!e last year has been one of risks, opportunities and achievements for the countries of Asia and the Paci"c. It has demonstrated, again, that our region is faced with a deeply challenging external environment – most visibly the “new normal” of volatility and turbulence in the "nancial and commodity markets.

We at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Paci"c (ESCAP) have focused our work this year on helping member States protect and enhance hard-won development gains, and choose more inclusive, sustainable and resilient paths to prosperity.

To support these priorities, we have made signi"cant progress in transforming ESCAP into a powerful regional hub for rigorous analysis, innovative policy options, sharing development practices and building a regional consensus on a range of economic, social and environmental issues. !e recent results and achievements of ESCAP re#ect this progress.

First, our socioeconomic policy analysis, summarized in the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Paci!c 2012, focused on recommendations to stimulate and rebalance the sources of Asia-Paci"c growth, strengthening regional cooperation and forging a stronger voice for our region in crucial global debates.

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Second, with the advanced economies no longer a reliable foundation of growth, we have worked with our member States to strengthen regional markets, increase aggregate demand, and grow the Asia-Paci"c middle classes through closer regional economic integration and connectivity. !is was the focus of the sixty-eighth session of the Commission, and has seen much progress in such areas as paperless trade, transport and our technical support to countries with special needs, especially in South Asia, Central Asia and the Paci"c, as well as Myanmar.

!ird, we have extended our e$orts this year to address widening development gaps and growing inequalities within and between countries. As the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches, we have intensi"ed our work with member States to address inequality, including among women, youth and vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, older persons, migrants and people living with HIV.

Fourth, closing development gaps and achieving the MDGs and other development targets require rigorous, evidence-based advocacy and analysis. We rely on statistics to track regional progress. In this regard, ESCAP has led the way with critical regional advances – especially in the areas of civil registration and vital statistics, agricultural and rural statistics, and statistics on gender and disability.

Fi%h, continued and rapid economic growth is placing ever greater pressure on the carrying capacity of our regional environment. To create sustainable jobs and reduce poverty it requires a serious re-examination of resource- and carbon-intensive development. ESCAP is working with member States to explore ways to “green” their economies and build a more coordinated regional response to addressing our shared vulnerabilities to natural disasters, resource scarcity and shrinking carbon space. !e Asian energy highway initiative and our new Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Paci!c are powerful examples of the work being done by ESCAP to move Asia and the Paci"c towards a more sustainable future.

In this time of great transition, challenges and opportunities have moved beyond the narrow con"nes of national boundaries – and so must we. Regional solutions, through greater economic integration, are the way for us to build more sustainable economic growth, close development gaps and li% tens of millions of people out of poverty.

!e ability of the region to simultaneously address multiple economic, social and environmental challenges will determine the nature and sustainability of our regional development path for decades to come.

Our member States have converted the ESCAP intergovernmental platform into the most inclusive decision-making table for our region to respond to these challenges and opportunities. We will continue to work with them for an inclusive, resilient and sustainable Asia and the Paci"c, where we grow together and share collective prosperity.

Dr. Noeleen HeyzerUnder-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP 05

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ESCAP was established in 1947 as the regional development arm of the United Nations in the Asia-Paci"c region. It is one of "ve United Nations regional commissions, and the largest in terms of population served and area covered. Our region represents 60 per cent of the world population, and is exceptionally diverse in culture, geography, language, level of development and degree of connectivity.

ESCAP currently serves 53 member States and nine Associate members, covering a geographical area stretching from Turkey in the west to Kiribati in the east and from Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south.

Our mandate is to promote regional cooperation and collective action for economic and social development in Asia and the Paci"c. !rough the years, the ESCAP structure has evolved to better implement our mandate. We employ various approaches and combine our resources with those of member States and partners. ESCAP’s 600 sta$ members work to address regional issues through eight core programmes, four subregional o&ces and "ve regional institutions.

Core programmes

Inclusive Development

Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction

for Development

Subregional O!ces

(Incheon, Republic of Korea)

(Almaty, Kazakhstan)

(New Delhi, India)

Regional Institutions

Paci"c Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery (Beijing, China)

Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (Incheon, Republic of Korea)

for Transfer of Technology (New Delhi, India)

of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (Bogor, Indonesia)

and the Paci"c (Chiba, Japan)

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!e diversity and strengths of the Asia-Paci"c region were in evidence at the sixty-eighth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Paci"c (ESCAP) held in Bangkok from 17 to 23 May 2012. !e presence of two prime ministers, one deputy prime minister and 22 ministers underscored the importance member States attached to the session. In all, representatives of 45 member States and two associate members were in attendance for a rich week of vibrant discussions, debates and decision-making.

