ESCAP plays a key role in convening intergovernmental forums at the highest levels of diverse line ministries in Asia and the Pacific. It has the established capacity and infrastructure to promote regional cooperation and facilitate the adoption of regional approaches to addressing cross-border and multi-country issues. It fulfils this mandate through undertaking a combination of normative, analytical and technical cooperation work.

ESCAP has a mandate to work on issues related to climate change through its subprogramme on Environment and sustainable development as contained in the ESCAP Strategic Framework 2006-2007, adopted by the General Assembly. More specifically, ESCAP is mandated to work on climate change under the promotion of environmentally sustainable economic growth in the Asian and Pacific region (known as the Green Growth approach). The Green Growth approach had been adopted by the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development held in March 2005 in Seoul and subsequently endorsed by Commission resolution 61/9 on the “Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific” (copy attached). On climate change, ESCAP’s focus is on addressing “eco-efficiency” as a vital component of the Green Growth approach and in the promotion of regional implementation of international environmental conventions. More...