November 2003

UNESCAP celebrates 58th UN anniversary
UNESCAP celebrated the 58th anniversary of the United Nations on 24 October 2003 with a vibrant market, beautiful choir and a somber flag-raising ceremony in Bangkok. Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, H.E. Mr Korn Dabbaransi, was among the over 400 guests, including representatives from regional governments and non-governmental organizations, members of the private sector and civil society groups. Highlights of the event included a video address from the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, performances by the Chualalongkorn University Chorus and a street-style market organized by community groups for people with disabilities. The event was also used to publicize the "Wan Kaew" (eye glasses) campaign by the Thai cable television network, UBC. The campaign focuses on collecting used eye glasses for poor and disadvantaged groups in Thailand, particularly for the elderly and children.

Poverty and education top President’s agenda
The President of the Republic of Peru, H.E. Mr Alejandro Toledo, made an official visit to UNESCAP on 18 October during his attendance of the APEC Summit in Thailand. The President, accompanied by First Lady Mrs Eliane Karp-Toledo, was greeted by Mr Kim Hak-Su, the Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, as well as other senior staff members of the organization. President Toledo expressed interest in the work of UNESCAP, particularly in the fields of poverty reduction and education, and lent his support to UNESCAP’s efforts to increase international co-operation to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Mr Raj Kumar, from the Poverty and Development Division, and Ms Thelma Kay, from the Emerging Social Issues Division, both had the opportunity to brief the President.

HIV/AIDS patients given priority
UNESCAP and the Thai Ministry of Public Health will sign an agreement on a new HIV/AIDS programme at the Ministry’s offices in Bangkok on 7 November. The project aims to: increase access to antiretroviral (ARV) medication for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA); train HIV/AIDS patients in income-generation skills; and organise home-based care and psychosocial support for PLWHA, among other things. Ms Nanda Krairiksh, Chief of the Programme Management Division at UNESCAP, will sign a Letter of Agreement with the Ministry of Public Health and the Thailand Business Coalition on AIDS (TBCA), signifying UNESCAP’s commitment to the programme.

Seoul meeting to address gender inequalities
UNESCAP and the Ministry of Gender Equality of the Republic of Korea will convene a Regional Meeting of National Machineries for Gender Equality in the Asian and Pacific Region between 12 – 14 November in Seoul. The focus of the meeting is on how the national machineries for the advancement of women (the government ministries responsible for women's affairs and advancement of women in each country) can be strengthened. Discussions will centre around the10-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

"Trade-off" between economy and environment
The issue of balancing economic growth with the need for environmental sustainability dominated the Regional Workshop on National Sustainable Development Strategies for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. The meeting, held at the UN Conference Centre between 29 - 31 October, was a celebrated collaboration between UNESCAP, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Ms Keiko Okaido, the Deputy Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to green policies. “Clearly, there is a trade-off between economic growth, poverty reduction and environmental improvements and finding the balance is precisely the cornerstone of the sustainable development agenda. It is in this context that this Regional Workshop is being organized,” she said.



UNESCAP Calendar