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56th ESCAP Commission annual session begins with ESCAP's Reform Efforts
ACTION UNDERWAY TO REDUCE DUPLICATION, PUBLICATIONS AND MEETINGS
Bangkok, United Nations Information Services (UNIS) --- Senior Officials from ESCAP member
countries got down to business today discussing policy and emerging issues, evaluating the work
of ESCAP and welcoming ESCAP's newest member, Georgia.
For the next three days, until 3 June, the officials will debate emerging issues as well as develop
a blueprint for ESCAP's future work. From 5 to 7 June a plan will be ready for Ministers and
high-level representatives of ESCAP's 61- member and associate members.
Top of the agenda today was an evaluation of reform efforts made by ESCAP, now underway, in
particular its efforts on restructuring by streamlining the programmes according to thematic lines,
cutting down on publications and making sure ESCAP's mandates are being implemented
effectively.
"Starting from the current biennium of 2000 - 2001 a full congruence of committees, programme
structures and organization of the Secretariat has been achieved. As well the periodicity and
duration of the meeting of Commission and its subsidiary bodies have been shortened as
mandated," Executive Secretary Mr Adrianus Mooy said adding that ESCAP reform is an
ongoing process and has many aspects,
Many delegates expressed the fact that it was too short a time to make an in-depth evaluation of
the reform efforts however they agreed that ESCAP was headed in the right direction and asked
ESCAP to continue to its efforts.
Other subjects under discussion: Regional economic cooperation, environment and natural
resources development , statistics, economic measures to alleviate poverty in rural and urban
areas, transport, communications, tourism and infrastructure development.
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