!e theme of the session was Growing Together – Economic Integration for an Inclusive and Sustainable Asia-Paci!c Century. It re#ects agreement that the most e$ective response to global uncertainty is to break down barriers, join together and become more self-reliant as a region through economic integration. In the Asia-

Paci"c century, Asia and the Paci"c will have to rely more on itself.

Although the region posted 7 per cent growth last year, 2012 is expected to be more challenging due to di&culties in the advanced economies of the world. !e challenge for member States, as expressed in the ESCAP

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publication, Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Paci!c 2012, is to build a path to a new and better

shared, sustainable and inclusive.

To achieve this goal, ESCAP proposed

integrated Asia-Paci"c market; seamless physical connectivity; greater "nancial cooperation, and address shared vulnerabilities and risks, such as climate change and diminishing resources.

At the heart of integration is the need to mold a more inclusive form of development that will reduce widening disparities within and between countries. “!e job is not just to create growth, but to deliver well-being to all members of the economy”, said Kittirat na-Ranong, Deputy Prime Minister of !ailand.

Special sessions were organized on the problems of small, poor and isolated

countries. “For many of the smaller Paci"c Island Countries, economic growth remains elusive”, said Lotoala Metia, Minister of Finance of Tuvalu.

!e Commission passed what ESCAP Executive Secretary Dr. Noeleen Heyzer called “far-reaching and game changing” resolutions. !ey included calls to enhance regional integration, enhance regional energy connectivity, adopt paperless trade, support an Asia-Paci"c Decade for Persons with Disabilities, and address the vulnerabilities of Paci"c Island Countries at the Rio+20 conference.

A high-level consultation was held to consolidate the region’s positions in preparation for the G20 Summit.

!e overarching goal of the Session was summed up by Dr.

“Let us grow better together”.

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Asia and the Paci"c is a region embracing change in challenging times. During the past year, persistent economic headwinds from abroad bu$eted the economies of many member States. While the fruits of development have li%ed many of the region’s people out of poverty, inequality and disparities are rising within and between countries. Limited natural resources, upon which we depend, are steadily being depleted, as climate change, already occurring, creates new uncertainties and may be playing a role in the natural disasters striking the region with increasing force and frequency.As the key forum for the countries of

the Asia-Paci"c region, ESCAP met these crises by mobilizing its core programmes to assist member States in creating e$ective responses that will enable the region to emerge stronger and more resilient to future shocks, and to advance further towards an inclusive and sustainable prosperity.

!e overarching priority of ESCAP is to aid the region in charting a better course for inclusive and sustainable social and economic development – a course that creates a shared prosperity that can withstand external sources of economic volatility, while addressing the internal issues of widening disparities, resource constraints and environmental degradation.

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!is past year ESCAP also placed

an integrated regional power system – in e$ect creating an Asian energy highway

connectivity for trade and investment by implementing the Ministerial Declaration on Transport Development

and e&cient by formulating a cooperation mechanism for paperless trade

initiating the Asia-Paci"c Decade for Persons with Disabilities

degradation and the problems of Paci"c Island Countries by placing their concerns on the agenda of the Rio+20 conference

Hard times are hardest on the most vulnerable. Although Asia-Paci"c is

home to some advanced economies, among the 62 member States of ESCAP are 13 Least Developed Countries. A special focus of this year has been to strengthen our commitment to these vulnerable countries. At the High-Level Consultation on the G20 Summit held in Bangkok this past October, the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division worked to consolidate and strengthen our regional position on key global issues. !e Summit served as a platform for 28 of our member States, including seven of our Least Developed Countries.

!e Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most widely recognized barometer of inclusive development. !e Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division collaborated closely with our Statistics Division in gathering data, analysing and disseminating information on

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our region’s progress toward achieving the MDGs. With the 2015 deadline for the MDGs approaching, there are still signi"cant gaps in achievement between and within member States.

!e "nal push to reach the MDGs will require accurate data, the foundation on which e$ective, e&cient and targeted responses are built. To help lay that foundation, the Statistics Division conducted forums, meetings and workshops to develop national statistical capacities, including the modernization of statistical information systems.

An unrivalled trove of data and analyses was contained in this year’s annual Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Paci!c, which has emerged as the authoritative source of information on the state of development across the region. In addition, the Statistics Division produced the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Paci!c 2011, quarterly statistical reports and updated its database covering the region.

