H.E. Prof. Dr. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Main idea:
Persistent disparities in the Asia-Pacific region require addressing emerging challenges and exploring future trends for equitable nation building.
Important points:
- Persistent regional disparities: Despite development efforts, significant portions of the population still live in extreme poverty with uneven access to quality education.
- Key emerging trends: Rapid technological advancement, climate change, demographic shifts, global interconnectedness, and geopolitical tensions are shaping the region’s future.
- Equitable technological benefits: Policies must ensure that technological advancements benefit all societal segments to promote inclusion.
- Changing development assistance: There’s a shift towards South-South cooperation and new forms of development assistance, moving away from traditional ODA.
- UN ESCAP’s role: The organization is crucial in building intergovernmental consensus and providing country-level support for addressing these challenges.