Multidimensional Change and Regional Response.

• Author: Hak-Su, Kim
• Position: Brief Article

At the dawn of the new millennium, there are undoubtedly high expectations in all corners of the globe as to what the United Nations, as the only universal assembly of Governments committed to the pursuit of peace and security, and economic and social progress, can achieve. The Organization's endeavours to bring about peace and stability in various "hot spots" will continue to be the cornerstone of its efforts. At the same time, dictated by the rapid pace of globalization, expectations will be high for the United Nations to play an ever-greater role in the promotion of good governance and democratization, human rights, sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty and hunger.

As the regional arm of the United Nations, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be pursuing several of these concerns in the new century. Indeed, the terms of reference of ESCAP provide the Commission with a broad mandate to "initiate and participate in measures for facilitating concerted action for the economic reconstruction and development of Asia and the Pacific, for raising the level of economic activities in Asia and the Pacific, and for maintaining and strengthening the economic relations of these areas both among themselves and with other countries of the world".

Kim Hak-Su is the Executive Secretary of the Economc and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations ...

... is a good example of the active search for new coalitions and forms of cooperation by the United Nations, writes Dutch Minister Eveline Herfkens in her article on global alliances and multilateral policy on page 57. Members of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, as its name suggests, coordinate their efforts in two areas. Instead of setting up yet another organization, its founders are trying to create a network of alliances. Such networks can help fill the gaps in global governance and get the private sector involved--philanthropic bodies, non-governmental organizations and the business world. In this way, greater pressure can also be exerted on Governments in individual States to adopt a more constructive attitude towards global public goods and, at the same time, provide a more effective United Nations apparatus with the sorely needed room to manoeuvre.

The United Nations mandate has evolved over time, from economic reconstruction and development in the immediate...