Copy Edit Support for Flagship Social Development Report

The mandate of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is to promote sustainable and inclusive development and regional connectivity in the Asian and Pacific region. ESCAP’s role as a regional development arm of the United Nations Secretariat is to support its membership with policy-oriented research and analysis, normative support and technical assistance and capacity building, to respond to the development priorities and changing needs of the Asian and Pacific region.

The Social Outlook is a flagship publication of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), produced every two years with a dedicated focus on social development issues across the region. The theme of the 2026 edition is “Eradicating Poverty, Empowering People”. The report has three substantive chapters covering: - Poverty trends in Asia and the Pacific using a variety of quantitative methodologies (Chapter 2), - An analysis of drivers of poverty with reference to social, economic and environmental aspects (Chapter 3) - Discussion of good practices and policy approaches in social development. The Report will be launched in November 2026 ahead of the 9th Committee on Social Development where Member States will discuss the contents of the report and present country statements pertaining to the topic of the report. The objective of the report is to inspire member States to accelerate action in the achievement of SDG 1 (No Poverty).

We are seeking one Online Volunteer to support copy editing for a flagship publication of the Social Development Division (SDD) at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Online Volunteer will support in the editing of the upcoming report entitled “Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific: Eradicating Poverty, Empowering People.” To this end, the Online Volunteer is asked: - Review and edit a report draft of approximately 80 pages, including 20 charts and 11 text boxes. - Produce a first edited version of the report with a clear, coherent and engaging narrative. - Harmonize writing styles across chapters drafted by multiple contributors to ensure consistency in tone, terminology, structure and presentation. - Review and edit the report for grammar, syntax, clarity, readability and overall flow while preserving the technical accuracy and analytical integrity. - Revise and finalize the report by incorporating comments and feedback from ESCAP authors, and the Editorial Board. - Draft an executive summary for the review of the SDD team. - Attend bi-weekly virtual meetings with the SDD team. The selected Online Volunteer will be provided with the document in English and will receive guidance on the target audience and editorial guidelines as well as other guidance as needed. A second draft is expected to be ready by mid-June taking into account the comments from external peer reviewers. The editor will be duly acknowledged in the respective section of the Report.