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

Date 25 April 2007
Press Release No. N/22/2007/CS63/1

60th Anniversary Commission Session of UNESCAP to be held in Almaty in May

First time in Central Asia

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- The 63rd Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 17 to 23 May 2007. It will be the first time UNESCAP’s highest decision-making body meets in Central Asia. The annual high-level meeting will also mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the UN’s regional arm for Asia-Pacific.

More than 400 delegates, including Heads of Government and ministers from governments of UNESCAP’s 62 members, are expected to attend the meeting. President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan will address the opening of the Ministerial Meeting on 21 May, which will be preceded by two days of Senior Officials’ Meeting. Following established practice, the Foreign Minister of the host Government, H.E. Mr. Marat Tazhin, is expected to be elected as Chairperson of the Commission Session.

The Commission Session will include a special ministerial panel discussion on “Achieving the Millennium Developments Goals (MDGs) in the Asian and Pacific Region”. 2007 marks the mid-point review of the progress towards achieving the MDGs, which were adopted by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in 2000, with 2015 as the target year for achieving the various goals. The panel discussion shall discuss a regional road map on achieving the MDGs. The Commission Session shall also hold thematic discussions on developing health systems in the context of achieving the MDGs.

The Asia-Pacific MDGs Media Awards will be announced and presented during the Commission Session. The Awards are jointly sponsored by UNESCAP, UNDP and the Asian Development Bank.

UNESCAP’s Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries will also hold its session from 15 to 16 May, just ahead of the Commission Session.

The Asia-Pacific Business Forum, which will bring together business leaders from the Asian and Pacific region and from Kazakhstan and the rest of Central Asia, will take place on 18 and 19 May. The event will be held in conjunction with the Economic Forum of the Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) – a collaboration between UNESCAP and the United Nations Economic Commission of Europe.

Journalists are welcome to cover the Commission Session and related events and to register in advance. Further information and registration forms are available at www.unescap.org/63 under [e-Press Kit].