What’s Ahead @ ESCAP

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

www.unescap.org
November 2012
ESCAP High-Level Intergovernmental forum to review the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012, Incheon, Republic of Korea
ESCAP in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Korea has convened a High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Final Review of the Implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012  from 29 October to 2 November in Incheon, Republic of Korea. Over 300 ministers, senior officials and representatives of civil society are expected to attend the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting. The Meeting, held by ESCAP every ten years, will review the progress achieved during the past decade in promoting disability inclusive development and the rights of the 650 million persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. ESCAP governments will also chart the course of regional cooperation for the new Asian and Pacific Decade of Person with Disabilities, 2013-2022. The Meeting is expected to adopt the Incheon Strategy identifying time-bound development goals and targets that include reducing poverty among persons with disabilities, improving accessibility to education and employment opportunities, promoting their participation in decision-making processes, promoting gender equality for women with disabilities, making disaster risk reduction disability-inclusive, and accelerating the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The outcome of the High-level Intergovernmental Meeting will serve as a regional input to the United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on Disability and Development to be held in September 2013.
SIAP to organize a Training Workshop on Applying Small Area Estimation Techniques for Poverty Mapping in Vanuatu
In response to the request by Vanuatu National Statistics Office (VNSO), Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) is organizing a Training Workshop on Applying Small Area Estimation Techniques for Poverty Mapping in Vanuatu from 29 October to 9 November in Chiba, Japan. The workshop will support VNSO efforts to produce the Vanuatu Poverty and Wellbeing Atlas 2010. Two Vanuatu Government statisticians will attend the workshop which has the following objectives: (i) Introducing small area estimation techniques; (ii) enhancing skills in applying Povmap software for producing Vanuatu poverty maps; and (iii) improving understanding of household survey and population and housing census data and produce tentative estimates of poverty incidence in area councils of Vanuatu.

Trade Research and Training Network to Organize Conference on Empirical and Policy Issues of Integration in Asia and the Pacific
The ESCAP-sponsored Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT) will conduct a Conference on Empirical and Policy Issues of Integration in Asia and the Pacific on 1 and 2 November in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event will be attended by experts from governments, academia and civil society from the Asia-Pacific region, and will focus on competitiveness and economic diversification. It will also provide an opportunity for research institutions and researchers to showcase best practice undertakern in collaboration with ARTNeT. The Conference also includes the Fifth Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee (MSC) meeting of ARTNeT to advise on future research, dissemination and capacity building activities.
Third e - Learning course on Introduction to the System of National Accounts
The Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the Tokushima University will launch a two-months’ e-Learning Course on the System of National Accounts (SNA) 2008 from 1 November. This Internet-based guided learning course, utilizes the distance training system developed by Japan’s national Tokushima University, and aims to strengthen the capacity of national statistical offices in compilation of national accounts. The course provides an overview of the 2008 SNA, and is designed for junior-level government statisticians engaged in national accounts compilation. Participants also develop skills in the use of economic statistics and performing tasks relating to compilation of national accounts. It is also expected to benefit government officials uninitiated in the SNA.

South and South-West Asia Subregional Consultation Meeting on Energy Security and Regional Cooperation to be Organized in New Delhi
ESCAP South and South-Asia Office will host a South and South-West Asia Subregional Consultation on energy security and the role of regional cooperation from 6 to 7 November in New Delhi, India.  The consultation meeting will provide a forum to discuss prospects and challenges for energy cooperation in South and South-West Asia. The event will also assist in preparing subregional inputs for the Asia-Pacific Energy Forum to be convened by ESCAP in Vladivostok in May 2013.  The forum will bring together ministerial-level officials to discuss progress made by countries in Asia-Pacific in addressing energy security challenges at the regional, national and local level, while promoting regional cooperation for enhanced energy security and the sustainable use of energy. ESCAP Subregional Office has prepared a study in partnership with the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to provide a background for the discussions.

