Go to:
Download the main document in (PDF format):
Corrigendum 1 in (PDF format):
|
GENERAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Fifty-seventh session ANNOTATED PROVISIONAL AGENDA Agenda item 1 OPENING OF THE SESSION The programme for the opening ceremony and addresses will be announced in due course. Agenda item 2 ELECTION OF OFFICERS Rule 13 of the rules of procedure of the Commission provides as follows: "The Commission shall, at its first meeting of each year, elect from among its representatives a Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen, designated as First and Second Vice-Chairmen, who shall hold office until their successors are elected. They shall be eligible for re-election." If the Plenary so decides, the rule may be modified to enable the Commission to elect more than two Vice-Chairpersons, as has been the case at previous sessions, in which case the Commission may elect a Bureau of officers comprising a Chairperson and several Vice-Chairpersons. The senior officials’ segment may decide to meet in three committees of the whole and a working group on draft resolutions. It would then elect chairpersons and vice-chairpersons for each. The ministerial segment will elect the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Commission. Agenda item 3 ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA Provisional agenda (E/ESCAP/L.145) Annotated provisional agenda (E/ESCAP/L.146) The provisional agenda was drawn up by the Executive Secretary in consultation with the Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission (ACPR). The Commission will be invited to adopt the agenda. Agenda item 4 MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION Any development with regard to new membership or a change in the status or the name of members or associate members will be brought to the attention of the Commission for consideration and action. Agenda item 5 POLICY ISSUES FOR THE ESCAP REGION 5 (a) Implications of recent economic and social developments Report on the current economic situation in the region and related policy issues (E/ESCAP/1198) Under agenda 5 (a), the Commission will have before it a report on the current economic situation in the region and related policy issues (E/ESCAP/1198), which will draw on materials contained in the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2001. The report will review recent macroeconomic developments in the world economy and their implications for the region. It will analyse the recent trends in regional economic performance. The underlying policy initiatives will be examined and options to deal with the emerging economic problems suggested. Particular attention will be paid to the analysis of the socio-economic implications of demographic changes, and their varied implications for different groups of countries and related policy approaches. The report will also contain a summary of the study prepared by the ESCAP secretariat on financing for development in compliance with General Assembly resolution 54/196 of 22 December 1999 in which the regional commissions, inter alia, were called upon to provide inputs for consideration during the preparatory process for the high-level intergovernmental event on financing for development to be convened in 2001. The study contains the analysis and recommendations of the ESCAP secretariat on a selection of relevant issues: domestic resource mobilization, external private flows, innovative sources of financing, external sector financing, including official development assistance and trade issues in the context of Asia and the Pacific. The study will complement the report of the High-level Regional Consultative Meeting on Financing for Development in Asia and the Pacific, held in Jakarta from 2 to 5 August 2000. 5 (b) Balanced development of urban and rural areas and regions within the countries of Asia and the Pacific The theme study of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission (E/ESCAP/1199), entitled "Balanced development of urban and rural areas and regions within the countries of Asia and the Pacific", will analyse the disparities between urban and rural areas and regions within countries. It will review past policies and trends which have often had an "urban bias", and increased rather than reduced the disparities. It will review the impact of free-market economic policies which create more economic opportunities, but may also increase disparities. It will try to identify the impact on rural-urban and regional disparities of current and future trends, such as the integration of urban and rural areas, the development of agriculture and the rise of the knowledge society. The study will conclude with recommendations for policies to address the problem of disparities. 