What’s Ahead @ UNESCAP: A look at upcoming meetings and events in January 2010

What’s Ahead @ ESCAP

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

www.unescap.org		Janaury 2010
Progress in Implementation of Brussels Programme of Action to be Focus of High-Level Meeting in Bangladesh ESCAP, in cooperation with the Government of Bangladesh, is organizing a High-level Asia-Pacific policy dialogue on the Brussels Programme of Action (BPoA), scheduled to be held from 18 to 20 January in Dhaka. The meeting is part of the preparatory process of the regional review to be conducted during the 66th ESCAP Commission session. The main objective of the meeting is to facilitate the assessment and the formulation of a regional position on the progress made in the implementation of the BPoA for the decade 2001-2010 by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and identify key issues that would require global and regional cooperation to further advance the objectives of the programme. GA resolution 63/227 of 19 December 2008 calls for the convening of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries at the high level in 2011. The Outcome document of the regional review will be presented at the 66th ESCAP Commission session for further discussion by member Governments and endorsement by the Commission as the Asia-Pacific region’s input to the global review of the implementation of the BPoA to be held in Turkey in 2011. The Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh is expected to inaugurate the meeting. All ESCAP member Governments as well as UN organizations and specialized agencies have been invited to participate in the meeting.

ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee to Hold Forty-second Session in Singapore The Forty-second Session of the Typhoon Committee will be held in Singapore from 25 to 29 January. The Session is being convened by ESCAP in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and hosted by the National Environment Agency of Singapore. The Session is to review the progress made in its programme of work in 2009 and determine the activities which should be undertaken in 2010 and beyond, together with the support required to implement them. Three parallel meetings of the Working Groups on Meteorology, Hydrology and Disaster Prevention and Preparedness will be held on the morning of 25 January to further enhance cooperation in these three key areas of disaster risk management in the region as well as to cope with the increased risks resulting from a higher number of major disasters in recent years. The five-day session will be attended by representatives from members of the Typhoon Committee such as Cambodia; China; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Macao, China; Malaysia; Philippines; Republic of Korea; Singapore; Thailand; Viet Nam; and the United States.



Special Observances and Meetings
International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010) Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa (2001-2010) Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism (2001-2010) United Nations Literacy Decade: Education for All (2003-2012) Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (2005-2014) United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) International Decade for Action: Water for Life (2005-2015) Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions (relating to the Chernobyl disaster) (2006–2016) Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008–2017) United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification (2010–2020) International Year of Biodiversity (2010) International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010) International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding (2010) International Year of Forests (2011) International Year of Chemistry (2011) International Year for People of African Descent (2011) International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust (27 January)



The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the United Nations. The information contained herein may be freely reproduced. What’s Ahead @ ESCAP is published monthly by the United Nations Information Services Bangkok. Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861-66 • Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052 • E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org