United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

About United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

• It is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region.
• It was established in 1947.
• Mandate: To promote economic and social development in the Asian and Pacific region by fostering cooperation between its members and associate members.
• The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges.
• It is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.
• It carries out work in the areas like Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development, Trade, Investment and Innovation, Transport, Environment and Development, Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction and Social Development etc.
• Head quarters: Bangkok, Thailand

What are Sustainable Development Goals?

• These were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
• The SDGs framework sets targets for 231 unique indicators across 17 SDG goals related to economic development, social welfare, and environmental sustainability, to be met by 2030.
• The 17 SDGs are integrated; they recognise that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Q1) What is the United Nations?

It is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and serve as a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations. 

Source: Asia-Pacific region 32 years behind 2030 target on achieving SDGs: UNESCAP