5 (c) Regional preparations for the special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, 25-27 June 2001 The Commission will have before it document E/ESCAP/1229 on regional preparations for the special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS, 25-27 June 2001. The Commission’s attention is drawn to General Assembly resolution 55/13 of 3 November 2000 on review of the problem of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in all its aspects. In that resolution, the General Assembly decided "to convene, as a matter of urgency, a special session of the General Assembly, from 25 to 27 June 2001, to review and address the problem of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in all its aspects, as well as to secure a global commitment to enhancing coordination and the intensification of national, regional and international efforts to combat it in a comprehensive manner." The General Assembly encouraged the regional commissions, inter alia, "to be involved actively in the preparatory activities and to participate at the highest level in the special session, including through presentations on best practices and different experiences in addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS, obstacles encountered and possible strategies for overcoming them, as well as further initiatives, methods, practical activities and specific measures to strengthen national, regional and international efforts and cooperation, taking into account the different ways of addressing the problem of HIV/AIDS." Under this item of the agenda, the Commission will review the status of the epidemic in the Asian and Pacific region and the status and level of national and regional response and cooperation, including the development impact of the epidemic, achievements and best practices in prevention and care, and identification of gaps and challenges. The consideration of this agenda item will provide the Commission with background on the requirements for attendance by national delegations at the special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS and will provide a basis for consolidating the Asian and Pacific experience in this field. Agenda item 6 MANAGEMENT ISSUES: REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMISSION RESOLUTION 53/1 ON RESTRUCTURING THE CONFERENCE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMISSION, AND RELATED MATTERS Document E/ESCAP/1200 will contain a brief review of recent reform measures undertaken in the ESCAP secretariat in pursuance of Commission resolution 53/1 of 30 April 1997, including new strategies for action implemented by the secretariat and the outcomes of a management consultancy on the identification of the organization’s strengths and weaknesses by the United Nations Office for Project Services. Agenda item 7 EMERGING ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENTS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL 7 (a) Regional economic cooperation Report of the Committee on Regional Economic Cooperation on its eighth session (E/ESCAP/1201) Report on the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (E/ESCAP/1203) Report on the Regional Network for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery (E/ESCAP/1204) The Commission will have before it the report of the Committee on Regional Economic Cooperation on its eighth session (E/ESCAP/1201) scheduled to be held in Bangkok from 14 to 16 March 2001. The report will contain the Committee’s recommendations, conclusions and decisions on the following issues discussed by the Steering Group at its twelfth meeting held in Inchon City, Republic of Korea in October 2000: (a) reassessment of the East Asian developmental model and search for new and innovative approaches to development, taking into account the experience of Asian countries in dealing with the economic crisis and its implications for trade, investment and financial flows; and (b) promoting complementarities in manufacturing across borders through increased investment and private sector financial flows. It will also report on the outcome of its deliberations based on panel discussions on the following issues: the integration of industrial activities at the regional and global levels; and export competitiveness and sustained recovery. Document E/ESCAP/1202 will deal with two major issues: regional cooperation on information technology; and integration of the least developed countries into the world trading system. In addressing the first issue, the document will highlight the role of regional cooperation in information technology, especially in complementing national efforts to harness the benefits of this rapidly advancing technology for economic development, particularly for the manufacturing sector. It will also review the increasing application of information technology for improvement of the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, which in several developing countries are still facing various constraints and challenges in accessing and benefiting from those technologies. The document will also address the issue of strengthening the institutional capacity of trade promotion organizations to enable them to assist those enterprises in the adoption of electronic commerce. It will suggest certain measures for promoting and supporting the use of information technology through a participatory approach involving the government and private sector, and non-governmental organizations. The second part of the document will review the situation of least developed countries in their efforts to integrate into the world trading system, including an assessment of the implementation status of the trade-related technical assistance programme for those countries under the Integrated Framework for Trade-related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries. It will also propose ways in which the secretariat can provide support to least developed countries in enhancing their integration into the world trading system. The Commission may wish to deliberate on these issues and provide the necessary guidance to the secretariat in addressing them. Document E/ESCAP/1203 will contain a brief review of the major activities undertaken by the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology since the fifty-sixth session of the Commission, as well as the major recommendations made by the Governing Board of the Centre at its fifteenth session, held in November 2000. It will also address responses to those recommendations, including measures required to further strengthen the institutional base of the Centre. Document E/ESCAP/1204 will contain a review of activities undertaken by the Regional Network for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery. It will elaborate on the problems and challenges, as well as the prospects, for the Network's continued operation, as well as report on the recommendations of the Governing Body. It will also report on the status of the ongoing negotiations with the Government of China on its hosting of the Network. 