girlsAPCICT to Organize Meetings of Partners and Seventh Governing Council Session in the Republic of Korea and Thailand
Over 60 government officials, representatives from academia and development stakeholders from 25 Asia-Pacific countries will attend the 4th Academy Partners Meeting and the 1st Primer Series Partners Meeting organized by the ESCAP subsidiary, Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT).  The Meeting will bring together national and regional level partners of its flagship ICT capacity development initiatives – the Academy of ICT Essentials for Government Leaders (Academy) and the Primer Series on ICTD for Youth (Primer Series). To be held  from 6 to 9 November  in Incheon, Republic of Korea, the meetings aim to develop strategies for improvement and expansion of the programmes as well as to strengthen links between APCICT and partner institutions through exchange of knowledge and experiences in the use of APCICT's capacity building programmes.  On 21 November, APCICT will organize the Seventh Session of its Governing Council in Bangkok, Thailand to be attended by the nine Council members from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Republic of Korea. The Council will review implementation of APCICT work since the last session in 2011 and advise on the Centre’s work programme and ICT capacity development initiatives for 2013.
Seminar on Modeling Smallholder Market Participation in the Presence of Transaction Costs to be held in Bogor, Indonesia
The ESCAP Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA) will lead a seminar and discussion forum on “Modeling smallholder market participation in the presence of transaction costs” at the Indonesian Centre for Agriculture, Socio-Economic and Policy Studies (ICASEPS), in Bogor, Indonesia on 8 November.

High-level Expert Group Meeting on Infrastructure Public Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development to be held in Tehran
Recognising the potential for closer collaboration between the public and private sectors in financing infrastructure development, ESCAP is convening a High Level Expert Group Meeting on Infrastructure Public Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development from 11 to 12 November in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.  Between 1990 and 2011, total investment in public-private partnership projects in the Asia-Pacific region were estimated to be about US$ 823 billion.  Building on this momentum, the Meeting will bring together senior government officials and PPP experts to discuss how the PPP modality can be enhanced and promoted in their countries.   In  the wake of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Meeting will also consider how to enhance the contribution of PPP infrastructure projects for the sustainable and inclusive development of the region.  The Meeting will be followed by a Business Forum, to be held on 13 November, and the Third Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Public-Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development, to be held on 14 November.  Both meetings are being organised by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with support from the ESCAP secretariat.

CAPSA to Organize a Writeshop on Translating Research Findings into Knowledge Accessible to Extension Workers and Farmers
Participants from Southeast Asia will attend a CAPSA writeshop on translating research findings into knowledge accessible to extension workers and farmers from 12 to 14 November. The writeshop aims to enhance capacity of organizations working in research and development as well as identify compelling findings that can be, presented and disseminated to a wider audience. Participants will have the opportunity to enhance their communication skills, share best practices, learn to write targeted knowledge products such as factsheets and improve their ability to better engage in policy dialogue in order to influence key stakeholders. It will also be an opportunity to strengthen the Network for Knowledge Transfer on Sustainable Agricultural Technologies and Improved Market Linkages in South and South-East Asia (SATNET) – a three-year project funded by the European Union and implemented by CAPSA. For more information see: http://www.satnetasia.org/news03-10-2012.html.

tradeESCAP to Convene Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Elderly Care Services and Policy Forum on Ageing
As Asia and the Pacific experiences unprecedented population ageing, the proportion of older persons in the region is projected to increase from the current 1 in 10 of total population to 1 in 4 by 2050. The region needs to prepare for the ageing of its societies with the right mix of economic and social policies. ESCAP, in cooperation with Zhongshan College and the China Ageing Development Foundation, will convene the Asia-Pacific Capacity Building Workshop on Elderly Care Services and Policy Forum on Ageing from 13 to 16 November in Nanjing, China. The Workshop will bring together experts on population ageing and elderly care services from governments and research institutions as well as civil society and relevant international organizations. The Workshop will share experiences and enhance capacities for provision of elderly care services, addressing human resource gaps in the Asian and Pacific region. The Policy Forum on Ageing will identify priority areas for action in ensuring quality health and long-term care services for older persons in Asia and the Pacific.

