Infrastructure connectivity

Infrastructure connectivity, energy efficiency and agricultural development advanced in Asia-Pacific

Beijing (ESCAP News) -- To speed up sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific, the United Nations’ regional development arm has committed to cooperating with the government of China on a wide range of areas at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing this week.

Guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will work to further strengthen regional connectivity. A balanced and integrated approach across countries and sectors will be taken to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

ESCAP Executive Secretary and United Nations Under Secretary General Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana remarked, “As we work to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, signing this MOU marks a new milestone in the cooperation between ESCAP and the People’s Republic of China. It will add momentum to our work to promote economic, social and environmentally sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.” At the Forum, Ms. Alisjahbana further emphasised that ESCAP would continue to support the exchange of best practice and foster a common approach to regional economic integration based on international standards, UN values and norms.

ESCAP recommitted to working with the government of China and its specialized institutions to achieve greater energy efficiency in the region. ESCAP will be a partner in taking forward the Belt and Road Green Cooling and Green Lighting Initiatives launched at the Belt and Road Forum. These will deepen collaboration on policy, technology and market reform to improve the efficiency of energy use for lighting and cooling. ESCAP will support policy dialogue and information sharing on efficient energy cooling, strengthen capacity building on energy efficiency policies and standards, and step up coordination with international partners in this area.

Through its regional institution, the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM), ESCAP signed a Memorandum of Agreement boosting knowledge-sharing and action to support effective agricultural machinery in the region for greater food security and rural development.

CSAM has committed to cooperating with the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), known as the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Italian Agency for Agricultural Mechanization (ENAMA). The agreement aims to support sustainable agricultural mechanization in ESCAP member States by strengthening technical guidelines and supporting the testing of agricultural machinery and the development of conformity assessment procedures.

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