In the News
The Note of the Secretary General on the Economic and Social Repercussions of the Israeli Occupation on the Living Conditions of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including occupied East Jerusalem, and the Arab Population in the Occupied Syrian Golan Wednesday, 25 July 2012
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The Regional Commissions' Newsletter: The Development Update available in new web format! Please click here to visit.
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United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Heads of State and Government to join UN Regional Commissions’ side event on Regional Perspectives on Green Growth and Sustainable development When: 21 June 2012, 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM Where: Hall T-2, Temporary Pavilion, Rio Centro Convention Centre Heads of State and Government, including the Presidents of Costa Rica, Indonesia and Mexico, the Prime Ministers of Ethiopia and Lebanon, and the Vice Prime Minister of Moldova are expected to join the five Executive Secretaries of the UN Regional Commissions to discuss regional approaches for promoting green economy policies in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development. The side event will provide a platform for sharing good practices and public policies in key areas at the regional level, which effectively promote the integration of the three pillars of sustainable development (SD). It will also provide a better understanding of the beneits of a strong Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD) at the regional level, and an enhanced understanding of the role of the Regional Commissions as a unique regional platform for the promotion of sustainable development in the regions. The presentations by the Heads of State/Governments and the Executive Secretaries will be followed by a question and answer session. Click link(s) below for download: Brochure: Green Growth and Sustainable Development: |
The 68th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The following events were held during the ministerial segment:
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Commission’s 27th Session Concludes, Accepts Tunisia as New Member Beirut, 8 May 2012 (ESCWA Communication and Information Unit)— The member countries of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) unanimously accepted the Republic of Tunisia as a member of the Commission, to be brought up to the United Nations Economic and Social Council for final approval. Meanwhile, member countries also welcomed each of Libya’s and Morocco’s requests to join ESCWA. This step final approval by the ministerial Session Wednesday and reviewing in the member countries’ capitals before a final decision is made. (READ MORE) |
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A new growth model in the pan-European region — one which increases human development, advances equality and reduces the ecological footprint — is both necessary and possible. This is the main conclusion of the report "From Transition to Transformation: Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Europe and Central Asia" prepared by a number of UN agencies, coordinated by UNECE and UNDP, as an input for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and presented on 23 Mars 2012 at UNDP's first "Global Human Development Forum" in Istanbul. The report, which is among the first attempts to take an integrated look at sustainable development in the pan-European region, presents new policy proposals to help manage the needed change to a greener and more inclusive economy with benefits for people throughout the region. |
The Regional Dimension of Development and the UN System
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Arab Awakening Inevitable UN Meeting Tackles Challenges to Democratization Participants in the high-level meeting on “Reform and Transitions to Democracy” organized by ESCWA in Beirut on 15-16 January 2012 tackled issues related to challenges facing Arab countries as a result of regional awakening. They highlighted the danger of sacrificing civil and human rights in the name of security and regional stability and emphasized the significance of civic values as the only means to confront communal divisions and the obstruction of transitions to democracy. |
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Regional Perspectives on the Institutional Framework on Sustainable Development (IFSD)
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ECLAC Library completes digitization of its historical archive |
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National ageing focal points from across the UNECE region are gathering in Geneva for the Fourth meeting of the UNECE Working Group on Ageing on 21-22 November 2011. Active ageing and quality of life ... [READ MORE] |
The Note of the Secretary General on the Economic and Social Repercussions of the Israeli Occupation on the Living Conditions of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including occupied East Jerusalem, and the Arab Population in the Occupied Syrian Golan Wednesday, 26 October 2011
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Dialogue of the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions with the Second Committee of the General Assembly Tuesday, 4 October
(click on links below to download) Presentations Abstracts |
| Dialogue of the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions with ECOSOC Friday, 8 July 2011
Presentations (Click to download) |
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The Secretary-General's Report on Regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields is now available for download |
The Prime Ministers of Thailand and Bhutan, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia joined government ministers and representatives from the region at the 67th annual Session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), convened to help formulate a policy agenda to promote sustainable and inclusive development for the region. |
