..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 6 April 2006
Press Release No: G/12/CS62/6

62nd Commission Session, 6-12 April 2006

62ND COMMISSION SESSION OPENS
Energizing the global economy, strengthening Pacific island members, infrastructure development among topics on agenda

JAKARTA, 6 April 2006 – UNESCAP’s 62nd Commission Session began today with senior officials from more than 50 of its 62 members tackling a wide agenda that includes energizing the global economy, the growing threat of regional unemployment and underemployment, and enhancing regional cooperation in infrastructure development. Officials are meeting from 6-8 April prior to the Ministerial Meeting scheduled for 10-12 April.

“A very special feature of this Commission session is the focus on the Pacific,” UNESCAP Executive Secretary Kim Hak-Su said ahead of the meeting.

“We are greatly honoured that six Pacific Heads of Government and Heads of State will be joining us in the Ministerial Meeting. They will articulate their views on Pacific concerns and their vision of Pacific-Asia partnership.”

The Ministerial Meeting will feature the Pacific Leaders’ United Nations ESCAP Special Session (PLUS) devoted to deliberations on strengthening Pacific island developing countries and territories through regional cooperation.

Under the theme of this year’s Commission session - Enhancing Regional Cooperation in Infrastructure Development, including that related to Disaster Management - participants will discuss decentralization and its implications for poverty reduction, the vital role of population and housing censuses in policy making and decision-making at local levels, and provide guidance to the Commission on actions to strengthen the impact of poverty reduction in rural and urban a areas.

Concerning the management of globalization, the Commission will provide guidance on such areas as international trade and investment, transport infrastructure and facilitation and tourism, information, communication and space technology, and environment and sustainable development.

Among agenda items are the instrumental role of trade liberalization, a more equitable integration of developing countries into the global and regional economies, as well as rapidly changing regional trading panorama in Asia and the Pacific. The Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network is also slated for adoption.

Delegates will consider emerging health risks posed by the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases and injuries in the UNESCAP region, as well as public health capacity-building interventions to strengthen primary health care.

Senior officials taking part in the three-day deliberation are scheduled to wrap up on Saturday, 8 April. Their recommendations are expected to be presented and endorsed by the Ministers on Wednesday, 12 April at the conclusion of CS62.

Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is the largest of the UN's five Regional Commissions, in terms of population served and area covered. The only inter-governmental forum covering the entire Asia-Pacific region, it aims to promote economic activity and social progress in the developing countries of the Asian and Pacific region. More information is available at www.unescap.org.

Note to Editors
Editors are reminded that a number of Heads of State, the world's top development specialists, captains of industry, UN officials and high-level representatives from UNESCAP's 62 members will be attending CS62.

Noteworthy Events

Thursday, 6 April 2006
09:00	Opening of the Senior Officials Meeting
10:30	Opening press conference with Mr. Kim Hak-Su and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hasan Wirajuda
12:00-14:00	Side Event: ‘Moving forward together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in Asia-Pacific’
Friday, 7 April
Evening	Opening Ceremony and Gala Dinner of the Asia-Pacific Business Forum (APBF) 2006 The evening will feature an inaugural address by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Open to those registered to attend the APBF.
Saturday, 8 April
07:30	Asia-Pacific Business Forum meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
All day	Asia-Pacific Business Forum
Monday, 10 April
09:00	Joint Inauguration of the Ministerial Meeting and the Pacific Leaders’ United Nations ESCAP Special Session (PLUS) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will deliver the inaugural address.
09:40	Pacific Leaders’ United Nations ESCAP Special Session (PLUS)
Tuesday, 11 April
09:00	Ministerial Roundtable on Enhancing Regional Cooperation in Infrastructure Development, including that related to Disaster Management
11:45	Special session on the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway
16:30-17:15	Special Briefing: ‘Avian Influenza-threat of a pandemic in Asia-Pacific’ by Dr. David Nabarro, Senior UN System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza
17:30	Press briefing with Dr. David Nabarro and Mr. Kim Hak-Su
Wednesday, 12 April
10:00-12:00	Side Event: ‘Asia-Pacific Perspective on Gender Dimension of International Migration and Regional Preparation for the High-Level Dialogue’
14:00-17:00	Adoption of the draft report of the Commission
17:00	Closing press conference with Mr. Kim Hak-Su and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hasan Wirajuda

For media inquiries, please contact:
Mr. David Lazarus, Chief, United Nations Information Services Bangkok
In Jakarta: Tel: +(62-21) 572-6126; Mobile: +(62) 928-21637
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

* *** *