H.E. Mr. Surin Pitsuwan,
Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has the advantage of being able to provide needed advisory and policy support to countries in the region", said H.E. Mr. Surin Pitsuwan, Thailand's Minister of Foreign Affairs in a bylined article published in the United Nations Chronicle (Volume 35, No. 4 1998). He added that ESCAP is geared to meeting the specific needs and circumstances of countries to help them build up their own development capacities.

Mr. Pitsuwan was Chairman of the fifty-fourth session of ESCAP annual Commission held in April 1998. In his article he noted that ESCAP has from the very beginning been at the forefront in advocating a development strategy that strikes a balance between economic and social development.

"Whenever we reflect upon the work and achievements of the United Nations, most of us tend to automatically focus on the pressing issues of peace and security that are brought to the Security Council and the General Assembly", he said. He pointed out that if one gives it serious thought, many major contributions rendered by the Organization have really gone unheralded without capturing the headlines.

"It is in the area of social and economic development that the United Nations, working through its five regional commissions and specialized agencies and programmes, can right-fully claim much of its success and has truly made its presence felt in the lives of millions of people around the world", explained Mr. Pitsuwan.

He noted that here in the Asia-Pacific region, many of the common aspirations and goals in social and economic development, which have brought countries together as members of the United Nations, are being carried forward through the endeavours of ESCAP.

"Notwithstanding the current economic crisis, the fact that Asia and the Pacific have made much great strides in economic and social progress is due in no small way to the pioneering activities and the groundwork laid by ESCAP," he said.

"Today, peace, freedom and prosperity that much of Asia and the Pacific enjoy is certainly unprecedented in its history. But as the economic crisis has proven, our success is something that we cannot and must not take for granted," said Mr. Pitsuwan.

"The continuing process of transformation of Asia and the Pacific has meant a constant evolution in the role of ESCAP, consistent with the changing circumstances and needs of the region," he pointed out.

In this regard, the Thai Foreign Minister provided his vision on ESCAP's role as a UN team leader in this region into the next millennium.

Some of the highlights of the Thai Foreign Minister's suggestions are as follows:

The strength of ESCAP's multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach to development to set out a common agenda and comon strategy that would help guide the activities of the various UN agencies in the field should be further capitalized.

In light of the far-reaching social impact of the current economic crisis, ESCAP can play an instrumental role in mobilizing assistance and support of the international community in helping put in place vitally needed social safety net programmes that would better enable the affected countries to deal with the problems of rising employ ment, poverty, malnutrition and other forms of social disruptions, all of which will likely leave a permanent scar on society even after the economic crisis is over.

Mr. Pitsuwan emphasized the role of ESCAP in human resources training, promoting institutional-building and sound develop ment policies. He also stressed ESCAP's assistance that is helping countries in the region to achieve socio-economic development by better preparing themselves to integrate into the global economy and meet the demands of globalization.

ESCAP should further encourage deeper regional economic linkages in such important areas as trade and investment, as well as transport and telecommunications, suggested Mr. Pitsuwan. "This would not only move regional cooperation to a high plane but would generate increased opportunities for economic growth and unleash the economic dynamism of the entire region."

(Copies of Mr. Surin Pitsuwan's full article are available at the United Nations Information Services Office).

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Call for global economic stimulus package

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister H.E. Mr. Suphachai Panitchpakdi called for a global stimulus pack age, together with help of major economic powers, to tackle the economic woes in Asia.


H.E. Mr. Suphachai Panitch-pakdi, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailandand
Commerce Minister, delivers a keynote address at the Seventhession of
ESCAP's Committee for Regional Economic Cooperation.

In a keynote address at the seventh session of ESCAP's Committee for Regional Economic Cooperation Mr. Supachai said that such a package could be complemented by promotion of intraregional trade.

"Groupings like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been successful in expanding regional trade but this is not enough because all of Asia has plunged into crisis", he said. The session was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) from 10-12 March 1999 at the United Nations Conference Centre.

