Introduction

There is increasing agreement among social development experts that the empowerment of marginalized social groups can best be promoted through “their effective engagement in economic, social and political life, the provision of adequate resources and assets and the flexibility to exercise choice and control over their rights and well-being.”[1]  This brochure examines key issues related to the empowerment of three marginalized social groups in the Arab region,[2] namely youth, older persons and persons with disabilities, with a view to informing the intergovernmental debate at the global level.