DUSHANBE, February 2, 2016, Asia-Plus — Over the next two weeks, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Dr. Shamshad Akhtar will meet with Heads of State and Government, senior ministers, leading academics and representatives of the private sector across North and Central Asia as part of a mission to deepen collaboration between ESCAP and member States in the subregion.
ESCAP notes that with a concentration of seven out of the twelve landlocked developing countries in Asia, a central element of Dr. Akhtar’s mission will be to focus on the challenges and opportunities of the current economic situation in North and Central Asia, in light of the newly-adopted global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Dr. Akhtar will also discuss priorities for the unprecedented forthcoming leadership dialogue for Central and North Asia, to be held at ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok on May 17 during the 72nd ESCAP session.
Steep declines in commodity prices, coupled with ongoing currency depreciations, have seen average GDP growth fall to 3% last year, down from 5.1% in 2014 in Central and North Asia (excluding the Russian Federation).
This is expected to improve only slightly in 2016, to 3.4%, according to ESCAP’s latest analysis. In the face of these steep challenges, Dr. Akhtar will discuss with leaders how renewed commitment to economic diversification and enhanced regional economic integration will facilitate job-generating growth and wider prosperity in North and Central Asia.
Established in 1947, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, under the administrative direction of the United Nations headquarters. ESCAP has 53 member States and nine Associate members. As well as countries in Asia and the Pacific, it includes France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
ESCAP”s regional focus is managing globalization through programs in environmentally sustainable development, trade, and human rights. ESCAP will place a greater emphasis on promoting higher, well-balanced and sustainable regional growth that helps eradicate poverty and generates jobs to improve prosperity in the region.
ESCAP works to overcome some of the region”s greatest challenges by providing results oriented projects, technical assistance and capacity building to member States in the following areas: macroeconomic policy and development; trade and investment; transport; social development; environment and sustainable development; information and communications technology and disaster risk reduction; statistics; and sub-regional activities for development.
