UNESCAP Committee on Social Development, Third Session

The ESCAP Committee on Social Development was established to address (a) implementation of internationally agreed commitments, including those agreed at the United Nations on social development, population, ageing, disability, youth and disadvantaged groups, gender equality and health; (b) policy options, strategies and good practices in social policy and protection; and (c) social policies and financing aimed at building inclusive societies.

Purpose of the Third Session

In 2014, the Third Session of the ESCAP Committee on Social Development will:

• review social development trends and challenges in Asia and the Pacific, in the context of a development agenda beyond 2015;
• serve as a preparatory body for the “Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Beijing+20 Review”, which will be convened by ESCAP in cooperation with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) in Bangkok from 10 to 14 November 2014;
• review and provide feedback on the framework and elements of a draft outcome document for the above-mentioned Conference, which will aim to accelerate the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and address emerging issues for the period beyond 2015;
• and consider the secretariat’s programmatic focus and planned outputs in the field of social development for the biennium 2016-2017.

Expected Outcomes

1. Priority social development trends & issues in the region are identified for the post-2015 period.
2. Preliminary results of the Beijing+20 regional survey are validated.
3. Main elements of a draft outcome document are endorsed for the “Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Beijing+20”.
4. Proposed outputs for the 2016-2017 programme of work on social development are endorsed.