Partnership Meeting on Rural Livelihoods in Myanmar
A partnership meeting on the ‘Integrated Rural Economic and Social Development Programme for Livelihoods Improvement in the Dry Zone of Myanmar’, proposed to be financed through the LIFT (Livelihoods and Food Security Trust) fund, will take place in Yangon, Myanmar  on 20 November. The meeting aims to share information about the proposed programme with LIFT implementing partners (IPs), identify their expectations from the programme, assess support to the programme through IPs and agree on next steps. The meeting will be attended by the LIFT Trust Fund, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, IPs as well as representatives from the ESCAP Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA) and the Countries with Special Needs (CSN) section of the ESCAP Macroeconomic and Policy Development Division (MPDD). The proposed programme aims to enhance capacities to formulate appropriate policy options by linking local-level practices, skills and knowledge with state/regional-level expertise and national-level policies and practices, in addition to learning shared lessons and best practices from the Asia-Pacific region.
ESCAP to Convene a Subregional workshop on MDGs and Post-2015 development agenda in South-East Asia in Bangkok
Senior South-East Asian Government officials from ministries in charge of economic, social and environmental issues and civil society participants will attend the Sub-Regional Workshop on accelerating achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Post-2015 development agenda in South-East Asia to be organized by ESCAP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from 21 to 23 November in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting in Bangkok follows consultations organized by the ESCAP/ADB/UNDP regional MDG partnership in Almaty for Central Asia in September and in Fiji for the Pacific in October. The outcomes of the workshops and regional consultations will feed into the preparation and finalization of the forthcoming ESCAP/ADB/UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional MDG Report (2012/13) - The Post-2015 development agenda and Perspectives from Asia and the Pacific region.
ESCAP North and Central Asia Office to organize 2012 SPECA Economic Forum  in Bangkok
ESCAP in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will convene the 2012 SPECA Economic Forum on "Strengthening Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Central Asia by Sharing the Asian Experience” and the 7th session of the SPECA Governing Council from  27 to 28 November in Bangkok, Thailand.  The objective of the 2012 SPECA Economic Forum is to examine the role of strengthened regional economic cooperation in Central Asia on the backdrop of these new global developments. The Forum will offer an opportunity to SPECA member countries to learn more about the successes and challenges of regional economic cooperation in Asia, in particular the experience of regional and subregional organizations, like ASEAN, SAARC and the Greater Mekong Sub-region. The Forum will also discuss the regional aspects of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Rio+20 Output Priorities. The 7th session of the SPECA Governing Council will take stock of progress, to share the concerns of member countries and to propose further steps to strengthen the Programme – building on the results achieved so far. The side event entitled “Review of Work in the SPECA framework in Support of Implementation of the Decisions of the V Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan” will be held in the afternoon of 26 November 2012. The 7th session of the SPECA Project Working Group on Trade will be held on 26 November 2012 in conjunction with the 2012 SPECA Economic Forum and the 7th session of the SPECA Governing Council in Bangkok. SPECA Economic Forums give an opportunity to discuss strategic issues of economic development and cooperation in the SPECA region and to conduct consultations with partner organisations, donors, the private sector and investors. The Governing Council as the supreme management body of SPECA provides overall policy guidance to the work carried out within the SPECA framework, oversees the work of the SPECA Project Working Groups, takes stock of progress achieved, identifies priorities for the future and approves SPECA Work Plans. It is constituted of senior policy makers at the level of Vice-Prime Ministers or Ministers from the SPECA member countries, ESCAP and UNECE Executive Secretaries.
SIAP to hold Subregional Workshop on Harmonization of Statistical Methodology in Bangkok
The Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) will conduct the Sub-regional Workshop on Harmonization of Statistical Methodology for government officials/statisticians from the ECO Member States, from 26 to 30 November in Bangkok, Thailand. Officials/statisticians from 10 ECO member states and the ECO Secretariat are expected to attend the workshop which will provide participants with knowledge and expertise on harmonization of statistical methodology for developing a sustainable statistical system in the ECO region, in line with international standards. Training of statistics officials of ECO Member States to harmonize statistical methodology is a high priority for ECO and SIAP for the development of statistical system across the ECO region.
CAPSA to Organize a Capacity Building Workshop on Agricultural Policy Analysis in Bogor
The Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA), in collaboration with the Indonesian Centre for Agriculture, Socio-Economic and Policy Studies (ICASEPS) will organize a five-day capacity building training workshop on agricultural policy analysis with a focus on the use of household surveys and agricultural statistics for food security and poverty reduction. To be held in Bogor, Indonesia from 26 to 30 November, the workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of policymakers and analysts in the Ministry of Agriculture and related institutes by providing them with a comprehensive understanding of current policy issues affecting agriculture, food security and poverty. The workshop also aims to build skills in designing new agricultural household surveys and in the use modern analytical techniques for effective policy analysis.
Special Observances and Meetings
 
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