Despite the crisis and pressure from domestic lobbies, Mr. Suphachai urged all nations to keep expanding trade by keeping their markets open because, he said, the process of globalizations could not be reversed.

He also recommended that nations facilitate the flow of good-quality foreign direct investment funds by practising good-quality macroeconomic policies.

Mr. Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, said that the pursuit of outward-oriented policies will continue to be critical in the coming years, but only innovation can create an expanding "pie" which would allow both developing and developed countries to capture economic and social opportunities.

On the trade front, Mr. Mooy endorsed the European Union's call for a concerted effort to complete membership negotiations with more than 30 developing countries seeking to join the World Trade Organization.

"In Asia, the proposed initiative should cover China and the Russian Federation, as well as countries such as Cambodia, the Loa People's Democratic Republic , Nepal and Viet Nam", he said.

Representatives from over 25 Member countries of the ESCAP region and representatives from United Nations bodies and specialized agencies attended the three-day meeting.

The meeting was held to discuss ways of harnessing the vast potential that exists for economic growth and capitalizing on the new opportunities to enhance intra-regional trade, investment and technology flows.

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Asian nations call for disaster prevention

Representatives from over 24 Asian countries participated in the Regional Meeting on Natural Disaster Reduction in Asia held in Bangkok between 23-26 February 1999. The Regional Meeting was convened by the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction Secretariat (IDNDR) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission For Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC).

Asia is affected by more natural disasters than any other region in the world. Six out of the ten major natural disasters which occurred in 1998, have been in Asia, claiming the lives of 27,000 people and amounting to more than US$ 38.2 billion in economic losses. For instance, in China natural disaster killed 5,500 people and affected 350 million others in 1998, the majority by devastating floods.

The Meeting focused its discussions on the scientific, economic and policy aspects of disaster reduction. The diverse professional interest involved in preventing natural disasters included multi-disciplinary concerns pertaining to environmental degradation, growth of urbanization, community aspects of disaster reduction, and the important role for continuous public information and education.

At the end of the Meeting, a Declaration was adopted which emphasized the need to integrate mitigation and prevention practices into national development and planning process. This is expected to enhance community residence and promote political and socio-economic stability in the event of such disaster.

The Meeting also stressed that a more structured approach to risk assessment and improved early warning systems are essential for substantially reducing human suffering and property losses due to natural disasters in the 21st century.

The conclusion of the regional Meeting will be presented to the International IDNDR Programme Forum on "Partnerships for a safer world in the 21 century" to be held between 4-7 July 1999 in Geneva. The Forum will provide recom-mendations for further institutional support to disaster reduction beyond the year 2000.

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SPACE APPLICATIONS IN INDIA

Mr. Adrianus Mooy, (left) Executive Secretary of ESCAP, shakes hands with
H.E. Mr. R.K. Rai, (right) Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary and
Permanent Representative of ESCAP during a Signing Ceremony of the
Agreement between the United Nations and the Government of India
regarding the Arrangements for the Second Ministerial Conference on
Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific
on 24 March at ESCAP secretariat. The Ministerial conference is scheduled
to take place in New Delhi, India from 15 to 20 November 1999.

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Women Help Asia Prosper

South-East Asian women contribute their full share to the economy and they outnumber men in the labour force of some countries.

An ESCAP study also observed that mothers were the persons largely responsible for the health and education of their children and that it was primarily women who made decisions and took necessary actions to lower fertility to near the replacement level or below in several countries of the subregion.

The two-year study entitled, "A demographic perspective on women in development in Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam" was recently completed by the Population and Rural and Urban Development Division of ESCAP.

The study was based on data available primarily from national population census and demographic surveys. By reviewing their situation in four countries that share borders, it was possible to highlight similarities and to note common patterns.

