The 60th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) ended in Shanghai
Wednesday. Executive Secretary Kim Hak-su said at the closing
ceremony that the 60th session will be a milestone in the
development of ESCAP and inject new vitality into the
organization.?
During the seven-day session, more than 800 representatives from
ESCAP members and associate members, related international
organizations and the business community held discussions on the
topic of meeting the challenges in the era of globalization by
strengthening regional development cooperation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who also chaired the
session, concluded that consensus had been reached on strengthening
regional cooperation and meeting the challenges of
globalization.?
Li said that Asian countries should work together to safeguard
regional peace, develop friendly ties with neighboring countries,
promote regional cooperation and realize common
prosperity.?
Asian countries should travel a multilateral road, he said. They
should try to safeguard the authority of the United Nations and
strengthen its role.?
The Shanghai Declaration emphasizes ESCAP's role as the most
representative body for the Asia-Pacific region. It also recognizes
ESCAP's mandate as the main general economic and social development
center within the United Nations system for the region,
particularly in the areas of poverty reduction, globalization and
addressing emerging social issues.
Through the declaration, members and associate members of ESCAP
committed to multilateralism and to addressing global issues
through dialogue, consultation and cooperation.
ESCAP will encourage member countries to give priority to issues
like reducing poverty and hunger, with a view toward halving
poverty in the region by 2015.
ESCAP promised to revitalize the current round of multilateral
trade negotiations, the international financial system and the Doha
Development Round. It seeks to enable those countries in the region
that are not yet members of the World Trade Organization to accede
to it.
ESCAP will also continue to support regional and sub-regional
cooperation in energy and water resource management and
environmental protection, as well as in building public healthcare
capacity. It seeks to coordinate a more effective and comprehensive
response to HIV/AIDS and other diseases in the region. Greater
regional cooperation will strengthen public safety and
security.
ESCAP will fully implement the Monterey Consensus, cooperate
with United Nations regional commissions, promote South-South
cooperation and encourage the establishment of a regional network
of research institutions and universities by 2006 in order to
promote education, technical skills development and technology
transfer.
The declaration also requests ESCAP to review on a regular basis
the progress made in implementing the provisions of the
declaration.
The 61st ESCAP Session will be held from April 21 to 27, 2005,
in Bangkok, Thailand, on the topic of implementing the Monterey
Consensus in the Asia-Pacific Region to achieve coherence and
consistency.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2004)