Executive Secretary's statement(040630)

Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices
First session
30 June - 2 July 2004
Bangkok

OPENING STATEMENT BY
MR. KIM HAK-SU
UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
AND THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Excellencies,
Distinguished Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the first session of the ESCAP's Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices.

I would like to start by giving you some background on the conference structure of ESCAP and the role this Subcommittee has within the structure.

As you are aware, in the year 2000, I initiated a review of ESCAP's conference structure. In May 2002, the Commission adopted resolution 58/1 on restructuring the conference structure of the Commission. The new structure was designed to refocus ESCAP's work on three thematic priorities, namely, poverty reduction, managing globalization and addressing emerging social issues. Consequently, Committees were established to cover each of these areas. To assist in the work of the Committees, specialized Subcommittees were also established. Thus, the work of the Committee on Poverty Reduction is supported by the Subcommittee on Statistics and the Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices.

The terms of reference of the Committee on Poverty Reduction contained in resolution 58/1 indicate that the goal of the Committee is to build the capacity of the members and associate members of ESCAP to design and implement better pro-poor policies and strategies aimed at poverty reduction. Furthermore, one of the tasks of the Committee is to promote the exchange of experiences and the transfer of best practices on poverty reduction, as well as human and institutional capacity-building. There is a special emphasis on:

Integrating poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental protection;
Integrating poverty reduction and population dynamics and migration;
Strengthening the economic and social position of the poor through a needs-, development- and rights-based approach;
Enhancing the participation of the poor in decision-making through community-based organizations;
Fostering the development of sustainable and affordable information and communications technology focused on the needs of the poor.

At its first session, held in Bangkok from 8 to 10 October 2003, the Committee further emphasized the significance of transferring good and innovative practices in efforts to reduce poverty. It was underscored that those involved in poverty reduction needed to learn from each other's experiences, successes and failures, in order to know what worked and what did not work, avoid mistakes, and introduce more effective approaches. This is the area covered by this Subcommittee.

Poverty is now recognized as a multifaceted complex phenomenon affected by a variety of factors that make it very difficult to translate economic growth directly into poverty reduction. Matching pro-poor economic policies with poverty reduction programmes that provide the poor with the means to seize the new economic opportunities created by these policies is an enormous challenge. Many large-scale poverty reduction programmes fail because they are imposed in a monolithic manner from the top without due consideration for the priorities, needs and conditions of the poor.

The Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices, as the name indicates, is envisaged as an expert-level body focused on operational issues, i.e. on practices. This is a forum which would allow not only policy discussions but also discussion on "how" policies can be turned into reality. We are all aware that there is often a gap between what a policy mandates and the way it is implemented. The gap is often the result of a policy formulation process which is too distant from the experience, needs and capabilities of the poor.

The need to identify and analyze successful interventions has been recognized as one of the cornerstone of any poverty reduction effort. These interventions are often local level and small scale. As the recent World Bank conference on poverty reduction in Shanghai shows, the replication and up-scaling of successful local level initiatives has to become a powerful tool in the battle against poverty.

For a long time, ESCAP has been promoting local-level intervention and has been involved in the identification, analysis and replication of poverty reduction initiatives in rural and urban areas. You can see examples of our work in the exhibition outside this meeting room. Thus, we welcome this opportunity to discuss with experts from the region our strategy and experience concerning poverty reduction practices. These discussions will allow us to refine our strategy and to better align our work with the needs and capabilities of the member states.

I look forward to the outcome of your discussions and wish you will have fruitful deliberations.

Thank you.