The 60th session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be held at Shanghai International Convention Center (SICC) in Shanghai, China, from 22 to 28 April 2004. It will be a very commemorative event for China and the region because the original office of ESCAP that was grew out from ECAFE (Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East) was housed in Shanghai when it was incepted in 1947. ECAFE was moved to Bangkok in 1949 and changed its name as ESCAP in 1974.

The 60th session is structured in two segments: a Senior Officials Segment from 22 to 24 April 2004, consisting of meetings of the Committees of the Whole and the Working Group on Draft Resolutions, and a Ministerial Segment from 26 to 28 April 2004. A high-level Visionary Meeting for Asia and the Pacific 2020, attended by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a State Leader of the host Government, former prime ministers of some ESCAP members and other VIPs, will be convened during the ministerial segment.

At the session, policy issues for the ESCAP region, such as 'Implications of recent economic and social developments' and Meeting the challenges in an era of globalization by strengthening regional development co-operation' will be discussed. At the same time, emerging issues at the regional level, such as 'Poverty reduction', 'Managing globalization' and 'Emerging social issues' will also be highlighted.

For more information, please visit http://www.unescap.org/60/index.asp