ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office launched two key publications, ‘Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in East and North-East Asia’ and ‘Unlocking the Potential for East and North-East Asian Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration,’ in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 24 March, 2017, in partnership with the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). The event was welcomed by heads and officials from governments, UN, and international organizations, as well as university students.
Underlining the significant challenges facing East and North-East Asia including poverty, socio-economic inequalities, climate change, and energy inefficiency, the reports find that strengthening regional cooperation and integration is pivotal to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the subregion.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations said, “Continued international cooperation on the Sustainable Development Goals and for economic cooperation and integration will deliver real improvements for people, and support more stable and inclusive societies, which will lead to the ‘future we want.’”
During her opening remarks, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Dr. Shamshad Akhtar reiterated the importance of regional cooperation in achieving the 2030 Agenda. “Development of a common vision for East and North-East Asia has been challenging but it has great potential for achieving sustainable development both at subregional and regional levels by bringing synergies between the SDGs and regional economic cooperation and integration.”
The speakers also raised policy actions for moving forward, including the creation of institutional mechanisms to foster collaboration among member States, and the implementation of transformative policies and measures to address climate change.
