The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ESCAP is the UN's regional development arm for Asia and the Pacific, serving 53 member states and 9 associate members through intergovernmental cooperation, policy advisory, capacity building, and a portfolio of data platforms, databases, publications, and six regional institutions, funded entirely by member-state assessed contributions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersBangkok, Thailand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific does
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region, established in 1947 in Shanghai as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) and renamed ESCAP in 1976 when it relocated to Bangkok. As one of five UN regional commissions, ESCAP operates under a UN Charter-derived mandate to convene 53 member states and 9 associate members for intergovernmental cooperation on macroeconomic policy, trade, transport, environment, ICT, disaster risk reduction, social development, statistics, and energy. Its core products are a portfolio of digital knowledge platforms and databases — including the Asia-Pacific SDG Gateway, Asia-Pacific Trade Analytics Portal, Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA), Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Agreements Database, Cross-border Paperless Trade Database, Asia-Pacific Risk and Resilience Portal, and the ARTNeT research network — supplemented by flagship publications (Asia-Pacific Disaster Report, Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal) and six regional institutions (APCICT, APCTT, APDIM, SIAP, CSAM, and the Bangkok-based UN Conference Centre). ESCAP delivers technical assistance, capacity building, policy advisory, and intergovernmental consensus-building services through its Bangkok headquarters, five subregional offices (Almaty, Suva, Beijing, New Delhi, South-East Asia), and an extensive network of intergovernmental committee sessions and expert working groups. Its business model is non-commercial: ESCAP is funded through assessed contributions from member states via the UN regular budget and voluntary contributions, and does not charge fees for services provided to governments, UN agencies, or development partners. Recent strategic activity includes the 2025 launch of the Central Asia+ Accelerator with ITFC, the April 2026 launch of the South Asia Heat and Health Information Network Hub, and the establishment of the Asian and Pacific Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development via Resolution 82/4.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Legal name
- The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Website
- https://unescap.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ESCAP is the UN's regional development arm for Asia and the Pacific, serving 53 member states and 9 associate members through intergovernmental cooperation, policy advisory, capacity building, and a portfolio of data platforms, databases, publications, and six regional institutions, funded entirely by member-state assessed contributions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intergovernmental Development Services
- NAICS
- International Affairs (928120)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- ESG Strategy & Materiality Assessment (EUAHAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Stakeholder Engagement & ESG Governance (Policies, KPIs, incentives) (EUAHAJAJ), ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)
Keywords
Where The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangkok
- HQ country
- Thailand
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ESCAP functions as the UN's regional development arm for Asia and the Pacific, providing policy advisory, technical assistance, and capacity building to 53 member states and 9 associate members. It operates a portfolio of digital knowledge platforms and databases (including the Asia-Pacific SDG Gateway, Trade Analytics Portal, TINA, ARTNeT, and Trade Agreements Database) alongside flagship publications, statistical training, and the United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok. Core functions include intergovernmental consensus-building, regional cooperation on trade, transport, energy, disaster risk reduction, ICT, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Product overview
ESCAP functions as a platform-based intergovernmental organization offering a portfolio of interconnected digital knowledge platforms, databases, and publications rather than a unified commercial product. The core offerings include the Asia-Pacific SDG Gateway for data access, multiple trade analytics and intelligence platforms (Trade Analytics Portal, TINA, Trade Agreements Database), regional institution networks (ARTNeT, APCICT, APCTT, APDIM, CSAM, SIAP), and major publications (Asia-Pacific Disaster Report, Economic and Social Survey, Sustainable Development Journal). These are complemented by the UN Conference Centre Bangkok providing physical and virtual conference services, and e-learning platforms for capacity building. The products serve member states, policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners across 53 member countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Asia-Pacific SDG Gateway A comprehensive data portal providing access to SDG indicators, dashboards, and progress tracking for the Asia-Pacific region.
- Asia-Pacific Trade Analytics Portal
- Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser (TINA)
- Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Agreements Database
- Asia-Pacific Trade Indicators Portal
- Asia-Pacific Risk and Resilience Portal
- Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT)
- Cross-border Paperless Trade Database
- UN Global Survey on Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation
- ESCAP e-learning Platform
- Asia-Pacific Disaster Report
- Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific
- Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Journal
- Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP)
- Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT)
- Asian and Pacific Center for Transfer of Technology (APCTT)
- Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM)
- Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM)
- United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok (UNCC)
- Asian and Pacific Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development Regional centre to promote digital cooperation and solutions for sustainable development across Asia and the Pacific.
- South Asia Heat and Health Hub South Asia Hub of the Global Heat Health Information Network coordinating heat early warnings, training, and policy action across South Asia.
- Central Asia+ Accelerator (CA+A) Startup support accelerator programme jointly by ESCAP and ITFC supporting selected startups across Central Asia and Azerbaijan with mentorship, network access, and financing support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 14 startups supported through Central Asia+ Accelerator with measurable outcomes including first sales and international market entry
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)coreHosted the South Asia Hub of the Global Heat Health Information Network on World Health Day in New Delhi. CEEW serves as one of five coordinating partners working in tandem with IITM and IMD to improve heat early warnings and coordinated policy action.
