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Facilitating the deployment of highly and fully automated vehicles in road traffic along the Asian Highway Network
Get PDFThe use of highly fully automated vehicles, as part of smart transport systems can significantly reduce the economic, social and environmental costs of passenger and freight transport, while enhancing its overall quality and resilience. At the same time, their implementation in Asia and the Pacific is lagging behind due to various factors, including low awareness of the role of smart transport systems, limited capacity for implementation and a lack of regional cooperation, hindering the exchange of best practices and experiences.
Within this context, the Transport Division undertook a study project on “Facilitating the deployment of highly and fully automated vehicles in road traffic along the Asian Highway Network”. The project aimed to collect data and information on existing technologies supporting highly and automated road freight vehicles, assess the infrastructure requirement to support the operationalization of such vehicles, as well as provide way forward policy recommendations in its development and implementations for countries along Asian Highway Network.
The study findings were compiled and made available in the attached Study Report.
For more information, please contact: Mr. Edouard Chong, Transport Division, e-mail: [email protected] </p
Technical report and recommendations to strengthen environmental impact assessment procedures in ASEAN
Get PDFThis technical report examines the practical ways to strengthen environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures in ASEAN to address critical environmental and human rights issues. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and the destruction and degradation of ecosystems significantly impact people's lives, affecting our ability to work, have leisure activities, and enjoy good health. Human rights and environmental protection are interdependent, and a healthy environment enables people to enjoy their human rights entirely. At the same time, the exercise of human rights helps promote environmental protection.
The report reviews the existing materials for EIA in ASEAN. Drawing on the previous work of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the UN, reference is made to the Compendium on Environmental Impact Assessment systems in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States. It also examines the key elements included in an ASEAN Framework Agreement on EIA, as identified by the AICHR in a regional consultation in 2019.</p
2022 : Leaving no one behind : Mongolia 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 Mongolia 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 Mongolia. </p
Working paper on establishing a "Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development" : options for operational modalities
Get PDFThe Government of Kazakhstan and the Secretariat of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) reached an understanding to explore options on establishing a Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development (DSCSD) to strengthen the North and Central Asian subregion’s innovative competitive advantage using digital technologies, and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).1 The DSCSD is expected to play two main functions: (1) accelerate the digital transformation towards a sustainable, inclusive and resilient digital economy and society; and (2) strengthen coordination and cooperation among multiple stakeholders in the digital transformation process.
This document considers the feasibility as well as options for operational modalities for establishing the DSCSD in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with the aim of supporting and guiding the relevant ministries and authorities in Kazakhstan. The document proposes the following five pillars for establishing the DSCSD: (1) legal foundation; (2) finance and budgetary; (3) human resources; (4) organizational and technical; and (5) international and regional cooperation. In addition, milestone-based actions are proposed, which are linked with major subregional, regional and international events such as the United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries, Digital Almaty Forum, Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Developmentand the ESCAP Commission Session.</p
Readiness assessment for cross-border paperless trade : Georgia
Get PDFThis report provides an assessment of Georgia’s readiness for cross-border paperless trade, i.e., the conduct of international trade based on electronic data and documents.
A team of experts conducted this assessment following readiness checklists developed by the ESCAP Interim Intergovernmental Steering Group on Cross-Border Paperless Trade Facilitation, of which Georgia is a member. National consultation on facilitating cross-border paperless trade was co-organized by Georgia National Committee on Trade Facilitation, the Georgia Revenue Service and the United Nations ESCAP on 15 December 2021 to review findings from the study conducted on Georgia’s readiness assessment on cross-border paperless trade and discuss a proposed action plan.
Following a brief overview of trade facilitation implementation in Georgia, findings from the technical and legal readiness assessments for cross-border paperless trade are presented. Recommendations on the technical and the legal aspects of cross-border paperless trade are then provided, followed by an initial action plan for Georgia to move forward.
The complete set of Cross-Border Paperless Trade Readiness Assessment reports can be accessed : Readiness Assessments for Cross-Border Paperless Trade.</p
Strengthening digital connectivity and digital finance in Asia and the Pacific : insights from Samoa
Get PDFIn the developing regions across the world, access to finance remains one of the main barriers to socioeconomic development. Globally, and specifically within the Asia-Pacific region, the Pacific small island developing States have one of the most expensive and least accessible financial systems. The lack of Internet connectivity in the Pacific small island developing States, which is among the lowest across the Asia-Pacific region, is a key barrier to financial inclusion. Such digital divides challenge the achievement of an inclusive and accessible digital financial system. Thus, to enhance digital access and connectivity, the use and deployment of already existing fintech solutions deserves increased attention.
