The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was established as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) by Resolution 37(IV) of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), March 28, 1947. The first session was held in Shanghai, June 16-25, 1947. On August 1, 1974 the name of the Commission was changed to Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific by ECOSOC Resolution 1895(LVII), which also amended the Resolution on establishment accordingly. The main task of the Commission is to further measures for promoting concerted action for the economic and social development of Asia and the Pacific. Its main activities include Poverty and development, development policy, socio-economic analysis, poverty reduction, environment and sustainable development, water resources, energy resources, emerging social issues, health and development, gender and development, population and social integration, information, communication and telecommunication (ICT) policy, ICT applications, space technology applications, trade policy, trade efficiency and faciliation, investment and enterprise development, transport policy, transport infrastructure, transport facilitation, statistics.

COMPOSITION

53 member countries: Islamic State of Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, France, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor Leste,Thailand, Tonga, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.

9 associate members: American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, China, Macau, China New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands

STRUCTURE

The Commission meets annually. At its 58th session (Bangkok, April 16-22, 2002), the Commission decided on a revised intergovernmental subsidiary structure (and periodicity of meetings) as follows:

          Committee on Poverty Reduction
            Poverty Reduction Practices
            Statistics
          Committee on Managing Globalization
            International Trade and Investment
            Transport Infrastructure and Facilitation and Tourism
            Environment and Sustainable Development
            Information, Communications and Space Technology
          Committee on Emerging Social Issues
            Socially Vulnerable Groups
            Health and Development
          
                                 Special Bodies
          Special Body on Least Developed and
            Land-Locked Developing Countries             ...    Biennial (in alternative
                                                                  years with the Special
                                                                  Body on Pacific Island
                                                                  Developing Countries)
          Special Body on Pacific Island
            Developing Countries                         ...    Biennial

The following bodies also function under the auspices of the Commission: Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT); Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP); and Regional Coordination Centre for Research and Development of Coarse Grains, Pulses, Roots and Tuber Crops in the Humid Tropics of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP CGPRT Centre), and Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery (APCAEM).

GENERAL PUBLICATIONS

For the general publications of ESCAP, please visit the ESCAP website at www.unescap.org/publications/index.asp

UPDATED:  May 22, 2003