Bangkok (ESCAP News) -- Government officials from across Asia and the Pacific reaffirmed the importance of promoting sustainable agriculture to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development today in Bangkok.

The Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Machinery (CSAM), a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), met for its Twelfth Session to review the work of the Centre, layout its workplan for the next year and approve a draft development strategy for 2017-2019. The Twelfth Session of the Governing Council is the first held since the 72nd ESCAP Commission Session in May 2016 where member States updated the statute of CSAM to better align it for implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The realignment occurs in the context of increased financial support to the Centre by the Chinese government, who hosts CSAM in Beijing, through 2020. Other ESCAP member States also have been providing voluntary contributions to support the operation of the Centre and its programmes.

“As one of the six regional institutions of ESCAP, CSAM has been steadfastly working towards achieving production gains, improved rural livelihood and poverty alleviation through sustainable agricultural mechanization. It has a key role in realizing ESCAP’s vision of a resilient Asia and the Pacific founded on shared prosperity, social equity and sustainability”, said Mr. Stefanos Fotiou, Director of the Environment and Development Division of ESCAP.

In addition to the Governing Council meeting, CSAM co-organized a side event with the German Agricultural Society—or Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft (DLG)—at AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2017 where council members shared their perspectives on regional partnerships and coordination for sustainable agriculture and mechanization.

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