UN regional forum recommends ways to promote accessibility for persons with disabilities
Participants from 15 Asian-Pacific countries adopted a declaration at a regional United Nations meeting laying out 20 recommendations aimed at improving accessibility for persons with disabilities. The "Takayama Declaration on Development of Community for All" lays out recommendations on regional networking, advocacy, policy development, research and data collection, capacity building and resource mobilization on improving accessibility. [27 November 2009]

Asia-Pacific countries ask UN to lead development of regional financial architecture
The regional arm of the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific has been asked to take a leading role in supporting the development of a regional financial architecture, including the creation of a regional crisis management mechanism. This was one of the outcomes of a meeting - held by ESCAP - which concluded in Bangkok today. [26 November 2009]

UN report provides year-end snapshot of Asia-Pacific’s recovery from economic crisis
As 2009 draws to a close, ensuring sustained recovery in the new global economic panorama has brought greater prominence to the role of regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific, and of the need for the region to drive its own development in order to act as an anchor for global recovery in the future, according to a year-end update of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2009, which will be launched on Monday, 30 November, at 11 a.m., at FCCT in Bangkok. [25 November 2009]

Cutting red tape key to promote trade within Asia-Pacific: joint UN/ADB report
Reducing trade transaction costs by cutting red tape can bring significant benefits to economies in Asia and the Pacific, according to a new publication from the United Nations ESCAP and ADB. Designing and Implementing Trade Facilitation in Asia and Pacific, released today in Bangkok at the first Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum, says that despite falling tariffs and the removal of import quotas, there remain significant costs to international trade associated with unnecessarily complex customs and border procedures, or with inefficient transit arrangements. [25 November 2009]

Eminent scholars highlight UN’s role in shaping core global values
The United Nations has not only played a significant role in developing core values such as human rights and gender equality but also in giving those ideas their practical form and carrying them forward, according to two eminent scholars overseeing a project to document the intellectual history of the organization. [24 November 2009]