# United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

> United Nations Commission for economic cooperation among its member states

**Wikidata**: [Q1142901](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1142901)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Economic_and_Social_Commission_for_Asia_and_the_Pacific)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/united-nations-economic-and-social-commission-for-asia-and-the-pacific

## Summary
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is an international organization established by treaty to facilitate economic cooperation among its member states. Founded in 1947, it operates as a subsidiary body of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The commission is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, where it drives regional initiatives across 53 member states.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** Established in 1947.
- **Entity Type:** International organization (classification: international governmental or non-governmental organizations).
- **Parent Organization:** United Nations Economic and Social Council.
- **Headquarters Location:** Bangkok, Thailand.
- **Official Website:** https://unescap.org.
- **Social Media:** Operates a verified Twitter account (@UNESCAP) with over 73,000 followers as of 2023.
- **Partnerships:** Maintains a partnership with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
- **Observer Status:** Holds official observer status in the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
- **Regional Scope:** Asia and the Pacific.
- **Lex ID:** ESCAP.

## FAQs
- **What is the primary purpose of UNESCAP?** UNESCAP serves as a United Nations commission dedicated to fostering economic and social cooperation among the governments of its member states in the Asia-Pacific region.

- **Where is the UNESCAP headquarters situated?** The organization is based in Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok was established in 1782 and serves as the political, economic, and financial center of the country.

- **What is the organizational structure of UNESCAP?** It functions as an international organization established by treaty and operates under the parent authority of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

- **Who does UNESCAP partner with?** The commission maintains official partnerships with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and holds official observer status within the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

- **What are the alternative names or aliases for UNESCAP?** The organization is known by several names, including UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, CESAP, UNESCAP, and the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East.

## Why It Matters
UNESCAP plays a critical role in regional diplomacy and development by acting as the primary economic and social hub for nations in Asia and the Pacific. By operating under the United Nations Economic and Social Council, it influences policy and treaty-making at the highest levels of international government. Its observer status in organizations like the International Organization for Migration allows it to monitor and advise on critical demographic and human mobility issues. Furthermore, its strategic location in Bangkok—a major global city and the financial center of Southeast Asia—enables it to effectively bridge economic cooperation between member states, leveraging the city's robust infrastructure and history of hosting major international events.

## Notable For
- **Specialized Regional Mandate:** Being the specific UN body targeted at economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific.
- **Historical Continuity:** Operating continuously since 1947 in the post-World War II era of international institution building.
- **Strategic Global Hub:** Being headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand's financial and commercial center, which is also the largest city in Southeast Asia by population.
- **Intergovernmental Authority:** Operating as an organization established by treaty between sovereign governments.
- **Global Connectivity:** Maintaining high visibility through a verified Twitter presence and multilingual Wikipedia coverage spanning over 30 language editions.

## Body

### Organizational Profile
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is an international organization established by treaty between governments. Incepted in 1947, it functions under the umbrella of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The organization is classified within the industry of international governmental or non-governmental organizations. It tracks global engagement through an official website (https://unescap.org) and a verified Twitter account (@UNESCAP), which has grown from 63,797 followers in February 2021 to 73,391 followers by February 2023.

### Headquarters: Bangkok
UNESCAP is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. The host city is a major global hub located in Central Thailand along the Chao Phraya River.
- **City Profile:** Bangkok covers an area of 1,568.74 square kilometers and sits at an average elevation of 2 meters above sea level. It has a population of approximately 5.67 million residents (as of 2018).
- **Administration:** The city is divided into 50 districts (khet) and 1,128 sub-districts (khwaeng).
- **Historical Context:** Bangkok was officially established on April 21, 1782, by King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, serving as the capital of Thailand since 1932.
- **Connectivity:** The city features advanced public transportation systems, including the BTS Skytrain and MRT, and is situated in the UTC+07:00 time zone.

### Partnerships and International Relations
ESCAP maintains active relationships with other global bodies:
- Holds a formal partnership with the **International Civil Aviation Organization**.
- Holds official observer status in the **International Organization for Migration**.
- The headquarters city of Bangkok also maintains sister city relationships with global locations like Jakarta, Hanoi, and Washington, D.C.

### Identifiers and Global Cataloguing
UNESCAP is registered and indexed in numerous global databases and library systems, reflecting its broad institutional footprint:
- **Scientific & Academic:** GRID ID (grid.507526.3), ROR ID (0482p8a89), Scilit Organization ID (97152), CiNII Research ID (1140000791734109312), KISTI ID (K000235907).
- **Library Archives:** Library of Congress Authority ID (n80009784), Bibliothèque nationale de France ID (118650720), National Library of Greece ID (253525), National Library of Israel J9U ID (987007269133405171), National Library of Poland MMS ID (9810598548005606), National Library of Chile ID (000048159).
- **Standard IDs:** ISNI (0000000122958605), VIAF ID (131342658), GND ID (26584-6), NDL Authority ID (00288561).

### Nomenclature
The commission is known by a variety of aliases and historical names in multiple languages, including:
- **English:** UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
- **French:** Commission Économique et Sociale de l'Asie et du Pacifique pour les Nations unies.
- **CJK Languages:** 亚太经社会, 国際連合アジア太平洋経済社会委員会, 아시아 태평양 경제사회이사회.

## References

1. CiNii Research
2. 20th Century Press Archives
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Czech National Authority Database
5. Virtual International Authority File
6. GRID Release 2019-12-10
7. [Source](https://www.icao.int/about-icao/Pages/Invited-Organizations.aspx)
8. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
9. Via P227 lookup with GND value from PM20 folder. 20th Century Press Archives
10. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
11. KBpedia
12. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
13. [Source](https://www.iom.int/intergovernmental-organizations-observer-status)