In all countries, the contribution of women as teachers and nurses was especially important for national development. Much of the economic prosperity of South-East Asia was owed to women working in the manufacturing industry, the study noted. Women in light manufac-turing and service industries had been particularly hard-hit by the Asian economic crisis.

The report stressed in lauding the contribution of women to national development, governments should not fail to give due attention to the many challenges confronting our societies in the attempt to achieve gender equality, equity and the empowerment of women.

(Copies of the Report can be obtained from Chief, Population and Development Section, Population and Rural and Urban Development Division of ESCAP.)

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International Women's Day at ESCAP

This year ESCAP observed the International Women's Day in Bangkok with the organization of two panel discussions on 9 March 1999 at the United Nations Conference Centre. The two panel discussions were on 1) Collaboration between international agencies and non-governmental organization toward the elimination of violence against women, and 2) Impact of regional financial crisis on women's human rights. They were organized in collaboration with Gender, Women and Development (GWAD) Working Group comprised of Bangkok-based United Nations agencies.

A two-day Exhibition to observe the International Women's Day was organized
by ESCAP in cooperation with various government departments and NGOs
based in Bangkok.

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UN helps business to trade online

ESCAP has joined hands with other specialized bodies in the United Nations system to help businesses in the region to streamline and re-engineer their enterprises around the concept of electronic commerce. The initiative to promote electronic commerce in the ESCAP region.

The initiative will be about the benefits that can be derived from introducing electronic commerce and the environment and factors leading to successful implementation of electronic commerce. The objective of the initiative is to increase trade efficiency in the region by facilitating greater use of electronic commerce in general and UN/EDIFACT standard in particular

The use of the UN/EDIFACT standard, which is a fusion of European and American national standards, is also expected to benefit businesses because of its flexibility, efficiency and functionality. The UN/EDIFACT standard has also gained wide acceptance not only in the United States and Europe, but also in Australia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, as well as in many developing countries in the Asia and Pacific region.

TraFIX can be accessed on the Internet at the address: www.unescap.org/

During the past decade for millions of people around the globe the Internet or 'information superhighway', as it is often called, has emerged as the most popular medium for communication, education and entertainment. In recent years, the Internet has also become a tool for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and electronic commerce i.e., carrying out commercial and trade transactions using electronic means.

However, for most countries in Asia, awareness of electronic commerce and its benefits is still relatively low.

"Businesses in virtually every sector of developed economies are beginning to use it to cut the cost of purchasing, manage supplier relationships, streamline logistics and inventory, plan production, and reach new and existing customers more effectively. Some estimates expect the total volume of electronic commerce to exceed US$300 billion by the year 2002," according to an ESCAP report.

There are many benefits expected from greater use of EDI in the region which replaces traditional paper-based business communication by transfer of information using computer networks, the report said. Among these are savings in time , reduction in errors, lower cost of operations, improved customer service and expansion in business opportunities as well as another step towards promoting electronic commerce.

ESCAP, in collaboration with the Economic Commission for Europe, has also developed TraFIX or the Trade Facilitation Information Exchange which is a 'one stop address' on the Internet for the Asia and Pacific region providing a vast range of trade facilitation information.

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New ESCAP Publications

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ESCAP AT A GLANCE

Research and Policy Analysis

ESCAP provides a forum for all member Governments of the region to
review and discuss economic and social issues in order to strengthen
regional economic cooperation.

This is the second of a series of article that U.N. Focus will provide on explaining the objectives of the subprogramme under the revised programme structure of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The main objectives of this second subprogramme on the Regional Economic Cooperation: Research and Policy Analysis are to increase understanding of the economic and social development in the region and to contribute to the awareness and understanding on the part of national policy makers of the constraints on sustained economic growth, poverty alleviation and the integration of environmental concerns into macro-economic decision-and policy making processes.

Special attention is paid to the problems of integrating the region's disadvantaged economies, such as those in transition, into the region's economic mainstream.

