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UNESCAP
eNews Bulletin United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
June 2004
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Bolder UNESCAP/ADB
partnership for regional cooperation
Taking full advantage of the comparative strengths
of both organizations, UNESCAP and the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) have unveiled a results-oriented Memorandum
of Understanding to work more closely together to tackle poverty in
the Asia-Pacific region. UNESCAP Executive Secretary Mr.
Kim Hak-Su (pictured left) and Mr. Tadao Chino, President of ADB
(right), signed the MOU on future cooperation on 16 May during ADB’s
37th Annual Meeting. “It is essential that the two major organizations
in Asia and the Pacific lead the way in producing results for the benefit
of the people in the region,” said Mr. Kim. The agreement follows
up on commitments made by ADB and UNESCAP at the International Conference
on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico, and the World
Summit on Sustainable Development which took place in Johannesburg,
South Africa. “This new MOU will be a model for regional cooperation
in the 21st century in accord with the true spirit of Monterrey and
Johannesburg,” noted Mr. Chino. The agreement ends in 2015 which
coincides with the target date for achieving the UN
Millennium Development Goals.
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International Day of
UN Peacekeepers observed
The UN family in Bangkok paid tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations on 28 May 2004 with a special ceremony to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Among the special guests taking part were H.E. General Surayud Chulanont, Privy Councillor of the Royal Thai Government and General Winai Phattiyakul, Secretary-General of Thailand’s National Security Council. Today, more than 53,000 uniformed personnel and at least 11,000 civilian staff from 94 countries serve in 15 missions. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in 1988. The event was organized by the UNIS Bangkok.
The UN family in Bangkok paid tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations on 28 May 2004 with a special ceremony to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Among the special guests taking part were H.E. General Surayud Chulanont, Privy Councillor of the Royal Thai Government and General Winai Phattiyakul, Secretary-General of Thailand’s National Security Council. Today, more than 53,000 uniformed personnel and at least 11,000 civilian staff from 94 countries serve in 15 missions. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in 1988. The event was organized by the UNIS Bangkok.
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Training workshops in the Saemaul Undong methodology
are being held in Cambodia (pictured right), Lao PDR and Nepal as part
of UNESCAP's ongoing efforts to reduce poverty in the region. The pilot
project, supported by funds from the Republic of Korea and UNESCAP, focuses
on “best practices” on rural community development in an effort
to increase household incomes and enhance quality of life for the rural
poor. A grassroots effort that transformed rural areas in the Republic
of Korea in the 1970s, Saemaul Undong promotes diligence, self-help
and cooperation with the ultimate goal of improving physical, social and
economic infrastructure. UNESCAP's Poverty
Reduction Section is implementing the project.
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Workshop on Implementing
e-Government
Implementing e-Goverment was the topic of a regional
workshop held from 31 May — 4 June at the UN
Conference Centre, Bangkok. Co-organized by UNESCAP, Asian
Development Bank Institute and the Government
of France, the seminar focused on the current status and trends
of implementing e-Government, benefits and issues associated with implementing
e-Government strategy, ways to design e-Government for the poor and
legal aspects, among others. Over 50 participants, observers and resource
persons from 15 countries attended the week-long meeting presented by
UNESCAP's Information,
Communication and Space Technology Division.
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2005 Fellowship on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs has called for applications for the 2005 Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship on the Law of the Sea. Named in memory of the first President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, it has gained wide acclaim for its academic contribution to the overall understanding and implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Fellowship is intended primarily to advance the proficiency and capacity of government officials, research fellows or academics from developing countries who are involved in the law of the sea or ocean affairs. More information may be found at the UN's Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea.
The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs has called for applications for the 2005 Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe Fellowship on the Law of the Sea. Named in memory of the first President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, it has gained wide acclaim for its academic contribution to the overall understanding and implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Fellowship is intended primarily to advance the proficiency and capacity of government officials, research fellows or academics from developing countries who are involved in the law of the sea or ocean affairs. More information may be found at the UN's Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea.
Up-coming
Events
- International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (4 June)
- World Environment Day (5 June)
- World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June)
- World Refugee Day (20 June)
- International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June)
- WTO/ESCAP Regional Seminar on Trade and Development (29 June - 1 July)
- Subcommittee on Poverty Reduction Practices (30 June - 2 July)
For further event details, please visit
UNESCAP at: www.unescap.org
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