United Nations Escap

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region. It is made up of 53 member states and 9 associate members, with a geographical scope that stretches from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island nation of Kiribati in the east, and from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south. It is largest United Nations body serving the Asia-Pacific region with over 600 staff. The ESCAP’s work is focused on various areas, including sustainable development, macroeconomic policy and development, trade and investment, transport, social development, environment and development, information and communications technology, disaster risk reduction, statistics, and sub-regional activities for development. It promotes analysis and peer learning in its core areas of work; translates these findings into policy dialogues and recommendations; and provides development practices, knowledge sharing, and technical assistance to member States in the implementation of these recommendations. The ESCAP secretariat comprises the Office of the Executive Secretary; seven substantive Divisions: MPDD, TID, TD, ED, IDD, SDD, and SD; the Division of Administration; and the Programme Planning and Partnerships Division. The delivery of ESCAP’s programs is supported by the sub-regional offices in East and North-East Asia, North and Central Asia, The Pacific, and South and South-West Asia as well as its regional institutions: APCICT, APCTT, CAPSA, CSAM, and SIAP. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific was established in 1947 and is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand.

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