- SFC (Organization)supportingOne of five coordinating partners in the South Asia Heat and Health Hub consortium
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)supportingOne of five coordinating partners in the South Asia Heat and Health Hub consortium working on heat health information network
- BRAC JPGSPHsupportingOne of five coordinating partners in the South Asia Hub of the Global Heat Health Information Network
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)supportingTechnical partner working in tandem with the South Asia Heat and Health Hub on heat early warnings
- India Meteorological Department (IMD)supportingGovernment agency partner working in tandem with the South Asia Heat and Health Hub on heat monitoring and warnings
- International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)coreJoint launch of the Central Asia+ Accelerator (CA+A) in 2025 to support 14 selected startups across Central Asia and Azerbaijan. The programme combined mentorship from Gobi Partners, entrepreneurship organization GUIDE, and individual investors to accelerate integration of Central Asian startups into global entrepreneurial ecosystems.
- Gobi PartnerssupportingPan-Asian venture capital firm providing mentorship to startups in the Central Asia+ Accelerator programme
- GUIDE (Entrepreneurship Organization)supportingEntrepreneurship organization providing mentorship and support to startups in the Central Asia+ Accelerator programme
- Statistics Indonesia (BPS)supportingDeveloped the 'Mixed Method approach' combining satellite imagery with ground-truth survey data to improve rice production estimates, part of the One Data in Rice program
- FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)coreProvided support alongside ESCAP for Statistics Indonesia's rice production monitoring initiative, with funding from the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund
- BRIN (National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia)supportingGovernment research agency collaborating on the rice production statistics initiative with Statistics Indonesia
- Bappenas (National Development Planning Agency, Indonesia)supportingNational planning agency collaborating on the rice production statistics initiative
- Ministry of Agriculture (Indonesia)supportingGovernment ministry collaborating on rice production statistics initiative
- Eurasian Development BanksupportingESCAP participated in the Eurasian Development Bank's Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan to present on new power transmission projects in Central Asia
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE): Sister UN regional commission serving Europe (and North America/Central Asia), with comparable intergovernmental mandate, subregional structure, statistical capacity building, and SDG-tracking data platforms. Most directly analogous peer by structure and function.
- UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC): Sister UN regional commission with the same institutional design — intergovernmental convening, technical assistance, annual flagship publication, subregional offices — operating across Latin America and the Caribbean. Direct functional peer to ESCAP.
- UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA): One of the five UN regional commissions, with parallel mandate in policy advisory, statistics, trade, and sustainable development support for African member states. Same governance model and funding structure as ESCAP.
- UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA): Fifth UN regional commission, covering Arab states with comparable intergovernmental convening, research publication, and capacity-building functions. Closest structural peer among the UN regional commission family.
Broad incumbents
- Asian Development Bank (ADB): Founded out of ECAFE (ESCAP's predecessor) in 1966, ADB is the largest Asia-Pacific regional development finance institution. Operates across overlapping themes (infrastructure, climate, trade, SDGs) but with a lending-led rather than advisory-led model.
- World Bank Group: Global development institution with deep Asia-Pacific country engagement through IBRD/IDA lending, policy advice, and analytics. Overlaps with ESCAP on macroeconomics, poverty, climate, and trade but operates at country/project level with vastly larger resources.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UN's primary operational development agency with country offices across the Asia-Pacific. Shares mandate on SDG implementation, capacity building, and policy advisory but executes projects rather than convening intergovernmentally.
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): UN agency focused on trade, investment, and development. Overlaps directly with ESCAP's Trade, Investment and Innovation Division and produces parallel trade databases (e.g., UNCTADstat). Functional peer on trade policy and statistics.
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Intergovernmental policy forum producing comparative economic and development statistics across member and partner economies. Comparable in publishing authoritative regional outlooks and statistical products, though OECD operates with different membership criteria.
- World Trade Organization (WTO): Intergovernmental organization governing international trade rules. Overlaps with ESCAP's trade facilitation and paperless trade work (e.g., Cross-border Paperless Trade Database, Trade Agreements Database) and convenes Asia-Pacific members on shared trade policy issues.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific social profiles
Digital presenceThe United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
What does The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific do?
ESCAP functions as the UN's regional development arm for Asia and the Pacific, providing policy advisory, technical assistance, and capacity building to 53 member states and 9 associate members. It operates a portfolio of digital knowledge platforms and databases (including the Asia-Pacific SDG Gateway, Trade Analytics Portal, TINA, ARTNeT, and Trade Agreements Database) alongside flagship publications, statistical training, and the United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok. Core functions include intergovernmental consensus-building, regional cooperation on trade, transport, energy, disaster risk reduction, ICT, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Is The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific a public or private company?
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific founded?
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific was founded in 1947. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific based?
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, in the Asia region.
Who are The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Broad incumbents are Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Trade Organization (WTO).
Does The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific have an API?
No public API is recorded for The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
What industry is The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in?
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's product category is Intergovernmental Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAHAJAA, ESG Strategy & Materiality Assessment, with a secondary code of EUAHAJAJ, Stakeholder Engagement & ESG Governance (Policies, KPIs, incentives). Its NAICS code is 928120 and its SIC code is 9721.