Anti-poverty progress in Asia, Pacific will be critical factor in meeting global

development goals, says Secretary-General in message to almaty meeting

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s message to the sixty-third session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), delivered by José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, in Almaty, 21 May:

It gives me great pleasure to send my greetings to this important meeting, as this year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Over the past six decades, ESCAP has worked closely with its member States to improve the well-being of people throughout the Asia and Pacific region.  Sessions such as this have provided a unique forum in which all countries of the region can come together to discuss issues of common concern, build consensus on the way forward, and foster collaboration in tackling the region’s challenges.

Later this morning, you will discuss an issue that is very important to us all -- achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the ESCAP region.  As we all know, this year marks the mid-point in our efforts to fulfil the Goals.  With Asia-Pacific now home to two thirds of the world’s population, the level of progress achieved in your region will be a critical factor in determining whether our global efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals will succeed or fail.

I am encouraged by the fact that, in recent decades, the countries of Asia and the Pacific have seen a record number of people lifted out of poverty.  Still, over 600 million fellow human beings who have not benefited from the region’s economic gains continue to face a daily struggle to survive.  The need to redouble our efforts is abundantly clear.  I hope that your deliberations will provide fresh impetus to our collective actions to combat extreme poverty.

There are many other challenges confronting the region.  Rapid economic growth has come at a high environmental price.  I am glad that ESCAP, by promoting a “Green Growth” model, is trying to fundamentally change the way we define growth to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach.

The latest Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific rightly focuses on another major social problem -- gender discrimination.  By putting an estimate on the economic costs of such practices, the Survey serves to highlight the fact that we are all losers, in more than one way, when half of humanity is deprived of its basic rights.

The ESCAP region has achieved a great deal, and yet there is much that remains to be completed.  As you gather in Almaty -- the first time that a Commission session is being held in Central Asia -- I offer my very best wishes for a productive and successful meeting.

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For information media • not an official record