Organization Mission

The Economic Commission for Western Asia (ECWA) was established on 9 August 1973 pursuant to Economic and Social Council’s resolution 1818 (LV). Its purpose was to stimulate economic activity in member countries, strengthen cooperation between them promote development.

ESCWA”s objectives are to support economic and social development in member countries, to promote interaction and cooperation between member countries, to encourage the exchange of experience, best practice and lessons learned, to achieve regional integration and ensure interaction between Western Asia and other regions, and to raise global awareness of the circumstances and needs of member countries.

ESCWA provides a framework for the formulation and harmonization of sectoral policies for member countries, a platform for congress and coordination, a home for expertise and knowledge, and an information observatory.

ESCWA activities are coordinated with the divisions and main offices of the Headquarters of the United Nations, specialized agencies, and international and regional organizations, including the League of Arab States and its subsidiary bodies, and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Context

For most Governments in the Arab region, advancing public finance management and fiscal policies in line with national development priorities and macrofiscal sustainability remains a challenge. Arab States are facing increasing debt and debt service burdens, which have been aggravated by protracted crises and global macroeconomic uncertainty. Public budgets struggle to cover essential expenditure on social services as well as to meet commitments on climate action. ESCWA’s debt and fiscal policy initiatives provide decision-makers with analysis, tools and policy support related to public finance and debt sustainability, including through the development of tools on debt optimization, macrofiscal modelling and forecasting, and mapping of public social expenditures.
UN ESCWA is the leading institution in the Arab region in providing training and capacity development to member states on macroeconomic modelling and policy simulations. It has adopted and tailored the single-country UN World Economic Forecasting Model (WEFM), with a focus on enhancing social expenditures and fiscal sustainability. Through a user-friendly interface, ESCWA is equipping policymakers, specifically in selected countries, with access to the extended single-country WEFM, and is increasing their preparedness to use the macroeconomic forecasts and simulations to inform better decisions on financing social expenditures and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key Responsibilities

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Cluster Leader or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Youth Volunteer will:

• Research, compile, analyze, summarize, and present information and data updates related to public finance issues including budget data, social expenditure, and macroeconomic indicators in the Arab region.
• Maintain regular updates to the debt database by compiling, cleaning, and processing data from various international sources in a streamlined and well-structured database to support analysis and reporting processes.
• Systematically follow through and retrieve, highlight information on public finance in the Arab region from a wide variety of information sources, prepare inputs on the subject as required.
• Prepare statistical tables and graphs and assist in the preparation of presentations and substantive material on public finance.
• Draft and contribute inputs to the preparation of a user manual on the macro fiscal model.
• Contribute to drafting materials (presentations, background notes and research) related to training workshops on macro-fiscal modelling and forecasting.
• Assist in organizing national workshops and preparing necessary material.
• Attend meetings and workshops as required and prepare meeting notes.
• Translate from English and French to Arabic and vice versa upon request.
• Perform other related tasks and duties assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

No previous work experience is required for this position.
Knowledge of research and analysis on public finance, macroeconomic modelling, and public debt management issues is required.
Knowledge of these issues in the context of the Arab region is desirable.
Knowledge of statistical analysis software (Excel/Stata) is desirable.

Core Competencies

Accountability
Adaptability and flexibility
Professionalism

Living Conditions

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Beirut. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

National UN Youth Volunteers in Lebanon are entitled to:

• Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) at the amount of USD 1,285.24
• Annual and learning leaves;
• Medical and life Insurance
• Free access to different learning platforms.

For more information on UN Volunteer benefits, entitlements and support, please visit:
https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service