REGION’S POOREST COUNTRIES LOOK TO TRADE, DEBT RELIEF,

 

AID, ICT TO ACHIEVE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

UNESCAP Special Body Meets 10-11 May in Bangkok Prior to 61st Commission Session

(Reissued as received.)

BANGKOK, 6 May (UN Information Services) -- The Seventh Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s(UNESCAP) Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries will meet in Bangkok from 10-11 May 2005 to consider trade, debt relief and aid for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and information, communication and space technology for meeting development challenges.

“Despite the region’s thriving economic growth and broad-based inroads in poverty reduction, the majority of Asia-Pacific’s least developed and landlocked developing countries are not much better off than those elsewhere in the world”, said UNESCAP Executive Secretary Mr. Kim Hak-Su.

“Information and communication technology is increasingly becoming an indispensable tool in achieving international development goals, such as the Millennium Goals in the areas of education, health care, gender equality, environmental protection and partnerships.”

The Special Body on Least Developed and Landlocked Developing Countries discusses and makes recommendations to the Commission on selected issues of importance to the least developed and landlocked developing countries.

Of the world’s 50 least developed countries, 14 are located in the UNESCAP region, as are 12 of the world’s 30 landlocked developing countries.  Four UNESCAP members -- Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Nepal -- are considered to be both least developed and landlocked developing countries.  More information on least developed and landlocked developing countries may be found on the UNESCAP website at www.unescap.org/mdg/ldcindex.asp.

The report of the Special Body is expected to highlight the concerns of the least developed and landlocked developing countries in light of the United Nations Millennium +5 summit, which will be held in New York in September 2005.

Participants of note include Mr. Anwarul Chowdhury, High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and SmallIslandDevelopingStates, who will take part in the session.

The Special Body immediately precedes UNESCAP’s sixty-first Commission Session, scheduled for 12-18 May at the UN Conference Centre, Bangkok.

For further information, please contact:  United Nations Information Services, tel.:  +66 2 288-1861-66, fax:  +66 2 288-1052, e-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org.

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