ESCAP Repository (United Nations ESCAP)
Not a member yet
8868 research outputs found
Sort by
Inequality assessment for civil registration and vital statistics : Lao DPR
Get PDF The collaborative initiative between the Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) with the significant support of Bloomberg Philanthropies and UNFPA Lao PDR.The report seeks to provide a picture of the Lao PDR’s civil registration completeness and the associated inequalities, that lay out possible key drivers behind the low birth registration. This will allow the country to work towards solving these remaining challenges to really get ‘every one’ in the picture.
The content of the report was derived from a review of available data, and the analysis of birth registration inequality relied on the two most recent household Lao Social Statistics Surveys conducted by the LSB. Discrepancies and challenges in the process of data compilation and analysis arose and highlighted the need for more investment of time and effort to address them.Section 1: introductory section Section 2: presents an overview of the CRVS system in Lao PDR and statistics on the completeness of birth and death registration obtained from multiple sources of secondary data. Section 3 presents key steps for estimating the completeness of birth and death registration in Lao PDR and describes the potential data sources and proposed approach for evaluating the quality of data. Section 3: presents and discusses the results obtained from a preliminary inequality assessment based on LSIS data. Section 4: presents concluding remarks and proposes recommendations for further action. Annex A summarizes the activities and outcomes of the two capacity-building workshops that have been held online and in-person in Vang Vieng, Lao PDR.</p
Readiness to implement the action plan to strengthen regional cooperation on social protection : Mongolia
Get PDFGovernments in Asia and the Pacific are increasingly recognizing social protection as a key policy instrument to build productive, protected and healthy populations. In 2020, ESCAP member States endorsed the Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Social Protection in Asia and the Pacific (Action Plan). The Action Plan serves as a shared vision, strategy and platform for promoting partnership, peer learning and identifying needs for capacity development. The Action Plan sets out 12 national actions that underpin the achievement of more inclusive and comprehensive social protection systems, ranging from upholding the right to social protection in legislative and regulatory frameworks, to ensuring a more effective design, coordination and delivery of social protection schemes.
To support member States in the implementation of this first-ever regional Action Plan, ESCAP has been mandated to develop a regional platform. As part of this support, national reports and consultations are being conducted in Cambodia, Georgia the Maldives, Mongolia, Philippines and Türkiye, with the purpose to share national experiences and pathways towards the vision of the Action Plan.
The report for Mongolia aims to:
- present an overview of the national social protection situation, policies and approaches.
- identify the potential impact a broadening of social protection coverage could have onpoverty and other areas
- identify recommendations on ways for the Government to implement the Action Plan.
</ul
Cleaner fuel transition in Mongolia’s heat supply system
Get PDFUnder a project funded by the Republic of Korea through the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth at the request of the MET, a United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Project technical team visited HOBs and heating users in Ulaanbaatar (UB) and Darkhan in 2023 to measure the heat supply efficiency. Thirteen technical considerations for improving HOBs were identified in five areas: i) Energy transition, ii) Fuel transition to gas HOBs, iii) Improvement of fuel supply, iv) Improvement of coal-fired HOBs, and v) Improvement of heat transmission and use. The Project Technical Team found that coal-fired HOBs operate with a low combustion efficiency of around 50% or less, resulting in excessive coal use. Republic of Kore
Challenges and opportunities for sustainable freight transport in South and Southwest Asia
Get PDFWhile the interest in the sustainability of the freight transport is a long-standing one, it is rapidly becoming a highly pressing issue owing to the escalating negative externalities caused by the transport sector such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Meanwhile, there is a significant potential for improving freight transport’s sustainability in the ESCAP region. For one, the countries in the South and South-West Asia subregion (SSWA) of the ESCAP region have been engaged in enhancing the sustainability of freight transport at various levels, with most efforts being undertaken at the national level.
