Off the wire
• Egypt's president, Jordan's king stress need to fight terror  • Zambia on alert after global cyber security attack  • Roundup: Ireland's political veteran Enda Kenny stepping down as party leader  • Commonwealth to mobilize funders, experts to tackle dangers of climate change  • U.S. dollar declines against most major currencies  • 2nd LD: China-U.S. two-way FDI reaches all-time high in 2016  • Ivan Pilny to be new Czech finance minister  • British shares down 0.25 pct Wednesday  • Roundup: France new government announced; women half of new ministers  • UN relief wing concerned for safety of civilians in Iraq's Mosul city  
You are here: 　 Home

Newly assigned ESCWA secretary starts work in Beirut

Xinhua, May 17, 2017 Adjust font size:

Newly-appointed Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Mohamed Ali Alhakim, arrived Wednesday in Beirut to assume his post.

Speaking to reporters upon arrival at Beirut Rafic Hariri Airport, Alhakim thanked his predecessor Rima Khalaf, adding that the commission will resume the implementation of projects the former executive secretary has embarked on.

"ESCWA's work is not confined to drawing strategies, but also applicable policies, especially in respect of issues that concern the commissions, like poverty, quality education, and sustainable development," he said.

"There will be projects special for certain countries," he revealed.

Alhakim was appointed in April, following Rima Khalaf's resignation over "the pressure to withdraw a report that was critical of Israel."

AlHakim was the permanent representative and ambassador of Iraq to the United Nations since May 2013, and he served as the Iraqi permanent representative and ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva between 2010 and 2013.

Prior to his diplomatic career, Alhakim served as Telecommunications Minster in Iraq between 2006 and 2010. Endit