Asia

Asian railway integration gains momentum at UN-backed meetings

14 December 2009
Transport ministers and experts from across Asia and the Pacific opened a week-long series of meetings at United Nations headquarters in Bangkok today to accelerate regional integration by further linking national railway networks and setting up major hub stations connecting inland economic centres.

UN examines how to use technology to minimize disaster damage in Asia-Pacific

11 August 2009
Better utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) to prepare for and deal with catastrophic natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region is the focus of a United Nations meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, today.

UN-backed meeting examines recession’s impact on Pacific island nations

24 July 2009
With the effects of the current global economic turmoil being felt acutely in Pacific island nations, social policies placing an emphasis on dialogue, community ownership and human rights are essential to mitigate the impact of the crisis, participants at a United Nations-backed gathering have concluded.

Cut red tape to increase exports in Asia-Pacific, UN-backed conference concludes

22 May 2009
A reduction of export red tape by Governments in the Asia-Pacific region will lead to an increase in exports from areas hard hit by the global financial crisis, said participants at a United Nations-backed trade conference today.
ESCAP panel examines impacts of crises on least developed countries in Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific’s resilience against financial turmoil being ground down – UN

28 April 2009
The Asia-Pacific region has been steeled against the global recession by lessons learned from the 1997 economic crisis, but its resilience will continue to be chipped away unless several key issues are addressed, a top United Nations official cautioned today.
ESCAP Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer

Triple crises reveal necessity of collective action, says top UN Asia-Pacific official

27 April 2009
The “triple threat” posed by the economic, food and climate crises have underscored the need for international cooperation to prevent the slide of an additional 60 million people in Asia and the Pacific into poverty this year, the top United Nations official in the region said today.
Many people trafficked internally in the Philippines are put to work in metropolitan areas such as Manila, the capital city

UN agency chief urges protection of refugees while fighting smugglers

15 April 2009
The head of the United Nations refugee agency today urged Member States of the so-called Bali Process on people-smuggling in the Asia-Pacific region to ensure that refugees and asylum-seekers are protected.

UN-backed forum aims to help Cambodia continue growth in face of economic crisis

5 February 2009
The effects of the global financial collapse and market meltdown may threaten impressive gains to Cambodia’s economic growth and poverty reduction over recent years, delegates at a United Nations-supported forum heard today.