22 July 2009: The Third Technical Committee of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) opened in Beirut, Lebanon, on 21 July 2009, and focused on the financial crisis, food security, climate change and other issues.

During the opening session, Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, representing President Michel Suleiman, underlined that “ESCWA is an additional element in the promotion of common Arab work” and added that the Technical Committee had chosen to deal in its present meeting with urgent issues such as climate change and its repercussions.[ESCWA press release]