ESCAP Repository (United Nations ESCAP)
Not a member yet
8868 research outputs found
Sort by
Pan-Asia Partnership for Geospatial Air Pollution information : assessment of air quality remote sensing in Viet Nam
No full textViet Nam faces many environmental challenges along with the increasing air pollution that poses a major threat to the climate and human health. Due to a growing energy demand, mostly met with traditional fuels, there has been a deterioration in air quality in the country (Kim et al., 2020). According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) report titled ‘Air environment - Current situation and solutions’, air pollution is predominant in all big cities and has increased in craft villages between 2016 and 2020 (National Report on Environmental State, 2021).List of Abbreviations ................................................................................ 4
List of Figures ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
I. Air Pollution in Viet Nam: Background and Mitigation Strategies ............. 7
II: Existing Use of Remote Sensing for Long-Range Transport .................... 15
III. Status of Pandora and GEMS.............................................................. 19
Recommendations ................................................................................. 20
References ............................................................................................ 23
Appendix 1: List of Stations Providing Real Time Data .............................. 2
Addressing public debt sustainability concerns
No full textThis policy brief draws from a section of the Issues Paper, “Strengthening Financing for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific: A discussion of Selected Policy Areas”, prepared as a background document to facilitate discussions at the High-level Regional Consultation on Financing for Development in Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok and online on 17 and 18 December 2024.Public debt distress has three distinct underlying causes which should be evaluated and addressed differently. Similarly, traditional bilateral, non-traditional bilateral and commercial creditors have shared but differentiated responsibilities in sovereign debt restructuring. Proper resolution of sovereign debt distress should ideally be guided by these two principles/realities, while continuing with pragmatic second-best approaches. Debtor countries should also hold their side of the bargain by ensuring accountable and productive use of borrowed funds and effective public debt management.
Key messages:
• Public debt distress has three distinct underlying causes. One, economic and fiscal mismanagement; two, temporary liquidity shocks; and three, development deficits and climate financing gaps. These should be evaluated and addressed differently.
• Traditional bilateral, non-traditional bilateral and commercial creditors have shared but differentiated responsibilities regarding sovereign debt restructuring, with the first bearing a responsibility of development aid, the second motivated by the spirit of development cooperation and the third without such commitments.
• Proper resolution of sovereign debt distress should be guided by the above two principles and realities, while taking a pragmatic second-best approach in strengthening existing progress in collective action clauses (CACs) and “anti-vulture” legislation.
• Developing countries, as debtors, should be encouraged to ensure accountable and productive use of borrowed funds and strengthen their effort towards effective public debt management.Summary ............................................................................................................................ 4
I. MAIN ISSUES ................................................................................................................... 5
A. General trends and challenges ................................................................................................. 5
B. Three main sources of public debt distress and their distinct nature ..................................... 6
C. Central role of public expenditure efficiency and productive use of public funds .................. 6
D. Sovereign debt management and monitoring as a fiscal safeguard........................................ 7
E. Challenges of timely debt restructuring and debt relief ........................................................... 7
II. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS ...............................................................................................
Population ageing in the Asia-Pacific Region and its economic and intergenerational consequences
No full textValuing and investing in unpaid care and domestic work - Country case study : Timor-Leste
No full textAdvancing regional land transport connectivity through intergovernmental mechanisms for regional cooperation in Asia and the Pacific : 2025
No full textThe policy brief “Advancing Regional Land Transport Connectivity Through Intergovernmental Mechanisms for Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific: 2025” reviews progress under three international treaties implemented under the auspices of ESCAP: the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network, the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network, and the Intergovernmental Agreement on Dry Ports, drawing on outcomes of their respective 2025 Working Group meetings. It highlights achievements in five priority areas: infrastructure connectivity, operational connectivity, decarbonization, inclusive transport and digitalization. Through their work, the Working Groups highlight the need for capacity-building, institutional coordination, and regional cooperation to close infrastructure gaps, foster innovation, and ensure sustainable, resilient, and integrated transport systems across Asia and the Pacific.Table of Contents
Executive Summary .........................................................................................................4
I. Introduction: Overview of the Intergovernmental Agreements and Working Groups 6
II. Results of the 2025 Meetings of the Working Groups on Asian Highways, TransAsian Railways and Dry Ports..........................................................................................8
Background ............................................................................................................................8
2025 Results...........................................................................................................................8
Infrastructure Connectivity .....................................................................................................................9
Operational Connectivity.........................................................................................................................9
Decarbonization.................................................................................................................................... 10
Inclusive Transport............................................................................................................................... 11
Digitalization ......................................................................................................................................... 12
III. Other Issues to Consider..........................................................................................14
IV. Recommendations ...................................................................................................1
Digital government for public sector innovations
No full textThe Briefing Note Series aims to provide at-a-glance information of key ICTD issues for policymakers and to facilitate their understanding of the potential of ICT when formulating national development policies and programmes. This Briefing Note focuses on policy considerations drawn from the "Digital Government for Public Sector Innovations" Academy module
Blockchain technology for paperless trade facilitation in Mongolia : a feasibility study report
No full textThis report assesses the feasibility of adopting blockchain technology for facilitating trade and enhancing competitiveness, especially to support paperless trade facilitation in Mongolia. The study is based on information collected through structured surveys and interviews with government agencies, the private sector, and industry associations, as well as a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Ulaanbaatar in March 2025.
