Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) On February 20, 2026, Mr. Chettapan Maksamphan, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, held talks with Ms. Amida Sarsia Alisjabana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), to exchange views on deepening cooperation between Thailand and ESCAP and related issues concerning regional development.
During the talks, Ms. Alisjabana highly praised Thailand's positive role as the host country of ESCAP and affirmed its important contributions to promoting multilateral cooperation and regional coordinated development in the Asia-Pacific region. She also highlighted two important upcoming ESCAP agendas: the 13th Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Forum, to be held from February 24 to 27, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok; and the 82nd ESCAP Session, scheduled to be held from April 20 to 24, 2026, in Baku, Azerbaijan, expressing her hope that Thailand would continue to actively participate and play a constructive role. Chettapan Maksamphant, Permanent Deputy Secretary, reiterated that Thailand will continue to deepen its cooperation with ESCAP based on its own "self-sufficient economy" philosophy, promoting cooperative initiatives that benefit all member states in the region and contributing to the achievement of the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals. He also explicitly stated that Thailand is willing to fully support ESCAP's series of commemorative and related activities for its 80th anniversary in 2027, jointly upholding the spirit of multilateral cooperation.
As the largest of the five regional commissions of the United Nations, ESCAP was established in Shanghai, China in 1947 and moved to Thailand in 1949. The organization currently has 53 member states in the Asia-Pacific region. Its core mission is to build a regional cooperation platform, promote the exchange of ideas among member states, and provide policy recommendations and practical support for promoting socio-economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.
