AKIPRESS.COM - Over the next two weeks, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Dr. Shamshad Akhtar will meet with heads of state and government, senior ministers, leading academics and representatives of the private sector across North and Central Asia as part of a mission to deepen collaboration between ESCAP and member dtates in the subregion.

With a concentration of seven out of the twelve landlocked developing countries in Asia, a central element of Dr. Akhtar’s mission will be to focus on the challenges and opportunities of the current economic situation in North and Central Asia, in light of the newly-adopted global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Dr. Akhtar will also discuss priorities for the unprecedented forthcoming leadership dialogue for North and Central Asia, to be held at ESCAP headquarters in Bangkok on 17 May during the 72nd ESCAP session.

Steep declines in commodity prices, coupled with ongoing currency depreciations, have seen average GDP growth fall to 3% last year, down from 5.1% in 2014 in North and Central Asia (excluding the Russian Federation). This is expected to improve only slightly in 2016, to 3.4%, according to ESCAP’s latest analysis. In the face of these steep challenges, Dr. Akhtar will discuss with leaders how renewed commitment to economic diversification and enhanced regional economic integration will facilitate job-generating growth and wider prosperity in North and Central Asia.