ESCAP, in collaboration with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the country’s national space agency and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will organize the Workshop on Developing Capacity for Resilience to Water-Related Disasters in Pakistan through Space Applications and Flood Risk Management in Islamabad from 1 to 4 March. A follow-up to the Regional High-level Expert Group Meeting to Reduce Flood Disaster Risk in Pakistan held in November 2010, the workshop aims to develop capacity for improved resilience to water-related disasters as well as for more effective adaptation to climate change through the application of space technology and flood risk management in Pakistan. Experts from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and other countries as well as from international organizations will share practices in these areas during the workshop to be organized at the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). The target group comprises national, provincial and local government agencies responsible for disaster management. The workshop will (i) identify major technology and capacity gaps in space applications, including relevant geo-information technology in Pakistan to enhance institutional capacity for better risk management of water-related disasters; (ii) share information in water resources management for more effective management of flash floods and reservoir operations; and (iii) identify related climate change impacts which are expected to worsen floods and droughts as well as preparatory needs for flood risk management.

The United Nations Regional Coordination Mechanism Thematic Working Group on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women will mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March in Bangkok, Thailand with a special event celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women in the region. The theme of the 2011 IWD is “Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women”. A highlight of the commemoration at the UN Conference Centre will be a session on “Voices of Young Women: Envisioning the Future”, featuring young women from different sectors of society presenting their thoughts and aspirations related to this year’s theme. An interactive exhibit by UN Agencies, NGOs, academic institutions and the private sector will also be organized.

The ESCAP Trade and Investment Division is organizing the 38th Session of the Standing Committee of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) from 8 to 9 March in Bangkok. Some 40 delegates from APTA Member States Bangladesh, China, India, the Republic of Korea, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka are expected to attend the Session. Topics for the Session include discussions on investment, information exchange on non-tariff measures and a proposal for additional Rules of Origin. In addition, a workshop on customs operations in the various APTA Member States will be held on 10 March with presentations by customs and trade facilitation experts.

ESCAP’s Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT) will organize training workshops in Myanmar and the Philippines to equip government officials with skills needed to fully leverage ICT for socio-economic development. Some 50 mid-level Government officials will attend the Second ICT Capacity Building Workshop in Myanmar from 7 to 12 March. Over 100 national, provincial and local government officials in the Philippines will attend an APCICT “Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders” (Academy) training programme on 24 March. In both Myanmar and the Philippines, ICT training sessions will also be organized for representatives from academia.

ESCAP is supporting the organization of the 2nd High Level Seminar on Environmentally Sustainable Cities (HLS ESC), the flagship initiative of 16 East Asia Summit (EAS) member countries (comprising 10 ASEAN member states plus Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand), in Kitakyushu City, Japan from 15 to 16 March. The Seminar aims to foster concrete activities on promoting environmentally sustainable cities, identified as an immediate regional collaboration priority by the 1st EAS Environmental Ministers Meeting (EMM) in 2008. The initiative builds upon the success of the “Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment”, an ESCAP flagship programme implemented from 2000 to 2010 in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the City of Kitakyushu, with funding from the Government of Japan. Following up on the 1st HLS ESC held in March 2010, in Jakarta Indonesia, the objectives of the 2nd HLS ESC include: (i) providing a broad platform for fostering partnership on ESC development in the region among all stakeholders (national and local governments, bilateral and international development agencies, city networks, private sector, NGOs, academia and community groups), (ii) facilitating the transfer of good practices and policies for ESC from city to city through sharing and exchanging relevant information, and supporting programmes and training opportunities provided by development partners, and (iii) sharing information on successful public-private partnership projects for replication.

The Seventh Governing Council of the Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA), a regional ESCAP institute based in Bogor, Indonesia, is to be held on 18 March in Bangkok, Thailand. The Governing Council will review CAPSA’s administrative and financial status as well as the implementation of its 2010 work programme and 2011 agenda. It will also consider a strategic plan for CAPSA. Current CAPSA Governing Council members include Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Thailand.