The International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy (ENERGIA), in collaboration with ESCAP, will be holding the High Level Regional Policy Meeting on Networking Towards Gender and Poverty Sensitive Energy Policies, on 3-4 November, at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok. Women in developing countries are amongst those most affected by a lack of access to energy sources such as modern fuels and electricity, as much of their time is spent on daily survival tasks, which in turn means that they have little room for self-development or for productive activities that can contribute to family incomes lifting them out of poverty. The two-day event will bring together experts and policy-makers from around the region to discuss how best to bring a gender perspective to the national energy policies of developing countries.

ESCAP is holding a series of consultations for a post-2012 climate change framework with developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region. In this consultation, to be held on 11 November, Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel, Bangkok, they will focus on: share views and ideas on the Bali follow-up; discussing innovative options for climate actions framework beyond 2012 in order to promote the active participation of the developing Asian-Pacific countries and ensure their perspectives are reflected in the negotiation process; and, identifying an effective approach on promotion of national mitigation and adaptation actions in the context of sustainable development through regional cooperation.

In collaboration with the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) is organizing a meeting of experts on “Women’s control over economic resources and access to financial resources, including microfinance,” from 12-14 November, at at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok. The meeting is part of the DAW’s preparation of the 2009 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development, which focuses on women’s control over economic resources and access to financial resources, including microfinance. The World Survey on the Role of Women in Development is presented to the Second Committee of the General Assembly at five-year intervals.

ESCAP and Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology To Hold Meetings of Technical Committee and Governing Council

The fourth meeting of the Technical Committee of ESCAP and the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) will be held 24-25 November at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok. Experts from members and associate members of ESCAP and from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations will attend the meeting of the Committee, with the latter then advising the head of APCTT on the formulation of the programme of work and on other technical matters concerning the Centre’s operations. In addition, the fourth session of the Governing Council of UNESCAP-APCTT is scheduled to be held on 26 November, also at the UN Conference Centre. The Governing Council provides guidance to APCTT in framing its programmes and policies and regional cooperation measures.