During 2008-2009, Asia-Pacific countries, particularly the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states, strengthened their capacities to respond to the food-fuel crises and climate change, as a result of the technical assistance provided by ESCAP. Ministries of Finance and Central Banks from 17 Asia-Pacific countries were trained to improve and implement macro-economic policies in the context of the financial crisis based on innovative practices available in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, the ministries on housing and national housing banks in India, Pakistan and Thailand received technical support to develop policies and measures that support stronger partnership with community-based organizations in providing pro-poor housing finance. This effort resulted in the launching of a regional network on pro-poor housing finance, which is serving as a platform for sharing policy options, innovative approaches and good practices in the region. ESCAP also responded to the urgent need in Samoa for post-disaster impact and needs assessment after the recent tsunami in the Pacific and in Myanmar for increasing the capacity of policy-makers to design and implement recovery and reconstructions measures following the Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

In 2009, Pacific countries strengthened their capacities to implement the Biwako Millennium Framework of Action and the Biwako Plus Five and coordinate among relevant stakeholders, including NGOs and disabled persons organizations, as a result of the provision by ESCAP of technical cooperation and advisory services. Pacific countries endorsed the Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability, through a subregional forum on disability held in the Cook Islands in October 2009, which provided countries with tools to assist in setting national priorities to address articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  The ESCAP Regional Adviser on Social Development and Planning provided advisory services to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu in developing national urban policy and strategic plans. The Government of Nauru revised its National Sustainable Development Strategy with technical support provided by a joint UN team led by the ESCAP Regional Advisor on Development Policy.

SPECA member States, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, received technical assistance from ESCAP to enhance their capacities to integrate energy efficiency and conservation in national energy sector development policies and strategies in the context of implementing the Baku Initiative on Energy Efficiency and Conservation. With technical cooperation services from ESCAP, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam identified innovative, pro-poor and environmentally-friendly approaches for solid waste management utilizing, among others, resources from carbon financing. This effort resulted in the replication of a decentralized neighbourhood-based compost plant developed by an NGO in Dhaka, Bangladesh in at least 10 other cities in the region, with further funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Asia-Pacific countries received technical cooperation services from ESCAP in support of their efforts to implement the Beijing Platform for Action and its Regional and Global Outcomes. As a result of the provision of technical assistance, senior government officials from 11 countries (Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste) strengthened their capacities to deliver basic services in conflict affected and fragile areas and to contribute to the process of peace-building and reconciliation. Cambodia formulated a national youth policy framework through a participatory approach involving various stakeholders from Government, youth organizations and international organizations. In July 2009. Pacific countries received technical assistance from ESCAP to develop social protection and policy measures through a subregional workshop organized in collaboration with the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, ILO and UNICEF.

As a result of the provision of technical cooperation services and the adoption of methodologies developed by ECLAC, the Ministries of Finance and/or Social Planning of Argentina and Bolivia strengthened their capacities to improve the measurement and analysis of social expenditure and thus were in a better position to develop national models to measure and monitor social expenditure in the context of the current economic and social crisis. Government authorities and professional staff from Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru were also trained in the use of a methodology jointly developed by ECLAC and the WFP to measure the cost of hunger as a major impediment to achieve economic and social development. Specialized technical teams were set up in the afore-mentioned countries with ECLAC technical backstopping to apply the methodology in national studies to strengthen the planning and formulation of national policies related to the eradication of hunger and malnutrition.

In 2009, Mexico and Bolivia received rapid-response technical cooperation services from ECLAC, with the support of PAHO, to address serious epidemiologic crises.  In the case of Mexico, support was provided to the Ministry of Health to assess the socio-economic impact of the human influenza (AH1N1) pandemic in order to analyze the correlation between the incidence of the disease on individuals and the associated economic and social loss and damage. Likewise, an emergency response was generated by ECLAC to support the Ministry of Civil Protection of Bolivia in developing technical capacities to assess the socio-economic impact of the first-ever dengue epidemic in that country. In both cases, the results of the analytical work were meant to be used by national authorities and technical staff in formulating the corresponding recovery plans.

During 2008-2009, senior technical staff in various countries of the region that received technical cooperation services from ECLAC in social statistics enhanced their capacities to assess, plan and formulate social policies and programmes. Professional staff from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Bolivia used ECLAC methodological recommendations to strengthen the design of national household surveys either to improve the formulation of indicators or to incorporate new ones for measuring emerging social issues. Panamá, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Venezuela also put in practice new tools and methodologies recommended by ECLAC to improve their capacities in data processing and analysis in the areas of poverty and employment. Moreover, participants from National Statistical Offices, Central Banks, Labor Ministries or Senior Government Advisers from seven countries were trained by ECLAC to enhance their capacity to monitor the evolution of social indicators to monitor the progress made towards achieving the MDGs and other IADGs at national level.

Subprogramme 3: ICT and Science & Technology for Development:

ECA provided ICT support to rural schools in Cameroon through a project known as the Electronic Rural Schools in African Languages (ERELA) Initiative, launched in collaboration with the National Association of Cameroonian Languages Committee (NACALCO). Over a three-year period a computer-based linguistic model was developed based on local languages in rural schools and is currently being piloted. Three training manuals in local languages, for supervisors, teachers and students, were developed, and specialized software in local languages has been installed in the schools. As a result of this initiative, rural school children in Cameroon will have access to computers as well as be able to use them in their own local languages. One thousand students are targeted to benefit from this initiative.

Subprogramme 4: Economic Cooperation and regional integration:

1. Upon request of the African Union Commission, the regional advisor has in close collaboration with AUC management and staff designed and internally validated a human resource management reform and development framework, (March 2009), finalizing a comprehensive results based management and accountability framework, (October 2009) and up-grading the staff performance appraisal system of the Commission and a capacity development programme for transforming the African Union Commission with a detailed 2009-2012 Implementation Road Map. 
2. Advisory services provided in the area of water resources development and management contributed to strengthening the related institutional and technical capacities of member States, RECs and RBOs, within the framework of the African Water Vision 2025 and the MDGs and NEPAD priorities.  Programme activities have also helped raise awareness at all levels of government that meeting water and sanitation targets of the JPol-WSSD is critical for poverty reduction and achieving the other MDGs.  Advisory services also supported the preparation of the first African Water Development Report (AWDR) and the setting up of the African Water Information Clearing House as mechanisms for monitoring and reporting progress on water-related commitments. Over 1000 copies of the report have been distributed to member States and other stakeholders.  In addition, programme resources contributed to the conceptualization and establishment of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC).  The initiative has been endorsed by African Heads of State and has received significant funding support from several bilateral partners.

Subprogramme 6: Subregional Activities for Development:

ECA organized with AU-SARO and AfDB, a Seminar on Water and Sanitation in Southern Africa Development Community, in Lusaka, Zambia. Various international commitments on water were reviewed by 15 SADC countries. In the same vein, ECA finalized the programme document on Climate Information for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) Programme. The objective of ClimDev is to leverage multi-donor funding for adaptation to climate change in African countries. ECA also collaborated with OECD to publicize ClimDev to G8 countries, to prepare an analytical study on CDM in Africa, and to prepare the ECA/OECD Mutual Review of Development Effectiveness in Africa. ECA also organized the Joint Meetings of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and the UN-Water/Africa Cluster Group, providing a platform for reflections on ways of providing support to the African leadership to achieve the water and sanitation targets of the MDGs. ECA hosted the 3rd Regional Conference on Agricultural Water Management in Eastern and Southern Africa.