Trade and investment are powerful pistons in the engine of development, but particularly complex in a region that includes developed and least developed economies. !e Trade and Investment Division promoted dialogue on these issues by organizing events such as the Asia-Paci"c Business Forum; the inaugural Asia-Paci"c Trade and Investment Fair, and the Second Trade and

Investment Week, which attracted more than 900 stakeholders from a range of industries and organizations. In addition, the Division played a key role in formulating the mechanism for paperless trade.

Trade is impossible without physical connectivity. By connecting isolated communities to ports and developed markets through transport links and systems, disparities are reduced as access to resources and opportunities becomes more equal. !is year, the Transport Division made progress towards the "nalization of the Dry Ports Agreement. !e Asian Highway and Trans-Asian Railway are now in place connecting 32 countries. !is three-fold network of road, rail and dry ports moves the region closer to an integrated intermodal transport and logistics system. Another key result was promoting national and regional road-safety action plans.

!e safety of the region and the planet are increasingly at stake as climate change and environmental degradation become more apparent. Asia’s economic growth has negatively impacted its environment. Our Environment and Development Division convened the Fi%h Asia-Paci"c Urban Forum, in which more than 900 participants worked on recommendations for sustainable urbanization. In addition, the Green Growth and Green Bridge Initiative was endorsed at the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and

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Development in Asia. To prepare for the global Rio+20 Summit, ESCAP convened a preparatory meeting in Seoul, where over 40 member States worked on a coordinated regional position. A major component was recognition of the need to support and protect the “blue economies” of the Paci"c Island Countries and mitigate the danger to their existence posed by climate change.

Most scientists believe that climate change is a factor in the natural disasters that have struck the region. !e Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division played an important role in helping member States respond to those disasters. During the severe #ooding in !ailand, the Division assisted with access to near real-time satellite imagery to guide relief and rehabilitation e$orts. To respond even more e$ectively to future disasters, the Division is now collaborating with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, and Sentinel Asia.

!e impacts of disasters and crises on the most vulnerable populations can be devastating. !is year our Social Development Division placed expansion of social protection programmes high on its agenda. Social protection is key to resolving disparities and achieving inclusive development that empowers marginalized groups. One of the

most marginalized groups in the region is the disabled. At this year’s Commission Session a resolution was passed to launch the Asian and Paci"c Decade of Disabled Persons.

No matter how remote, all subregions in Asia and the Paci"c are served by ESCAP. !is year ESCAP completed the establishment of our four subregional o&ces outside of Bangkok. !eir purpose is to serve as hubs for subregional cooperation and development, targeting subregional issues more speci"cally and projecting a stronger voice for their member States.

Along with our divisions based at Bangkok headquarters, our regional institutions also work to develop capacities in statistics, sustainable agriculture, food security and technology. !ese centres of expertise are helping to generate networks, studies and innovations that can then be used to inform national, subregional and regional priorities.

A "nal but no less important result was improvement in e&ciency and accountability at ESCAP. In line with requests from the United Nations Secretary-General, ESCAP is being asked to do more with less, and to exercise more responsible stewardship. ESCAP rose to that challenge, and will continue to rise to that challenge, making wiser use of its resources to produce meaningful assistance to the countries of the region as we strive for more inclusive, resilient and sustainable development.

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Macroeconomic policy can be a means to achieve inclusive development and reduce poverty. Despite persistent "nancial, food and fuel crises, the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division strives to build regional cooperation, through sharing of experiences and best practices, in order to achieve those goals.

Our priorities during the past year included fostering policies to strengthen regional integration and connectivity, and building the capacity of Least Developed Countries to implement the Istanbul Programme of Action. Gender equality issues and the integration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into national development strategies were given special attention.

Our #agship publication, the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Paci!c 2011, provided comprehensive, in-depth analyses and policy options. It examined the risks arising from

large, volatile capital #ows, severe natural disasters and the need for a process of rebalancing towards greater domestic and regional demand.

We believe we lent weight to the region’s voice by providing rigorous analyses, policy briefs and working papers on key development issues. Such e$orts included the high-level Asia-Paci"c consultation on the G20 summit agenda, which helped integrate the region’s priorities at the global level, and provided a platform for Developing and Least Developed Countries to express their views in global policy discussions.

