Photo: U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld at the 12th Session of ECAFE in Bangalore, India 1956.
In the aftermath of World War II, many post-colonial countries in Asia and the Pacific found themselves with the complex task of fusing diverse ethnic and social groups into single nations. Faced with just 14 per cent of global exports - much of this consisting of raw materials - countries moved toward capital- intensive economic development. Despite some economic gains in the 1950s, large swathes of local populations continued to live in desperate poverty. Life expectancy averaged just 41 years, and half of all mortalities were due to infectious diseases. Promising signs emerged when some countries began making development progress.
1947
The Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) is established in Shanghai by 10 original members to promote measures for post-war reconstruction and economic development in the region.
1948
ECAFE publishes first annual Economic Survey of the Far East – a comprehensive analysis of the economic conditions and challenges of countries in the region.
1957
Governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam form the Mekong Committee to oversee the management of water resources in the Mekong Basin.
1959
Asian Highway Network is launched.
Photo: ECAFE did not confine its development support to large-scale production such as iron and steel, but also focused attention on small-scale industries, such as centralizing purchases of raw materials, and on developing industries in rural areas throughout the region.
By the mid-1960s, several countries in the region started the move away from agrarian-based economies. ECAFE conceived the Asian Development Bank, which opened its doors in Manila as a financial institution that would be Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in what was then one of the poorest regions in the world. The decade also saw a handful of countries dubbed the “Asian Tigers” begin their ascent. By 1970, economic growth in some East Asian countries already eclipsed their developing and developed counterparts.
1963
New Delhi hosts first Asian Population Conference to address development challenges arising from trends in population growth.
1966
Asian Industrial Development Council undertakes regional surveys in petrochemicals and agricultural machinery, and identifies opportunities for joint ventures between countries in the region.
1968
Typhoon Committee promotes measures for minimizing loss of life and damage caused by typhoons, in cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization.
1969
Asian Coconut Community improves conditions for small farmers and workers in the coconut industry, under an agreement between India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Photo: As ECAFE evolved into ESCAP, broadening its mission to encompass social development issues, technical assistance and training programs became a priority.
By the late 1970s, the pattern of trade in the region had shifted. Increasingly, countries moved toward skills improvement and capacity development. Over the next 10 years, the region would see an unprecedented drive toward thoroughly modern societies. The manufacturing sector grew rapidly, greatly contributing to growth, which led to a steady decline in poverty levels.
1970
Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) is established in Japan as a training centre by 20 governments. It is later accorded the status of an ESCAP statutory body in 1995.
1975
Bangladesh, China, India, Lao PDR, South Korea, and Sri Lanka sign first agreement on trade negotiations - renamed Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) in 2005.
1977
Asia-Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) in Bangalore stimulates the transfer of technology to and from small- and-medium-scale enterprises in the region. APCTT moved to New Delhi in 1993.
1979
ESCAP and the International Telecommunication Union create the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity in Bangkok through a joint initiative, supporting the sustainable growth of ICTs in the region.
Photo: ESCAP’s Integrated Rural Development Program in the 1970s and 80s and its emphasis on the inter-relationship between distribution and growth helped put the concept of poverty analysis on the map.
The decade gave rise to a growing consensus about the major objectives of economic policy in the region: higher growth, fuller employment, equity and fulfillment of basic needs. However, concerns about the slow growth and transformation of the region’s least developed and Pacific island developing economies, led to a greater recognition that they would need strong support from the international community, including the region’s developed and other developing countries.
1981
ESCAP establishes a regional coordination centre for agricultural research and development agriculture in Bogor - renamed the Centre for the Alleviation of Poverty through Secondary Agriculture (CAPSA) in 2010.
1984
Pacific Operations Centre in Port Vila, Vanuatu opens to support countries in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The centre relocates to Suva, Fiji in 2005 and is renamed the Subregional Office for the Pacific.
1985
First Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific results in the Asian Action Plan for Human Environment – a regional framework for enhancing public awareness on environmental management for sustainable development.
1987
CITYNET is established by ESCAP, UNDP, UN-HABITAT, the City of Nagoya and 27 members to improve the sustainability of cities in Asia and the Pacific.
Photo: By the 1990s, work on gender and development was firmly established at ESCAP as it organized the regional preparatory meeting for the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
Throughout the 1990s, the manufacturing ability of coun- tries in the region coupled with cheap labour markets were the main drivers of economic growth. By the end of 1997, however, the financial crisis gripped much of East Asia. By the end of the decade, many countries were on the road to recovery and income poverty was on the decline. The social pillar had also crystallized as complementary to the economic pillar with an increase in regional discussions on issues such as gender parity, ageing and urbanization.
1993
Asian Decade on Disabled Persons (1993-2002) is declared to promote the human rights of disabled persons. It is the first such regional decade in the world.
1995
ESCAP holds regional preparatory meeting for the Fourth World Conference on Women. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is adopted to promote gender equality.
Photo: ESCAP has been concerned from its earliest days about adequate supplies of energy, but environmental implications and climate change now demand a more urgent shift to low-carbon, carbon-free and renewable resources.
Over the decade, dramatic economic growth allowed millions in Asia and the Pacific to climb out of poverty. But the rapid increases in industrial and agricultural production also exerted intense pressure on the environment. A new vision emerged out of these concerns that focused on more sustainable and balanced development. Greater attention was paid to disaster mitigation, cleaner energy and the ways in which ICTs can enhance development.
2002
United Nations Asia Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery is established in Beijing - renamed Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Machinery (CSAM) in 2013.
2005
ESCAP Trust Fund for Tsunami, Disaster and Climate Preparedness is established to support a multi-hazard approach, following the destructive Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004.
Asia and the Pacific pioneers the concept of green growth at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development.
2006
Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT) opens in Incheon, strengthening ICT in member States through capacity development.
Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement is adopted, covering over 117,500km of railway lines and 28 countries.
Photo: The Ministerial Declaration on Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific is a stepping stone for countries to increase cooperation on international road connectivity.
The position of Asia and the Pacific as the driver of the global economy continues to intensify alongside its growing leadership in shaping the international debates on economics and policy making. Meanwhile, the region seeks collective solutions to persistent challenges such as climate change, pollution, natural disasters and growing disparities. In embracing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, countries reaffirmed the need to work together to tackle many of these cross-border issues. Seventy years after ESCAP was created to help the region build out of the rubble of war, Asian and Pacific countries now are deepening regional cooperation and integration in the pursuit of shared and sustained prosperity for all.
2012
The Incheon Strategy - the world’s first set of regionally agreed disability-inclusive development goals is adopted, along with the Ministerial Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022.
2014
Bangkok Declaration on Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration (RECI) in Asia and the Pacific sets the agenda for RECI in the region.
2017
Asia and the Pacific becomes first region to develop a regional action plan on the Sustainable Development Goals in 2017.