Latest news with #UnitedNationsEconomicandSocialCommissionforAsiaandthePacific
Barnama
3 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
ASEAN To Adopt KL Declaration On Safe And Responsible Use Of Social Media This October
GENERAL Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil delivers his speech at the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Ministerial Meeting (APT-MM) 2025 here, Friday. Fahmi is leading the Malaysian delegation to APT-MM 2025, which aims to strengthen regional cooperation in telecommunications and information technology. The APT is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1979 under the joint initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the International Telecommunication Union. --fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED From Anas Abu Hassan TOKYO, May 30 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Safe and Responsible Use of Social Media Platforms for ASEAN will be formally adopted during the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said the declaration was initiated and led by Malaysia and endorsed at the recent 17th Conference of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) on May 7. 'Through this declaration, ASEAN further strengthens its collective efforts to promote responsible online behaviour among its citizens and to build a people-centred, digitally resilient community,' he said in his ministerial statement at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Ministerial Meeting (APT-MM) here today. Fahmi also noted that Malaysia is exploring the establishment of an ASEAN Toolkit for Online Safety, which aims to bring together practical resources and best practices from ASEAN member states to address online safety challenges unique to each country. 'It will serve as a guiding document for sharing knowledge and experiences, enabling member states to learn from one another and strengthen regional efforts to combat fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information, all of which contribute to online harms and exploitation across the region,' he said. Fahmi also highlighted that to promote accountability among online platforms, Malaysia has introduced a Regulatory Framework for Internet Messaging Service and social media service providers, requiring service providers with eight million or more users in Malaysia to apply for Application Service Provider (ASP) Class Licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. This policy, effective since January 2025, ensures that major platforms comply with our laws and take greater responsibility for managing harmful content, he said. In the meantime, the minister reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to ensuring universal access, technological equity, and environmental sustainability in the digital domain.
Scoop
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Asia-Pacific Countries Endorse Bold Steps For Greener, Resilient Cities At UN Assembly
Press Release – UN ESCAP As the region becomes increasingly urban, countries emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to services for all, advancing gender equality, and creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities that leave no one behind. Bangkok, 25 April 2025 Countries across the Asia-Pacific region have agreed to intensify cooperation to drive sustainable and resilient urban development, adopting a new resolution at the close of the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today. The resolution highlights the urgency of addressing challenges such as climate risks, infrastructure gaps, overcrowding and social inequalities amid fast-paced urbanization. 'The solutions lie within the diversity of our region,' shared United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in her closing remarks. 'We have deftly navigated through past crises and emerged stronger together. Our capabilities will provide solutions to our contemporary challenges and allow us to anticipate those that have yet to emerge.' Governments committed to expanding regional and subregional partnerships to share know-how, align urban policies with the Sustainable Development Goals, and support local authorities in building livable and inclusive cities. The resolution calls for greater investment in digital innovation, low-carbon transport, nature-based solutions and climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure. The resolution also recognizes the critical role of city leaders and community networks in shaping urban futures. It encourages local action through integrated planning, sustainable financing and climate-smart strategies that respond to unique national and local contexts. As the region becomes increasingly urban, countries emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to services for all, advancing gender equality, and creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities that leave no one behind. A second resolution adopted at the session responds to intensifying water-related challenges driven by climate change in the region. ESCAP member States expressed concern over increasing water stress, the growing frequency and severity of water-related disasters, and the alarming retreat of mountain glaciers and thawing permafrost, which threaten both ecosystems and livelihoods. It urges countries to adopt integrated water management approaches, enhance institutional capacity, invest in resilient infrastructure, and involve youth, civil society and communities in decision-making. Another key outcome from the session focuses on the need for targeted international support to help middle-income countries address ongoing development hurdles. The adopted text advocates moving beyond income-based metrics by incorporating vulnerability indices and underscores the value of South-South and triangular cooperation, while reiterating that these efforts must complement, not replace, North-South cooperation. Countries additionally adopted a fourth ESCAP resolution reaffirming their commitment to advancing digital inclusion and transformation in the region. Around a thousand delegates from 43 member States, associate members and observer countries as well as various stakeholder groups and international organizations attended the session held from 21 to 25 April in Bangkok.
