The 21st Session of the APCTT Governing Council to be Held in Russia
The 19th Session of the Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) under the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) took place from December 6-7, 2023, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The session brought together representatives from thirteen countries and resulted in the approval of Russia's initiative to create an International Digital Platform for scientific, technological, and innovative cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Furthermore, it was decided that the 21st Session of the APCTT Governing Council will be held in Moscow on December 4-5, 2025.
The session welcomed representatives from the following countries: Bangladesh, China, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Nepal, and Vietnam.
The Russian Federation delegation comprised:
•Igor Fedorov – Vice President of the Russian House for International Scientific and Technical Cooperation (RH ISTC). •Dmitry Protasovsky – General Director the RH ISTC. •Adelina Tkachenko – Advisor to the Vice President RH ISTC •Anastasia Ryabukhina – Coordinator for UN ESCAP Relations
The session addressed promising directions for the development of international scientific and technical cooperation (ISTC) and technology transfer in the Asia-Pacific region (APR). Participants reviewed the APCTT's annual report and adopted decisions regarding collaborative activities for 2024.
Prior to the session, an international conference was held, gathering representatives from leading scientific, technological, and innovative organizations. The Russian side was represented by Stepan Kalmykov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Following the deliberations of the 19th Session of the APCTT Governing Council, the Russian Federation's initiative to establish an International Digital Platform for scientific, technological, and innovative cooperation in the APR was unanimously incorporated into the final protocol. This platform is designed to serve as a unified environment for effective interaction and bilateral and multilateral exchange of scientific, technological, and innovative developments, international capacity building, and technology transfer among APR countries.
The platform's distinctive feature lies in its multifunctionality and the ability to utilize existing tools while creating new instruments for ISTC development.
The final protocol includes a decision stating that the first step in addressing this matter will be the establishment of an expert working group comprising representatives from APR countries and APCTT governing bodies.
A significant milestone of the session was the decision to hold the 21st Session of the APCTT Governing Council in Moscow on December 4-5, 2025.
Background Information
Following elections conducted during the 79th Session of the UN ESCAP Commission, the Russian Federation was elected to the Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology under UN ESCAP. The Russian House for International Scientific and Technical Cooperation represents Russia in APCTT governing bodies.
About UN ESCAP and APCTT
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was established in 1947 to address economic and social challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. ESCAP's primary focus areas include capacity building, regional experience sharing and development of inter-national relations, facilitation of inter-regional trade and investment, technology transfer, privatization and entrepreneurship, environmental protection, urbanization, poverty reduction, combating drug abuse, population issues, social development, and labor migration. ESCAP is the largest of the five United Nations regional commissions by territorial coverage, comprising 53 member countries, including the Russian Federation.
In 1977, APCTT was established as a subsidiary body of ESCAP to develop the scientific, technological, and innovative capacity of the region. The Centre implements projects, programs, and activities for innovation development and technology transfer, funded by member countries and international investors. The Centre particularly promotes technological innovations for sustainable development, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and renewable energy-based solutions to address regional challenges and mitigate climate change impacts.