On 15-19 May 2023, the seventy-ninth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
Guided by the theme Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific for sustainable development, the annual session will be an opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation on climate change.
The meeting will bring together government leaders from Asia and the Pacific and other key stakeholders to discuss policy options and areas of regional cooperation required to accelerate climate action in the region and beyond. It will include dedicated discussions on catalysing climate finance and investments, complemented by a climate solutions fair.
15 May 2023
09:30-12:00
Agenda item 1. Opening of the session
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 1 (b) Election of officers
Agenda item 1 (c) Adoption of the agenda
Agenda item 1 (a) Opening addresses
- H.E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th General Assembly
- H.E. Ms. Lachezara Stoeva, Seventy-eighth President of ECOSOC
- Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General
- Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary, ESCAP
- H.E. Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha (ret.), Prime Minister of Thailand
- - Statements by Heads of State or Government on the theme of the session
- H.E. Mr. Mark Stephen Brown, Prime Minister, Cook Islands and Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum
- H.E. Mr. Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., President, Palau
- H.E. Ms. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister, Samoa
- H.E. Mr. Joko Widodo, President, Indonesia
- H.E. Mr. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., President of the Philippines
- H.E. Ms. Sheik Hasina, Prime Minister, Bangladesh
- H.E. Mr. Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrain, Prime Minister, Mongolia
- H.E. Mr. Siaosi ‘Ofakivahafolau Sovaleni Hu’akavameiliku, Prime Minister, Tonga
- H.E. Mr. Kausea Natano, Prime Minister, Tuvalu
- Keynote speeches
- Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University (Zoom)
- Dr. George Lam, Chair of ESBN and President, Hong Kong-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Foundation
- Ms. Sunita Narain, Director-General, Centre for Science and Environment, India and Editor of “Down to Earth” (Zoom)
- Mr. Kim Allen, Chairperson, Commonwealth Youth Council and Ms. Prim Rajasurang Wongkrasaemongkol, APFSD Youth Representative
- Group photo (ESCAP Hall)
12:00-12:15
Inauguration of the Sustainability and Innovation Centre & Opening of the Climate Solutions Fair
Level 1, UNCC
12:15-13:15
Lunch for Head of States/Governments and Ministers
13:15-14:15
SIDE EVENTS
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
14:30-17:00
Agenda item 2 Theme topic: “Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific for sustainable development"
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 2 (a) General debate
- Keynote speeches
- Country statement
17:00-18:30
RECEPTION HOSTED BY ESCAP AND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand
16 May 2023
09:30-12:00
Agenda item 2 Theme topic: “Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific for sustainable development”
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 2 (a) General debate (continued)
- Keynote speeches
- Mr. Simon Stiell, Executive-Secretary, UNFCCC
- Mr. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, WMO
- Country statement
11:00-13:00
Election to the Governing Council of APCTT
Conference Room 1, UNCC
12:00-12:45
Lunch
12:45-13:45
SIDE EVENTS
13:50-14:00
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between ESCAP secretariat and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
14:00-15:30
Agenda item 2 (b) Strengthening subregional cooperation
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Subregional perspectives on “Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific for sustainable development” (Concept Note)
- Dialogue with subregional organizations
- H.E. Mr. Henry Puna, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (in-person)
- H.E. Mr. Zhang Ming, Secretary-General, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (in-person)
- H. E. Mr. Tenzin Lekphell, Secretary-General, Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (in-person)
- H.E. Mr. Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (in-person)
- Mr. Bek, Bumhym, Deputy Secretary-General, Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (in-person)
- H.E. Mr. Khusrav Noziri, Secretary-General, Economic Cooperation Organization (online)
- H.E. Mr. Ersala Ruwan Weerakoon, Secretary-General, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (online)
- H.E. Mr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (video)
- H.E. Mr. Andrey Slepnev, Member of the Board (Minister) for Trade, EEC (video)
- Mr. Andrey Smorodin, Director, Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Secretariat (video)
- Country interventions
15:30-17:00
Agenda item 3 Special Body on Least Developed, Landlocked Developing and Small Island Developing States
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 3: Special Body of Least Developed, Landlocked Developing and Small Island Developing States (Concept Note)
Welcome and introduction
- Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP
- Ms. Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS)
Keynote address
- H.E. Ms. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister, Samoa
Presentation of the Asia-Pacific Countries with Special Needs Development Report 2023: Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Seamless and Sustainable Connectivity
Statements
- H.E. Mr. Mark Brown, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cook Islands
- H.E. Mr. Seve Paeniu, Minister of Finance, Tuvalu
Country representative (TBC)
- H.E. Mr. Ankhbayar Nyamdorj, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mongolia
- H.E. Mr. KORM Ribaun, Secretary-General, National Committee for ESCAP, Cambodia
- H.E. Mr. Sefanaia Nawadra, Director-General, Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
- Mr. Taffere Tesfachew, Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least developed Countries, and Member of the Committee for Development Policy for the United Nations
- Mr. Dulguun Damdin-Od, Executive Director, International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries (ITTLLDC)
Country statements
17 May 2023
10:00-12:00
Agenda item 2(c): Special session: Catalyzing climate finance and investment
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Special Session on Catalyzing Climate Finance and Investment (Concept Note)
- Opening addresses:
- Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of ESCAP
- Mr. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
- H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, United Arab Emirates
- Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and UN Climate Change High Level Champion (Egypt)
- Panel discussion:
- Keynote remarks by Mr. Pekka Morén, Special Representative of Finance Minister, Finland & Founding Country of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action
- Keynote remarks by H.E. Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance, Indonesia
- Panelists:
- H.E. Mr. Namgay Tshering, Minister of Finance, Bhutan
- H.E. Mr. Seve Paeniu, Minister of Finance, Tuvalu
- H.E. Ms. Chea Serey, Deputy Governor, National Bank of Cambodia
- Ms. Chavinda Hanratanakool, Chairman, Association of Investment Management Companies, Thailand
- Mr. Koichiro Oshima, Managing Executive Officer, MUFG Bank
- Mr. Alexey Miroshnichenko, First Deputy Chairman, State Development Corporation VEB.RF
- Country interventions
12:00-12:45
LUNCH
12:45-13:45
SIDE EVENTS
14:00-17:00
NETWORKING AND SPECIAL EVENTS
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS FAIR
18 May 2023
10:00-12:00
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 4
Review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific and issues pertinent to the subsidiary structure of the Commission:
(a) Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
(b) Social development
(c) Environment and development
(d) Disaster risk reduction
(e) Energy
12:00-12:45
LUNCH
12:45-13:45
SIDE EVENTS
14:00-16:00
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 4
Review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific and issues pertinent to the subsidiary structure of the Commission: (continued)
(f) Transport
(g) Macroeconomic policy, poverty reduction and financing for development
(h) Trade, investment, enterprise and business innovation
(i) Information and communications technology, science, technology and innovation
(j) Statistics
19 May 2023
10:00-12:00
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online
Agenda item 5
Management Issues
(a) Proposed programme plan for 2024;
(b) Overview of partnerships, extrabudgetary contributions and capacity development.
Agenda item 6
Activities of the Advisory Committee of Permanent Representatives and Other Representatives Designated by Members of the Commission
Agenda item 7
Dates and venue of and theme topic for the eightieth session of the Commission (2024)
Agenda Item 8
Other Matters
12:00-12:45
LUNCH
12:45-13:45
SIDE EVENTS
14:00-16:00
Agenda item 9: Adoption of the report of the Commission on its seventy-ninth session
ESCAP Hall, UNCC and online