| Shamshad Akhtar |
During a week-long visit to Asia's fourth largest economy, Shamshad Akhtar, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP), will meet with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, as well as other senior ministers and leaders of think tanks. She will discuss issues of global, regional and common interest, including expanded cooperation between the country and ESCAP.
Her visit marks the 60th anniversary of Korea's membership of ESCAP.
"In its path towards achieving great economic success over the last 60 years, the Republic of Korea has consistently provided inspiration and assistance to many other developing countries," Akhtar said. She also underscored the strong leadership that the country can offer in the global and economy, in which innovation and technology have become drivers of growth and development.
"The Republic of Korea's unique development experience will continue to be a valuable lesson for other countries in the region, particularly in the fields of ICT (information and communications technology) and promoting the ‘creative economy," she said. "Some of the ways in which the Republic of Korea could achieve this would be by providing training on the ‘creative economy', technical advice and a transfer of technologies to other ESCAP member States."
Akhtar emphasized that ESCAP is seeking the Republic of Korea's energetic engagement in its regional economic cooperation and integration work, and is proposing that the country hosts a regional high-level policy dialogue on sustainable development and financing in advance of the major global UN conference to be held next year in Addis Ababa.
ESCAP is also looking for Korea to support the creation of new committees on financing, science, technology and innovation, as well as its development of a roadmap to facilitate regional economic integration and transformation toward sustainable development.
On Monday, the executive secretary will meet with Incheon Mayor who hosts ESCAP's East and Northeast Asia office and the training center for ICT for development.
This week, Akhtar will meet with Ministers of Unification, Environment, Gender Equality and Family, the head of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the president of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, and many others.