BANGKOK, 30 MAY 2022 – The Philippine delegation, led by H.E. Karl Kendrick T. Chua, Secretary of the National and Economic Development Authority (NEDA), successfully participated in the 78^th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCAP) held online and in person at the UN Conference Center in Bangkok, Thailand on 23-27 May 2022. The annual session of the 53 ESCAP member States was guided by the theme “A common agenda to advance sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.”

Secretary Chua delivered a special message of H.E. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, President of the Philippines, for the Session and on the occasion of the milestone 75^th anniversary of ESCAP.

In his message, the President shared the Philippine Government’s sincere efforts towards achieving the Filipino people’s longstanding aspiration to end extreme poverty. He recalled that in 2018, the Philippines achieved a record low poverty rate of 16.7 percent and lifted 6 million Filipinos out of poverty. And despite the adverse effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Government’s resolve to deliver remains strong. As Secretary Chua conveyed on the President’s behalf, the Philippine economy grew by 5.7 percent in 2021, above the Government’s targets. “Our progress in accelerating the vaccination program and safely reopening the economy allowed the country to further grow by 8.3 percent in the first quarter of 2022 and surpassed the pre-pandemic Gross Domestic Product level.”

Members of the Philippine delegation from various government agencies and the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok complemented the President’s message with their respective statements on the Philippines’ efforts to promote the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Delegation members were one in their commitment to work with all members and partners of the Asia Pacific on common yet targeted solutions to withstand and overcome the critical risks of our times including climate change. The Philippines joined ESCAP Member States in adopting the Bangkok declaration commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific: A common agenda to advance sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

The Philippine agenda was further strengthened by the successful election of the Philippines to the Governing Councils of the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) and the Asian and Pacific Training Center for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT). The elections of the regional institutions of ESCAP were held on 24 May 2022 on the sidelines of the Commission Session.

The Philippines is one of the ten (10) founding Members of ESCAP, with the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok serving as its Permanent Mission. ESCAP was founded in 1947 as a forum for regional collaboration on economic development and post-war reconstruction. Today, ESCAP has 53 Member States and nine (9) associate members. Together, they work on regional solutions to contemporary socio-economic issues such as the environment and development, social development, and poverty reduction.

Please visit https://www.unescap.org/events/commission78 for videos, documents, and other information on the 78th Commission Session including the election results of the Governing Councils of the ESCAP Regional Institutions. END