Held alongside the Ninth Session of the Committee on Environment and Development (CED9) from 29 June to 3 July 2026 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, the first ‘Synergy Solutions Fair’ provided a platform for governments, United Nations entities and other stakeholders to showcase integrated solutions addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

The Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP-CSAM) participated in the event with an interactive booth showcasing its Regional Initiative on Integrated Straw Management, agricultural machinery applied in related pilot sites, and agricultural drone technologies for precision agriculture. The exhibit highlighted how agricultural mechanization can support climate change adaptation and mitigation while reducing air pollution caused by crop residue burning. 

ESCAP-CSAM is implementing the Regional Initiative on Integrated Straw Management to demonstrate and promote an integrated model of straw residue management using climate-smart agricultural machinery and equipment adapted to local needs and conditions. Pilot sites have been established in China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam, while India has contributed as a knowledge-sharing partner. The initiative has demonstrated positive results by providing locally adapted alternatives to crop residue burning, strengthening stakeholder capacities, improving soil health and increasing farmers' incomes. In 2022, the Regional Initiative was recognized by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) as a good practice in South-South and Triangular Cooperation. 

During the Committee session, delegations from several ESCAP member States, as well as representatives from United Nations agencies, development partners and other stakeholders, visited the booth to learn about the Regional Initiative on Integrated Straw Management and the mechanization solutions on display. Among the visitors, Honorable Gita Chaudhary, Minister for Agriculture, Forest, and Environment of Nepal expressed interest in the implementation and progress of the initiative in Nepal, one of the pilot countries. A delegation from the Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand included the partners from the most recent pilot site in the Regional Initiative, in Ratchaburi province, who took the opportunity to discuss the planning for the extension of the pilot site’s activities in the coming year. The exhibition also provided valuable opportunities to exchange experiences with stakeholders working on the same issue, and to explore the interest of additional countries in future collaboration to advance climate-smart agricultural mechanization across Asia and the Pacific.