UN proposes practical solutions for a trade-led economic recovery in the Asia-Pacific region
The current economic crisis provides an opportunity for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to re-evaluate their export markets and reposition themselves for the future, suggests a new UN publication. Navigating Out of the Crisis: A Trade-led Recovery – A practical guide for trade policymakers in Asia and the Pacific provides policymakers with a number of trade and investment policy tools that can be used to counter the economic and social impacts of the crisis. [7 May 2009]

Current Crisis an Opportunity to Lay Long-term Foundations, Says UN Forum
The current global economic crisis provides a good opportunity to address some long term issues, a high-level panel on the economic crisis agreed in discussions today in Bangkok . The panel was part of ESCAP annual meeting. It was moderated by Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of ESCAP. The speakers included her counterparts for Africa, Abdoulie Janneh, and for Europe , Jan Kubis. Also speaking was Kim Jong-hoon, Minister of Trade, Republic of Korea ; Ajay Chhibber, Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP; and Martin Khor, Executive Director, South Centre – an intergovernmental organization of developing countries based in Geneva. [28 April 2009]

Annual Meeting of UN’s Asia-Pacific Arm Calls for Inclusive Region-Wide Response to Current Crises
In order for Asia Pacific to recover from the current economic crisis, food-fuel volatility, as well as climate change, region-wide development policies must be embraced that are inclusive, create social protection and have long-term sustainability. This was the key message to come out of the annual session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP), the ministerial segment of which was opened this morning in Bangkok by the Prime Minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva. [27 April 2009]

Regional Cooperation Key for Poor and Vulnerable Countries to Deal with Current Crises, says UN Forum
Regional cooperation is absolutely essential for the poorest and most vulnerable countries in Asia and the Pacific in their response to the triple threat of food-fuel volatility, the economic crisis and climate change. This was the key message coming out of the special high-level discussion on the impacts of the triple crises on the least developed countries (LDCs), land-locked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS). The event in Bangkok today was part of the annual session of the United Nations ESCAP. [24 April 2009]

UN Report Says Food Crisis Must Be Addressed As Part of Response to Economic Crisis
Any recovery from the current economic crisis will be incomplete if the related food crisis is not addressed, says a new UN study. The report, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Asia and the Pacific, was launched today by ESCAP. It says that for 583 million people across Asia and the Pacific, the financial crisis has become a food crisis. While food prices have fallen from last year’s spike they remain high. Rising unemployment and falling incomes are putting additional pressure on the poor and vulnerable. More worrying still is that, once the global economy recovers, the pressures that drove up food prices last year will return. [24 April 2009]