Conference Cycle
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Working Group of the Advisory Council
The Working Group was set-up to facilitate closer dialogue
between the Pacific Operations Centre and its stakeholders
in the Pacific on priority areas of work based on the Mauritius Strategy. The Working Group
meets twice a year in Suva. Its membership comprises representatives
of Pacific island Governments and Australia and New Zealand.
Key Pacific regional agencies under the Council of Regional
Organisations in the Pacific (CROP)
and the UN Resident Coordinator in Suva also participate in
the Working Group.
The Working Group of the Advisory Council;
- Advises on the formulation and implementation of the work programme of the Centre;
- Advises on the Commission’s overall work programme in the Pacific, taking into account the priorities of the Pacific Plan as well as the Commission’s strategic framework;
- Reviews operational issues of the Centre as well as monitoring and evaluation reports of its work programme;
- Advises on the agenda and engages in substantive discussions on issues related to the Pacific in preparation for the annual sessions of the Commission, the biennial sessions of the Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries and other intergovernmental meetings, as required;
- Advises on ways to elevate the visibility of Pacific island developing countries and territories at the Commission and to strengthen services from ESCAP to the Pacific; and
- Promotes closer collaboration between the Commission and its members and associate members, United Nations Specialized Agencies, Funds and Programmes and subregional bodies in the Pacific.
ESCAP also maintains close cooperation with member countries through the
Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives that meets regularly in Bangkok
| Participants at the First Session of the Working Group |
- Working Group of the Advisory Council, Third Session, 01 November 2007, Suva, Fiji.
- Working Group, Second Session, 19 April 2007, Suva, Fiji
- Working Group, First Session, 23 November 2006, Suva, Fiji
Terms of Reference of the Working Group of the Advisory Council
Advisory Council of the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre
To strengthen the capacity of the United Nations ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre (EPOC) for the purposes of taking into account views and advice from Pacific island developing countries and territories in relation to the processes of monitoring and evaluating the EPOC’s work programme activities and accomplishments and formulating its work programme priorities and objectives within given ESCAP mandates, an EPOC Advisory Council is established:
The EPOC Advisory Council;
- Provides advice on the formulation of the biennial work programme priorities of the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre;
- Provides advice on formulating the EPOC's subprogramme in the context of ESCAP’s strategic framework;
- Reviews and provides comments on operational issues,work programme monitoring and evaluation reports of EPOC; and
- Provides advice on the perspectives of Pacific island developing countries and territories regarding Pacific regional development priorities and the implementation of internationally agreed goals and targets, which may need to be mainstreamed into the work programme mandates of EPOC.
The membership of the Advisory Council comprises ministerial representatives or their delegates from the 19 Pacific island members and associate members of ESCAP and representatives from Australia and New Zealand. The Advisory council meets every second year in conjunction with the Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries and has a Working Group that meets twice a year in Suva.
Advisory Council, Second Session, 5 April 2006, Jakarta, Indonesia;
Report of Meeting; Agenda; Work programme of United Nations ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre (2006-7) and Strategic Directions;
Terms of Reference of the Advisory Council of UN-EPOC
Advisory Council, Third Session, 23 April 2008, Bangkok;
Report of Meeting, Agenda, The Commission's activities in the Pacific during the biennium 2008-2009
Special Body on Landlocked and Least Developed Countries
The Special Body on Landlocked and Least Developed Countries provides a forum for addressing the special issues and problems facing this group of countries in the spirit of regional cooperation. In the Pacific, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu belong to this group of countries..
Documents from sessions on Special Bodies, 8th Session : (Documents, Report), (Previous Sessions)
Terms of Reference of the Special Body on Landlocked and Least Developed Countries
Commission
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) meets annually to provide a forum for governments of the region to review and discuss economic and social issues, strengthen regional cooperation and set directions for the Secretariat’s work programme. It brings together ministers and senior officials from the 62 ESCAP member countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission is also regularly attended by senior representatives of international and regional organizations such as the Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations specialised agencies, World Bank, and World Trade Organisation.
The Commission provides a forum for countries to:
- influence the global and regional policy agenda on economic and social policy issues;
- set the work programme of the Commission; and
- network with senior government, private sector and civil society representatives.
There are three thematic
ESCAP Committees that report to the Commission. These are:
- the Committee on Emerging Social Issues;
- the Committee on Managing Globalization; and
- the Committee on Poverty Reduction.
In addition there are two Special Bodies:
Conference structure
The annual Commission sessions also include a number of side events, most notably the Asia-Pacific Business Forum. The Commission reports to the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Influencing the global and regional policy agenda on economic and social policy issues
The outcomes of UN Conferences set the global policy agenda and influence policies advocated by international and regional organizations and the types of projects that bi-lateral donors fund. Active engagement in this process by Pacific island countries ensures that their priorities and concerns are reflected in global and regional decisions.
The preparatory work of identifying priority issues and formulating policy options of the global policy agenda takes place at the regional level. The regional Commissions assist with the implementation and monitoring outcomes of global conventions and other regional initiatives.
The Commission provides a forum for countries to address regional concerns and to put forward regional solutions or seek support for tackling issues within a sub-region, or smaller group of countries. Recent examples of regional frameworks include the
Biwako Millennium Framework for Action (ESCAP resolution 58/4, 2002) that establishes a framework to address disability issues in the Asia-Pacific region. Similarly, the
Pacific Urban Agenda (ESCAP resolution 60/7, 2004) addresses urban management issues in the Pacific sub-region.
The Commission is also an avenue to bring additional recognition to or strengthen regional initiatives. For example, ESCAP resolution 62/12, which was submitted to ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly, gives UN recognition to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s
Pacific Plan.
Thematic brief: Work of ESCAP
Documents of sessions of the Commission; adopted resolutions and annual reports by year.
Selected resolutions for the Pacific:
- 62/9. Regional follow-up to the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
- 62/12. Strengthening Pacific island developing countries and territories through regional cooperation
- 60/6. Revitalization of the United Nations ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre
- 60/7. Pacific Urban Agenda
- 58/4. Promoting an inclusive, barrier-free and rights -based society for people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region in the twenty-first