The launching of the Economic Report on Africa 2011 was launched 18 May 2011 in the Dag Hammarskold Library Auditorium. Jointly written by experts of the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa, this 130-page document is an authoritative appraisal of the economic performance of Africa for 2010 and projections for 2011. Mr. Robert P. Vos, Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division/DESA hosted the proceedings, joined by Mr. Amr Nour, Director, Regional Commissions New York Office. |
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The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will hold its 64th session on 29-31 March 2001 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Commission is responsible for making strategic decisions on the UNECE programme of work and provides a forum for policy dialogue on the economic developments in the region. The first two days of the session will be dedicated to two issues which are at the core of UNECE’s activities and members States’ priorities:
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2011 Joint Annual Meetings of the African Union (AU) Conferences of Ministers of Economy and Finance and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Addis Ababa, 24-29 March 2011 The 2011 Joint Annual Meetings of the AU Conference Ministers of Economy and Finance and the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development will take place in Addis Ababa from 24-29 March 2011. The Ministerial Session will take place from 28-29 March 2011 and will be preceded by a technical preparatory meeting of the Committee of Experts to be held from 24-27 March 201. The Joint Annual Meetings of ECA and AUC, which began in 2008 have provided a unique policy platform for articulating Africa's positionon key challenges of the international development agenda. It also at these meetings that African policy- makers consider and provide legislative mandates and policy guidance to the work of both the AU Commission and ECA. |
ESCWA Advisory Committee holds first Meeting of 2011 |
“Climate change is happening in South-East Asia and predicted economic losses are in the range of 6.7 per cent of combined GDP each year by 2010”, said Mr. Asif Ahmad, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Kingdom of Thailand at the National Seminar on Green Growth Policy Tools for Low Carbon Development in Thailand. “The UK Government is partnering with ESCAP to provide support to developing countries in acknowledgement of its responsibility as a member of the G8 group with a collective contribution of 40 per cent of the global greenhouse emissions”, he added. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) joined forces with the UK Embassy in Thailand, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand to organize the seminar from 23 to 24 February at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, where senior Thai Government policy and decision makers reviewed policy tools and strategic approaches to promote sustainable and low carbon growth in Thailand. ( |
UNECE’s Statistical Division has been working with Google to bring key statistics on our member countries to a wider audience using new data visualization techniques. As a result of extensive collaboration over the last year to develop data content, format and transmission mechanisms, UNECE data are now available on a new Google application called “Public Data Explorer”. (Read more) |
A study by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) entitled, “A technological resurgence? Africa in the global flow of technology" has concluded that Africa’s rapid growth in industrial technological acquisition gives rise to the hope that “the Continent may be joining other developing regions in building a sound industrial base, likely to support production of value-added goods and services as well as high-tech products.” According to Undersecretary-General and ECA’s Executive Secretary, Abdoulie Janneh, the trends associated with technology transfer as assessed in the study provide evidence of the factors driving the impressive economic growth rates recorded in African countries over the last decade. (Read More) |
The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, met senior officials from the European Union (EU) this week in Brussels to exchange views on how to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the two regions.During her three-day visit to the Belgian capital, home to the main EU institutions, Bárcena met with the Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Pierre Vimont, highlighting the importance of renewing and strengthening the strategic relationship that began in 1999 with the first Summit of Heads of State and Government of Latin America and the Caribbean and the EU. (Read More) |
Regional Commissions Development Update 28th Issue is now available The latest edition of the the Regional Commissions biannual newsletter, 'The Regional Commissions Development Update' is now available. This issue begins with an editorial entitled "Time for Equality: Closing gaps, opening trails" by Ms. Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC and current Coordinator of the Regional Commissions. Ms. Barcena argues that the multiple crises, felt across the globe, provide us with an opportunity to chart a new development pathway for achieving greater equality while sustaining economic growth. This agenda will require policies that mitigate volatility, boost productivity and favour social inclusion. An agenda to which the regional commissions are committed by supporting national, sub-regional, and regional efforts in this regard. Looking towards Rio +20 and LDC-IV, the newsletter also contains timely articles providing regional perspectives on the concept of a green economy and on development in Least Developed Countries. In addition, the newsletter provides an overview of selected activities carried out by the Regional Commissions over the last few months. Click here to download (pdf format)
