SCO Deputy Secretary-General Vladimir Potapenko led a delegation from the SCO Secretariat during the 74th session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which took place on 14-16 May, 2018 in Bangkok.
The theme of the session was Inequality in Asia and the Pacific in the Era of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The session brought together 540 representatives from the ESCAP member countries, associated members, international organisations, and UN structural units.
The first half of 15 May, saw Mr Potapenko speak at the plenary meeting of the high-level ministerial segment. He said that "economic cooperation and a higher standard of life and well-being are priorities for joint activities of the SCO countries," adding that "members of the organisation make a joint effort to progress towards building an efficient system of regional trade and economic cooperation, which is stipulated in the SCO Charter and the SCO Development Strategy to 2025. Prospects for further joint activities on the economic track were reflected in the joint communique following the SCO Heads of Government Council Meeting (1 December, 2017, Sochi, Russia)."
In the second half of 15 May, Mr Potapenko took part in a high-level discussion on the role of multilateralism in the promotion of inclusive economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific Region. He said that multilateralism is enshrined in the SCO Charter, the principal document of the organisation, and the model of multilateral partnership that is built on it continues to prove that it is needed and effective. Mr Potapenko informed those present about the principles of work of the SCO Heads of Government Council, the SCO Business Council, and the SCO Interbank Consortium, which are successful examples of multilateralism.
The participation of the SCO delegation in the 74th session of ESCAP involved consultations between the SCO Secretariat's Department of External Communication and the relevant structural divisions of the ESCAP Secretariat: the Transport Division represented by Deputy Executive Secretary and Officer-in-Charge Hong Joo Hahm; the Strategy and Programme Management Division represented by Director Adnan Aliani; the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division represented by Director Mia Mikic; the Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division represented by Director Tiziana Bonapace; the Energy Division represented by Director Hongpeng Liu and the Subregional Office for North and Central Asia represented by Head of Office Hirohito Toda. The consultations served to review the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the SCO and ESCAP secretariats signed in 2015. The officials also had an in-depth exchange of views that resulted in new and promising areas of cooperation between the two organisations identified at the suggestion of the ESCAP divisions, particularly in reducing disasters related to water, electronic trade and rail transport. The parties agreed to maintain working contact to deepen cooperation.
Finally, the SCO Secretariat delegation met with Deputy UN Secretary General, ESCAP Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar on 16 May. The officials expressed satisfaction with the quality of cooperation between the SCO and ESCAP secretariats, particularly in transport. Mr Potapenko conveyed words of gratitude from SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov to Ms Akhtar, who concludes her mission as ESCAP Executive Secretary in late May 2018.
UN ESCAP is the largest of the five UN regional commissions. The commission aims to resolve economic and social issues in the Asia-Pacific Region.
Cooperation between the secretariats of the SCO and ESCAP is developing in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in 2015 in the city of Zhengzhou (PRC).