The work is carried out by the Development Research and Policy Analysis Division under the guidance of the Committee on Regional Economic Cooperation, the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Development and the Committee on Socio-economic Measures to Alleviate Poverty in Rural and Urban Areas.

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Highlights for the Month of April

Annual Commission Session of ESCAP

The 55th Commission Session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is scheduled to take place in Bangkok from 22-28 April 1999. This year's theme topic is "Asia and the Pacific into the Twenty-first Century: Information Technology, Globalization, Economic security and Development". The session will be divided into two segments: the senior officials' meeting (22-24 April) and the ministerial-level meeting (26-28 April).

Launch of ESCAP Survey

The 1999 Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific, the main document for discussion at the ESCAP Commission Session, is scheduled to be launched simultaneously in major cities of the Asia and Pacific region as well as at Headquarters in New York and Geneva on 8 April 1999 . In Bangkok, the Executive Secretary of ESCAP will present the Survey to the media at a press conference.

Symposium to discuss development of Greater Mekong Subregion

An International Symposium on the Comprehensive Development of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) will be held on 7-8 April 1999 in Bangkok. Government-private sector partnership in the development of GMS will be the focus of the Symposium. It will also focus on private sector perspectives on the globalization of manufacturing/regional operations and foreign direct investment in GMS.

Special Bodies on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries, The fourth session of the Special Bodies on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries will be held in Bangkok 20-21 April 1999. The Session will take place at the United Nations Conference Centre prior to the 55th Commission Session.

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ESCAP News

Television series launched on "Right to Development"

ESCAP has recently launched a unique project to promote the Right to Development in the Asia and Pacific region through a series of 12 animation and 52 television spots.

The one-year project, funded by the Royal Norwegian Government, will be jointly implemented by ESCAP together with Worldview International Foundation (WIF), a media NGO based in Sri Lanka.

Ms. Kayoko Mizuta (left) Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP and
Officer-in-Charge of Social Development Division chats with Mr. Arne Fjortoft
(middle) Secretary General of Worldview International Foundation.

Although ESCAP does not specifically provide technical assistance for its member states on human rights matters, it is committed to the work of the United Nations in this area. The most direct link between ESCAP's activities and human rights is in the field of economic, social and cultural rights.

Using ESCAP's long experience and accumulated expertise in the area of social and economic issues, the TV series on the Right to Development could provide governments and populations throughout the region valuable insights into the hitherto neglected dimension of human rights.

As part of an effort to generate ideas and communication strategies from media persons and NGO activists around the region ESCAP together with WIF organized a two-day regional workshop on "Promoting the Right to Development" on 31 March and 1 April in Bangkok.

In his opening address to the regional workshop Mr. Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary of ESCAP said that there is a greater need, than ever before, to promote the concept of Right to Development in the Asia-Pacific region due to the ongoing economic crisis. " Indeed one of the important lessons of the crisis is that the rights of citizens to food, clothing, shelter, health, education and work cannot be postponed indefinitely. These are rights that need to be addressed here and now", said Mr. Mooy.

The Executive Secretary said that governments, international bodies and all sections of civil society need to make greater efforts to ensure all human rights, including the right to development.

Speaking at the closing ceremony for the regional workshop, Ms. Kayoko Mizuta, Deputy Executive Secretary, ESCAP said that the task of translating the very fundamental concept of the 'Right to Development' into tangible messages and story ideas close to the daily life of people for television audiences is not an easy one.

"I am sure that the messages and story ideas contributed by participants at this workshop will also help change the priorities of popular media in favour of developmental themes. They will shape public opinion on development issues, particularly the right to development", Ms Mizuta said. The Project will be implemented by UN Information Services (UNIS) and Social Development Division.

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ESCAP Promotes Government-NGO Cooperation

The ESCAP secretariat recently organized the Regional Seminar on Approaches to Enhance Government - NGO Cooperation for Poverty Alleviation.

The reason behind the Seminar is that government-NGO cooperation should be built on the comparative advantage of each and take into account the social, economic and cultural context of development programmes.