!e importance of policy coordination among "scal, planning and monetary authorities was emphasized in responding e$ectively to economic shocks. We organized policy dialogues in partnerships with central banks and subregional forums, such as the South Asia Economic Summit. Representatives of nearly 30 countries

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participated, including "nance ministers, central bank governors and presidential economic advisers.

As the region strives to achieve the MDGs, we focused our e$orts on the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. To address the special needs of more vulnerable economies, we organized several seminars, workshops, and a stakeholder meeting where a regional roadmap for the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action was adopted.

!e Asia-Paci"c region is home to the majority of the world’s poor and undernourished. ESCAP supports sustainable agriculture

and rural development to build resilience as climate change and natural disasters remain threats. A project on food security under climate change has helped identify the impact of El Niño on rice production. Gender dimensions of rural development policies and investment options for sustainable agriculture have also been explored.

!e e$ective capacity-building, outreach and policy advice of ESCAP will be further strengthened through a newly launched project for knowledge transfer on sustainable agricultural technologies and improved market linkages in South and South-East Asia, with funding from the European Union of 2.5 million euros.

Founded in 1981, the Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA) is a regional institution of ESCAP, based in Bogor, Indonesia. !e goal of CAPSA is to reduce poverty and enhance food security in Asia and the Paci"c by promoting sustainable agriculture. !is is to be achieved through enhanced national capacity for socioeconomic and policy research, regional coordination and networking for sustainable agriculture. Also prioritized is increasing the capacity of policymakers and senior government o&cials to design and implement policies to achieve rural development, poverty reduction and food security. As a fact sheet produced by CAPSA in 2011 shows, climate change is already a$ecting crops in South-East Asia and developing countries.

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Trade and investment are twin pistons that drive economic growth, and ESCAP has a long history of strengthening regional mechanisms in trade, investment and technology transfer. One of the "rst multilateral trade pacts in the region was an ESCAP

Agreement (APTA), signed in 1975, by Bangladesh, China, India, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Sri Lanka. Trade and investment issues are more complex today. Nevertheless, with technical assistance provided by ESCAP, APTA countries signed in 2010-2011, the

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Framework Agreements on Trade in Services, Trade Facilitation and Investment. Relatedly, Mongolia, with technical assistance provided by ESCAP, is in the process of joining APTA.

In 2011, ESCAP held the Second session of its Committee on Trade and Investment during its annual Trade and Investment Week. !e Committee made recommendations to enhance regional trade, investment and technology transfer, and supported the move towards paperless trade.

Information is the bedrock of business. !e Division’s 2011 Asia-Paci"c Trade and Investment Report focused on post-crisis trends in trade and investment opportunities, analyses of climate-smart trade and investment opportunities, and the debate on trade and climate change. !e Report also identi"ed win-win opportunities for developing countries. Seminars based on the Report’s "ndings were held in 14 countries, garnering interest from policymakers, analysts and the media.

Wise decisions in trade and investment require knowledge and training. !e ESCAP-supported Asia-Paci"c Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT) continues to grow with 33 member institutions and a community of approximately 800 researchers. ARTNeT has contributed signi"cantly to capacity-building and trade policymaking in the region.

In 2010-2011, almost 800 people were trained by ESCAP on trade, investment and regional integration issues via the WTO/ESCAP technical assistance programme, ARTNeT, the United Nations Network of Experts for Paperless Trade in Asia and the Paci"c (UNNExT), and the ESCAP programme on responsible business practices.

A regional network of foreign direct investment experts and policymakers was established to highlight the role of investment in pursuing inclusive and sustainable development. In 2011, the Asia-Paci"c Trade Facilitation Forum (APTFF) brought together 250 stakeholders from more than 30 countries. ESCAP also partnered with the business sector on development through the Asia-Paci"c Business Forum (APBF) and Business Advisory Council. APBF 2011 once again provided a platform for policy dialogues and networking for over 500 participants.

ESCAP activities and initiatives have produced impressive and measurable results. Approximately 83 per cent of the participants who took part in ESCAP activities and initiatives over the last year indicated that they had increased their capacity to formulate and implement e$ective trade, investment and enterprise-development policies, including those with a gender dimension.

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!e Asian and Paci"c Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery (UNAPCAEM), a regional institution of ESCAP, began operations in 2004. Based in Beijing, UNAPCAEM supports environmentally sustainable agricultural and food production, applying green and modern agro-technology for the bene"t of both producers and consumers. UNAPCAEM

tools to increase environmentally sound agricultural production.

competitiveness through post-harvest and food processing technology.

in agribusiness for environmentally sustainable economic growth.

