Objective of the Organization : To strengthen regional cooperation and integration in trade, investment, finance and technology transfer in the ESCAP region in support of inclusive and sustainable development

Strategy

The substantive responsibility for the subprogramme would lie with the Trade and Investment Division, with support from the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology and the United Nations Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery. The strategic direction of the subprogramme is mainly derived from the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, the 2005 World Summit Outcome, the Almaty Programme of Action: Addressing the Special Needs of Landlocked Developing Countries within a New Global Framework for Transit Transport Cooperation for Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries, the Shanghai Declaration, Economic and Social Council resolutions 2005/38, on the statute of the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology, and 2005/37, on the statute of the United Nations Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery, and Commission resolution 62/6 on managing globalization through strengthened regional cooperation in trade and investment.

To meet its objectives, the subprogramme would be implemented through a combination of analytical and policy-oriented research, including capacity-building and promotion of technology transfer, and experience sharing and multi-stakeholder policy dialogues. Common frameworks that advance regional integration in trade, investment and finance, technology transfer and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, including agricultural enterprises, in a manner supportive of the multilateral trade system and other multilateral agreements of relevance would be pursued. The deepening, expansion and strengthening of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement would form a key pillar of the work, while regional cooperation among research institutions through the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade and the expansion of the proposed Asia-Pacific forum for efficient trade as important regional cooperative mechanisms for facilitating trade would also be promoted. In the area of finance, emphasis would be placed on promoting regional cooperation and integration mechanisms to facilitate regional financial flows and the mobilization of finance for trade and investment.

The Commission would collaborate at the regional, subregional and national levels with the agencies of the United Nations system and with other bilateral and multilateral agencies. In particular, partnerships would be strengthened with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization in the area of trade; with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO and the World Bank in the areas of investment, technology transfer and enterprise development; and with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in the area of finance.