The Seminar produced a set of recommendations that would be pertinent to government-NGO cooperation into a wide range of social and economic sector and programmes.

The Seminar covered six Projects being carried out by the secretariat which include various programmes for poverty alleviation. The six projects on which the Seminar was based are supported financially by the Government of the Netherlands.

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ESCAP 1998 HRD Award

The Non-Formal Education Department, Ministry of Education of Thailand has been selected as the winner of the 1998 ESCAP Human Resources Development Award.

The Non-Formal Education Department, Ministry of Education of Thailand was
the winner of 1998 ESCAP award for its long-term impact in increasing
education in the country.

In announcing the winner, an independent jury of experts said that it had selected the Non-Formal Education Department in view of its long-term impact in increasing literacy in Thailand on a mass scale, its success in promoting non-formal education at the grass-roots level, and its effort in incorporating learner-centred changes in adult education. It also said that it wanted to highlight the important role of Government in mainstreaming non-formal adult education programmes in socio-economic development.

With financial support from the Government of the Netherlands, the Award-winner will receive a prize of US$30,000 in form of a grant in support of further work in adult education.

The Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning, adopted by the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education held in July 1997, stressed that adult learning is crucial to promote the effective participation of men and women in every sphere of life to meet the challenges of the future. Much useful work is currently being undertaken in the region to support this goal. The 1998 ESCAP HRD Award aimed to support this work through recognition of innovative achievement by governments, NGOs and the Private sector, in promoting adult learning and adult education.

ESCAP established the ESCAP HRD Award in 1990. The Award is presented annually in recognition of exemplary work in the field of human resources development (HRD). Criteria for selection of the award winner included: degree of HRD commitment, responsiveness to the needs of the target group, innovativeness of the approach, impact and sustainability of the activity.

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ESCAP's importance confirmed by Member states

Questioning the relevance of the United Nations' regional commis-sions is a thing of the past: they have received a renewed commitment from Member States, which have formally recognized their role and place within the United Nations. The commitment was made on 27 July 1998 and delivered by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which has reviewed the activities of the regional commissions. The major assets and functions of the regional commissions are highlighted in the ECOSOC resolution which was adopted on that date in conclusions of the review.

ECOSOC considers that one of the major roles of regional commissions is to be the United Nations outpost in their respective parts of the world, thus offering an important forum for articulating regional perspectives on global issues. At the same time, ECOSOC also recognized their important role in building consensus within their regional institutional landscape. It was felt that this capacity should be more widely used by UN bodies, funds and programmes. Another important role is the involvement of regional commissions in the preparation for and follow up to major UN conferences.

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It is a concept so simple that it may seem superfluous to even explain it. And yet the results it yields are so impressive that it could soon become one of the most potent tools available anywhere in the battle against poverty and unemployment.

Called " Success Case Replication" (SCR), the method essentially involves identifying and using the expertise of successful rural entrepreneurs to generate a chain of new entrepreneurs, enterprises and jobs. The results so far have been impressive. An analysis undertaken of projects using the SCR methodology in Viet Nam showed that for each US dollar spent on delivery the annual net income generated was US$26.8, in other words a cost-benefit ratio of nearly 1: 27. In Sri Lanka the SCR concept yielded a cost-benefit ratio of 1:39, while in Nepal it was 1:20, Mongolia 1:14, Laos 1:16 and Bhutan 1:7.

Developed by ESCAP's Population and Rural and Urban Development Division, the SCR concept is now being promoted as part of a joint two-year project on 'Poverty Alleviation through Market-Generated Rural Employment' between ESCAP and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The project is being implemented in eight Asian countries.

The basic philosophy behind SCR is that it is part of human nature to observe and imitate one's successful peers. What this implies also is that successful peers make the best teachers. Applied to the micro level of the village this results in using successful local entrepreneurs to train their fellow villagers to replicate their experience.