Recently, the Centre introduced 200 professionals, policymakers, agricultural technicians and academicians to hybrid rice technology and post-harvest loss reductions.

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!e Asian and Paci"c Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT), an ESCAP regional institution in New Delhi, facilitates technology transfer in the region. Its four thrust areas are providing access to relevant technology transfer information and services; promoting technology development and transfer for tech-entrepreneurship development; strengthening national innovation systems and green grassroots innovation; and building technology capacity through training and dissemination of information. All four areas are oriented towards small and medium-sized enterprises, and emphasize environmental responsibility and gender awareness. Among recent initiatives undertaken by the Centre was the establishment of an institutional cooperation mechanism, consisting of 15 member countries, to promote renewable energy technologies in the Asia-Paci"c region.

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To achieve integration, the countries of the region need to be physically connected. A market encompassing Asia and the Paci"c requires roads, railways and other transport modes and links. Seamless transport connects landlocked countries to ports, and emerging communities to developed markets in “corridors of prosperity”. Countries o$-track on their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets need to develop pathways to reach communities in need of essential services.

!is past year, the Transport Division continued to assist the countries of the region to break down barriers and forge stronger transport links. In March 2012, the ESCAP-hosted Ministerial Conference adopted the Regional Action Programme for Transport Development in Asia and the Paci"c,

phase II (2012-2016) and the Regional Strategic Framework for Facilitation of International Road Transport to help member States remove non-physical barriers along transport routes and border crossings. An ESCAP working dra% of an intergovernmental agreement on dry ports has been reviewed by regional Governments with a view to adoption in 2012.

Regional transport infrastructure projects promoted by ESCAP, such as the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railway, have reached or are close to completion, and their usage is rapidly increasing. ESCAP-promoted initiatives also encouraged a large number of railway authorities to collaborate in demonstration runs along the Trans-Asian Railway network, with new scheduled commercial services being launched.

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ESCAP has extended assistance to member States for identifying priority investment projects to develop and maintain transport networks and intermodal interfaces. !e willingness of ESCAP to commit its resources to developing and upgrading transport networks in a number of countries has drawn additional funding from international donors and "nancial institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the World Bank. In addition, ESCAP has been assisting member States in developing institutional arrangements and "nancing mechanisms to support public-private partnerships in infrastructure development.

Logistics is a buzzword heard o%en around the region. Business and

trade demands e&cient transport. !e ESCAP Time-Cost/Distance Methodology has been recognized as an important tool to identify and address bottlenecks that impede cross-border and transit transport e&ciency.

With assistance of the secretariat, the member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have been successful in reaching consensus on the annexes to the agreement between the Governments of the SCO member States on facilitation of international road transport.

!e launch of the global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, also received strong support from member States. !is was demonstrated through the multitude of road safety initiatives taken by member States to reduce road accidents, fatalities and injuries, in line with ESCAP regional goals, indicators and targets.

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Few issues are more urgent today than the environment. !e Asia-Paci"c region’s resource-intensive, high-carbon pattern of development is simply not sustainable. Climate change and diminishing resources are already upon us. !e very existence of some Paci"c Island States is under threat, and the development gains of other countries are in danger of reversal. !e countries of the Asia-Paci"c

their development towards a more sustainable path by adopting inclusive models of development that will increase resilience in a changing world.

To meet these challenges the Environment and Development Division assisted member States in integrating environmental sustainability in development, including the application of the Green Growth Approach. It serves as a

knowledge hub and capacity builder for the region on sustainable planning and management of natural resources, energy, water and urban areas.

!e Division has taken numerous steps to implement several Commission resolutions, including 63/6 on intercountry energy cooperation to enhance energy security for sustainable development with a view to widen access to energy services in vulnerable countries, 64/3 on promoting renewables, and 67/2 on promoting regional cooperation for enhanced energy security and the sustainable use of energy.

In preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) (Rio+20), ESCAP strengthened the region’s voice by convening a regional preparatory meeting, which produced

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the “Seoul Outcome” covering the

economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and an institutional framework for sustainable development.

!e Green Growth, Resources and Resilience report, a joint publication by ESCAP, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), outlined the challenges. Building on this analysis, the publication Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Paci!c presented a set of options for policymakers. In addition, ESCAP in collaboration with regional partners set up the Green Growth Capacity Development Programme, which has recently expanded to include an online e-learning facility.

