INTRODUCTION TO UNITED lives in cities and the regional statistics for and Pacific are the same. As the urban NATIONS ECONOMIC AND population grows so does urban poverty. SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR Urban poverty affects millions of people in AND THE PACIFIC AND THE Asia, and although there are many AGENDA ITEM regulations on how to deal with rural address urban poverty effectively, “To poverty, urban poverty is more of a recent policymakers at the national and local issue that needs urgent addressing as it levels need a good understanding of the holds back further economic development nature of urban poverty as well as accurate for Asia and Pacific. For that reason it is data that present its dynamics, trends and important that UNESCAP addresses the (United Nations Economic and conditions.” matter in order to create unifying, effective Social Council, 2007) and solid regulations. The region of the United Nations Economic UNITED NATIONS AND REGIONAL and Social Commission for Asia and the COMMISSIONS Pacific (UNESCAP) encompasses is a big In order to understand the workings of one, from Turkey in the West, Kiribati in UNESCAP, first its structure and the East, Russia in the North and New significance within the other regional Zealand in the South; it also has a complex commissions of the United Nations must cultural structure and a big economy and be examined. market with 2/3 of the World’s population, The United Nations Regional Commissions and many developing countries. The consist of five regional development arms economy of the region used to be very which divides the member states according agriculture-dominated 20 years ago, yet to their socio-economic relevance, these today it is heading towards becoming a are: more developed, industrialized region and United Nations Economic Commission for this has direct correlation with urbanization. Although the definition of urban United Nations Economic and Social differentiates from state to state, it is clear Commission for and the Pacific that for the first time in the world’s history (UNESCAP) more than 50% of the total population now Economic Commission for (ECLAC)
INTRODUCTION TO UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR AND THE PACIFIC AND THE AGENDA ITEM “To address urban poverty effectively, policymakers at the national and local levels need a good understanding of the nature of urban poverty as well as accurate data that present its dynamics, trends and conditions.” (United Nations Economic and Social Council, 2007) The region of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) encompasses is a big one, from Turkey in the West, Kiribati in the East, Russia in the North and New Zealand in the South; it also has a complex cultural structure and a big economy and market with 2/3 of the World’s population, and many developing countries. The economy of the region used to be very agriculture-dominated 20 years ago, yet today it is heading towards becoming a more developed, industrialized region and this has direct correlation with urbanization. Although the definition of urban differentiates from state to state, it is clear that for the first time in the world’s history more than 50% of the total population now lives in cities and the regional statistics for and Pacific are the same. As the urban population grows so does urban poverty. Urban poverty affects millions of people in Asia, and although there are many regulations on how to deal with rural poverty, urban poverty is more of a recent issue that needs urgent addressing as it holds back further economic development for Asia and Pacific. For that reason it is important that UNESCAP addresses the matter in order to create unifying, effective and solid regulations. UNITED NATIONS AND REGIONAL COMMISSIONS In order to understand the workings of UNESCAP, first its structure and significance within the other regional commissions of the United Nations must be examined. The United Nations Regional Commissions consist of five regional development arms which divides the member states according to their socio-economic relevance, these are: United Nations Economic Commission for United Nations Economic and Social Commission for and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Economic Commission for (ECLAC)
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