United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Event Name: 

The tenth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 

Event Dates: 

27-30 March 2023 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 9, SDG11, SDG 17 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

The APFSD is mandated by ESCAP resolutions 72/6 and 78/2. The Forum considered the impacts of COVID-19 and major challenges within the energy, food, and finance nexus, and reiterated the need for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery. It stressed the need for disaggregated data, enhanced health and well-being, improved social protection systems, accelerated climate action, and continued support in the region’s energy transition and highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation among stakeholders at all levels while reiterating the continued need for technical support from the United Nations development system.  

The Forum took an in-depth review of progress on Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17. Additionally, the Forum fed into the 2023 SDG Summit held in September 2023 and provided a regional platform to comprehensively review progress at the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda to identify priorities and solutions for accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the remaining years to 2030. 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/apfsd10 

Event Name: 

79th Commission session 

Event Dates: 

15-19 May 2023 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 5, SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDDG 16, SDG 17 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

The Commission is mandated by ESCAP resolution 78/2. The Commission adopted 10 resolutions and 12 decisions. The Commission was held on the theme “Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific”. Member States adopted a resolution to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts and re-committed to immediately curb greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution further recommends countries to promote clean energy technologies, regional power system connectivity, low-emission mobility, early warning systems and strengthened use of climate change-related statistics as part of mitigation and adaptation strategies.   

Nine other resolutions underscored commitments towards environmental protection; mitigating and minimizing the consequences of disasters in the water basin of the Aral Sea; supporting countries in special situations; promoting digital cooperation and inclusion; advancing the use of space applications; promoting disability-inclusive development; better understanding of the linkages between climate and ocean; and sustainable urban development. 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/commission79 

Event Name: 

The Third Asian and Pacific Energy Forum (APEF3) 

Event Dates: 

19-20 October 2023 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDG 7 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

APEF3 is mandated by ESCAP resolution 74/9. At the APEF3 co-hosted by ESCAP and the Ministry of Energy of Thailand, member States adopted the Ministerial Declaration on Building a Secure, Sustainable and Interconnected Energy Future for Asia and the Pacific, reaffirming their commitments to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, address energy poverty and to reduce energy inequalities in Asia and the Pacific.  

The Forum also reviewed made in achieving SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy and discussed the region’s priorities for moving toward a sustainable energy future. With the region consuming more than 40 per cent of global energy and producing more than 50 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the outcomes of the Forum will set the tone for progress not only in Asia and the Pacific, but also globally, for achieving Goal 7 and to accelerate climate action. 
 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/2023/APEF3 

Event Name: 

Eight Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-8) 

Event Dates: 

23-25 October 2023 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Suwon, Republic of Korea 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDG 11, SDG 13, SDG 17 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

As mandated by ESCAP resolution 70/12, the Eighth Asia-Pacific Urban Forum was convened in collaboration with Suwon City under the theme, “Reforging post pandemic pathways to sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific”. A high-level communique was released by the ministers and senior officials, reflecting a voluntary regional consensus on sustainable urban development in Asia and the Pacific, highlighting the importance of localizing SDGs and reinforcing the New Urban Agenda for a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous urban future.  
 
The Forum identified urban and territorial planning, inclusive urban digitalization, city climate action, urban finance and inclusive urban policies to leave no one behind as priority actions. Additionally, the Forum called for partnerships for collaborative action to address complex challenges posed by unplanned urbanization and establishing mechanisms for north-south, south-south, triangular and city-to-city cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region for knowledge exchanges. 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/apuf8 

Event Name: 

The Seventh Asian and Pacific Population Conference 

Event Dates: 

15-17 November 2023 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

Pursuant to ESCAP resolution 74 (XXIII), the Conference is a statutory organ of the Commission and has been convened every ten years since 1963.  

The Conference will review progress on the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development in the region. It will further identify good practices, lessons learned, priority actions and emerging trends at the intersection between population and development. In addition, it will provide inputs from the Asia-Pacific region to the 30-year global review of the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, to be held at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Population and Development in May 2024. 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/2023/seventh-asian-and-pacific-population-conference 

Event Name: 

The eleventh Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 

Event Dates: 

20-23 February 2024 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 13, SDG 16, SDG 17 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

The APFSD is mandated by ESCAP resolutions 72/6 and 78/2. The Forum will be organized under the theme, “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific”.  

The Forum will take an in-depth review of progress on Sustainable Development Goals 1, 6, 13, 16 and 17. The outcome of the Forum will inform the 2024 High-level Political Forum. 
 