Ensuring sustainability in freight transport is a multisectoral issue involving various modes, actors, and points of connectivity. As such, these initiatives involve numerous stakeholders, including a wide range of government institutions, transport operators, freight forwarders and logistics service providers, industry associations, consumers and shippers, and agencies of provincial and state governments. This makes the task of sustainable freight transport a complex endeavour as the parties involved have their own priorities that may often not converge with larger sustainability considerations.
Moreover, national policies also need to incorporate a subregional perspective and, where possible, promote subregional and regional cooperation, given the transboundary effects of the positive and negative externalities of freight operations. Many measures and actions on sustainable freight transport, such as the extension of national transport networks, will have a higher impact if they go beyond national borders. Therefore, concerns for the sustainability of freight operations should become an integral part of subregional and regional transport cooperation.
Furthermore, to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries in SSWA are exerting efforts to expand their economic growth, leading to heightened demand for freight transport. At the same time, if freight transport continues to grow in a business-as-usual manner, it will undermine some of the other noneconomic SDGs, particularly those related to climate change, air pollution, and road safety.
The report proposes sustainable freight for SSWA strategy to meet the needs of the emerging economic, environmental, and social risks and opportunities. The strategy acknowledges that freight transformation in the subregion will take years. However, based on past and present experiences, there is a general acceptance that a series of no-regret or quick win actions should be identified for immediate action.
For enhancing freight sustainability in SSWA, the strategy provides, among others, for strengthening governance for sustainable freight at national levels, enhancing coordination at the subregional level through appropriate mechanism, reinforcing capacity of transport officials, promoting transport digital technologies and encourage private sector engagement in sustainable freight. The proposed strategy is not intended to replace existing plans and investments but rather aims to provide actions to maximise the outputs of the system. The strategy must be seen together with and not in isolation from existing national logistics plans and trade and transport facilitation plans.</p
Evaluation of the project on Strengthening Regional Cooperation to Tackle Air Pollution Challenges in Asia and the Pacific
Get PDFCommissioned by Environment and Development Division, ESCAPThe project was developed to support cities across the region in formulating and implementing
science-based policy action plans at city level to effectively address air pollution in the region. The
project beneficiary cities included Chiang Mai in Thailand, Fuvahmulah in Maldives, and Jambi in
Indonesia, but within the existing resources, additional action plans were developed for five other
cities in the region, namely, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, Sihanoukville in Cambodia, Da Nang in Vietnam,
Nakhon Ratchisima in Thailand, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The project comprised three
components to attain the following results: (a) enhanced knowledge base on air pollution in the region,
(b) improved capacity to mitigate air pollution at city level, and (c) enhanced policies to mitigate air
pollution at city level.The project aimed to enable policy makers in project cities make planning decisions that effectively tackle air pollution for resilient and sustainable urbanization and economic development. It was initially scheduled for implementation from January 2020 to July 2021 but travel and assembly restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a one-year extension to July 2022 and then to January 2023 with no additional cost.Executive summary......................................................................................................................4
Introduction .........................................................................................................................9
Description of the Project ................................................................................................... 10
2.1 Background .............................................................................................................................10
2.2 Link to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ...............................................................10
2.3 Project theory of change ........................................................................................................11
2.4 Project strategies....................................................................................................................12
2.5 Innovative elements ...............................................................................................................13
2.6 Beneficiaries, target countries and key partners....................................................................13
2.7 Resources................................................................................................................................14
Evaluation objectives, scope and methodology ................................................................... 15
3.1 Purpose and objectives...........................................................................................................15
3.2 Evaluation scope.....................................................................................................................15
3.3 Methodology ..........................................................................................................................16
Evaluation findings............................................................................................................. 17
4.1 Effectiveness...........................................................................................................................17
4.2 Relevance................................................................................................................................19
4.3 Efficiency.................................................................................................................................21
4.4. Sustainability..........................................................................................................................23
4.5. Human rights and gender mainstreaming.............................................................................24
Conclusions........................................................................................................................ 27
Lessons learned/good practices .......................................................................................... 29
Recommendations.............................................................................................................. 30
ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................... 32
Annex 1: Evaluation TOR...............................................................................................................32
Annex 2: Project’s theory of change.............................................................................................46
Annex 3: Evaluation matrix...........................................................................................................47
Annex 4: Data collection instruments ..........................................................................................48
Annex 5: List of individuals interviewed and documents reviewed .............................................49
Annex 6: Data tables and analysis................................................................................................51</p
Sustainable freight transport in Sri Lanka
Get PDFThe study aims to provide current state of sustainable freight transport in Sri Lanka and encourages the Government of Sri Lanka and other relevant stakeholders to make freight transportation planning, policy, and investment decisions based on the three dimensions, or pillars, of sustainable development: the environmental, economic, and social dimensions (also known in economics as the triple bottom-line). It uses an understanding of the three dimensions and their interlinkages as elaborated by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Comprehensive research was conducted to inform the content of this study, consulting a wide variety of government, United Nations, and other available material.
