At its 50th session in New Delhi in April 1994, the Commission adopted Resolution 50/1, the Delhi Declaration on Strengthening Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific towards the Twenty-first Century.

The Commission resolved to intensify further collective efforts for regional cooperation, including inter-subregional cooperation. Among others, these included assigning high priority to the imperatives of economic cooperation, especially in trade, investment, technology transfer and tourism, and also promoting the sharing and free-flow of information and experience among economies of the region on these issues, as well as development strategies. In addition, the resolution stressed concerted efforts for the development of physical infrastructure particularly the transport and telecommunications links required to facilitate regional trade and economic cooperation, as well as promotion of capital and technology flows required to facilitate sustainable development consistent with the varying needs and stages of economic and social development in the region. The special technical assistance needs of the least developed, land-locked and island developing countries, and the disadvantaged economies in transition of the region was also recognized.

Towards implementation of this Commission resolution, ESCAP secretariat prepared studies in the fields of development strategies and policies, trade and investment, technology and related capital flows, infrastructure development, and tourism. Each of these studies is intended to stimulate futuristic thinking on ways and means to promote regional economic cooperation in that field in the effort to ensure a wider spread of sustainable economic growth and social development across the ESCAP region. At an expert group meeting hosted by the Government of India from 10 to 12 April 1995, these studies were discussed, and the decisions and recommendations of the meeting were reported to the 51st session of the Commission in fulfilment of the Commission's directive that the Executive Secretary should report on the implementation of the Delhi Declaration.