United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
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| Abbreviation | ESCAP |
|---|---|
| Formation | 28 March 1947 |
| Type | Primary Organ – Regional Branch |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Bangkok, Thailand |
Head | Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana |
Parent organization | United Nations Economic and Social Council |
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The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP or UNESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.[1][2] It was established in order to increase economic activity in Asia and the Far East, as well as to foster economic relations between the region and other areas of the world.[3]
The commission is composed of 53 member states and nine associate members, mostly from the Asia and Pacific regions.[4] In addition to countries in Asia and the Pacific, the commission's members includes France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The region covered by the commission is home to 4.1 billion people, or two-thirds of the world's population, making ESCAP the most comprehensive of the United Nations' five regional commissions.[5]
History
[edit | edit source]The commission was first established by the Economic and Social Council on 28 March 1947 as the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) to assist in post-war economic reconstruction. Its main mandate was to "initiate and participate in measures for facilitating concerted action for the economic reconstruction and development of Asia and the Far East."[3]
On 1 August 1974, the commission was renamed to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) by the Economic and Social Council to reflect both the economic and social aspects of the Commission's work, as well as geographic location of its members.[6][7]
Member states
[edit | edit source]There are a total of 53 full ESCAP member states and nine associate members, four of the member states are not geographically located in Asia or Oceania.[8]
Full member states
[edit | edit source]The following countries are the full member states of the commission:[4]
- File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg Afghanistan# (24 April 1953)
- File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia (26 July 1994)
- File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh# (17 April 1973)
- File:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan (06 January 1972)
- File:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei Darussalam (26 July 1985)
- File:Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia# (20 August 1954)
- File:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Chinaǂ (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of North Korea.svg Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the) (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji (03 August 1979)
- File:Flag of France.svg France* ^ (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of Georgia.svg Georgia (25 July 2000)
- File:Flag of India.svg India (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia (28 September 1950)
- File:Flag of Iran.svg Iran (the Islamic Republic of) (10 July 1958)
- File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan (24 June 1954)
- File:Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati# (26 July 1991)
- File:Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg Kyrgyzstan (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Laos.svg Lao People's Democratic Republic (the) (16 February 1955)
- File:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia (17 September 1957)
- File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives (05 August 1976)
- File:Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg Marshall Islands (the) (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg Micronesia (the Federated States of) (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Mongolia.svg Mongolia (21 December 1961)
- File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar# (19 April 1948)
- File:Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru (20 July 1971)
- File:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal# (06 June 1955)
- File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands (the Kingdom of the)* (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand (08 March 1948)
- File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan (30 September 1947)
- File:Flag of Palau.svg Palau (18 July 1996)
- File:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea (27 August 1976)
- File:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines (the) (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of South Korea.svg Republic of Korea (the) (20 October 1954)
- File:Flag of Russia.svg Russian Federation (the)† (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa (05 July 1963)
- File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore (21 September 1965)
- File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands# (03 August 1979)
- File:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka (10 December 1954)
- File:Flag of Tajikistan.svg Tajikistan (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of East Timor.svg Timor-Leste# (18 July 2003)
- File:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga (20 July 1971)
- File:Flag of Turkey.svg Türkiye (18 July 1996)
- File:Flag of Turkmenistan.svg Turkmenistan (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu# (26 July 1985)
- File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)* (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of the United States.svg United States of America (the)* (28 March 1947)
- File:Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Uzbekistan (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu (27 July 1984)
- File:Flag of Vietnam.svg Viet Nam (23 August 1954)
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Notes:
* Not geographically located in Asia or Oceania
† Continuation of membership of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
ǂ Continuation of membership of the Republic of China (ROC)
^ Continuation of membership of the French Fourth Republic
Associate members
[edit | edit source]The following countries and territories are the associate members of the commission:[4]
- File:Flag of American Samoa.svg American Samoa* (28 July 1988)
- File:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands (the)* (11 July 1972)
- File:Flag of French Polynesia.svg French Polynesia* (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Guam.svg Guam* (24 July 1981)
- File:Flag of Hong Kong.svg Hong Kong, China* † (25 November 1947)
- File:Flag of Macau.svg Macao, China* ǂ (26 July 1991)
- File:Flag of FLNKS.svg New Caledonia* (31 July 1992)
- File:Flag of Niue.svg Niue* (03 August 1979)
- File:Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Northern Mariana Islands (the)* (22 July 1986)
Notes:
* Not a member state of the United Nations
† Change of name from Hong Kong to Hong Kong, China (01 July 1997)
ǂ Change of name to Macau, China (20 December 1999) and further changed to Macao, China (04 February 2000)
Locations
[edit | edit source]Headquarters
[edit | edit source]
The commission was originally located in Shanghai, China, from its foundation until 1949, when it moved its headquarters to the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.[6]
Subregional offices
[edit | edit source]The commission maintains five subregional offices in order to better target and deliver programs, given the large size of the region.[9]
The subregions and their headquarters are as follows:[10]
- East and North East Asia (ENEA) subregional headquarters – Incheon, Republic of Korea
- North and Central Asia (NCA) subregional headquarters – Almaty, Kazakhstan
- South and South West Asia (SSWA) subregional headquarters – New Delhi, India
- South East Asia (SEA) / ASEAN subregional headquarters – Jakarta, Indonesia
- The Pacific (PACIFIC) subregional headquarters – Suva, Fiji
Executive secretaries
[edit | edit source]The following is a list of the executive secretaries of the commission since its foundation:[11][12]
| Secretary | Country | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Armida S. Alisjahbana | File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia | 2018–present |
| 10 | Shamshad Akhtar | File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan | 2014–2018 |
| 9 | Noeleen Heyzer | File:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore | 2007–2014 |
| 8 | Kim Hak-su | File:Flag of South Korea.svg Republic of Korea | 2000–2007 |
| 7 | Adrianus Mooy | File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia | 1995–2000 |
| 6 | Rafeeuddin Ahmed | File:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan | 1992–1994 |
| 5 | Shah A M S Kibria | File:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh | 1981–1992 |
| 4 | J. B. P. Maramis | File:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia | 1973–1981 |
| 3 | U Nyun | File:Flag of Myanmar.svg Myanmar | 1959–1973 |
| 2 | Chakravarthi V. Narasimhan | File:Flag of India.svg India | 1956–1959 |
| 1 | Palamadai S. Lokanathan | 1947–1956 |
Themes and programmes
[edit | edit source]Implementing Sustainable Development Goals
[edit | edit source]The road map of ESCAP on coherent implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals has not prioritized specific SDGs, but rather it has identified priority areas. Third-party consultations have fed into this road map, which also aimed to activate third parties, such as UN funds, specialized agencies, and regional organizations, to provide more support to Member States. The commission furthermore engages with other regional actors to link their agendas to the SDGs. One example is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community Vision 2025. However, regional agendas outside the SDG framework are continually evolving, as exemplified by the new ASEAN Recovery Framework and ASEAN’s Vision 2040.[13]
ESCAP has also established novel tools to structure its support to its member states and others. Examples include ESCAP’s SDG Rapid Response facility, used for individual and shared support requests, and its SDG Helpdesk, which offers a platform with tools, knowledge products, expertise, good practices, advice, opportunities for peer learning, and regional South-South Cooperation.[13] ESCAP also seeks to create interaction between debtors and creditors with a focus on the small island states in the Pacific. To date, this has been done through a Regional Debt Conference, rather than some more permanent tool.[13]
See also
[edit | edit source]- United Nations System
- United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (overlapping membership)
- United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (overlapping membership)
- Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement
- Asian Highway Network
References
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External links
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