BANGKOK, 23 May 2023 - The Philippines successfully concluded its participation in the 79th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which was held on 15 -19 May 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand and online.
The 37-strong Philippine delegation from various government agencies reiterated the country’s commitment to engage in an effective collaboration and called for stronger partnerships to accelerate efforts towards a climate-resilient Asia Pacific region.
Guided by the statement of H.E. President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. on the session theme of “Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific for sustainable development” delivered at the session’s opening on 15 May 2023, the delegation particularly called for regional cooperation in enhancing disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience-building, including through the use of space data; and developing statistics to measure the impacts and progress of climate change, among other efforts.
Director Ariel C. Blanco (left) and Deputy Director General Gay Jane Perez (right) of the Philippine Space Agency virtually delivering statements on disaster risk reduction and on information and communications technology, respectively
Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales, Executive Director of the Commission on Population Development, on behalf of the Philippine Statistics Authority, delivering a statement on statistics
The Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) also had a prominent role during the discussions on expanding access to and enhancing the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the region. DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy and Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Ian Cardano Dy each briefed the Commission on the outcomes of regional meetings that they respectively chaired.
DICT Secretary Ivan John E. Uy (left) and DICT Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Ian Cardano Dy (right) delivered statements, in their capacity as Chair of the 4th Session of the Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation, and as Chair of the 17th Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development, respectively
Finally, the Philippine delegation wrapped up its participation by co-sponsoring ESCAP resolutions on regional action on space applications for sustainable development and on establishing a United Nations special program for the Aral Sea basin in Central Asia.
The annual ESCAP session is a forum for the Member States of Asia and the Pacific to review and discuss economic and social issues and to strengthen regional cooperation. The next regional Session is scheduled to be held on 22-26 April 2024 in Bangkok.
For more information on the 79th Commission Session, please visit the official website at https://www.unescap.org/events/commission79. END
Ambassador Millicent Cruz Paredes (4th from right) with the other members of the Philippine delegation who participated in person