7 (b) Environment and natural resources development Report of the High-level Regional Meeting on Energy for Sustainable Development (E/ESCAP/1206) The Commission will have before it the report of the Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2000 (E/ESCAP/1205), which took place in Kitakyushu, Japan, from 31 August to 5 September 2000. The Conference, a five-yearly event, was attended by decision makers, mostly at the ministerial level and decided on a future course of action to protect the regional environment and promote sustainable development policies. The Conference adopted the Regional Action Programme for Environmentally Sound and Sustainable Development, 2001-2005 and endorsed the Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment which would help implement the Regional Action Programme in an urban context. The Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2000 expressed the commitment of the region in the realization of sustainable development objectives, in particular the implementation of the Regional Action Programme at the national, subregional and regional levels. Among the outreach programmes held in conjunction with the Conference were the Women’s Conference on Environment in Asia and the Pacific, the NGO Symposium on Developing Partnership Strategies for Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction, the Private Sector Symposium, the Media Symposium, the Asia-Pacific Regional Youth Caucus and Clean Tech 2000: Exhibition of Environmentally Sound Technologies to involve a wider section of stakeholders in the conference process and its outcome. The Commission may wish to review the analysis of the outcomes of the Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development, 2000, together with the associated events, discuss ways and means for their implementation at the national, subregional and regional levels and convey its decision in this regard. Document E/ESCAP/1206 will contain the report of the High-level Regional Meeting on Energy for Sustainable Development, which was held in Bali, Indonesia, from 21 to 24 November 2000. The Meeting issued a statement to the Commission on Sustainable Development scheduled for early 2001, containing the regional position on the concerns, needs and priorities specific to the region as well as the commitment of governments and other stakeholders of the region to promoting sustainable energy development. A regional action programme for sustainable energy development was also adopted. The Commission is invited to review the report and provide further guidance to the secretariat on the implementation of the recommendations made by the Meeting. The Commission will also have before it document E/ESCAP/1207, on issues related to the environment and sustainable development of natural resources, which will review the major achievements and development trends in the region on water resources management since the adoption of Agenda 21, and the applications of satellite-based technologies for informed decision-making to address these issues. The document will also summarize important activities of the secretariat for the promotion of sustainable development and highlight priority issues for regional cooperation in these sectors. The review of these issues, with additional inputs expected to be provided by members and associate members at the session, will assist the secretariat in consolidating inputs from the region into the ongoing efforts to prepare for the global review of the implementation of Agenda 21, the 10-year review of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 ("Rio+10"). 7 (c) Socio-economic measures to alleviate poverty in rural and urban areas Report of the Regional High-level Meeting in Preparation for Istanbul+5 (E/ESCAP/1209) The Commission will have before it the report of the Committee on Socio-economic Measures to Alleviate Poverty in Rural and Urban Areas on its third session, held in December 2000 (E/ESCAP/1208). It may wish to discuss the matters calling for action or brought to its attention by the Committee and decide on or recommend follow-up activities. Document E/ESCAP/1209 will contain the report of the Regional High-level Meeting in Preparation for Istanbul+5, held in Hangzhou, China, from 19 to 23 October 2000, to review and appraise the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. Representatives of national and local authorities, non-governmental organizations, research and training institutes and the private sector attended the Meeting, which was organized around six themes of the Habitat Agenda: shelter, poverty, environmental management, local economic development, governance and international cooperation. Stakeholder symposia for national governments, local authorities, non-governmental