50/1. Delhi Declaration on Strengthening Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific towards the Twenty-first Century

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,

On the occasion of its historic fiftieth session,

Cognizant that the imperatives of geography, history, culture, economics and politics are fast reinforcing a distinct regional identity and that new wide-ranging and extensive relationships have been developed and are continually emerging between and among countries in the Asian and Pacific region,

Reaffirming the common commitment to thegoal of sustainable development as well as to the development of the socio-economic infrastructure necessary for sustaining the growth momentum evidenced in the Asian and Pacific region and for effectively addressing the need to attain a better quality of life for the peoples of the region,

Noting the great dynamism and inherent vitality of the Asian and Pacific region, which have enabled it to attain some of the highest growth rates in the world in the recent past,

Recognizing that the prevalence of conditions of peace and stability are essential prerequisites for enhancing regional and subregional cooperation for sustainable development,

Acknowledging the growing interdependence between the economies of the region and the shared interest of all in promoting equitable distribution of the fruits of economic and social development for the benefit of all,

Taking into account the coexistence in the region of economies at vastly different stages of development and the need to ensure a wider dispersion of the benefits of economic progress accruing to this region,

Aware of the complementarities among economies in the region arising from the diversity of endowments of capital, technological and other resources, both natural and human, and of the importance of intensifying regional cooperation witha view to realizing fully the potential of theseresources,

Considering the opportunities offered by a convergence of macroeconomic policies as well as the strong trends towards deregulation, liberalization and structural reform in a growing number of economies in the ESCAP region,

Acknowledging the important contribution of organizations and groupings for subregional cooperation towards developing and strengthening inter-subregional and regionwide cooperation,

Taking into account the many opportunities and challenges arising from positive developments in the global economic situation, particularly the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations,

Conscious that regional cooperation can be a potent instrument for the realization of the benefits of an open multilateral trading system,

Emphasizing the need to combat protectionism and to avoid it assuming new forms that could posea threat to the expansion of world trade andthereby jeopardize the gains of the UruguayRound,

Recalling, inter alia, the historical development of economic cooperation in the Asian and Pacific region, with particular reference to the outcomes of the seventh session of the Commission in Lahore in 1951, the fourth session of the Meeting of the Council of Ministers for Asian Economic Cooperation in Kabul in 1970, the forty-seventh session of the Commission in Seoul in 1991, the forty-eighth session of the Commission in Beijing in 1992, and other relevant decisions of the Commission which provide policy direction for strengthening regional economic cooperation in Asia and the Pacific,

1. Declares that it will:

(a) Further intensify collective efforts for regional cooperation, including inter-subregional cooperation, to ensure that economic growth and social development spread across the Asian and Pacific region for the benefit of all its peoples;

(b) Accord high priority to the imperatives of economic cooperation, especially in trade, investment, technology transfer and tourism, in keeping with the Asian and Pacific ethos of mutual respect, accommodation and peaceful settlement of differences, so that the growth momentum evidenced in the region is sustained;

(c) Promote the sharing and free flow of information and experience among economies of the region concerning development strategies and policies, as well as trade, technology and investment;

(d) Launch concerted efforts for the development of physical infrastructure, and accord due recognition to the transport and communication links required to facilitate regional trade and economic cooperation;

(e) Promote capital and technology flows within the Asian and Pacific region to facilitate sustainable development consistent with the varying needs and stages of economic and social development in the region;

(f) Strengthen cooperation in the area of human resources development, which is recognized as a crucial input for sustained development and, to this end, encourage the exchange of academics, professionals, scientists and technologists within the Asian and Pacific region;

(g) Increase efforts in support of the economic and social development of the least developed, land-locked and island developing countries of the region which face severe resource and infrastructure constraints;

(h) Recognize the special technical assistance needs of the disadvantaged economies in transition for facilitating their structural reform process and for assisting them in the process of their integration into the mainstream of the region's development process;

2. Requests the Executive Secretary to take into full account the present declaration, which shall be known as the Delhi Declaration on Strengthening Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific towards the Twenty-first Century, and to initiate appropriate action to review and recommend measures for further strengthening regional cooperation consistent with the emerging regional identity and for addressing more effectively the needs of the region towards the twenty-first century;

3. Formally reaffirms its political support for the achievement of the objective of regional economic cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, and invites members and associate members to devote greater national efforts towards that end;

4. Requests donor Governments and multi-lateral agencies to provide support to implement this important Declaration;

5. Invites the subregional organizations and relevant regional institutions to cooperate with the Executive Secretary in the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration;

6. Requests the Executive Secretary to report to the Commission at its fifty-first session on the implementation of the Declaration.