The Institute of Policy Studies, a Sri Lanka-based think tank that is organizing the forum said Heyzer has positioned ESCAP to promoting regional co-operation among member Asia-Pacific states to achieve sustainable development.
Heyzer is the ninth executive secretary of the UN-ESCAP. She is the first woman to occupy this position since its founding in 1947 and leads the organization at the level of Under-Secretary-General.
UN-ESCAP has been partnering with IPS in research activities and has launched publications including the 'ESCAP Economic and Social Survey for the Asia and the Pacific' and the 'Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report'.
This year, the economic summit is held on the theme ‘Towards a Stronger, Dynamic and Inclusive South Asia’.
It will debate and discuss the current socio-economic policy challenges facing the region and will explore new strategies for sustainable and inclusiv