Baku to host 82nd UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific in April 2026

Baku is set to host the 82nd session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in April 2026, officials have confirmed.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), announced the decision during the 17th Summit of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OEC), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Alisjahbana expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for his significant initiative and continued support in securing the event.

Amid growing global challenges, she emphasised the increasing importance of regional cooperation. She outlined three key proposals for future discussions.

Firstly, she stressed the need to create and strengthen regional platforms aimed at enhancing policy coherence and coordination at national, subregional, and regional levels. She cited the example of aligning the new OEC strategy with national climate goals.

Secondly, recognising the impacts of climate change, Alisjahbana called for the establishment or improvement of a common system for risk assessment, early warning systems, and regional coordination of responses, particularly regarding floods, droughts, and glacier-related threats with cross-border effects.

Thirdly, she highlighted the necessity of integrating a vision of sustainable and climate-resilient futures into all areas of cooperation to ensure greater policy coherence and cross-sectoral synergy.

By Aghakazim Guliyev