19 May 2017: Asia-Pacific heads of state and senior officials discussed regional cooperation on sustainable energy and ways to promote the 2030 Agenda, at the UN regional commission’s 73rd session in Bangkok, Thailand. The session also marked the 70th anniversary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The five-day session took place from 15-19 May, and began with a two-day meeting of senior of officials, followed by a ministerial segment beginning 17 May. A ministerial roundtable took place on 18 May, and a panel discussion on findings of the 2017 Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific was held on 19 May. Enele Sosene Sopoaga, President of Tuvalu, chaired the session, in which 430 participants from 48 ESCAP Member States and Associate Members took part. Heads of State from the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Tonga and Tuvalu were present, along with many ministers and senior officials.
In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ congratulated ESCAP on its 70th anniversary, noting the region’s “spirit of openness and willingness to work beyond borders” as essential to enhancing multilateralism. ESCAP Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar commented on the region’s transformation from poverty and strife, to stability and prosperity as a driver of global trade, noting the fall in its poverty rate from 50% in 1990 to 15% in 2012.
Akhtar announced its development of a regional resource facility that will include publications and capacity building tools to help policy makers achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Commission session also discussed a ‘Regional Road Map for Implementing the 2030 Agenda’, which calls for improving technical cooperation on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change, as well as data and statistics.
At the ministerial segment opening on 17 May, General Tanasak Patimapragorn, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, affirmed his country’s commitment to ESCAP’s work, and highlighted the need for action on inequality, climate change and natural and man-made disasters.
The Commission session was organized on the theme of ‘Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Energy’. On 19 May, a high-level panel discussed recommendations from the 2017 Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP’s annual flagship report, which called for enabling governments in the region to make the transition to low-carbon, non-pollution sustainable energy futures.
Released on 1 May, the Economic and Social Survey projects economic growth of 5% in 2017 and 5.1% in 2018, an increase from 4.9% in 2016. The report focuses on governance and sound fiscal management, and cautions that despite a positive economic outlook, Asia-Pacific economics are vulnerable to weak external demand and rising trade protectionism. The report highlights some areas for improvement. For example, the authors note that despite some advances in China, Thailand and Viet Nam, the Asia-Pacific region in general lags behind the rest of the world in social protection financing and coverage. The regional economy is still highly energy- and carbon-intensive, using twice the amount of resources per dollar of GDP than the rest of the world. The authors propose a range of recommendations, including financing and ensuring delivery of social protection schemes, favorable pricing of renewable energy, and the use of non-traditional green financing instruments, such as carbon trading and green bonds.
The Commission session was followed by Asia-Pacific Economic Statistics Week from 22 May, organized on the theme of ‘Advancing Economic Statistics for the SDGs’. [73rd Commission Session Web Page] [UN Secretary-General’s Remarks] [UN Opening Press Release] [ESCAP Press Release on 70th Anniversary] [Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2017 Report Web Page] [ Executive Summary] [UN Press Release on Economic and Social Survey] [ESCAP Press Release on Economic and Social Survey] [ESCAP Press Release on Report Launch in Seoul] [ESCAP Press Release on Asia-Pacific Economic Statistics Week]