Human Resources Development Section

Click on any of the questions below or scroll through this page.

What is ESCAP?
Who are the members of ESCAP?
What is ESCAP's HRD misssion?
What does the HRD Section of ESCAP do?
Who are the target groups of ESCAP's HRD work?
What is HRD?
Why pursue HRD?
What is the contact address of the HRD Section?
Who are the major donors for HRD activities of ESCAP?
Can you put my URL link on this site?
I want to find out about job opportunities at the UN.
I have another question.

What is ESCAP?
ESCAP stands for the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1947, ESCAP is the regional arm of the United Nations for economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific. It is the only comprehensive intergovernmental body dedicated to regional development in Asia and the Pacific. ESCAP has 61 member countries and territories.

In this diagram the place of ESCAP within the United Nations system is shown.

More information is available from ESCAP's main home page.

Who are the members of ESCAP?
Members of ESCAP are: Afghanistan; American Samoa; Armenia; Australia; Azerbaijan; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; China; Cook Islands; Democratic People's Republic of Korea; Federated States of Micronesia; Fiji; France; French Polynesia; Georgia; Guam; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Islamic Republic of Iran; Kazakstan; Kiribati; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Macau; Malaysia; Maldives; Marshall Islands; Mongolia; Northern Mariana Islands; Myanmar; Nauru; Nepal; Netherlands; New Caledonia; Niue; Pakistan; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Republic of Korea; Russian Federation; Samoa; Singapore; Solomon Islands; Sri Lanka; Tajikistan; Thailand; Tonga; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Tuvalu; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; United States of America; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; and Viet Nam.

What is ESCAP's HRD mission?
ESCAP's mission in the field of human resources development (HRD) is to strengthen national capacity to plan and deliver HRD services to the people of Asia and the Pacific. This is done through the development of institutions and the enhancement of government performance to promote HRD. Targeted HRD services include education and skills development, employment, and health and nutrition. The programme is implemented by the HRD Section of ESCAP.

What does the HRD Section of ESCAP do?
The HRD Section promotes cooperation in HRD through inter-country forums, research, training, advisory services and information exchange and networking in the areas of:

HRD policy formulation.
Capacity-building of institutions and national personnel in the public, private and NGO sectors.
Planning and delivery of HRD services, including basic education and skills development, employment, and health.
Promotion of "best practices" in HRD, through such means as the annual ESCAP HRD Award in recognition of HRD achievement in Asia and the Pacific.

In addition, the HRD Section serves as the United Nations regional focal point in Asia and the Pacific for youth-related concerns in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.

You will find examples of our work when you scroll through the pages on this site (use the navigation buttons on the bottom of each page).

Who are the main target groups?
Government ministries and agencies as well as NGOs dealing with HRD, and youth-related concerns. National personnel from both the public, private and voluntary sectors working to promote HRD for the poor, women, youth and children in especially difficult circumstances.

What is HRD?
ESCAP, through its adoption of the Jakarta Plan of Action on Human Resources Development in the ESCAP Region, defines HRD as a virtuous cycle of:

Investment in human resources to enhance productive capacities;
Utilization of those human resources to produce increased/higher quality output;
Consumption by those human resources of the benefits arising out of that increased/higher quality output, thereby leading to an enhanced quality of life.

This process is shown here in a diagram.

The HRD Porcess

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Why pursue HRD?

Asia-Pacific is a region rich in human resources; it is home to 60 per cent of the world's population.
HRD is a sustainable strategy for promoting economic and social development, and alleviating poverty, which is widespread in certain parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
HRD is a means of empowering the people, enhancing self-sufficiency and promoting participatory development.
HRD, including the ability to read and write, sustain a livelihood, and maintain an adequate standard of health, is a basic human entitlement.

What is the contact address of the HRD Section?
Our mailing address is: HRD Section, Social Development Division, ESCAP, 6th Floor, United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. Telephone 66-2-288-1502, fax 66-2-288-3031.

Who are the major donors for HRD activities of ESCAP?
Aside from the United Nations regular budget, ESCAP's current HRD work is funded by the following major donors:

The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).
The Government of Japan.
The Government of the Netherlands.
The Government of the Republic of Korea.
The Government of Australia.
The Christian Conference of Asia in cooperation with the Evangelische Zentralstelle fuer Entwicklungshilfe (EZE) of Germany.
The United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Can you put my link on this site?
Please contact the the HRD Section, ESCAP at hrd-section.unescap@un.org

I want to find out about job opportunities in the United Nations.
For employment and traineeship opportunities in the United Nations, please check out the following links:

Visit the pages of the Office of Human Resources Management at the United Nations homepage: www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/ for current openings.
There is also a listing of vacancies at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs at UN Headquarters available at: http://www.un.org/esa/vacancy.htm.

How can I ask another question?
You can provide us with any comment or question by contacting the HRD Section, ESCAP at hrd-section.unescap@un.org.