Realizing the promise of protection

It is widely agreed that crises create opportunities of sorts. As the Asia-Pacific region slowly emerges from the recession of 2008 and attempts to cope with the after-effects of a food crisis and natural disasters - including that which took place in highly-prepared Japan - governments are looking anew at ways to mitigate the rising insecurity and heightened social risks experienced by millions of people across the region, especially those living in or close to poverty.

The region's capacity to ensure all citizens receive a minimum level of security is at the heart of discussions as heads of state, ministers and senior officials from across Asia and the Pacific are meeting at the 67th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). This year's commission session focuses on a critical challenge facing us: our ability to match the economic recovery underway in Asia and the Pacific with a renewed emphasis on the social dimension of development as well.

The region's new economic growth, following the shock of the global financial crisis, our growing urbanization, and the continuing migration of people, within our countries and across our sub-regions, require a new commitment by our governments to institute social protection to secure the benefits of economic growth for all the people of the Asia-Pacific region.