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Press
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UNESCAP News Services
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4 September
2003
Press Release No: L/26/2003
Fifty-ninth session (Phase II)
1-4 September 2003
Bangkok
Closing Remarks By
Mr Kim Hak-Su
Under-Secretary-General, United Nations, and
Executive Secretary, ESCAP
(Thursday, 4 September 2003)
Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As the 59th session of the Commission draws to
a close, may I, first of all, express my deep appreciation to
you, Mr. Chairman, for the very able manner in which you have
guided our deliberations. My sincere thanks also go to all the
Vice-Chairpersons; the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of
the two Committees of the Whole, as well as the Chairperson
and Vice-Chairpersons of the Working Group on Draft Resolutions
for the very significant contributions they have made to the
work of the Commission over the past few days.
I also wish to express my deep appreciation to
the Royal Thai Government for its assistance towards the holding
of both phases of this 59th session. As the host country, Thailand
has consistently provided its generous support to the Commission
and the secretariat.
I should also like to express my deep appreciation
to all the distinguished representatives for upholding the traditional
spirit of harmony and consensus during this session.
Mr Chairman,
My colleagues in the secretariat and I feel much
encouraged by the outcome of our deliberations. Specially encouraging
was the sense that we are on track with the reform process as
evinced during the discussions on the review of the implementation
of Commission resolution 58/1.
We also feel heartened by the interactive exchange
of views during the Ministerial Roundtable on the theme topic
of "Integrating economic and social concerns, especially
HIV/AIDS, in meeting the needs of the region" - at which
we were honoured by the presence and participation of His Excellency
the President of the Republic of Botswana. Also encouraging
was the generally high level of debate during the Ministerial
Roundtable on the MDGs.
Mr Chairman,
The preparations for and follow-up to global
conferences constitutes a central plank in the work of the United
Nations in the economic and social fields. The coming months
will see us actively engaged in the preparations for the first
phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, to be
held in Geneva in December this year, as well as in the follow-up
to the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun and the World Summit
on Sustainable Development.
Mr Chairman,
We are also gratified by the positive tone of
the discussions during this session on the future of the regional
institutions, namely, APCTT, CGPRT Centre, SIAP, and the newest
institute, APCAEM, as well as the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre.
My colleagues in the secretariat and I will exert
our best efforts to implement in the most efficient manner possible
the Commission's directives and recommendations as well as the
resolutions adopted. In that regard, I would appeal to both
traditional and non-traditional donors to enhance their funding
support to ESCAP and the regional institutions so as to enable
us to carry out our work effectively and efficiently.
Mr Chairman,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Representatives,
I thank you all for your participation at this
session and look forward to meeting you again at the commemorative
sixtieth session in Shanghai next year.
Thank you.
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