Scoop
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Asia-Pacific Countries Endorse Bold Steps For Greener, Resilient Cities At UN Assembly
Bangkok, 25 April 2025 Countries across the Asia-Pacific region have agreed to intensify cooperation to drive sustainable and resilient urban development, adopting a new resolution at the close of the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today. The resolution highlights the urgency of addressing challenges such as climate risks, infrastructure gaps, overcrowding and social inequalities amid fast-paced urbanization. 'The solutions lie within the diversity of our region,' shared United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in her closing remarks. 'We have deftly navigated through past crises and emerged stronger together. Our capabilities will provide solutions to our contemporary challenges and allow us to anticipate those that have yet to emerge.' Governments committed to expanding regional and subregional partnerships to share know-how, align urban policies with the Sustainable Development Goals, and support local authorities in building livable and inclusive cities. The resolution calls for greater investment in digital innovation, low-carbon transport, nature-based solutions and climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure. The resolution also recognizes the critical role of city leaders and community networks in shaping urban futures. It encourages local action through integrated planning, sustainable financing and climate-smart strategies that respond to unique national and local contexts. As the region becomes increasingly urban, countries emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to services for all, advancing gender equality, and creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities that leave no one behind. A second resolution adopted at the session responds to intensifying water-related challenges driven by climate change in the region. ESCAP member States expressed concern over increasing water stress, the growing frequency and severity of water-related disasters, and the alarming retreat of mountain glaciers and thawing permafrost, which threaten both ecosystems and livelihoods. It urges countries to adopt integrated water management approaches, enhance institutional capacity, invest in resilient infrastructure, and involve youth, civil society and communities in decision-making. Another key outcome from the session focuses on the need for targeted international support to help middle-income countries address ongoing development hurdles. The adopted text advocates moving beyond income-based metrics by incorporating vulnerability indices and underscores the value of South-South and triangular cooperation, while reiterating that these efforts must complement, not replace, North-South cooperation. Countries additionally adopted a fourth ESCAP resolution reaffirming their commitment to advancing digital inclusion and transformation in the region. Around a thousand delegates from 43 member States, associate members and observer countries as well as various stakeholder groups and international organizations attended the session held from 21 to 25 April in Bangkok.
Scoop
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Forum Calls For Urgent Action To Tackle Growing Challenges In Asian And Pacific Cities
As Asia and the Pacific faces an unprecedented urban transformation, with cities preparing to absorb 1.2 billion more people by 2050 – roughly twice the population of ASEAN – government leaders, city planners and development experts opened the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today, calling for stronger regional cooperation to shape resilient and sustainable urban futures. United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana underscored the urgency of rethinking how cities grow and function. 'Urbanization is more than just managing growth – it's about transforming cities into hubs of innovation, resilience and equity,' she said. While cities have long been drivers of economic growth, the region's rapid urbanization is intensifying social and environmental pressures. One in three urban residents still lack access to basic services. Climate change is raising temperatures, while rising sea levels and extreme floods threaten coastal megacities. A significant share of the urban population remains locked in poverty, with many living in slums or informal settlements. 'This is the paradox we face,' added Alisjahbana. 'Our cities are engines of opportunity but also centres of vulnerability. But there is hope.' 'With over 2.2 billion urban residents and seven of the world's largest megacities, [the Asia-Pacific] region stands at the forefront of global urban solutions. By working together, we can close inequalities, mitigate climate impacts and empower women while driving investments that propel multiple SDGs forward,' said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohamed. 'Urban areas across the region continue to experience the impacts of social, economic and climate vulnerabilities in vastly different ways. This prevents the benefits of economic growth from reaching all urban dwellers equally,' shared Philemon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assembly. The Prime Minister of Thailand, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, as well as several ministers from across the region made remarks on the first day of the session. They highlighted priorities for governments to focus on such as harmonizing national and local policies in areas such as housing and transport, improving subnational data collection to drive evidence-based urban policy, strengthening urban planning to meet the needs of ageing populations and growing migrant communities and diversifying urban financing through stronger municipal revenue systems. 'We must have well-planned urban development to ensure that we achieve resilient and sustainable urban development. We must invest in cities that are inclusive, green and resilient, strengthening urban network and city-to-city cooperation, plan proactively for demographic transition and mobilize diversified financing,' said Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, who was elected as Chair of the 81st session. Deliberations at the session are informed by findings of a new ESCAP study Urban Transformation in Asia and the Pacific: From Growth to Resilience which offers policy solutions and showcases cities in the region that are already pioneering change. The report highlights the transformative role of green infrastructure, smart technologies and inclusive urban planning in building cities that work for everyone. It also calls for coordinated action at all levels, warning that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without cities at the forefront. 'Local and regional authorities are crucial for developing and implementing sustainable solutions to these urban challenges. In fact, two-thirds of SDG targets depend on action at the local level,' stressed Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The 81st ESCAP session is expected to culminate on Friday with the endorsement of regional resolutions covering, among others, strengthening cooperation on the water and climate change nexus, sustainable urban development and advancing the sustainable development of middle-income countries.
