The eightieth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was held from 22 to 26 April 2024 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, guided by the theme ‘Leveraging digital innovation for sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.’ During the opening, the Chair of the eightieth session, H.E. Ms. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, mentioned the importance of digitally driven innovations for sustainable development across various sectors, including agriculture where “digital technologies offer farmers the tools they need to increase productivity while minimizing environmental impact.”

During the agenda item dedicated to the ‘Review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, the Chair of the nineteenth meeting of the Governing Council of CSAM, Ms. Malathy Parasuraman, Director General of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries of Sri Lanka, briefed the session about the Governing Council’s recommendations, following which the delegation of China acknowledged the work of CSAM to support member States in their transition to sustainable, digital and mechanized agriculture through capacity building and project cooperation.

Alongside the Commission, CSAM attended the meeting between Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, with Mr. Zhao Fengtao, the Deputy Director General of the National International Development Cooperation Agency to discuss the expansion of cooperation between the two parties beyond the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Summit for the Future.

Dr. Yutong Li, Head of CSAM, also delivered remarks on ‘food systems and food security for all’ at the ‘Dialogue on Renewed Efforts to Deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals: working towards the Summit of the Future,’ a side event convened by the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to ESCAP and the UN in China. During her remarks, Dr. Li highlighted that “integrating digital innovation into agricultural machinery and food systems is crucial for enhancing productivity, sustainability, and efficiency, offering solutions to challenges like labor shortages, resource management, and environmental impacts.”

The work of CSAM, in particular for the engagement of youth through robotics applied to agriculture, was also featured during the Commission in the “AI brushstrokes” exhibition, a series of AI-generated artwork featuring innovative solutions from ESCAP.