Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development
The Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development is one of the nine committees that make up the subsidiary structure of the Commission. Its sessions are convened every two years, and attended by senior government officials and experts from the ministries of finance, planning and development, and foreign affairs, and representatives of central banks, think tanks, the private sector, regional financing institutions, development partners and United Nations agencies, as well as eminent experts.
Asia-Pacific economies are leading global economic growth but face several sustainable development challenges, including persistent poverty and rising inequality, weak growth in decent jobs, and unsustainable use of natural resources. Sustaining long-term economic growth and addressing these challenges will require, among other considerations, rethinking of public policies and considerable investments by both the public and the private sector. The focus of the deliberations of this session of the Committee, with financing for development as part of its agenda, will therefore be on ways to address these challenges.This will include identifying strategies for financing sustainable development, with a focus on domestic resource mobilization, financial inclusion, infrastructure financing and leveraging private finance.
Supporting sustainable development in Asia-Pacific least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States is a special priority of the Committee, and offers an opportunity to member States to provide guidance to the secretariat regarding its research and capacity building activities.
To enrich the discussions and the experience of participants, the secretariat is also planning to launch several analytical and knowledge products during the Committee session, including the 2017 Year-end Update of the Commission’s flagship publication the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific. Special side events on selected thematic areas will also be organized prior to and as part of Committee deliberations.
Annotated provisional agenda (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/L.1)
- [中文]
- [English]
- [Français]
- [русский]
Macroeconomic policies and other development strategies in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/1)
a) Prospects for poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific: progress, opportunities and challenges, especially in countries with special needs (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/2)
b) Supporting sustainable development in Asia-Pacific least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/3)
Strengthening finance for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/4)
Consideration of the future focus of the subprogramme (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/5)
Consideration of draft resolutions for submission to the Commission at its seventy-fourth session
Dates and venue of and provisional agenda for the second session of the Committee
Other matters
Adoption of the report of the Committee on its first session (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/L.2)
Final report (E/ESCAP/CMPF(1)/ 6)
Opening of the session
Opening statements
Welcoming address
- Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP
Inaugural addresses
- H.E. Mr. Apisak Tantivorawong, Finance Minister, Thailand
- H.E. Mr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and President of the National Committee for ESCAP, Cambodia
- H.E. Mr. Gaetan Pikioune, Minister of Finance and Economic Management, Vanuatu
Macroeconomic policies and other development strategies in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Introductory remarks by Mr. Jose Antonio Pedrosa Garcia, Officer-in-Charge, a.i., Macroeconomic Policy and Analysis Section, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division
Panel discussion:
Moderator:
- H.E. Mr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and President of the National Committee for ESCAP, Cambodia
Panellists:
- Ms. Ekaterine Mikabadze, Head of Macroeconomic Analysis and Fiscal Policy Planning Department, Ministry of Finance, Georgia
- Ms. Maria-Louise Wau, First Assistant Secretary, Macro Planning Division, Department of National Planning & Monitoring, Papua New Guinea
- Mr. Dang Ngoc Minh – Deputy Director General, General Department of Taxation, Viet Nam
- Mr. M. Govinda Rao, Member, Fourteenth Finance Commission, Emeritus Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, India
Discussions
Agenda item 3a: Prospects for poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific: progress, opportunities and challenges, especially in the countries with special needs
Introductory remarks by Mr. Oliver Paddison, Chief, Countries with Special Needs Section, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division
Panel discussion:
Moderator:
- Mr. Khamlien Pholsena, Vice Minister, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Lao PDR
Panellists:
- H.E. Mr. Thinley Namgyel, Secretary, Gross National Happiness Commission, Bhutan
- Mr. Ribaun Korm, Deputy Secretary General, National Committee for ESCAP, Cambodia
- Mr. August Letlet, Director General, Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, Vanuatu
- Mr. Shankar P Sharma, former Vice-Chairman, National Planning Commission, Nepal
Discussions
Introductory remarks by Mr. Oliver Paddison, Chief, Countries with Special Needs Section, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division
Panel discussion:
Moderator:
- H.E. Mr. Gaetan Pikioune, Minister of Finance and Economic Management, Vanuatu
Panellists:
- Dr. Kazi Anowarul Hoque, Additional Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh
- Mr. Phonesay Vilaysak, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Lao PDR
- Mr. Lae Tui Siliva, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Finance Sector, Ministry of Finance, Samoa
- Mr. Mustafa Kamal Mujeri, former Director General, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Bangladesh
Discussions
Introductory remarks by Ms. Tientip Subhanij, Chief, Financing for Development Section, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division
Panel discussion:
Moderator:
- H.E.Mr. Nim Dorji, Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Bhutan
Panellists:
- H.E. Mr. Wayne Swan, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Australia, and Chair of the ESCAP Eminent Expert Group on Tax Policy and Public Expenditure Management
- Mr. Jiao Xiaoping, Director General, China PPP Center, Ministry of Finance, China
- Mr. Astera Primanto Bhakti, Chief of Financial Education and Training Agency, Ministry of Finance, Indonesia
- Mr. Sunghwan Shin, Chairman, Council on International Financial Cooperation, Republic of Korea.
Discussions
Introductory remarks by Mr. Hamza Ali Malik, Director, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division
Introductory remarks by Mr. Adnan Aliani, Director, Strategy and Programme Management Division
Discussions
Introduction by Mr. Hamza Ali Malik, Director, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division
Discussions
Ms. Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP
Coming Soon!

Opening statements
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Delegations Assessment
Following the meeting delegations attended filled out questionnaires regarding the session. A summary of the results is available for download.