The second phase of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission will be held at United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, from 1 to 4 September 2003. Owing to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, this year’s Commission session has been held in two phases. The first phase was held on 24 and 25 April and was attended primarily by ambassadors and representatives based at Bangkok. It dealt mainly with programme and management matters.

The Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, Mr. Kim Hak-Su and the Deputy Executive Secretary, Ms. Keiko Okaido during the first phase of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission.

The upcoming second phase will enable ministers and senior officials from the Asian and Pacific region to consider the rest of the originally planned provisional agenda. Among other matters, the delegates will consider policy issues for the UNESCAP region including the implications of recent economic and social developments and integrating economic and social concerns, especially HIV/AIDS, in meeting the needs of the region (theme topic). It will also discuss emerging issues and developments at the regional level; poverty reduction, managing globalization and emerging social issues.

An exhibition on the theme topic of the fifty-ninth session, the work of UNESCAP and its regional projects will be staged during the session.