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2022 : Leaving no one behind : Georgia country brief
No full textLeaving No One Behind (LNOB) tool helps discover how different circumstances interact to create unequal access to basic opportunities in Asia and the Pacific. The LNOB country brief for Georgia provides insights into which groups are further ahead and further behind in various SDG indicators and where the biggest gaps are found in terms of access to opportunities or prevalence of barriers between the furthest behind and the furthest ahead groups in Georgia. </p
Summary assessment : Committee on Statistics Eight session 23-25 August 2022
Get PDFThe eighth session of the Committee on Statistics took place from 23 to 25 August 2022 as a hybrid meeting. An online questionnaire assessing the relevance, effectiveness and quality of the meeting was conducted.1 The main purpose of the assessment is to support the secretariat’s ongoing efforts to improve its servicing of the session.</p
Trade trends in goods and services in Asia-Pacific
Get PDFMerchandise trade
- Following a global demand slowdown in the second half of this year, global and regional real merchandise trade growth is expected to be limited in 2022. Global real exports and imports are forecasted to grow by just 3.7% and 3.9%, respectively. Asia-Pacific real exports (excluding the Russian Federation) are expected to grow 3.0%, while imports will contract by 0.3%. Nominally, merchandise trade in Asia and the Pacific in 2022 is forecasted to total US 0.68 trillion.
- Subregional performances are expected to vary considerably. South-East Asia is the only subregion logging strong positive real exports and import growth. South and South-West Asia and the Pacific subregion are also expected to see positive export and import growth, albeit more modest. All remaining subregional performances are forecasted to be negative, with North and Central Asia bearing the heaviest losses due to the influence of the Russian Federation’s performance.
Commercial services trade
- Supported by a vigorous travel sector, a heightened demand for ICT services and a less constrained transport sector, global commercial services exports and imports are expected to expand by 7.5% and 9.2%, respectively, in 2022. Asia and the Pacific services trade also benefited from these trends, with regional exports and imports expected to grow above the global average at 8.7% and 9.8%, respectively. Moreover, while nominal regional services trade will reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022, at a total of US$ 3.5 trillion, in real terms, this has yet to be achieved since strong upward price pressures have been ubiquitous.
- In 2023, the value of regional exports and imports is expected to grow slightly below this year’s performance at 7.5% and 5.0%, respectively. This growth is expected to be sustained by further easing of restrictions on international travelling and by a slight pick-up in global merchandise trade. However, uncertainties surrounding the short-term performance of global merchandise trade and potential COVID-19 complications remain as the chief downside risks to commercial services trade.
- With the reversal of COVID-19 restrictions and the emergence of high inflation, commercial services are regaining prominence and resilience in global trade. This could be pointing towards a reversal of COVID-19-era consumption patterns, which were characterized by high consumption of goods and low face-to-face services.
- Among the subregions, South-East Asia is expected to register the strongest export performance following the removal of travelling restrictions. South and South-West Asia will also be performing positively, with strong growth registered across most subregional economies. Moreover, North and Central Asia and the Pacific will be posting similar positive export growth rates, while East and North-East Asian exports are expected to stagnate. Imports-wise, the Pacific subregion is projected to grow the most owing to Australia’s 28.5% and New Zealand’s 15.9% rise in imports, while North and Central Asia will be the only subregion experiencing an imports contraction
Framework for disability policies and strategies in Asia and the Pacific
Get PDFThe objective of this paper is to provide guidance to national Governments on the role disability policies and strategies can play to ensure progress toward inclusive development and the realization of the Incheon Strategy goals and the broader Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals have recognized the need to leave no one behind. Yet without policies and strategies that focus explicitly on ways to promote inclusion, there is a real risk that persons with disabilities will be excluded from the benefits of national development plans and actions.
This paper describes the functions of policies and strategies, bearing in mind the frame provided by international law, and in particular the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The paper presents an overview of the main elements of national disabilities policies and strategies.</p
Financing infrastructure connectivity in landlocked developing countries for sustainable recovery from covid-19 and beyond
No full textThis policy brief will discuss the prominent sources of financing infrastructure connectivity in LLDCs, looking at trends, challenges exacerbated by the pandemic and opportunities for reforms and corrective measures to enhance the mobilization of financial resources for this group of countries
Road safety and mobile phone use in the Asia-Pacific Region
No full textRoad crashes resulted in an estimated 720,000 fatalities in the Asia-Pacific region in 2019, accounting for 56% of global fatalities. In addressing the road safety crisis, voluntary performance targets for road safety risk factors and service delivery mechanisms were adopted by the global community on 21 November 2017. One of the twelve voluntary targets is “By 2030, all countries have national laws to restrict or prohibit the use of mobile phones while driving.” Furthermore, the Regional Plan of Action for Asia and the Pacific for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 emphasizes on changing human behaviours towards safe road use through enactment of laws and their enforcements as well awareness building. The use of a mobile phone while driving is a defined safety risk leading to visual distraction, cognitive distraction, and physical interference with safe control of the motor vehicle, thus creating a risk of injury. Although using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous, the scale of the injury issue is uncertain due to a lack of information, and there is little or no multilateral guidance on the problem.
