Heads of state, government, senior government officials and other stakeholders from 62 Asia-Pacific countries, including Bangladesh, will convene for two days from Wednesday to Thursday of this week to coordinate stronger regional responses in addressing the significant socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hard hit the region.
They will also review how these impacts may further affect the region’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, according to a press release received on Monday.
For the first time in history, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will also be hosting its two key annual regional meetings - the 7th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) and the 76th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (CS76) – on a fully virtual platform, the media statement mentioned.
Themed “Accelerating action for and delivery of the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific”, delegates at the APFSD on Wednesday will assess six entry points for the region to accelerate action to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely: 1. Human well-being and capabilities, 2. Sustainable and just economies, 3. Food systems and nutrition patterns, 4. Enhancing power grid connectivity to achieve affordable and clean energy for all, 5. Urban and peri-urban development and 6. Global environmental commons, it said.
Meanwhile, the statement added, high-level participants at CS76 on Thursday will delve into the theme “Promoting economic, social and environmental cooperation on oceans for sustainable development” as well as review proposals on coordinated regional action to contain and mitigate the effects of the global health crisis, and enable Asia-Pacific countries to build back better. The session is expected to culminate in two regional-level UN resolutions addressing both these areas.
The 7th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, the launch of the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report “Fast-tracking the SDGs: Driving Asia-Pacific Transformations” and the 76th Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific are highlights of the two-day long event.
Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh, will attend the 76th Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, to be held on Thursday from 0900 to 1630 (GMT+7) as one of the key speakers.
Apart from her, Prayut Chan-o-cha, prime minister of Thailand, Joko Widodo, prime minister of Indonesia, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, prime minister of Fiji, Kausea Natano, prime minister of Tuvalu as chair of Pacific Islands Forum, Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, among others, are to attend the same event as key speakers.
The 7th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development will be held on Wednesday from 0900 – 1530 (GMT+7), with Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thailand, Fidelis Magalhães, Minister for Legislative Reforms and Parliamentary Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and Amina J. Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, among others, to be in attendance as key speakers.
On the same day, the launch of the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report “Fast-tracking the SDGs: Driving Asia-Pacific Transformations” will be held on the same day from 1230 – 1325 (GMT+7), which will be attended by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations under-secretary-general and executive secretary of ESCAP, Bambang Susantono, vice-president for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, ADB, and Valerie Cliff, deputy assistant administrator, deputy regional director for Asia & the Pacific and director of the Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP, as key speakers, among others.