The subregional preparatory meetings for APFSD 2024 took place in ESCAP's five subregions: East and North-East Asia, North and Central Asia, the Pacific, South-East Asia, and South and South-West Asia. The outcomes and recommendations from these meetings will contribute to the discussions at APFSD 2024. 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/apfsd11 

Event Name: 

Asia-Pacific High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Beijing+30 

Event Dates: 

19-21 November 2024 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDG 5 

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

In accordance with ECOSOC Resolution E/RES/2022/5, ESCAP has been mandated to lead the Asia-Pacific regional intergovernmental review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), in collaboration with UN Women and supported by the Asia-Pacific Issue Based Coalition on Human Rights and Gender Equality.  

The ambition of the Conference is to reinvigorate political commitment to advance the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in Asia and the Pacific by seeking to build regional consensus on priority actions to accelerate the implementation of commitments made in the BPfA. The Conference will further act as a platform for sharing knowledge and information on progress made as well as gaps and challenges encountered in realizing the rights of women and girls in the region. The outcome will serve as the region’s input to the deliberations at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in 2025.  

Website (if applicable) 

To be available in 2024 

Event Name: 

High-Level Euro-Asia Regional Review Meeting of the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024 

Event Dates: 

22-23 August 2023 

Event Location (City, Country): 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Relevant SDGs: 

SDGs 1-5, 8-10, 17  

Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)  

The Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs (VPoA) is coming to an end in 2024. GA resolution A/RES/77/246  mandates OHRLLS to collaborate with ESCAP and ECE to conduct a Euro-Asian final review of VPoA as part of the preparation for the Third UN Conference on LLDCs in Rwanda in 2024.  

A synthesis report was prepared, suggesting priorities for Asian LLDCs for the next ten years so that it can contribute to the outcome report of the conference. Suggested priority areas (or at least part of them) need to be aligned with the areas of work of the substantive divisions of ESCAP so that the recommendations can be linked directly to ESCAP’s offer of support to LLDCs 

While the VPoA primarily focuses on the unique challenges faced by landlocked developing countries, its objectives and strategies align with many of the broader goals outlined in the SDGs. Therefore, progress in implementing the VPoA can contribute to the achievement of multiple SDGs in the context of LLDCs. 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/events/2023/high-level-euro-asia-regional-review-meeting-vienna-programme-action-landlocked  

Resource Name 

Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2023: rethinking Public Debt for the SDGs 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) 

SDG 17 

Publishing entity/entities 

ESCAP 

Target audience  

Asia-Pacific member States and other stakeholders involved in fiscal policy analysis and management, and public debt management. 

Description (max 150 words)  

The Survey calls for a significant shift in thinking about leveraging public debt for development gains. It examines how new perspectives on fiscal and public debt analyses and policies can help the region to effectively pursue the SDGs.  

The Survey proposes an augmented approach to analyse public debt sustainability in the long term, which supplements the current exclusive focus on reducing near-term debt distress that can compromise efforts to promote sustainable development. 

The Survey also offers guidance to Governments for achieving a balance between investing in the Sustainable Development Goals and reducing fiscal and debt distress. For countries already facing elevated debt distress, the Survey recommends sovereign debt restructuring under three conditions, namely (1) pre-emptive, swift and adequate sovereign debt restructuring, informed by reliable debt sustainability assessments; (2) strong political commitment, along with a credible strategy; and (3) fair treatment of all stakeholders that reasonably balances the concerns of debtor countries and creditors. 

Language(s) 

English  
Executive Summary in English, Chinese and Russian 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/kp/2023/economic-and-social-survey-asia-and-pacific-2023-rethinking-public-debt-sustainable 

Resource Name 

The Future of Asian & Pacific Cities Report 2023: Crisis Resilient Urban Futures 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) 

SDGs 11 and 17 

Publishing entity/entities 

ESCAP 

Target audience  

Asia-Pacific member States and other stakeholders involved in urban finance and urban planning vis-à-vis climate change. 

Description (max 150 words)  

As countries and cities across Asia and the Pacific struggle to recover from the health and socioeconomic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of climate change continue to ravage the region. Geopolitical tensions and the growing food and energy crisis are undermining prospects for a true recovery and are, consequently, placing the aspirations of the New Urban Agenda and localization of the Sustainable Development Goals in the region seemingly out of reach. Drawing upon consultations on the status of Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities in the region, in the present report, the linkages between urban planning, climate action, digitalization and finance in urban areas of Asia and the Pacific are explored. The report concludes with actions for policymakers to guide urban cooperation and partnerships to address severe disruptions and long-standing development challenges in cities for a sustainable urban recovery in Asia and the Pacific. 

Language(s) 

English 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/kp/2023/future-asian-and-pacific-cities-2023-crisis-resilient-urban-futures 

Resource Name 

National SDG Tracker 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) 

All 17 SDGs 

Publishing entity/entities 

ESCAP 

Target audience  

Asia-Pacific government officials responsible for implementation and monitoring of the SDGs (SDG focal points in national statistical systems, planning organizations, and SDG implementing bodies). 

