UNESCAP eNews Bulletin

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
www.unescap.org
July 2004

UNESCAP, UNECE focus on Central Asia, International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea
Mr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, held a joint mission to the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan with his counterpart at the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Ms. Brigita Schmögnerová, as a follow up to letters from the UN Secretary-General to the Presidents of the six member countries of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA). The two Executive Secretaries signed an MoU with the President of Tajikistan, who is also the President of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), for cooperation in the implementation of thematic programmes and capacity building of IFAS. Mr. Kim also visited Kazakhstan where he focused on two initiatives undertaken by UNESCAP for Central Asia which address human security threats to disadvantaged communities and drought preparedness network.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to open AIDS conference, pay State visit to Thailand
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will open the XV International AIDS Conference being held this year in Bangkok and will pay an official visit to Thailand from 10–13  July. Mr. Annan will also open the 2nd Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on HIV/AIDS. In the course of his official visit, the Secretary-General will have an audience with His Majesty the King of Thailand and will also meet with the Thai Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister.
"Partners for Health" project brings hope to people living with HIV/AIDS
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Centre for People and Families Living with AIDS (CPA) have signed an agreement to improve the access of people living with HIV/AIDS in Bangkok to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and related health-care services. The partnership was initiated through UNESCAP's "Partners for Health" project and implemented with Thailand's Department of Disease Control, the Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS and BMA hospitals. Witnessing the signing was Ms. Nanda Krairiksh (left), Chief, UNESCAP Programme Management Division.
First session of Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices opens
H.E. Mr. Ly Thuch, Minister for Rural Development in Cambodia, will open the first session of UNESCAP's Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices which meets in Bangkok from 30 June-2 July at the UN Conference Centre. The Subcommittee will advise UNESCAP on ways to create an enabling environment for successful poverty reduction practices and give feedback on implementing UNESCAP's poverty reduction strategies. Participants will take part in an interactive forum on a selection of poverty reduction areas of UNESCAP's work including poverty alleviation through tourism development, poverty and HIV/AIDS, poverty and sustainable development, and urban poverty and slums. The meeting is being organized by UNESCAP's Poverty and Development Division.

Professor Sachs: Poor Must Be Rescued to Ensure Safer Future in Region
Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, Professor Jeffrey Sachs told a gathering in Bangkok that the poor must be rescued from their plight and encouraged the region to achieve many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He was speaking at a public lecture at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok organized by UNESCAP, UNDP and the National Economic and Social Development Board of Thailand. Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh opened the lecture. The talk was part of the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Poverty and Economic Development which met in Bangkok from 24-26 June 2004.
Legal experts seek harmonized development of e-commerce systems in Asia–Pacific
UNESCAP's Trade and Investment Division, the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO, with the support of the French Government, are organizing an international forum to discuss current challenges and capacity building needs related to the development of e-commerce systems in the region. Leading experts from Europe, America and the region are expected to attend the meeting from 7–9 July in the UN Conference Centre. The event is a follow-up to the UNCTAD-UNESCAP Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on E-Commerce Strategies for Development and the World Summit on the Information Society.

Senior UNESCAP delegation discusses priority needs with representatives of DPRK
Three senior UNESCAP officials – Principal Officer, Chief, Transport and Tourism Division, and Chief, Technical Cooperation Section, Programme Management Division – visited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from 15-19 June to identify and assess the country's technical cooperation needs in a variety of areas. Discussions centred on existing initiatives for subregional cooperation in environment, energy, transport and statistics. The team reported very successful meetings with various Government offices and agencies who expressed keen interest in seeking technical cooperation in these areas as well as water.


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