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Rima Khalaf, a national of Jordan, as Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She succeeds Bader Al-Dafa, to whom the Secretary-General said he is grateful for his dedication and commitment to the Organization and his leadership of ESCWA at a critical juncture of its work in the region. |
Regional Commissions Development Update 27th Issue is now available The latest edition of the the Regional Commissions biannual newsletter, 'The Regional Commissions Development Update' is now available. It contains an editorial by Mr. Jan Kubis, Executive Secretary of UNECE and current Coordinator of the Regional Commissions on "Accelerating the Achievement of the MDGs: Opportunities in the Multiple Crises", highlights a number of activities and recent major publications produced by the Regional Commissions, in addition to articles conveying regional perspectives on the MDGs and the role of the Commissions in supporting South-South Cooperation. Click here to download (pdf format)
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ECA Executive Secretary visits with staff  Posted: Monday, 17 May 2010, Addis Ababa | Author: ECAExecutive Secretary Abdoulie Janneh devoted most of the first week of May to visiting staff in their offices at ECA's Headquarters to see for himself the work taking place on a daily basis and the challenges facing staff members. He has assured staff that he is committedo continuous dialogue on a range of issues affecting staff. (Click for More) t |
26th session of ESCWA, Beirut from 17- 20 May 2008 ESCWA is convening its 26th Ministerial Session from 17 until 20 May at the UN House in Beirut. Held under the auspices of Lebanon's House Speaker Nabih Berri and in his personal presence, the Session will bring together many high-level Arab officials, senior UN representatives and envoys from donor and other countries. The Ministerial Session is the main governing body of the Regional Commission and it takes the major decisions on its policies. It is held every biennium to discuss issues of high importance to ESCWA and the region. This year, the highlights of the meeting will be two roundtables on youth and capacity-building, as well as the issue of launching ESCWA’s Technology Center. Deliberations of the Session will start with a high-level meeting at 10:00 AM on 17 May at the UN House. The meeting will discuss the report of the Executive Secretary on the work of ESCWA, including the 2008-2009 program performance and the follow-up to the implementation of resolutions adopted by the 25th Ministerial Session held in Sana'a, Yemen, in May 2008. (Click for More) |
66 th Commission Session of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
UN's Regional Commission Ministers meets 17-19 May in Incheon Incheon, Republic of Korea (UN/ESCAP Information Services) — Heads of State and Ministers of the Asia-Pacific region will meet on Monday, 17 May in Incheon to agree on joint economic and development policies to promote green growth and clean technology agendas across the region. Monday's meeting includes leaders for the 60+ countries of the Asia Pacific regional arm of the United Nations. |
Sixty-Sixth Commission Session of ESCAP, 13-19 May 2010 The 66th Commission session of ESCAP is being hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea and Incheon Metropolitan City, at the Songdo ConvensiA Convention Centre, Incheon, 13 to 19 May 2010. The Commission session comprises two parts:
The following events will be held during the Ministerial Segment:
The Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries was held during the Senior Officials Segment on Thursday, 13 May 2010. Special events that will take place alongside the 66th session of the Commission will be published in due course. |
Commission on Sustainable Development: The Regional Dimension an Important Part of CSD18 The Regional Commissions are participating at the eighteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-18) that is taking place in New York from 3 to 14 May 2010 covering topics related to transport, chemicals, waste management, mining and sustainable consumption and production. Representatives from the each of the Regional Commissions will be making presentations on regional perspectives regarding these topics on 3 and 4 May, guided by the outcome of the mandated Regional Implementation Meetings (RIMs) convened by the Commissions in preparation of CSD18. The Commissions will also be making a joint presentation on cross-regional perspectives on Tuesday, 4 May, with the purpose of identifying an agenda of common interest around which cross-regional partnerships can be formed. The joint presentation will highlight: 1) shared areas of work related to the CSD-18 cycle where the Regional Commissions are working on and that could be beneficial to Member States of other regions: 2) and examples of South-South Cooperation initiatives and projects that have helped countries in each region address the problems related to the CSD-18 cycle and how these initiatives could be extended to inter-regional South-South cooperation. In addition, the Regional Commissions, represented by Mr. Mr. Ján Kubiš, Executive Secretary of UNECE, in his capacity as current Coordinator of the Commissions, will also be participating at the High-Level segment of CSD-18, including as a panelist at the round-table discussion on transportation, and at the ministerial interactive dialogue which are taking place on 13 and 14 May respectively. Click below to download the presentations |
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| ECE wins regional award for impact assessment Wednesday, 14 April 2010, Geneva | Author: ECE  ECE received the 2010 Regional Award from the International Association for Impact Assessment because of “its major contributions ... in the development and implementation” of the Espoo (EIA) Convention, which sets out obligations of Parties to assess the environmental impact of certain activities at an early stage of planning. [FULL STORY] |
| 3rd Joint Meeting of AU Conference of Ministers of Economy
Committee of Experts Conference of Ministers |
Regional Consultation on MDGs 17 March 2010, Palais des Nations, Geneva