The study aims to help guide the integration of sustainable freight transportation planning efforts—vertically among levels of government and horizontally across modes—with a balanced development of modes. It also aims to support institutional, legal, and regulatory frameworks that promote effective and sustainable freight transportation; to build capacity among transportation planners; and to promote diversified funding sources and transformative transportation technologies.
There is a special emphasis on emissions reduction, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (primarily CO2 in this context). With over 20 per cent of global CO2 emissions being derived from transportation and 40-50 per cent of that percentage coming from the transportation of freight, it is important to target the sector in the fight against climate change.
This is particularly relevant to Sri Lanka as the country’s total freight transportation in ton-km continues to rise amid an outdated trucking fleet, a lack of economies of scale, poor road conditions and congestion, limited modal share, and a dependence on imported fuel. All these factors contribute to emissions, negative externalities, and economic losses that can otherwise be avoided in a world where Sri Lanka stands as one of the most vulnerable countries to GHG-induced climate change.
As the preeminent port in South Asia, the Port of Colombo, figures prominently in the revenue generation, economy, and future of Sri Lanka. Rising to meet the challenges that come with the ever-growing number of port calls is thus important. Simplified customs formalities are central to the international transport of goods and their role in freight transportation has been underlined.
The study is divided into Sections 1-5 that feed into Section 6, where the challenges to sustainable freight transportation in Sri Lanka are articulated. Section 1 provides a background where the rationale behind this study is briefly summarized, while an economic outlook and energy overview provide some context behind two these import elements to freight transportation. Sustainable freight transportation is an important component of better trade efficiency and logistical performance and is thus important for Sri Lanka’s continued development as limited economic complexity and stagnating exports necessitate changes in these areas.
Section 2 then provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable freight transportation in Sri Lanka by exploring where it is at today, the issues at hand, and the gaps between the current situation and aspirational sustainable future. This overview is primarily presented through the lens of two frameworks: the SDGs and the avoid-shift-improve framework. Some SDGs identified as relevant to sustainable freight transportation include SDGs 3.6 (road traffic accidents), 3.9 (air pollution), 7.3 (energy efficiency), 9.1 (infrastructure), 11.2 (accessible and sustainable transportation systems), 11.6 (air quality), 12.c (fossil-fuel subsidies), 13.1 (climate change adaptation and resilience), and 13.2 (climate change policies, strategies, and planning).
Upon review of these SDGs, some identified bright spots are Sri Lanka’s relatively good air quality, a high density of roads and rail lines, the continued development of its nascent expressway network, a drop in the transportation sector’s emission intensity, high container throughput at the port of Colombo, and a strong recognition of the issues at hand. However, noted issues are equally abundant. They include—among others—rising CO2 emissions from the transportation sector, a badly outdated railway system, congestion in the Colombo metropolitan region, and unsafe driving conditions stemming from deficiencies in enforcement and road conditions.
Following this, Section 3 links Sri Lanka’s policies, plans, visions, strategies, and international commitments to sustainable freight transportation. A full list can be found in Sections 3.A and 3.B. For more details on the portions that are relevant to freight transportation in one way or another, see Appendix 10.
