The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) are jointly organizing the Twelfth Session of the Consultative Meeting of Heads of Subregional Organizations on 12 March 2008. The overall theme of the meeting is “promoting Asia-Pacific linkages through regional cooperation”. There will be two sessions: a panel discussion on Sharing the Dividends of Asian High Growth through Regional Cooperation and Integration; and a joint session of Pacific leaders, the Executive Secretary of ESCAP and heads of subregional organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). The joint session will be devoted to discussing collaboration to promote regional cooperation in areas such as energy and food security, climate change, and enhancing Pacific telecommunications connectivity.

A consultation meeting between Ms. Noeleen Heyzer and Pacific leaders will be held on 13 March, for the Executive Secretary to hear their views on how ESCAP could be of more assistance to Pacific island countries. Later that day, a stakeholders' roundtable consultation on Pacific connectivity will take place, bringing together participants from the public and private sectors, and from multilaterial organizations
 

The Emerging Social Issues Division (ESID) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is implementing a project aimed at strengthening family well-being in the region through improved social services. As part of the project, two national workshops will be convened this month. The first one will be held in Colombo in collaboration with the Institute for Health Policy (IHP), an independent, non-profit research institute, on 13 and 14 March. A second workshop will be convened in Beijing on 27 and 28 March with assistance from the Center for Population and Development Studies, a research institution based at Renmin University. The workshops will provide an opportunity for policymakers, practitioners, experts and advocates from governments and non-governmental organizations to assess trends related to family and examine the accessibility, delivery and quality of social protection and services. Participants will also put forward recommendations for strengthening family well-being.

The Information, Communication and Space Technology Division (ICSTD) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will hold a symposium entitled “Towards a Regional Disaster Management Support System – Satellite Information Access Mechanism” at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok from 19 to 21 March.

The Symposium targets policymakers from national disaster management authorities and implementing agencies, and aims to enhance their understanding of the effectiveness of space technology in disaster management. In addition, the participants will discuss and identify necessary actions to establish an effective and efficient mechanism for space data distribution and utilization in disaster management. The Symposium is part of an ESCAP project entitled Towards Improved Capacity in Disaster Management Using Satellite-based and Spatial Information System in Asia and the Pacific, which is supported by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
 

The Environment and Sustainable Development Division (ESDD) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will observe World Water Day (WWDon Thursday, 20 March at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok. This year’s event will also highlight the International Year of Sanitation 2008.

The UN General Assembly declared the year 2008 to be International Year of Sanitation in order to raise awareness and to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing by half the proportion of the 2.4 billion people without access to basic sanitation by 2015. The theme for The International Year of Sanitation (IYS) is “accelerating progress on sanitation to help save lives and foster economic and social development”.

The observation programme on 20 March will include a panel discussion on “International Year of Sanitation – 2008: Strategies and Lessons Learned for Action at all Levels”. The highlights of the Panel Discussion include the message of the United Nations Secretary-General, statement of the Deputy Executive Secretary of the ESCAP and a keynote speech by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of the Sulabh Sanitation & Social Reform Movement and a special presentation of Mr Jack Sim, Founder and CEO of the World Toilet Organization.

As part of the observance, an exhibition will take place from 19 to 21 March 2008 to feature the achievements of various water/sanitation-related efforts by Thailand and by international organizations working in the region.
 

The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2008, the flagship publication of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), will be launched at about 20 locations throughout the region and in New York and Geneva on 27 March. The main launch, which will be attended by ESCAP’s Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer and India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry, the Hon. Kamal Nath, will be held in New Delhi. The Survey, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, examines the Asia-Pacific region’s key short- and medium-term prospects and challenges in macroeconomic and selected social areas. The Survey also explores critical long-term development issues relevant to all developing countries in the region. This year, it highlights the fact that chronic neglect of the region’s agricultural sector is condemning 218 million people to persistent poverty, and widening the gap between the region’s rich and poor. The Survey suggests policies for addressing these issues. It also examines the potential effects of the US subprime crisis on the region’s short-term economic prospects.
 

In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will join other entities of the United Nations system in Thailand to organize a special event on Friday, 7 March 2008 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC).This year’s global theme is “Investing in Women and Girls”, which highlights the importance of financial and other resources for the promotion of women’s empowerment and the multiplier effect of investing in women on economic growth and development. The special event will feature two keynote presentations on financing for gender equality, a panel dialogue, an exhibition, and a film screening. The keynote speakers are H.E. Ms. Latha Reddy, Ambassador of India to Thailand, and H.E. Mr. Pieter Jozef Theofile Marres, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Thailand.In addition, the event will feature a briefing on the United Nations Secretary-General's Campaign to End Violence against Women which was launched in February. The UN estimates that at least one out of every three women in the world is likely to be beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime.