Addressing the ‘triple threats to development’ was the central theme of the
Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2009, launched at UNIC Canberra on March 26. The Report was published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
After introductory remarks by the UNIC NIO Officer, Professor Raghbendra Jha, Executive Director of the Australia South Asia Research Centre at the Australian National University, officially launched the report.
During his address, Professor Jha gave an overview of the global financial crisis, the genesis of the food and fuel crisis - and an analysis of the state of the region’s economies. Professor Jha then discussed ways in which the region’s economies can move in unison, from crisis resilience to crisis resistance.
The second part of the program involved a lively question and answer session that focussed on carbon trading schemes and access to clean technologies; the synergies between overseas aid and the financial crisis, the huge human cost of climate change and the need for global fiscal packages to incorporate green policies and programs.
The launch was attended by representatives of the Diplomatic corps, Australian government departments and committees, civil society and the media.