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Statements Click here for a Summary of the Presentations
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High-Level UN Meeting to review sustainable development in the Pacific |
East and South Asia leading recovery of world economy from recession, UN says |
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High-level UN meeting to examine progress in implementation of plan to help least developed countries |
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Sven Alkalaj takes office as UNECE Executive Secretary
ECE Report: From Transition to Transformation: Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Europe and Central Asia
APRM to help transform the management of mineral resources in Africa
Asia-Pacific Report Warns Of Unsustainable Resource Use Trends, Highlights The Need For Decisive Action At Rio+20
Executive Secretary of ECLAC Made an Official Visit to Cuba
Green economy: UNECE walks the talk and prepares for Rio
After various years of intense work, the Hernán Santa Cruz Library of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) recently finished digitizing more than 16,000 historical documents that were formerly only available on paper. The project digitized documents published between 1948 - ECLAC's founding year - to 2000, the year the Commission started to produce most of its publications in a digital format. [
Deputy Secretary-General Opens the 12th Session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism 
ESCWA Opens Technology Centre in Jordan
Tuesday, 15 November 2011- UN Secretary-General visits Thailand
Tuesday, 15 November 2011 - Investing into active ageing: UNECE Working Group on Ageing meets to devise strategies for the region
ECA holding staff retreat on way forward with new support from USA 
ESCAP 67th Commission Convenes in Bangkok
The Economic Report on Africa 2011 Launched
ESCAP launches Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2011 
64th session of the Economic Commission for Europe will discuss economic integration and cooperation with focus on transport and trade infrastructure and energy cooperation 
ESCWA Advisory Committee held its first meeting in 2011 on 24 February at the UN House in Beirut and was attended by chiefs of diplomatic missions of the 14 Member States of the Regional Commission for Western Asia. The meeting was chaired by Under-Secretary-General and ESCWA Executive Secretary Rima Khalaf, who laid out the Commission’s work programme for the biennium 2012-2013. (
UN seminar on policy approaches for sustainable and low carbon economic growth in Thailand 
EU and ECLAC Forge Closer Links to Strengthen Cooperation between Europe and Latin America
Heads of Regional Commissions meet in Santiago to enhance coordination 
ECA’s forthcoming flagship underscores role of the State in governing development,
Addis Ababa, 28 December 2010 
Asia-Pacific exports set to grow at 10.5 per cent in 2011 
ESCWA Establishes Technology Centre in Amman 
UNECE promotes green and health-friendly investment and jobs in transport [Monday, 13 December 2010]
ECLAC annual report: Latin America and the Caribbean Will Grow by 6% in 2010 Thanks to the Economic Recovery (13 December 2010) 
ECA launches an African technology network to generate value from research and development
ECLAC Session in Brasilia calls for equality in development 
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to hold its Thirty-third Session in Brasilia, capital of Brazil, from May 30 to June 1, 2010.
Asia-Pacific Political Leaders Meet in Republic of Korea to Agree Next Steps in Asian Economic Recovery and Measures for Sustainable and Green Future 
UN Seeks Inclusion and Transparency in Discussion over Climate Change
UNECE is organizing a regional consultation on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on 17 March 2010 at Palais des Nations (Salle VIII). Achieving the MDGs is still a challenge for many countries of the UNECE region, which gathers a large group of advanced economies, but also a significant group of emerging economies, and a few of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The latter two categories are located in the eastern part of the region, which includes the 12 countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) and 6 countries in South-East Europe (SEE). In addition, the UNECE region comprises a number of intermediate-income economies, primarily the EU new member states to which some MDGs targets apply while others do not. (
Statistical Yearbook Records Evolution of Economic, Social and Environmental Indicators in the ECLAC Region (available online)
Top officials from 14 small island developing states in the Pacific are set to gather next week for a United Nations meeting to review their countries' progress in sustainable development. The Pacific High Level Dialogue from 8 to 9 February in Port Vila, Vanuatu, is convened by the United Nations ESCAP and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and will review the progress made in implementing the Mauritius Strategy - the United Nations Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States covering the decade 2005-2015. [
Governments in East and South Asia undertook aggressive monetary and fiscal measures to respond to the global economic crisis of the last two years, resulting in both regions leading the world's recovery out of recession, according to a new United Nations report "World Economic Situation and Prospects 2010". Tiziana Bonapace of ESCAP, will introduce the report along with Aynul Hasan, at a press conference at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 20 January at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok. (
ECLAC Calls for Urgent International Cooperation with Haiti
The United Nations is set to convene a meeting next week in Bangladesh to assess and develop a regional position for Asia and the Pacific ahead of a global review next year on progress made in assisting the world's least developed countries (LDCs). 
ECLAC Report: Latin American and Caribbean Exports Fell 24% in 2009 Due to Crisis