82nd ESCAP: Realigning Resilience in the Asia-Pacific
The 82nd ESCAP meeting indicates that the Asia-Pacific region is entering a new phase of development. The region is no longer solely pursuing growth rates but is beginning to realign the foundations of its resilience amid constantly changing global pressures.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Amid increasingly accumulated global economic pressures—from energy volatility and slowing growth to rising geopolitical tensions—the Asia-Pacific remains one of the world’s main economic pillars.
However, what is changing is not only the pace of growth but also the way the region maintains its economic balance.
Risks are now increasingly interconnected. Shocks in one sector can quickly spread to others, cross national borders, and narrow the space for national policy.
In such conditions, regional stability can no longer be supported solely by domestic approaches but requires closer coordination between countries.
This need emerged at the 82nd meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) from 20-24 April 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The forum raised the theme “Leaving no one behind: advancing a society for all ages in Asia and the Pacific”, which emphasises the importance of inclusive development across generations.
This theme reflects the region’s shift in approach, from focusing on economic growth to efforts to ensure that development benefits are more evenly and sustainably distributed to all groups in society.
According to Indonesia’s Ambassador to Thailand, concurrently serving as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Hari Prabowo, the global development agenda needs to be placed in a longer horizon.
In his view, achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals serves as an initial foundation, while regional discussions need to move towards a post-2030 framework that is more adaptive to global dynamics.
From Indonesia’s perspective, the Asia-Pacific not only plays a role as the world’s economic growth engine but also has the potential to help shape a new direction for a more inclusive global development agenda.
In this reading, the principle of “leaving no one behind” becomes the main basis for development policy. This principle cannot stop at commitments but must be reflected in policies that reach vulnerable groups and deliver real impacts at the community level.
Indonesia’s approach also emphasises the importance of strengthening cross-country and intergenerational cooperation as key elements in ensuring development remains inclusive in an increasingly interconnected world.
In line with this, Indonesia also affirms that UNESCAP’s role is not only as a technical forum but as a strategic space to strengthen multilateralism and promote more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable regional development.