The main theme of this year’s United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) commission session "is to look at how Asia Pacific is investing in social protection for its people."

Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, ESCAP executive secretary, said widening income gaps amid the region’s positive growth, environmental and social crises prompted the session to focus on social protection. She said, "The focus has been on sustaining economic growth in the region, but to make sure that that growth is equitable and that there is investment in social protection."

Across Asia over 950 million people are still living on less than $1.25 a day. And there are concerns over rising food and oil prices feeding into inflation, which affect the world's poorest most.

Poverty growing

ESCAP warns that high fuel and food prices in 2011 could impoverish as many as 42 million additional people around the world. Dr. Heyzer says steps to reduce poverty and provide social protection should be seen as an opportunity for development as well as an "investment" because "what it does it provides a much higher, much larger consumer market especially if you invest in income security as well as in social protection."

Asia has also been buffeted by a host of natural disasters ranging from flooding in Pakistan, and a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan. These combined with social and political crises can undermine countries achieving key development goals, said Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejajjiva. He believes the impact of crises will continue to leave people suffering from abject poverty, disease and health problems. He said, "I believe that the consequences of the crises can be abated if we prepare ourselves well in advance so that our people can be better equipped and enjoy social protection against the uncertainties that may come in the future."

"There is something grievously wrong"

Bhutan’s Prime Minister Jigme Thinley told delegates ecological crises, financial crises, crop failures, health crises, conflicts and governance failures, all raise questions over allowing development to be based on market forces alone. "All these crises tell us that there is something grievously wrong in the way human society conducts itself. They warn us that our way of life is dictated by market forces that are guided not so much by sense and sensibilities as they are by insatiable greed."

He added that this system "is not sustainable, responsible or just" and, "unless we mend our ways things are just going to get worse."

Mr. Thinley called for a measure of growth to be broadened beyond that of national output by taking into account equity, sustainable growth and judicious use of natural resources.

During the commission session, major fossil fuel exporting and importing nations in the Asia Pacific reached an agreement to cooperate and promote energy self-reliance amid concerns over rising food and oil prices threatening economic recovery and the Millennium Development Goals.

Author: Ron Corben
Editor: Sarah Berning