Description (max 150 words)  

The National SDG Tracker is a tool for countries to track progress on the SDGs. It allows countries to use and add their own data, indicators and targets and assess their progress towards the SDGs. Countries are able to visualize their progress towards SDG using the tool.  

The National SDG Tracker also encourages the use of granular data, so no one is left behind. Users have ownership over data and results. They can choose to download and publish them on their preferred platform and reports or use the raw data to generate their own visualizations. 

Language(s) 

English 

Website (if applicable) 

https://data.unescap.org/stories/national-sdg-tracker 

Resource Name 

2023 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report: Delivering on the SDGs through food, energy and finance nexus 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) 

SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17 

Publishing entity/entities 

ESCAP, ADB and UNDP 

Target audience  

Policymakers of Asia-Pacific member States and other stakeholders involved in implementing the 2030 Agenda 

Description (max 150 words)  

Energy, food, and finance are critical in the midst of the crises and addressing their nexus is key to the recovery. Economic growth prior to the pandemic was uneven, and had devastating environmental consequences, exhausting natural resources, causing extensive pollution, and driving climate change. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic plunged millions into poverty, while the war in Ukraine is further compounding the challenges to attain the SDGs, driving, pushing up inflation and contributing to a cost-of-living crisis that impacts more severely on the poor.  This report examined new risks and opportunities for recovery at the nexus of food, energy and finance as well as explore innovative solutions and trajectories for green and inclusive recovery, to ensure that no one is left behind. 

Language(s) 

English 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/kp/2023/delivering-sustainable-development-goal…;

Resource Name 

Asia-Pacific Countries with Special Needs Development Report 2023: Strengthening regional cooperation for seamless and sustainable connectivity 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals) 

SDGs 7, 9, 11, 17 

Publishing entity/entities 

ESCAP 

Target audience  

Policymakers of Asia-Pacific member States from countries in special situations (LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS) 

Description (max 150 words)  

Seamless and sustainable connectivity across countries is central to improving the lives of people in Asia-Pacific CSS. Improved transport connectivity can lower trade costs and enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of doing business, especially in LLDCs and SIDS which are disadvantaged due to their lack of territorial access to the sea and/or geographical remoteness from international markets. Improved ICT connectivity can assist CSS, especially those with a small population and relatively poor resource endowments, to harness economies of scale while enhancing access to innovative solutions. Economies of scale can also be achieved through greater energy connectivity, which will, in turn, expand the range of sustainable energy solutions and facilitate a green energy transition. 

The report highlights the importance of seamless and sustainable connectivity in addressing the inherent structural weaknesses of CSS. It identifies the challenges faced in further enhancing connectivity in transport, energy and ICT, and how these challenges have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the evolving crises in Ukraine. 

Language(s) 

English 

Website (if applicable) 

https://www.unescap.org/kp/2023/strengthening-regional-cooperation-seam…;

Initiative/Partnership Name 

Collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 

Partners (please list all partners) 

ASEAN 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)  

All 

Member States benefiting from it 

ASEAN member States  

Description (max 150 words) 

ESCAP continued to collaborate with the ASEAN to enhance complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the 2030 Agenda through its sixth high-level brainstorming dialogue, at which participants took stock of progress made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in South-East Asia and identified ways to accelerate their implementation.  

ESCAP and ASEAN co-hosted the Fifth ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit, at which participants reviewed the progress made in promoting a more enabling environment for inclusive business in ASEAN countries and worldwide. The Summit allowed participants to discuss opportunities for collaborating on policymaking, including in the areas of business coaching, accreditation, impact monitoring, women’s economic empowerment and climate adaptation solutions, through an inclusive business approach. Other areas of collaboration included investment facilitation for sustainable development, sustainable urban transport and intraregional foreign direct investment. 

Website  

https://www.unescap.org/subregional-office/south-east-asia 

Initiative/Partnership Name 

Collaboration with international organisations in the Pacific 

Partners (please list all partners) 

UNDRR, RCOs, Pacific Community 

Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)  

All 

Member States benefiting from it 

Countries in the Pacific subregion 

Description (max 150 words) 

In the Pacific subregion, together with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and resident coordinators’ offices, ESCAP provided countries, through its report Pathways to Adaptation and Resilience in Pacific SIDS, with resilience-based analytics and recommendations on addressing climate change and disasters, in line with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The launch of the report also served as an opportunity to increase understanding of the need to integrate climate change adaptation and resilience into development plans, and share experiences on promoting climate change adaptation strategies.  

To accelerate the implementation of, the follow-up to and the review of the 2030 Agenda and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, ESCAP and the Pacific Community started working with individual countries on developing road maps for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and clean energy) using the National Expert SDG Tool for Energy Planning (NEXSTEP). 

Website  

https://www.unescap.org/subregional-office/pacific 

https://www.unescap.org/kp/2022/pathways-adaptation-and-resilience-paci…;