SCR methodology has been successfully applied by a wide range of small rural enterprises such as water buffalo husbandry, duck raising, handicraft production, brick making and even gemstone cutting.

"In view of the success rates already achieved using the SCR method, plans are now afoot to get more and more people to adopt the technique especially as a way of beating the economic crisis currently gripping the region. With several million people rendered unemployed and governments focusing on job creation through rural enterprises, the SCR concept could come in very handy as a way of helping local people to help themselves, " says an ESCAP expert.

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"It is fitting for the last year of the millennium to be the International Year of Older Persons, with the theme, "Towards a society for all ages" a society that does not caricature older persons as pensioners, but rather sees them as both agents and beneficiaries of development", said Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in launching the International Year of Older Persons 1999.

The International Year is guided by Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing, adopted in 1982, and by the United Nations Principles for Older Persons, promulgated in 1991. In keeping with the Year's theme, a society for all ages would honour traditional elders in their leadership and consultative roles in communities throughout the world, and seek a balance between supporting dependency and investing in lifelong development. "Such a society would be multi-generational and inclusive, rather than fragmented", said Mr. Annan. "Life is becoming less like short sprint and more like a marathon. And marathon runners will tell you that completing such a race depends on more than health, training and willpower. A sense of common purpose, the knowledge that they are in a community of fellow runners can make the difference between fading and finishing".

In terms of sheer numbers the United Nations estimated that in 1995, the Asian and Pacific region accounted for half of the world's older persons, i.e. 60 years or over. By 2025, nearly three out of every five older persons in the world will be in this region.

It is in this context of both growing numbers as well as new problems of older persons that the observance of 1999 Year of the Older Persons takes on a special significance for both governments and citizens throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

ESCAP, one of the main UN agencies responsible for spreading awareness on ageing issues throughout the region, has already carried out a number of events in preparation for the Year.

Among these are research studies, regional seminars and advisory services aimed at assisting governments in the region to develop comprehensive national policy on ageing.

The highlight of these activities was the adoption, in October 1998, of the Macau Declaration and the Plan of Action by ESCAP member and associate member countries. The Macau Declaration's major areas of concern relating to the social position of older persons, older persons and the family, health and nutrition, housing older persons and the market, income security, maintenance and employment and social services and the community.

It is envisaged that member and associate member governments of ESCAP will endorse the Macau Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific at the upcoming 55th ESCAP Commission session to be held from 22-28 April 1999. By doing so, ESCAP will be taking the lead among United Nations regional commissions in adopting a regional action plan on ageing.

In line with the need for governments in the region to set attainable goals and targets while meeting the challenge of ageing population, ESCAP is currently exploring the possibility of organizing an International Symposium on Planning Attainable Targets for Societies for All Ages in collaboration with the Government of Macau during the latter part of 1999. Among other things, the objective of the Symposium is to contribute to the strengthening of national capabilities on issues pertaining to older persons through exchange of information and experiences and to formulate guidelines for planning specific time-frame targets for building societies for all ages.

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United Nations News

Advertisement about human rights, drugs receive UN award

Advertising agencies from France, Brazil, the United States and around the world were honoured on 15 January 1999 when United Nations Under Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kensaku Hogen presented the United Nations Awards for public service announcements at the 1998 International Advertising Awards Show in New York.

The United Nations Awards were established in 1990 to honour public service advertising that best exemplifies the Organization's ideals and goals. The awards are presented annually and are jointly sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) and The New York Festivals.

This year's panel of judges reviewed work dealing with such United Nations related issues as human rights, the status of women, the environment, health, the disabled, poverty and the fight against drugs. The judges selected three public service advertisements : two television and one print to receive awards.

Ogilvy and Mather France received the Gold United Nations Award for a television advertisement on Human Rights, entitled "The Candle" which was produced for Amnesty International. The Silver Award went to NHK&W, Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri, for "What it Cost", a commercial on the drug abuse. ALMAP/BBDO of Sao Paulo, Brazil, received the Bronze Award for a print advertisement on deforestation.