Section 4, meanwhile, supplements this study. Section 4.A elaborates more on the key pillars of sustainable freight transportation or, in other words, the three dimensions of sustainable development as they relate to freight through a wide range of considerations. Next, Section 4.C provides a list of prospective performance indicators that can be used to measure progress towards sustainable freight transportation, organized under both the MoI and key pillars.
Section 5 then provides a brief, yet concise, overview of the impacts of COVID-19 on Sri Lanka. Like most countries, the economy of Sri Lanka had taken a hard hit. Global disruptions to the supply chain, lockdowns, and travel restrictions have all had the effect of hurting key industries in Sri Lanka. Tourism has decreased and exports have fallen. The year 2020 also saw negative growth in container throughput at the Port of Colombo, against trends where numbers doubled in the last decade. This has all had a negative impact on the economy and revenue of Sri Lanka. However, the pandemic has also had the positive effect of accelerating paperless customs processes that had already existed in some form or another prior to the pandemic.
Coming together, Section 6 articulates the main challenges to sustainable freight transportation in Sri Lanka. These have been identified as: Costs, Access to Finance, Systems Upgrades (e.g., Intermodal Networks, Railways, Rural Roads, and the Port of Colombo), E-commerce, Technology Platforms, Replacing the Aging Rigid Trucking Fleet, Scrapping Older Vehicles, Operator Resistance, Customs, and Enforcement and Driver Attitudes.</p
The future of Asian and Pacific cities 2023 : crisis resilient urban futures
No full textThe lead authors of the report chapters were as follows: Shocks in the city: multiple interlinked crises test sustainable urban development: Omar Siddique, Sustainable Urban Development Section, ESCAP Urban and territorial planning for resilient and impactful futures: Sanjeevani Singh, Sustainable Urban Development Section, ESCAP Urban resilience at a crossroads: multilevel climate action: Alexei Trundle, Melbourne Centre for Cities, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne Urban digital transformation: linking innovation to inclusion: Michele Acuto, Melbourne Centre for Cities, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne Urban finance during turbulent times: Pushpa Pathak and Partha Mukhopadhyay, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, India, in partnership with Sunghoon Kris Moon and Hong Soo Lee, Asian Development Bank Seizing the urban opportunity: Paul Bunsell, ESCAP consultantThe report was made possible through financial
support provided by Suwon City, Republic of Korea,
and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as a
research partnership with the Melbourne Centre for
Cities, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning,
University of Melbourne, Australia.The Future of Asian & Pacific Cities Report 2023 entitled, Crisis Resilient
Urban Futures, is a comprehensive analysis and assessment of sustainable urban development in the Asia and Pacific region at a time of great disruption and uncertainty resulting from multiple interlinked global crises in a post-pandemic era. This report aims to provide valuable insights into the spatial, economic, social, environmental and governance aspects of cities, offering holistic policy recommendations towards a sustainable urban recovery from these crises.
Understanding the dynamics and characteristics of the region’s cities is
crucial for national and local governments, businesses, local communities, researchers and urban planners. With this report, ESCAP and UN-Habitat continue their collaboration to provide an updated, reliable resource for decision-makers seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the trends,
challenges and future opportunities within the Asia-Pacific cities landscape.
The report builds on three previous editions in this series, each of which
explored the key existing and emerging trends in urban development within
the region. It continues the forward-looking perspective, capturing the
transformative messages of the New Urban Agenda (2016) with the current
edition setting a much-needed agenda for a sustainable urban recovery
across the region. The 2023 report is released in a year where progress
against SDG 11 on ‘sustainable cities and communities’ is under review
globally by the United Nations General Assembly. </p
Readiness assessment for cross-border paperless trade : Tajikistan
No full textTajikistan acceded to the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific on 8 December 2022, indicating the commitment of the country to accelerate development on paperless and cross-border paperless trade. To support the country in implementing the Framework Agreement, this report provides an assessment of the readiness of Tajikistan for cross-border paperless trade and proposes action plans which serve as a basis for developing more detailed activities at the national level.The financial support received from Republic of Kore