ESCAP - Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

The ESCAP is the largest platform instituted by the United Nations to promote the regional development of the countries located in the Asia-Pacific territory. The ESCAP includes almost 62 countries positioned across the vast territory, starting from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south, and from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island republic of Kiribati in the east.

ESCAP [Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific] - Overview

This territory can be anointed as the hub for human resources as it accounts for two-thirds of the world's population, with almost 4.1 billion people. This United Nations organisation has employed over 600 people to relentlessly carry out developmental affairs in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring the most sustainable growth possible.

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was established in 1947 to get rid of numerous challenges prevailing in the Asia-Pacific region that hinder overall growth. This United Nations body provides the funding and technical assistance to carry on projects addressing the dominant issues. The headquarters of this body of the United Nations is located in Bangkok, Thailand.

ESCAP History

It was very important to support the Asia-Pacific territory after it went through the ramifications caused by wars. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations took the initiative to form the ESCAP in order to accelerate the process of subsidising economic growth in the vast territory of the Asia-Pacific region.

The motto of this United Nations body was to "initiate and participate in measures for facilitating concerted action for the economic reconstruction and development of Asia and the Far East." from the very beginning. The name of the body was updated to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on August 1st, 1974 to reflect its areas of interest concerning social and economic aspects. The updated name was also capable of denoting the territory that comes under the commission's supervision.

ESCAP Function

• ESCAP promotes regional cooperation by assembling the countries and holding discussions about the common issues they face together and their initiatives to combat them. This invokes the aspect of learning from each other.
• ESCAP also helps the least developed countries raise their voices in an international forum addressing their social and economic issues.

It can be concluded that the ESCAP plays a major role in uplifting the standard of living of people belonging to the Asia-Pacific region. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific assists member countries in developing a comprehensive approach to addressing social and economic issues.

FAQs on ESCAP

Q.1. What is the ESCAP [Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]?

The Economic And Social Commission For Asia and the Pacific refers to ESCAP which is a dedicated developmental arm established by the United Nations to promote regionally sustainable development goals in the Asia-Pacific region.

Q.2. When was the ESCAP established?

The Economic and Social Council took the initiative to establish the ESCAP on March 28, 1947.

Q.3. What was the objective for setting up the ESCAP [Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]?

The ESCAP was formed to aid its member states to attain the goal of shared economic development and promotion of social equity. This platform encourages its member nations to foster regional cooperations along with executing collaborative actions to pursue the objectives of the 2030 agenda of sustainable development.

Q.4. How many countries are presently members of the ESCAP?

The current members of the ESCAP [Economic And Social Commission For Asia and the Pacific] include 62 countries.