Asia and the Pacific is ageing with over 500 million people now aged 65 and above. It is also transitioning from households with high fertility to longer lives and smaller families, while facing ageing populations, youth employment pressures and widening intergenerational inequalities.
Against this backdrop, the 82nd session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will be convened in Bangkok in the presence of ministers, policymakers and leading experts from across the region and guided by the theme “Leaving no one behind: Advancing a Society for All Ages in Asia and the Pacific”.
The session will spotlight policy solutions to ensure that no one is left behind in a region that is home to more than 60% of the world's population. Delegates will also examine critical socioeconomic priorities, including decent work across all age groups, women's economic empowerment, the future of care systems and strategies to promote healthy and active ageing. Interactive dialogues will further highlight how governments can adapt labour markets, strengthen social protection and invest in lifelong learning to build more inclusive and resilient societies.
Among a line-up of events, the 2026 session will also feature dialogues with ministers from Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States; intergovernmental subregional organizations and will convene the Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).
Key speakers:
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
H.E. Sihasak Phuangketkeow
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thailand
H.E. Jeyhun Bayramov
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Azerbaijan
H.E. Thongsavanh Phomvihane
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lao PDR
Hon. Panapasi Nelesone
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Tuvalu
H.E. Fakir Mahbub Anam
Minister of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
H.E. Mikheil Sarjveladze
Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Georgia
H.E. Gustav N. Aitaro
Minister of State, Palau
H.E. Upali Pannilage
Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Sri Lanka
H.E. Fane Fotu Fituafe
Minister of Internal Affairs, Tonga
H.E. Zhaoxu Ma
Deputy Foreign Minister, China
H.E. Alexander Alimov
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation
H.E. Maksut Shadayev
Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, Russian Federation
H.E. Yalchin Rafiyev
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Azerbaijan
H.E. Perhat Yagshiyev
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, Turkmenistan
H.E. Pema Lektup Dorji
Foreign Secretary/Deputy Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Bhutan.
*Note: Key speakers listed may be subject to change. Please refer to the CS82 webpage for updates.