"e State of Asian Cities Report 2010/11, which ESCAP, co-published with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), highlighted issues and good practices in urban economic development. !e report

was discussed at the Fi%h Asia-Paci"c Urban Forum, and the “Ministerial Dialogue on Citywide Upgrading in Asian Cities and Asia-Paci"c Urban Poor Forum”, which ESCAP co-organized with the Government of !ailand and the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights. ESCAP also organized an expert meeting on sustainable energy in preparation for the Asian and Paci"c Energy Forum and ESCAP and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) organized the Second International Energy E&ciency Forum.

!e Division continued with its capacity-building activities in the water sector by organizing training programmes on integrated water resources management, household water security, watershed management, river basin organization management, #ood management and integrated lake basin management. ESCAP participated in the Sixth World Water Forum, co-organizing sessions on “household water security” and “economic, food and water security”.

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Asia and the Paci"c is the most disaster-prone region on the planet. Worldwide, economic losses from disasters in 2011 totalled a record $366 billion, a 65 per cent increase over 2010. Asia and the Paci"c su$ered 70 per cent of those losses. Disaster risk management saves lives, and experience shows that actions to reduce disasters produce economic and social bene"ts.

!e Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division facilitates increased knowledge sharing among member States on the best ways to reduce risk and manage disasters. It promotes integrating multi-hazard disaster risk reduction into national development through the presentation of policy options, strategies and

best practices for information and communication technology (ICT). ESCAP published the "rst regional study on disasters, the Asia-Paci!c Disaster Report.

!e importance of space applications in early warning, monitoring and emergency communications is undeniable. Member States have requested assistance to use these technologies. ESCAP is working on networking, partnership building and institutionalizing the process for regular access to space-based data and critical information during major disasters. A mechanism for providing satellite-based information and services for drought monitoring and early warning was launched under the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable

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Development (RESAP) in September 2010, and has expanded to cover other major disasters, including #oods. !e ESCAP/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Typhoon Committee held national training workshops and follow-up in-depth trainings in Paci"c countries, and facilitated access to satellite imagery. ESCAP has been implementing the United Nations Development Agenda project aimed at strengthening government capacities among high-risk developing countries to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA).

!e ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness signi"cantly contributed to early warning in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia. !e Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System went ‘live’ in October 2011. !e Fund helped develop joint standards

for this system. A conservative estimate is that this system will save 1,000 lives every year for the next 100 years. !e Fund continues to support resilience building e$orts in the region.

!e Asia-Paci"c Gateway for Disaster Risk Reduction and Development has facilitated information exchange to support the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction into socioeconomic development. ESCAP promoted subregional networking for #ood risk reduction, and the sharing of lessons learned across the region following the devastating events in Pakistan, Japan and in South-East Asia. Member States in the Paci"c were trained in the economic assessment of natural disasters by our Division and the ESCAP Paci"c O&ce. ESCAP contributed its multi-disciplinary expertise to the !ailand Floods Rapid Post Disaster Needs Assessment.

!e Asian and Paci"c Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT), established in 2006 as an ESCAP regional institution, is located in Incheon, Republic of Korea. !e Centre’s aim is to strengthen the e$orts of ESCAP member countries to use ICT in their socioeconomic development through human and institutional capacity building. Working with multiple

and Knowledge Sharing, and Advisory Services. !e Centre’s #agship programme, the “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders”, has expanded rapidly to 23 countries in the region and has produced training materials in nine languages. It organized the “Second Asia-Paci"c Regional Forum on ICT Human Capacity Development” in 2011, which brought together decision-makers from 38 countries.

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During the past year, through ESCAP’s work, progress was achieved by member States in promoting national laws and policies to protect and promote the rights of socially vulnerable groups as part of regional e$orts to build more inclusive societies.

ESCAP supported member States in their e$orts to harmonize national laws and policies in line with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Five national campaigns to “Make the Right Real” were held to accelerate rati"cation and implementation of the Convention. Partnerships between governments and organizations of persons with disabilities were strengthened to prepare for the "nal review of the Asian and Paci"c Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012.

An analysis was prepared of the progress achieved during the Decade and the remaining challenges to be addressed in the new Decade, 2013-2022.

Promoting the right to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support was advanced through the convening of the Asia-Paci"c High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Assessment of Progress against Commitments in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). !e Meeting, convened by ESCAP with seven other United Nations partners, brought together senior policymakers from diverse sectors, including law and order, justice, health, drug control and social welfare as well as stakeholders to consider means of removing legal barriers to universal access and addressing stigma and discrimination.