organizations and research and training institutes addressed three questions on each of the themes: what had been achieved, what needed to be done, and what support mechanisms were needed for further implementation of the Habitat Agenda in the region. The conclusions of the symposia were discussed in a plenary session. Document E/ESCAP/1210 will report on progress in the implementation of resolutions concerning social-economic measures to alleviate poverty in rural and urban areas, and the related action taken by the secretariat in follow-up to major decisions of the Commission at its recent sessions. The Commission may wish to review the progress made in the implementation of the resolutions and decisions and provide the secretariat with guidance on enhancing their implementation. Document E/ESCAP/1211 will contain a report on the Regional Coordination Centre for Research and Development of Coarse Grains, Pulses, Roots and Tuber Crops in the Humid Tropics of Asia and the Pacific. 7 (d) Transport, communications, tourism and infrastructure development The Commission will have before it the report of the Committee on Transport, Communications, Tourism and Infrastructure Development on its third session, which was held in November 2000 (E/ESCAP/1212). The document will highlight the major issues deliberated upon by the Committee, including (a) regional shipping and port development strategies under a changing maritime environment; (b) developments in multimodal transport and logistics; (c) the establishment of consultative mechanisms among key maritime stakeholders; (d) the Plan of Action for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Asian and Pacific Region; (e) strengthening cooperation in tourism education and training; and (f) the promotion of barrier-free tourism for people with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region. The Commission may wish to consider the major conclusions and decisions of the Committee, endorse the recommendations brought to its attention, and provide the secretariat with guidance on their implementation. Document E/ESCAP/1213 will report on progress in the implementation of the New Delhi Action Plan on Infrastructure Development in Asia and the Pacific, including preparations for the Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure to be held in 2001. It will highlight the salient features of a draft regional action programme for phase II (2002-2006) of the New Delhi Action Plan. The Commission will also be apprised of the services being provided that are of relevance to the conceptual basis of the Asia Infrastructure Development Alliance. The Commission may wish to review the progress made in the implementation of the Plan, and approve the regional action programme, which is expected to be launched by the Ministerial Conference. 7 (e) Statistics Report of the Committee on Statistics on its twelfth session (E/ESCAP/1214) Report on the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (E/ESCAP/1215) Document E/ESCAP/1214, the report of the Committee on Statistics on its twelfth session, held in November-December 2000, will cover priority issues in the fields of statistics and public sector computerization as discussed by the Committee. These include the development of indicators, statistics on the informal sector, statistics on the information society, the implementation status of statistical classifications, and the prospects for regional work related to the International Comparison Programme. The Governing Board of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific held its sixth session in August 2000. Document E/ESCAP/1215 will include the annual report of the Governing Board to the Commission on the implementation of the Institute’s programmes since the fifty-sixth session of the Commission, and will also provide information pertaining to the statistical training, new initiatives and other activities of the Institute. The Commission may wish to comment on the document and provide guidance for the future work of the Institute. 7 (f) Least developed, landlocked and island developing countries Document E/ESCAP/1216 will contain the report of the Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries on its fifth session which will be held in Bangkok on 20 and 21 February 2001. The Special Body will review the progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the 1990s, analyse the challenges facing the least developed countries of the region during the current decade and formulate recommendations for dealing with them at both national and international levels. The report of the Special Body will be the primary regional input for consideration at the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, to be held in Brussels in May 2001. Agenda item 8 PROGRAMME PLANNING 8 (a) Implementation of the programme of work for the biennium 2000-2001; and proposed programme changes for 2001 Implementation of the programme of work for the biennium 2000-2001 (E/ESCAP/1217) Proposed programme changes for 2001 (E/ESCAP/1218) Document E/ESCAP/1217 will report on the implementation by the secretariat in 2000 of the programme of work for the biennium 2000-2001. The document will highlight the main achievements under the seven subprogrammes and provide an analysis of the use of resources. It will serve as a reference for the Commission in considering proposals for changes in the programme of work, 2001. Document E/ESCAP/1218 will contain proposals for programme changes for 2001. The proposals will be based on (a) the needs expressed by member governments at various United Nations global and regional conferences, including the fifty-sixth session of the Commission and subsequent sessions of the legislative committees; (b) the ESCAP vision for 2005; and (c) changes in anticipated resource levels. 