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Sixty-first session of the Commission
12-18 May 2005
Bangkok

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

(Wednesday, 18 May 2005)

 

Mr. Chairman
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the 61st session of the Commission draws to a close, may I, first of all, express my deep appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, for the able manner in which you have guided our deliberations.  My sincere thanks also go to all the Vice-Chairpersons; the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of the  three  Committees  of  the  Whole, as well as the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Working Group on Draft Resolutions for the very significant contributions they have made to the work of the Commission.

I also wish to express my deep appreciation to the Royal Thai Government for its assistance towards the holding of this 61st session.  As the host country, Thailand has consistently provided its generous support to the Commission and the secretariat.

I also wish to express my deep appreciation to the distinguished delegates who participated in the Ministerial Roundtable on Financing for Development and the special High-level Panel on Tsunami Recovery Development.

I should also like to express my deep appreciation to all the distinguished representatives for upholding the traditional Asian spirit of harmony and consensus during this session.

Mr. Chairman,

My colleagues in the secretariat and I feel much encouraged by the outcome of our deliberations. Especially encouraging was the High-level Panel on Tsunami Recovery and the Ministerial Roundtable on Financing for Development.

The collective deliberations at the High-level Panel represent a common road map towards the medium- to long-term post-tsunami recovery. Key challenges and ways forward to post-tsunami recovery have been identified and outlined. These will serve as a boost to the ongoing recovery process, including work on the multi-hazard and multi-nodal early warning system.

We also feel heartened by the interventions during the Ministerial Roundtable on the theme topic of "Implementing the Monterrey Consensus in the Asia Pacific Region". The views exchanged on achieving coherence and consistency in financing for development is yet another step forward in building bridges between monetary, finance and trading systems.  I note the recommendation/proposal by the Commission to further explore the setting up of an Asian Investment Bank to meet the investment needs for infrastructure development. To this end, the secretariat will carry out a study on the matter.  Findings of the study will be submitted to the next Commission session in conjunction with the theme topic of the 62nd session on "Enhancing regional cooperation in infrastructure development, including that related to disaster management". 

Mr. Chairman,

I note with much appreciation the endorsement of the Regional Implementation Plan for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2006-2010, and the Seoul Initiative on Green Growth. Your endorsement will enable the secretariat to provide the capacity-building to improve the environmental sustainability of production and consumption.

I have also noted the importance that delegations have attached to the social dimensions of development.  Many statements during the 61st session of the Commission have emphasized that not only is social development the ultimate goal of economic development, in fact it is a necessary component.

This session has highlighted other problems of lagging development in rural areas, youth unemployment, gender inequalities, inadequate levels of education and health care, irregular migration, trafficking in humans, population ageing, and disability, among others.

The preparations for and follow-up to global conferences constitutes a central plank in the work of the United Nations in the economic and social fields.  The coming months will see us actively engaged in the preparations for the September General Assembly.  It will undertake, among other things, a comprehensive review of the progress made in the fulfillment of all the commitments contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration (MDG+5), including the internationally agreed development goals.

Mr. Chairman,

I am pleased that the Commission endorsed Resolution 61/1  as part of the Mid-term Review of the Conference structure. Especially encouraging was the sense that we are on track with the reform process as evinced during the discussions on the review of the implementation of Commission Resolution 58/1. Your constructive comments and suggestions are much appreciated, and the secretariat will strengthen its effort in this direction.

I am pleased that the Commission endorsed the draft 2-year programme of work for 2006-2007, which reflects ESCAP's further development of the results based approach.

We are also gratified by the positive tone of the discussions during this session on the review of the regional institutions, namely, APCTT, SIAP, APCAEM and CAPSA. The Commission's support for our ongoing efforts to strengthen the work of ESCAP's regional institutes' is encouraging.  We will continue to strive to make our regional institutes more viable and relevant to the full ESCAP membership.

We welcome the Commission's endorsement of the Resolution for the Establishment of the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technologies for Development as a Follow-up Action of WSIS. The capacity-building objective of this center will surely benefit especially the developing and least developed countries in this region to close the prevalent digital divide.

Mr. Chairman,

My colleagues in the secretariat and I will exert our best efforts to implement in the most efficient manner possible the Commission's directives and recommendations as well as the resolutions adopted.  In that regard, I would appeal to both traditional and non-traditional donors to enhance their funding support to ESCAP and the regional institutions.

I acknowledge the Commission's decision on the Theme Topic for the 62nd session: "Enhancing regional cooperation in infrastructure development, including that related to disaster management". I assure you of the secretariat's commitment to the production of a cutting-edge analysis and innovative recommendations on the subject.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Representatives,

Finally, I would like to express our particular appreciation to the host Government of Thailand, and the numerous sponsors who auspiciously contributed to the organization of all the special events, receptions, luncheons and dinners in addition to information materials.

Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Representatives,

On behalf of the ESCAP secretariat, I wish to thank you all for your participation at this session and look forward to welcoming you again at the 62nd session in Indonesia.

Finally, I wish to conclude my remarks with an ancient Asian proverb that says, "Where there is a will, there will be a road".  I hope our common will of today may pave the road for tomorrow.

Thank you.