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!is year’s commemoration of International Women’s Day focused on reaching out to young people to end violence against women and girls in support of the Secretary-General’s UNiTE Campaign. ESCAP also launched a regional programme to promote women’s economic empowerment in relation to the MDGs and initiated a public-private partnership to support women’s entrepreneurship. !e capacity of National Women’s Machineries in South-East Asia was strengthened to advocate and mainstream gender into national development agendas.

!e issuance of the ESCAP theme study, "e Promise of Protection: Social Protection and Development in Asia and the Paci!c, supported national e$orts to build integrated social protection systems founded on the principle of the right to universal access.

Member States were assisted by ESCAP

to prepare for the Second Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing through identi"cation of policy options to better prepare for the demographic transition to an ageing society.

Good practices of national youth policies and programmes were disseminated for wider replication in the region through the joint UN system launch of the publication Investing in youth policy: "e case for youth policy development in the Asia-Paci!c region.

Inter-regional cooperation between the Asia-Paci"c and Western Asia regions was promoted through the joint convening by ESCAP and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) of a Workshop on “Strengthening Dialogue to Make Migration Work for Development”.

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Despite the wealth of information contained in the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Paci!c 2012, policymakers and programme managers o%en "nd themselves confronted with a paucity of data from countries in the region. Smart policies and e$ective programmes are built on a solid foundation of evidence. A lack of data hampers not only policy and programme design, but overall development. !e priority for ESCAP’s Statistics Division is to increase the capacity of regional and national statisticians to generate the data needed to spur inclusive, sustainable and environmentally sound development. !e endorsement of four resolutions on statistics by the Commission at its sixty-seventh session demonstrates the importance that governments are giving to the improvement of statistics in the region.

Working to advance the Commission’s agenda, governments and partners are carving out regional initiatives to develop capacities and methodologies in the areas of agricultural, economic, gender and disability statistics. Civil

registration e$orts have been stepped up. Statistical information systems are undergoing a process of modernization in many member States. !e broad range of initiatives re#ects the need and scope for improvement in the capacity of national statistical systems in the region and resonates with the Commission’s call for action.

By reaching out to governments and resource partners, the intergovernmental framework o$ered by the Committee on Statistics, together with the newly established “Partners for Statistics Development in Asia-Paci"c”, both serviced by the ESCAP Statistics team, have generated broad participation and commitment in pursuit of shared goals.

A number of knowledge products published by ESCAP contribute to increased awareness and understanding of key national and

Analysis on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) progress tracking and the

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remaining disparities, both between and within countries, allows the identi"cation of gaps that need to be "lled to achieve the MDGs, informing policymakers about what is required.

ESCAP publishes comparable indicators on demographic, social, economic and environmental development in Asia and the Paci"c through a free-of-charge online database. !e Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Paci!c presents data (key indicators) from the Asia-Paci"c region with added trends analyses. It has been well-received by member

States and development partners and has been frequently quoted in national and regional media.

Analytical work on the impact of the economic crisis on poverty in the region provides insights for issues related to the availability and quality of statistical information and its methodological di&culties.

Interventions informed by full and accurate data are more likely to succeed. Improving data from the region will provide the evidence policymakers need to take e$ective action.

!e Statistical Institute for Asia and the Paci"c (SIAP) is a regional training institution of ESCAP, located in Chiba, Japan. Its mission is to strengthen the capability of developing countries and countries with economies in transition to collect, analyze and disseminate statistics. SIAP contributes to sustainable socioeconomic development by assisting member States in establishing or bolstering their statistical training capability.

In 2011, 445 government o&cials and statisticians from 45 ESCAP member and associate member States developed their skills and increased their knowledge in a wide range of social and economic statistics, covering international standards, methods and frameworks. Since its inception in 1970, SIAP has trained over 12,000 statisticians from 128 countries.

29

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Australia, Fiji, Micronesia (Federated States of), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands.

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China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation.

Hong Kong, China and Macao, China.

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Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Afghanistan is covered only in terms of activities focusing on the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).

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Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey.

30

Disclaimer:!e designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, !ailand, Timor-Leste, Viet Nam.

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!e ESCAP Paci"c O&ce (EPO) was established in 1984. It continues to play an important advocacy and coordination role relating to the sustainable development of Paci"c Small Island Developing States. !e focus of this work has been on the Five-Year Review of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; the 10 year review of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020 (Istanbul Programme of Action) and the 20 year review of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (Rio+20).