8 (b) Proposed programme of work for the biennium 2002-2003 Proposed programme of work, 2002-2003 (E/ESCAP/1219) Document E/ESCAP/1219 will contain the proposals of the Executive Secretary for the programme of work, 2002-2003. The proposals will be based on the mandates and directives of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the Commission and its subsidiary bodies, as well as recommendations emanating from recent global and regional intergovernmental conferences, including the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The proposed programme of work will take into account the preliminary estimate of resources allocated to the secretariat in the programme budget instructions issued by United Nations Headquarters for the biennium 2002-2003. 8 (c) Calendar of meetings and training programmes, April 2001-March 2002 Document E/ESCAP/1220 will contain the tentative calendar of meetings and training programmes for the period April 2001-March 2002. The Commission is invited to give its views on any aspect of the calendar. Agenda item 9 TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES OF ESCAP AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF INTENDED CONTRIBUTIONS Technical cooperation activities of ESCAP and announcement of intended contributions (E/ESCAP/1221) Document E/ESCAP/1221 will comprise two parts: (a) technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) and (b) mobilization of extrabudgetary resources. (a) Technical cooperation among developing countries This part will report on progress in the implementation of promotional and operational TCDC activities undertaken by the secretariat since the fifty-sixth session of the Commission, including activities to alleviate the impediments encountered by the least developed, landlocked and island developing countries and the disadvantaged economies in transition in their efforts towards greater participation in TCDC activities. The Commission is invited to provide the secretariat with guidance on further work in this field. (b) Mobilization of extrabudgetary resources This part will report on the level of extrabudgetary resources, in cash and in kind, received from members and associate members, donor countries, organizations of the United Nations system and other organizations, which were allocated for the implementation of the programme of work of the Commission and its subsidiary regional institutions in 2000. The document will assess the requirements for extrabudgetary resources from donor countries in 2001 for implementation of the ESCAP technical cooperation programme. The document is submitted to assist members and associate members of the Commission, donor countries and organizations in deciding on the priority programme areas for directing the extrabudgetary resources of the Commission, and the level of their contributions in 2001 to the programme of work of ESCAP, including the ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre and the regional institutions. Agenda item 10 REPORTS OF REGIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL BODIES Report of the Asian and Pacific Development Centre (E/ESCAP/1222) Report of the Mekong River Commission (E/ESCAP/1224) Report of the Typhoon Committee (E/ESCAP/1225) Report of the Panel on Tropical Cyclones (E/ESCAP/1226) The Executive Secretary will transmit the above reports for information. The Commission may wish to take note of them. Agenda item 11 ACTIVITIES OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES DESIGNATED BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION Documents E/ESCAP/1227 and Add.1 will contain the report of ACPR covering the period since the fifty-sixth session of the Commission. ACPR has continued to provide the secretariat with guidance and advice on programme planning and implementation. It convened sessions of the Open-ended Informal Working Group to deliberate and decide on the issues that warranted in-depth consideration by ACPR. It also deliberated upon the effective functioning of the Commission and the role of ACPR in that regard, ways and means by which the fifty-seventh session of the Commission could be made more interactive, and the organization of the informal panel discussion. Reviews of the implementation of the programme of work during the first half of the biennium 2000-2001 and the programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003 were undertaken by ACPR prior to the submission of those documents to the Commission. ACPR also reviewed ways of strengthening cooperation with other United Nations bodies, funds and programmes and other regional and subregional organizations active in the Asian and Pacific region. Agenda item 12 DATE, VENUE AND THEME TOPIC FOR THE FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION It is expected that the Commission will decide to hold its fifty-eighth session in Bangkok in March/April 2002. Under this item, the Commission may also wish to select a theme topic for the session. Agenda item 13 OTHER MATTERS The Commission may wish to consider any other matter that may be brought to its attention. Agenda item 14 ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION The Commission will consider and adopt the report and its resolutions. |