United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

As the most comprehensive of the United Nations’ five regional commissions in terms of population served and area covered - membership of 62 Governments, 58 of which are in the region, and a geographical scope that stretches from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island nation of Kiribati in the east, and from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south - the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region.Established in 1947 with its headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, E

As the most comprehensive of the United Nations’ five regional commissions in terms of population served and area covered - membership of 62 Governments, 58 of which are in the region, and a geographical scope that stretches from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island nation of Kiribati in the east, and from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south - the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region.

Established in 1947 with its headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, ESCAP’s mandate is to promote economic and social development in the Asian and Pacific region by fostering cooperation between its members and associate members. Within this mandate it focuses on various issues that are most effectively addressed through regional cooperation and it carries out work in the following thematic areas: macroeconomic policy and development; statistics; sub-regional activities for development; trade and investment; transport; environment and sustainable development; information and communications technology and disaster risk reduction; and social development.

Energy at UNESCAP

ESCAP is developing strategies to enable countries to make a paradigm shift that meets developmental needs in a sustainable manner. In this context, ESCAP contributes to the strengthening of an integrated policy framework on low carbon development. It is supporting national institutional and policy reforms related to energy efficiency though capacitybuilding, information exchange and regional cooperation. The Commission facilitates the development of long-term strategies and implements integrated capacity-building in energy efficiency for various national circumstances, including energy efficiency in cities, the financing environment, and institutional and policy reforms. ESCAP contributes to and is instrumental in developing policies and strengthening capacity of policymakers, civil society and the private sector for widening access to energy services.

Services provide by UNESCAP include:

• Mobilizing private sector involvement through public private partnerships in providing a sustainable electricity supply to the poor and financial resources for improving social infrastructure
• Providing member states with technical cooperation assistance in energy efficiency
• Conducting gap analyses, research and case studies of existing institutional mechanisms,
  including barriers and challenges for promoting energy efficiency
• Developing policy guidelines to address the barriers to effective institutional mechanisms
• Facilitating dialogue among member states to develop, agree on and implement joint activities to enhance energy security.