The United Nations Awards are sponsored jointly by UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and the New York Festivals.

In addition to the winners, the following companies were honoured as finalists: Bentusu Young and Rubicam (Malaysia), the Jupiture Drawing Room (South Africa), Asher & Partners (U.S.A.), Ammirati Puris Lintas (Poland), Chroma Films (Brazil), DDB Needham (U.S.A.) and the Gang Film (France).

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New UN Web site for business

The United Nations launched a new Web site to reach out to non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

The site -- www.un.org/partners -- is designed to help widen engagement with civil society by offering easy access to the diverse organizations of the United Nations system. The site also serves as an entry point to non-governmental organizations and civil society which have been recognized as major and increasingly important actors in international life.

The site contains the most recent information on the arrangements and practices for the interaction of NGOs in all activities of the United Nations system. Users are able to link directly to NGOs focal points in the United Nations and to a list of United Nations affiliated NGOs.

The business part of the site is designed to function as a liaison service. At a single entry point, executives can determine what each of the United Nations agency does, where it is located and the potential areas of cooperation.

The World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and virtually all United Nations agencies are participating in the site which lists the name of a contact person, a phone number and e-mail address for each agency.

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Most US voters support the UN

Seven out of ten Americans voters have a favourable opinion of the United Nations and a solid majority believe the United States should pay its back due, according to a new poll.

Some seventy per cent of voters view the UN positively, 27 per cent negatively and just three per cent are unsure, according to findings released at UN Headquarters in New York on 4 January by Zogby International of Utica, New York and GFK of London.

The poll, conducted on 1003 likely voters in mind-December, also found that 62 per cent believe the United States should pay its back dues, 27 per cent oppose paying the back dues and 11 per cent are unsure.

A majority of sub-groups view the UN favourably, including 57 per cent of the Republican voters, 73 per cent of Independents, 69 per cent of people living in the South and 70 per cent of those who identify themselves as born-again Christians, said pollster John Zogby.

Fifty-seven per cent believe the UN is effective in keeping the peace, promoting human rights and helping developing countries climb out of poverty. However, only 51 per cent could name the UN involvement in anything other than peacekeeping.

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Social impacts of economic crisis must be reduced

Crisis-hit East Asian countries must strive to preserve their "social capital" that provides a cushion to the millions affected by the economic turndown and protect the gains in human development that are a requisite for eventual economic recovery, said H.E. Chuan Leekpai, Prime Minister of Thailand.

Speaking at a Regional Meeting on Social Issues, called by the World Bank, to assess and coordinate efforts to relieve human suffering, Mr. Chuan urged that governments and international community must remain committed to protecting human resources which are the most most valuable assets of Thailand and of any other country in this difficult time.

H.E. Mr. Chuan Leekpai (right) Prime Minister of Thailand, is greeted by
Mr. Jean-Michel Severino (middle) Vice President, East Asia and Pacific
Region of the World Bank and Mr. Adrianus Mooy (left), Executive Secretary
of ESCAP, upon his arrival at the UNCC.

The Regional Meeting on Social Issues Arising from the East Asia Economic Crisis and Policy Implications for the Future was held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok from 21-22 January 1999. The objectives of the Regional Meeting were to facilitate an on going dialogue among various constituents within the international community about what is happening in the affected countries, short-term responses to the urgent problems that arise and the longer term policy implications of these issues.

The two-day Regional meeting ushered fresh debates and experience among some 200 delegates, represent ing some 96 countries, donors and civil society organizations in crisis management. The delegates looked beyond the immediate problems toward more difficult medium-term structural reforms in the social sector that will bring about a more sustainable human development.

Building on the close cooperation in the current crisis management, the challenge facing policy-makers and their international partners is to consolidate the renewed economic stability, generate a recovery, promote sustain able development and protect the poor and vulnerable during this period of transition and beyond.

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