The mandate of ESCAP, as the Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific, is to act as the main economic and social development centre of the United Nations system within the Asia and the Pacific region and as executing agency for inter-country development projects in their own right. ESCAP also plays a role as a "think-tank" and catalyst for regional cooperation ventures. Its role as inter-governmental forum assumes particular significance in the absence of any other institutional arrangement for region-wide, high level political discussions among Governments.

Vision and Mission of the Human Settlements Section

The vision of the Human Settlements Section is the creation of people friendly human settlements which are:

• Economically productive
• Socially just
• Politically participatory
• Ecologically sustainable
• Culturally vibrant

To achieve this vision the mission of the Human Settlements Section is to develop the capacities of indigenous regional and sub-regional institutions and organizations, to undertake regional cooperation and exchange of experience, with the Human Settlements Section catalyzing debates and discussions on emerging trends, cutting edge issues, alternative development strategies among various actors and levels of government, and coordinating regional programmes of regional and international organizations within and outside the United Nations System. The Human Settlements Section considers central government agencies and organizations, sub-national and local government authorities, research and training institutes, civil society organizations, non-governmental and community-based organizations, and private sector organizations as its clients and partners in achieving its vision and mission.

Key activities

The Global Plan of Action, emanating from the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), as well as the Regional Action Plan on Urbanization in Asia and the Pacific, adopted by the Ministerial Conference on Urbanization in Asia and the Pacific specify clear mandates for ESCAP to:

1. Promote regional cooperation and exchange of experience
   
   • Capacity building of national, sub-national and local governments, NGOs and CBOs, research and training institutes, and the media through exchange of information and experience, joint training, etc. on innovations.
   • Strengthening indigenous regional institutions and networks such as CityNet, TRISHNET, IULA-ASPAC, ACHR, AIT, SAARC, ASEAN, ECO and EPOC.
   • Information clearing house services through databases on projects and experts, needs/resource matching, and a human settlements website.
     
     
2. Explore alternative development strategies, advocate policy and institutional reforms and promote debates and discussions between various actors and levels of government
   
   • Urban forums at the local, sub-national, national, sub-regional and regional levels
   • Governance and peoples participation
   • People based, sustainable and gender sensitive planning, development and management of urban areas
     
     
3. Coordinate among regional programmes and with national projects
   
   • Inter-organizational subcommittee on urbanization to coordinate regional assistance programmes of organizations within and outside the United Nations system.
   • Facilitating links between the regional and country programmes of the United Nations system.