By NNN-UN ESCAP,
New Delhi : The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Government of India have signed an agreement completing the process of establishing the ESCAP Subregional Office for South and South-West Asia which was inaugurated here last December.
Representatives of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the signature ceremony here which follows the signing of the Host Country Agreement between the United Nations and the Government of India in March 2012 in Bangkok by Dr. Noeleen Heyzer Executive Secretary of ESCAP and H.E. Mr. Anil Wadhwa, Ambassador of India to Thailand.
Under the Agreement on administrative and financial arrangements, which supplements the Host Country Agreement, the Government of India commits to provide the premises for the ESCAP South and South-West Asia Office (ESCAP-SSWA) and a recurring grant for some operational and programme costs.
“I wish to express my gratitude to ESCAP for having chosen New Delhi as location for its new South and South-West Asia Office,” noted Siddharth Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India who signed the Agreement with Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director of ESCAP-SSWA and ESCAP Chief Economist.
“We will always be here to support you and resolve any outstanding issue, and wish the office well for the future,” he added.
“Today’s signing ceremony marks an important step in our journey towards making a meaningful contribution to the development of the subregion through the establishment of the ESCAP Office. We are very grateful to the Government of India for its generous support throughout the process of establishment,” said Dr. Kumar.
ESCAP-SSWA works with 10 member countries in the region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkey and Sri Lanka – using its normative and analytical work, policy advocacy and capacity-building activities, as well as promotion of regional cooperation to help speed up regional progress towards international development goals.