ESCAP’s Transport Division will organize the Meeting of Executives of National Associations of Freight Forwarding and Logistics Service Providers on 2 June 2009 to be followed by the Regional Forum of Freight Forwarders, Multimodal Transport Operators and Logistics Service on 4 June 2009. The meeting on 2 June provides an opportunity for committee members of the National Associations to consult with ESCAP and share information on policy issues. The Regional meeting on 4 June will focus on the impact of the economic crisis on the transport industry, guidelines for multimodal transport operators and logistics service providers, development of transport corridors and logistics and capacity building. The meetings are a major event in the calendar of the freight forwarding and logistics industry in the ESCAP region.

The Tenth Meeting of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) will be convened on 3 and 4 June 2009 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The meeting is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and hosted by ESCAP. The UNRSC comprises WHO, the five regional commissions of the United Nations, the World Bank, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as well as other international agencies, governments, non-governmental organizations, donors, research agencies and the private sector from transport, health and safety sectors working to reduce road traffic accidents. Participants will discuss how the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration can promote and strengthen international collaboration in reducing road traffic injuries.

ESCAP, in collaboration with the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEI) will organize the seventh meeting of the Working Group on Energy Planning and Policy (WG-EPP), from 3 to 4 June 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand. Government officials and experts from China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation will attend the meeting. The seventh WG-EPP meeting will examine progress made in the preparation for the (a) Joint Study on Energy Production Potential and Development Plans in North-East Asian Countries, Phase 2, (b) second North-East Asia Government-Business Dialogue (GBD-2), (c) fifth session of the SOC, and (d) Five-year Strategy for the Implementation of Energy Cooperation in North-East Asia. The Phase 2 of the two-year joint study is an in-depth assessment of midstream (pipelines, power plants and grids) and downstream (refineries) activities in China, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation. The North-East Asia GBD-2, tentatively scheduled for September 2009, will bring together government officials and business executives to discuss expansion of energy development and trade in North-East Asia, particularly in the coal and electricity sectors.

ESCAP’s Social Development Division and the Regional Office for South East Asia of OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) are co-organizing the Expert Group Meeting on the Harmonization of National Legislations with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Asia and the Pacific, from 8 to 10 June 2009. The meeting, at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, aims to assess progress in harmonizing domestic legislative frameworks in ten Asia-Pacific countries with the CRPD. Legal and disability experts from ten countries including Bangladesh, China, Turkmenistan, the Philippines and Vanuatu will make presentations on the topic and formulate recommendations. The Expert Group Meeting will be followed by the Regional Inter-agency Meeting on the Promotion and Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific on 11 and 12 June 2009 at the UNCC in Bangkok. The Inter-agency Meeting is being co-organized by the OHCHR’s Regional Office for South East Asia and the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The meeting aims to promote inter-agency cooperation at the regional level, following the work of the UN Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities convened at the global level. Representatives of ITU and WHO will attend the Meeting.

A special ceremony will be organized on June 11 by ESCAP to celebrate the entry into force of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network. Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP will preside over the ceremony which will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok from 2 to 5 pm. Covering 114,000 km of rail routes linking 28 Asian countries, the Trans-Asian Railway Network offers efficient rail transport services for goods and passengers within the region and between Asia and Europe. The Agreement has been signed by 22 countries and enters into force following ratification by eight countries - Cambodia, China, India, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Thailand. Congratulatory video messages from Ministers of Railways from eight countries (Parties to the Agreement) will be shown during the ceremony together with a presentation on the Network by the Director of ESCAP’s Transport Division. Bangkok-based diplomats representing ESCAP members and associate members as well as international organizations based in Bangkok will attend the ceremony. A Press Conference will be held from 2:40 to 3:40 pm.

ESCAP’s Trade and Investment Division will organize a one day Workshop on Communication Strategy for Global Compact Local Networks (GCLN) on 11 June 2009 back to back with the VII Annual Local Networks Forum (ALNF) in Istanbul. The meeting is part of an ESCAP project entitled Investors for Development (I4D), which aims to increase the contribution of business to sustainable development. Effective communication strategies to promote the principles of the Global Compact and capacity building of local networks are the main focus of the meeting. In a series of interactive workshops and presentations, the I4D team together with the country representatives of the local networks will address the needs of better communication by GCLNs in order to further increase the number of Global Compact signatories of companies implementing GC/CSR principles. Specific operational aspects of an effective communication strategy will be included in the ESCAP workshop, e.g. training on relationship management and the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT), for increasing visibility and awareness of GCLNs’ activities in Asia and the Pacific.

ESCAP, in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID), UK, the Energy Research Institute/National Development and Reform Commission (ERI/NDRC), China and CITYNET is organizing an Asia Pacific Forum on Low Carbon Economy, from 17 to 20 June 2009 in Beijing. The Forum aims to support developing countries in Asia and the Pacific in formulating a clearer vision and strategy towards a low carbon development path that promotes energy security, climate change mitigation/adaptation and poverty reduction. The Forum will discuss the benefits, opportunities and challenges involved in adopting a low carbon development path, consider the implications of the post-2012 climate change regime, and recommend policy options and priority areas, including effective regulatory arrangements, innovative financing mechanisms and supporting instruments for R&D and widespread applications of clean energy technologies at national and municipality levels. On 20 June, the Forum will hold sector-specific discussions on strategies and policy options to promote a low carbon economy, including the following fora: Mayors, CEOs, Academia and Technology Development.