In the Arab region, factors such as occupation, war, conflict, rural-urban divides and exclusionary political and social practices risk some individuals or groups being left behind development efforts. Thinking through ways to reach these marginalised groups is a critical part of planning for an implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, is crucial.

This event, an official side-event as part of the Arab Forum on Sustainable Development, explores what ‘leave no one behind’ means in the Arab region; approaches that could be used to measure who is being left behind and why; the role that intersecting inequalities play in development progress, and what strategies could work to ensure that no one in the Arab region is left behind.

Biographies

Asma Khader is former Minister of Culture and Government Spokesperson for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and former President of the Jordanian Women’s Union. She recently served on the UN International Commission of Inquiry investigating human rights violations in Libya.

Susan Nicolai is Senior Research Fellow in ODI's Growth, Poverty and Inequality Programme. She works with researchers across the institute to delve more deeply into questions around measurement, political economy and financing of development, and explore how lessons feed into post-2015 debates.

Adib Nehmeh is regional advisor at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) based in Beirut. Currently he is working on governance issues, national dialogue, and had worked previously in ECSCWA as regional advisor on poverty, MDGs and social statistics. He worked with UNDP Beirut between 1995 and 2005 as Human Development expert and project manager for poverty reduction policies with Ministry of Social Affairs.

Tamam Mroue is Executive Director of Mouvement Social, a non-confessional, non-partisan and non-charitable organisation. Mouvement Social has centers widely spread all over the Lebanese territory close to the most disadvantaged people.