!e main result of these e$orts has been the adoption of the “green economy in a blue world” approach by the Paci"c Small Island Developing States to promote the sustainable development of its ocean.

New global threats associated with climate change and natural disasters, and food, fuel and energy crises have worsened the vulnerability of our Small Island members. !ese pressures threaten the survival of some, and are putting enormous strain on the Paci"c Ocean, one of the greatest global commons for humanity. Even more importantly for the future of the world is the role that the ocean plays as a climate regulator and a mitigator of carbon and other greenhouse gases.

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In its second year of operation, the Subregional O&ce for East and North-East Asia (SRO-ENEA) continues to facilitate subregional dialogue and cooperation in implementing regional, multilateral and global mandates. !e only comprehensive multilateral body in the subregion, the O&ce addresses challenges identi"ed by member States, and its programmes enhance their capacity to reach development goals.

In 2011, the O&ce carried out a project to improve Mongolian trade corridors by linking them to China and Russian Federation. !at project included a study that led stakeholders to work with the O&ce to reduce the cost and time to trade through Mongolia. Relatedly, capacity-building programmes were launched and a forum was established for public-private partnerships in trade facilitation.

!e O&ce serves as the secretariat for the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC). It facilitated a review and dialogue on conservation and mitigation of dust and sandstorms, which led to the establishment of cooperation frameworks. In addition, the O&ce initiated a process for knowledge sharing on low-carbon city development and helped launch the East Asia Carbon Footprint Network.

!e O&ce also convened its "rst Subregional Forum on Youth Participation in Policy-Making for East and North-East Asia and the Subregional Meeting on Enhancing Long-Term Care and Social Participation of Older Persons in East and North-East Asia.

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!e Subregional O&ce for North and Central Asia (SRO-NCA) was opened in July 2011. Located in Almaty, Kazakhstan, it serves the North and Central Asian member States in the areas of transport and trade facilitation, and water, energy and environment.

!e O&ce also assists the nine member States of the subregion in meeting social and economic challenges, as well as in accessing current opportunities for development. In addition, the O&ce collaborates with the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), and with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).

Opportunities exist for strengthening economic cooperation in trade and investment, infrastructure development, and management

of shared resources. In 2011, the Central Asian countries celebrated the twentieth anniversary of their independence, an occasion to take stock of the progress achieved over the last two decades.

!e 2011 SPECA Economic Forum discussed the successes and challenges faced by regional economic cooperation and integration in Central Asia since 1991. Representatives of SPECA member countries, partner organizations and donors discussed what steps could be taken to enhance cooperation and integration. !e Forum also highlighted ways to develop the institutional and legal basis for cooperation and integration in areas in which member States are prepared for new initiatives.

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!e South and South-West Asia O&ce (SRO-SSWA), located in New Delhi, India, was inaugurated in December 2011. It assists member States in bridging gaps in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through promotion of policies on sustained and inclusive growth and development, with an emphasis on poverty reduction.

Other areas of focus include infrastructure development, trade and transport facilitation, connectivity and regional economic integration, ensuring energy and food security, and implementing disaster risk reduction strategies with special attention given to Least Developed Countries.

!e O&ce has contributed to the sharing of development experiences and good practices on inclusive and pro-poor macroeconomic policies and regional economic integration. Recognizing the importance of

strengthening cooperation and partnership for promoting such policies, partnerships and links have already been established with various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, such as think tanks. Collaboration between the O&ce and partner institutions has already been highly e$ective, in particular with regard to providing platforms for policy dialogues across the subregion. !e O&ce worked with a range of institutions, successfully concluding the “High-level Policy Dialogue on Development Challenges facing the Subregion”, in New Delhi in December 2011, and the ESCAP/the Asian Development Bank/United Nations Development Programme “High-level Subregional Forum on Accelerating Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in South Asia” in February 2012.

35

36

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Programme Planning and Partnerships

Development

Trade and Investment

Transport

Macroeconomic Policy and

Development

38

Environment and Development

Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction

Social Development

Statistics

39

Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable

Agriculture (CAPSA)

Asian and Paci"c Centre for Agricultural

Engineering and Machinery (UNAPCAEM)

Asian and Paci"c Centre for Transfer of Technology

(APCTT)

Asian and Paci"c Training Centre for Information and

Communication Technology for Development (APCICT)

Statistical Institute for Asia and the Paci"c (SIAP)

40

East and North-East Asia (Incheon)

North and Central Asia (Almaty)

South and South-West Asia (New Delhi)

Paci"c (Suva)

41

42

43

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