In an effort to improve digital connectivity in the Pacific, ESCAP, together with Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand, is working towards the establishment of a Pacific Internet exchange point (IXP). IXPs reduce the transit costs of Internet traffic exchanged internationally, reduce the Internet traffic tromboning effect, and improve the quality of access, for domestic users, through more direct connections to local and cached content. The deployment of the Pacific IXPs would also facilitate the evolution and expansion of financial services in Samoa, thereby enabling a shift towards building a digital economy. However, some implementational challenges remain; IXPs need to be linked across countries which requires building trust and collaboration between all Internet server providers and stakeholders, both nationally and internationally; a neutral location needs to be found and the IXPs need to be managed as a platform for all operators to connect; and a conducive, regulatory environment that supports an open market for telecommunication services needs to be developed.
As a way forward, this policy brief provides key recommendations to accelerate digital finance options and connectivity. It calls for strong political support that will create an enabling regulatory environment which will promote a supportive business environment for the expansion of financial services, and facilitate the interconnection between operators, at both local and international levels. Furthermore, this paper raises the importance of multilateral cooperation to allow for secure cross-border money transfers with the highest respect for the privacy of counterparts, and encourages collective agreement to deploy IXPs, with support from national and international organizations, such as the Internet Society and the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre. Other issues, such as enhancing incentives for investment in ICT infrastructure and increasing financial literacy are also highlighted
How to invest in the care economy : a primer
Get PDFThis primer is designed to support policymakers and government officials in their efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and empowerment of women in their countries. It lays out the basic concepts relating to what is called the “care economy” —the sum total of all paid and unpaid care work. It highlights the implications of a lopsided and gendered division of labour in unpaid care and domestic work. This strengthens the case for governments to invest in the care economy by addressing four care policy categories — care infrastructure, care-related social protection, care services and employment-related care. The primer includes the normative principles and levers of change that will help policymakers and practitioners to create a policy ecosystem that values care work and promotes women’s empowerment.</p
Infrastructure financing in Kyrgyzstan
Get PDFThis report examined the current state, challenges, and opportunities in infrastructure financing in Kyrgyzstan. Within infrastructure sector, the focus is on power, transport, ICT and water supply.
Kyrgyzstan’s infrastructure investment needs are massive. In addition to being essential to the country’s ability to alleviate poverty, these investments can have a significant transformational effect on the economy by providing additional export revenues and improving cross-border trade and mobility. The focus of the Government is currently on financing (a) large hydropower projects given the country’s commitment to regional electricity trade; and (b) public transport given the Soviet legacy of underdeveloped road and rail networks. Historically, infrastructure projects have been financed by sovereign loans from international development institutions. Private investment is yet to gain momentum, while PPP is relatively new.
Going forward, Kyrgyzstan’s main financing modality would remain in the realm of concessional sovereign loans from international financial institutions. However, new modalities should also be explored, such as diaspora bonds or issuances of sovereign bonds in the neighboring countries. When exploring these options, careful consideration should be given to their impact on the foreign currency risk and external debt stock.
Among others, policy priorities include reducing pricing distortions in the infrastructure sector, careful selection of projects, and wise structuring of project financing using concessional loans and grants. More broadly, infrastructure financing in Kyrgyzstan will benefit from increased capacity of both public and private entities on project selection and implementation. infrastructure projects.</p
2022 : Leaving no one behind : India 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 India 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 India. </p
Methodology for data analysis of digital transformation
Get PDFConsidering the deeply unequal global landscape, diagnosing the status of digital transformation at a country level in Asia and the Pacific is urgently needed. Thus, this paper discusses a study that has built a country-level model for digital transformation diagnosis and developed a new index to benchmark leading countries. As existing digital-related indices have been limited to specific fields or have encompassed the overall economy, their analyses have not focused on digital transformation. The study has therefore constructed a framework for the Digital Transformation Index in a dynamic manner and focused on the evolutionary nature of digital transformation. Leveraging macroeconomic analysis tools such as the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) analysis and the circular flow model, the digital transformation framework incorporates five thematic pillars. The results of the Digital Transformation Index through more in-depth analysis are expected to be useful guidelines for countries included in the analysis to not only understand their level of achievements in digital transformation, but also develop plans to further accelerate digital transformation.</p