ESCAP highlights Asia-Pacific priorities for implementation of 2030 Agenda ahead of ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum
ASTANA. KAZINFORM - On 13 April, a presentation of the activities of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (UN ESCAP) was held at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations in New York.
UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Dr. Shamshad Akhtar made a presentation for Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Member States, on the outcomes of key ESCAP meetings held over the past month in preparation for the ECOSOC Forum, namely the first High-level Follow-up Dialogue on Financing for Development in Asia and the Pacific, and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. Dr. Akhtar also briefed the Permanent Representatives on ESCAP's efforts to advance Asia-Pacific regional economic cooperation and integration.
At the start of this first year of implementation of the 2030 Agenda, ESCAP has focused on taking stock of how our region is positioning itself; assessing national strategies for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); as well as how to more effectively harness and mobilize the necessary resources to support member States in mainstreaming the economic, social and environmental Goals into national development strategies and policies, Kazinform has learnt from the Kazakh MFA's press service.
Among the outcomes of the two high-level regional deliberations has been consensus on the need for an Asia-Pacific Tax Forum to support revenue enhancement in the region's developing countries; the importance of harmonizing legal and regulatory frameworks of regional capital markets; strategies to deploy private investment and savings to support sustainability; the value of establishing a new regional infrastructure financing forum; and the foundational elements of a regional road map for implementation of the SDGs - especially in developing countries and countries with special needs.
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Kairat Abdrakhmanov stressed that regional action is critical to strengthen the link between global commitments and national efforts. There is a strong need to close the gap between the global process and negotiations and the activities at the national level. He also mentioned that that ESCAP, thanks to its unique role, niche and mandate, can play a connecting bridging role.