PRESENTATION NAME

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Follow-up to Rio20 Actions considerations at
the Regional Level Dialogue of Executive
Secretaries with the Second Committee
Dr. Noeleen Heyzer Under-Secretary-General of
the United Nations and Executive
Secretary of ESCAP
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The Rio20 Challenge

• Creating a new, better model for 21st century
  economies
• With smart public policies, governments can grow
  their economies, alleviate poverty, create decent
  jobs accelerate social progress in a way that
  respects the earths finite resources
• - UNSG Ban Ki-Moon

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Asia-Pacific Regional Context

• Home to 3.9 billion (about 56 of global
  population)
• About 46 live in urban areas
• About 36 of global GDP and 34 of world exports
• Highest regional growth (about 5.6) in 2011
• Almost 40 of global energy demand in 2011
• About 80 of global disaster losses in 2011

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Threats to Asia-Pacific Development

• Persistent Problems Poverty, hunger, growing
  inequalities, energy, water, health vulnerable
  jobs
• Emerging Issues Transboundary issues such as
  financial crises, commodity price volatility,
  natural disasters climate change
• The New Normal of global turbulence,
  uncertainty, and volatility

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Asia-Pacific Development

• In spite of growth most Asian populations still
  in rural areas employment remains deeply
  vulnerable
• Most Asia-Pacific countries have only limited
  social protection systems
• Financing for inclusive sustainable development
• Rio20 has challenged us to go even further

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Regional Development Solutions

• Must rebalance integrate the 3 pillars of
  sustainable development
• Asia-Pacific already moving to begin this process
• Rio20 Outcome Document Specific new mandates
  for UN Regional Commissions
• New Regionalism Regional Solutions
• Expanding South-South inter-regional
  cooperation

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ESCAP Efforts Initiatives

• Intergovernmental Engagement with Member States,
  Role of Annual Commission Conference Structure
  Review
• Institutional Reorienting Flagship Publications,
  Strengthening the RCM Regional/Global State of
  Sustainable Development Report
• Substantive Inter Alia Green Growth, Energy,
  Transport, Urbanization, Oceans Support to LDCs
  

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ESCAP Intergovernmental

• Engagement with Member States
• Focusing the Role of the Annual Commission
  Session
• Conference Structure Review

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ESCAP Institutional

• Reorienting Flagship Publications Economic
  Social Survey Theme Study Asia-Pacific MDG
  Report etc.
• Strengthening regional UN coordination through
  the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM)
• Regional Global State of Sustainable
  Development Report

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ESCAP Substantive

• Green Growth Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap
• Energy Asian Energy Highway
• Water Resilient Systems Economics of Supply
• Food Security Sustainable agriculture poverty
  reduction
• Transport Dry Ports/Regional Connectivity
• Oceans Special Case of the Pacific SIDs
• Support to LDCs DRR, SPECA Fragile States

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Conclusion

• Sustainable development is a truly generational
  opportunity for change
• Our ability to shape and contribute to this
  change has never been greater.
• For Asia and the Pacific, Rio20 was a key
  milestone in our journey to a more inclusive,
  sustainable and resilient future.

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Thank you