The inaugural session of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) will be held from 7 to 9 May 2014 at the United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand. Discussions will align with the theme of the HLPF (currently proposed as “Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and charting the way for an ambitious post-2015 development agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals”). The APFSD will chart the blueprint of a long-term inter-governmental regional consultation process supported by UN system coordination and collaboration, constructive and inclusive engagement of stakeholders, credible assessments of progress, and an effective science-policy interface. The Forum is being convened by ESCAP in collaboration with the UN system through the Regional Coordination Mechanism and the UN Development Group.
Taking stock of the global discussions at this critical time when the HLPF and its associated processes are in a transitional phase and the United Nations Development Agenda beyond 2015 is being formulated, the APFSD will focus on:
- Developing strong regional inputs to inform global dialogue and decision-making, as well as national responses
- Identifying effective and inclusive means of implementation for a transformational development agenda
- Defining the regional HLPF processes to 2015 and beyond
More information can be found on the APFSD 2014 website.