The High-level Regional Meeting for WSSD including an Asia-Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Development is going to be held at Phnom Penh on 27-29 November 2001. This meeting is being convened to undertake a 10-year review of the progress on implementation of Agenda 21 and to reinvigorate the global commitment to sustainable development agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

The Asia-Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Development is going to be held on 27 November 2001. It will be followed by ministerial-level deliberations on 28 - 29 November 2001. The High-level Regional Meeting will discuss the "regional platform" that will comprise a regional assessment of the implementation of Agenda 21, key policy issues and priorities for sustainable development, goals for the region in the next decade, and specific proposals to the World Summit on Sustainable Development regarding strengthening or raising the effectiveness of regional and international cooperation, including institutional arrangements and financing. The "regional platform" is expected to be adopted by the High-level Regional Meeting, to be attended by ministers and senior officials for environment, finance and planning of countries of the region. (downloads: provisional agenda for Roundtable Meeting and High Level Regional Meeting)

The Asia-Pacific Roundtable on 27 November 2001 will be attended by the chairpersons of the two regional roundtables, chairpersons of the subregional stakeholders' meetings, chairpersons of the subregional intergovernmental preparatory meetings, major groups and stakeholder representatives, other regional partners, and government representatives.

We are inviting organizations to submit their application for participation at the Asia-Pacific Roundtable on 27 November 2001 (Download: registration form) not later than Friday, 19 October 2001 to

Mr. Aslam Khan
Officer-in-Charge
Environment Section
Environment and Natural Resources Development Division
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue
Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Fax: 662 288 1025
email: khan.unescap@un.org and cc: ziegler.unescap@un.org

Having received applications, the Task Force of ADB, ESCAP, UNDP and UNEP will decide which organizations can be invited to the Asia-Pacific Roundtable. In selecting organizations for participation, we are trying to achieve a balance of all major groups and all subregions in Asia and the Pacific. Should you require financial support for attending the meeting, please indicate this by giving a justification for your request. Once the selection process is completed, ESCAP will issue invitation letters to the selected organizations.