Against this background, this report considers distraction caused by the mobile phone use as a challenge for safe road travel. It studied different countermeasures to reduce the risk of mobile phone use while driving, through i) infrastructure and vehicle measures, ii) behavioural measures, and iii) laws and good practices in the region. The study findings recommended that ESCAP member countries review the laws applying to mobile phone use, based on a good practice protocol, focusing on any device being held in the hand, supported by enforcement and communications. It is also recommended that ESCAP member countries continue to work towards delivering a safe road traffic system to their communities, through the implementation as appropriate of the Regional Plan of Action for Asia and the Pacific for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030
Evaluation of the project on “Reducing Inequality in FEALAC Member Countries – Innovative Policymaking that Leaves No One Behind”
No full textCommissioned by the Social Development Division, ESCAPThe project “Reducing Inequality in FEALAC Member Countries - Innovative Policymaking that Leaves No One Behind” is a joint collaboration between the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC). The project period was from June 2018 to December 2022, and this is the terminal evaluation for the completed project. Inequality of income, wealth and access to basic services and opportunities has been rising in most regions of the world, including in many FEALAC member countries (MCs). This alarming trend was recognised by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Reducing Inequality” was identified as a stand-alone goal (Goal 10) and simultaneously mainstreamed into other goals such as education, health, water, decent work, and gender equality.Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ 2
List of acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... 3
Executive summary ................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 8
Description of the project ................................................................................................................ 9
2.1 Background: Development and Institutional Context ................................................................ 9
2.2 Project theory of change .......................................................................................................... 10
2.3 Project strategies ...................................................................................................................... 13
2.4 Resources ................................................................................................................................. 14
Evaluation objectives, scope and methodology ............................................................................. 15
3.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................................. 15
3.2 Evaluation approach and scope ............................................................................................... 15
3.3 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 15
Evaluation findings ......................................................................................................................... 17
4.1 Effectiveness ............................................................................................................................. 17
4.2 Relevance ................................................................................................................................. 19
4.3 Efficiency................................................................................................................................... 19
4.4 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................ 20
4.5 Cross-cutting themes ................................................................................................................ 21
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................... 24
Lessons learned/good practices ..................................................................................................... 26
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................... 27
ANNEXES ................................................................................................................................... 28
Annex 1: Evaluation Terms of Reference ................................................................................. 28
Annex 2: Work plan for the evaluation .................................................................................... 43
Annex 3: Evaluation matrix ..................................................................................................... 44
Annex 4: Data collection instrument ....................................................................................... 46
Annex 5: List of individuals interviewed .................................................................................. 47
Annex 6: List of documents reviewed ...................................................................................... 49</p
Energy transition pathways for the 2030 agenda: sustainable energy transition road map for Surat Thani province, Thailand
No full textESCAP and the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE), Thailand Ministry of Energy have collaborated to support three provinces of Thailand in developing their Sustainable Energy Transition (SET) road maps using the NEXSTEP tool. This SET road map, developed for Surat Thani province, identifies the technological options and policy measures that will help the province navigate the transition of its energy sector in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, national targets and commitment towards the Paris Agreement.
This SET road map has two main objectives. First, it aims to establish a scenario baseline for the 2019- 2030 period, taking into consideration the current policy settings. Second, it identifies the measures and technological options that could raise Surat Thani’s efforts to align with the SDG 7 targets and national targets as well as achieving deep decarbonisation of its energy system</p
Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on sustainable freight transport in North and Central Asia
Get PDFThe results of the study were presented at the Sixth North and Central Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on implementation of sustainable development goals that took place 6-7 October 2022 in AlmatyFreight demand continues to grow in the North and Central Asia subregion in line with a growing population, industrialization, trade expansion, and economic development. So further development of freight transport systems is a crucial for economic competitiveness of countries in North and Central Asia.
However, growing freight transport has negative externalities, evidenced by an increase in carbon emissions, air pollution, growing road accident fatalities and injuries, noise pollution, congestion, and environmental degradation all of which would further intensify unless proactive steps are taken.
The countries in the subregion are also faced with the challenge of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through economic growth and, therefore, will need to grow their freight and logistics systems. At the same time, if freight transport continues to grow in a business-as-usual manner, it will undermine other SDG targets related to air pollution, climate change, and road safety.
The ambition set by the Paris Agreement on climate change, to which many countries are signatory, calls for further decarbonization in the transport sector in the medium to long term, which would require a substantive reorientation of freight and logistics systems in the subregion.
At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the smooth flow of the transport sector due to restrictions imposed by countries among other factors. In order to keep essential supply chains moving, freight needs to move; however, its flow was badly disrupted by the pandemic.
It, therefore, appears that the pandemic is going to create significant and lasting shifts that impact both demand and supply the contours of which are still emerging.
ESCAP is currently implementing a United Nations Development Account tranche twelve project on enhancing a shift towards sustainable freight transport in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the regional track, of the project the project contains a specific deliverable: to develop subregional strategies on sustainable freight transport including by encouraging subregional cooperation among countries to deal with pandemics through experience sharing in areas such as modal shift to sustainable modes of transport.
Accordingly, this study undertakes a subregional assessment on sustainable freight transport, with several country examples and a draft subregional strategy to enhance the shift towards sustainable freight transport in countries in North and Central Asia.
The study also examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on freight activity and sustainability in NCA and recommends further measures to mitigate those impacts. In this regard, it also documents some of the practices that countries instituted during the pandemic and attempts to classify them into temporary and medium to long term measures.
The study identifies the main challenges and obstacles that undermine the sustainability of the freight transport sector in NCA and propose recommendations in this regard. This study and proposed strategy are drafted bearing in mind the necessity of balancing the three pillars (or dimensions) of sustainable development—the environmental, economic, and social—in sustainable freight transport, considering relevant existing policy and governance contexts.
The main elements of the strategy focus on (a) statistics on freight transport sustainability; (b) corridor based harmonization; (c) promotion of smart technologies and solutions, especially for international transport; (d)sustainability assessment and project labelling; and (e) regional cooperation on sustainable freight transport. </p