Yemen advances social spending oversight with ESCWA monitoring initiative

ADEN, Yemen (MNTV) — Yemen has taken a step toward improving oversight of public social spending through a new initiative led by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in partnership with key government institutions.

ESCWA, working with Yemen’s Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, and other agencies represented on the Social Expenditure Monitor (SEM) Project Committee, held a two-day national workshop in Aden on June 24 and 25 to advance implementation of the Social Expenditure Monitor.

The Social Expenditure Monitor is an analytical tool developed by ESCWA to help governments measure and evaluate spending on social services.

It is designed to assess whether public resources effectively reach those most in need, identify funding gaps, and support more efficient allocation of budgets to priority sectors.

The workshop focused on strengthening the technical capacity of government officials to apply and further refine the monitor’s indicators while improving coordination among ministries and other participating institutions.

Participants also discussed practical steps for rolling out the monitoring system nationwide, with the goal of supporting evidence-based policymaking and enhancing the effectiveness of Yemen’s social protection programs.