support for Palestinian national institutions capable of reaching children and families and ensuring sustained follow-up. The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that World Children's Day cannot be merely an occasion for celebration while Palestinian children are deprived of their most fundamental rights. It stressed that protecting children begins with safeguarding their right to life and extends to ensuring their rights to family care, shelter, food, education, healthcare, protection, and social support.
