The new Poverty and Development Division was created in 1 January 2003 as part of the restructuring in UNESCAP to forge greater synergy between research and operational activities in poverty reduction. Its key objectives are:
· To strengthen the capacity of UNESCAP members and associate members to identify and analyse opportunities and constraints for poverty eradication and
· To design and implement policies and programmes to reduce poverty in accordance with the relevant millennium development goals

The Division undertakes a blend of multidisciplinary research and operational activities on pro-poor policies and strategies and the macroeconomic, socio-economic and institutional aspects of poverty reduction as well as gender dimensions of poverty. Special attention is paid to the emerging economic and social issues faced by least developed, landlocked and island developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Key recurrent publications of the division are:

Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, an annual publication which has a track record of over 50 years in increasing the understanding of the economic and social development situation in the region

Bulletin on Asia-Pacific Perspectives, the only annual publication of its kind in the region, which, besides providing a mid-term assessment of socio-economic developments, contains distilled experience, and perception of issues facing the region

The Asia-Pacific Development Journal, published twice a year, provides a medium of exchange of knowledge and experience on empirically based, policy-oriented articles on economic and social development

In addition the Division publishes development papers, monograph series on poverty reduction and manuals on good practices in poverty reduction.

Three sections handle the work of the division:

- Development Policy
- Socio-economic Analysis
- Poverty Reduction

Development Policy

The Section undertakes analytical studies and policy-oriented research on medium to long-term issues in a number of areas of economic concern, and in particular in the development of an analytical framework for poverty reduction.

The areas of priority research are:
- Millennium Development Goal issues for implementation with special focus on policies addressing education and health, poverty-environment nexus and socio-economic issues of the digital divide
- Micro-macro linkages, particularly in developing a framework of how micro level interventions support economic growth objectives in reducing poverty
- Financing for Development issues emanating from the Monterrey Consensus
- Poverty Impact Evaluation

Its research is disseminated through the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, the Bulletin on Asia-Pacific Perspectives and the Development Paper Series as well as ad hoc publications.

Socio-economic Analysis

The Section co-ordinates the publication of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, the Bulletin on Asia-Pacific Perspectives and as well as undertakes policy-based research on economic policy issues facing the region.

The first issue of the Survey came in 1949, and the Section has a long history of following the evolving panorama of economic and social development in the region, and gives the Survey a unique institutional memory within the Asia Pacific region. .

The Section organises meetings of Eminent Persons and Development Experts to discuss key development issues as well as provide a “peer review” of work done by the Division.

Its areas of special focus are:

- Reviewing and analysing recent socio-economic trends and policy developments in the region and proposing options and solutions for current development issues
- Identifying emerging economic challenges in such areas as economic governance, financial sector policies and globalisation to draw out policy options and institutional frameworks to deal with such challenges
- Undertaking research and studies on topics of special interest to island developing economies and economies in transition

Poverty Reduction

The Section handles operational activities to support poverty reduction in both rural and urban areas. The operational activities are geared towards the documentation, testing and dissemination of good practices in poverty reduction through pilot projects, and to the provision of advice and assistance to build the capacity of countries in the region to adapt and replicate these practices.

The best practices are focused specially on income and employment generating activities, community development, provision of services to the poor and the role of ICT in poverty reduction. A special area of concern is rural-urban linkage to gain a better understanding of relationships between urban and rural areas to bring about greater co-ordination in planning and delivery of services.

Its special focus areas and projects are:

- Provision of basic services to the poor through public-private partnerships
- Management of water resources for poverty reduction
- Support local governments and regional networks in poverty reduction activities
- Support urban poverty reduction programmes in such areas as slum improvement, women in local government and human security
- Participation of the urban poor in environment management
- Replication of Saemaul Undong practices in least developed countries
- ICT and Poverty issues

In all these areas, the Section promotes regional cooperation and exchange of experiences through capacity building of national, sub-national and local governments, NGOs and CBOs, research and training institutes as well as regional institutes and networks. A special concern is women’s representation in policy-making bodies.