Meeting concludes with Global Policy Dialogue on “Converging Crises, Shared Solutions: Applying Socioeconomic Lessons from Asia-Pacific to Global Challenges”
WHAT: Meeting of the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs and related Global Policy Dialogue
As the world faces growing socioeconomic pressures, geopolitical tensions, and climate-induced shocks, coordinated action is more urgent than ever. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires renewed commitment and stronger alignment between global and regional responses.
In Asia and the Pacific, where crises like supply chain disruptions, climate disasters, and regional conflicts have far-reaching impacts, context-driven solutions that draw on local knowledge are critical. The interconnectedness of these crises and the mounting challenges of energy transition, job creation and social inclusion underscores the need for collective action that draws on local knowledge to address global problems.
From 22 to 23 May 2025, the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (HLAB), a distinguished group of global thought leaders and practitioners, will convene in Bangkok for the first time in Bangkok to discuss emerging global socioeconomic trends, risks, and opportunities. This two-day meeting will be an opportunity to share how the experiences and innovations from the Asia-Pacific region can shape global strategies and how the international agenda can be enriched by regional context. At the same time, HLAB members will discuss how global solutions can be adapted to the needs of the region. The Board Members will also meet with regional government and civil society representatives.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) will also host a Global Policy Dialogue on “Converging Crises, Shared Solutions: Applying Socioeconomic Lessons from Asia-Pacific to Global Challenges,” where participants can engage with HLAB members through live Q&A and online polls.
The conversation will focus on socioeconomic opportunities and policy innovations from the Asia-Pacific region that have global relevance, helping to shape resilient, inclusive, and sustainable solutions to today’s most pressing crises.
Journalists are welcome to join the Global Policy Dialogue in person or online. HLAB members will be available for in-person interviews on a limited basis immediately after the dialogue.
WHO: The following HLAB members will join the events in Bangkok and may be available for interviews:
- Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, Professor of Global Development and Brooks School of Policy, Cornell University
- Xiaolan Fu, Professor of Technology and International Development, University of Oxford
- Anastasia Gage, Professor at the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University
- Fadhel Kaboub, President, Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity; Associate Professor of Economics at Denison University
- Martin Kimani, CEO of The Africa Center, New York
- Raya Muttarak, Professor of Demography, University of Bologna
- Åsa Persson, Research Director and Deputy Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute
- David Christopher Smith, Director, Centre for Environmental Management, The University of the West Indies
- Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive of New Economics Foundation, former Chief Executive of Oxfam, former Secretary General and CEO of CIVICUS
- Kori Udovicki, Head of Center for Advanced Economic Studies (CEVES)
- Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) (ex-officio member)
- LI Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, UN DESA
- Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, UN DESA
GLOBAL POLICY DIALOGUE on “Converging Crises, Shared Solutions: Applying Socioeconomic Lessons from Asia-Pacific to Global Challenges”
WHEN: 23 May 2025, 14:45-16:30 ICT
WHERE: Theatre, Faculty of Arts, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Building, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
Register here to join in person: bit.ly/23may-inperson
Register here to join online: bit.ly/dialogue23may
For more information, including HLAB member biographies, please visit the HLAB website: https://www.un.org/en/desa/about-us/advisory-board
Please follow the event on social media using hashtags: #HLABinBangkok and #GlobalGoals.
On Facebook: facebook.com/SustDev; facebook.com/joinundesa; on X: x.com/SustDev; x.com/undesa and LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/united-nations-department-of-economic-and-social-affairs
Media contacts:
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Ariel Alexovich: alexovich@un.org
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