Mongolia’s trade ecosystem is highly dependent on mineral exports and limited transit routes through China and the Russian Federation. While trade volumes are growing — reaching approximately USD 27.4 billion in 2024 — structural inefficiencies such as cumbersome border procedures, paper-based documentation, and institutional capacity gaps continue to constrain competitiveness. Blockchain, leveraging the digital transformation, presents an opportunity to reduce these inefficiencies, strengthen trust with trade partners, and align Mongolia with global digital trade trends.
The report initially reviews international case studies, including Singapore’s TradeTrust, the Republic of Korea’s uTradeHub, Maldives’ pilot initiatives and Dubai Customs Blockchain. These examples highlight blockchain’s potential to support efficient trade facilitation by digitalizing trade documents like the certificates of origin, streamlining regulatory compliances including customs clearance processes, improving supply chain traceability, and enabling secure trade finance. Key lessons include the importance of legal recognition of digital documents, phased pilot projects, and strong public–private partnerships. These best practices provide lessons learned that serve as the basis for the potential applications of blockchain in Mongolia.
Blockchain is not a silver bullet, but it could support Mongolia to leapfrog from paper-based to digitally enabled trade facilitation environment. Combined with other digital initiatives and technologies, including data exchanges, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence, blockchain could be an integral part of the national digital roadmap for trade facilitation. By addressing legal gaps, strengthening institutions, and piloting practical use cases, Mongolia can reduce trade costs, improve transparency, and position itself as a digitally capable trade partner.The report as well as all associated events were supported by the UN Development
Account project Blockchains for facilitating trade and enhancing competitivenes
Trade Intelligence and Negotiations Advisor - TINA features (ESCAP). Twentieth Session of the SPECA Working Group on Trade
No full textAPCICT evaluation report
No full textThe Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT) was established as a regional institute of ESCAP through Commission resolution 61/6 in 2005. Located in Incheon, Republic of Korea, the Centre serves ESCAP's 62 members
and associate members with the objective of building capacity to leverage ICT for inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development. APCICT's programmatic work is structured around three core pillars: training programmes, knowledge sharing, and multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnership. In accordance with ESCAP resolution 71/1, which mandates five-year reviews of each regional institution's substantive relevance and financial viability, this independent evaluation assessed APCICT's performance from 2021 to 2025 and provides forward-looking recommendations for improving the Centre's results orientation.Table of contents
Table of contents ..................................................................................................................................... i
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................... ii
List of acronyms ..................................................................................................................................... iii
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ iv
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1
2. Description of the subprogramme/regional institute .................................................................... 2
2.1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 2
2.2 Key activities and outputs ......................................................................................................... 3
2.3 Theory of change ...................................................................................................................... 6
3. Evaluation Scope and Methodology ............................................................................................... 7
3.1 Purpose and objectives ............................................................................................................. 7
3.2 Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 7
3.3 Evaluation criteria and questions ............................................................................................. 8
3.4 Evaluation approach ................................................................................................................. 9
3.5 Data collection and analysis .................................................................................................... 10
3.6 Stakeholder analysis and selection ......................................................................................... 12
3.7 Cross-cutting Issues ................................................................................................................ 12
3.8 Ethical considerations ............................................................................................................. 13
3.9 Risks and limitations ............................................................................................................... 14
4. Evaluation Findings ....................................................................................................................... 15
4.1 Relevance ................................................................................................................................ 15
4.2 Effectiveness ........................................................................................................................... 21
4.3 Efficiency ................................................................................................................................. 26
4.4 Impact ..................................................................................................................................... 31
4.5 Sustainability ........................................................................................................................... 36
4.6 Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion ................................................................................ 41
5. Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 44
6. Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 46
7. Lessons learned/good practices ................................................................................................... 50
Annexes ................................................................................................................................................. 52
Annex 1: TOR ................................................................................................................................ 52
Annex 2: List of documents reviewed ......................................................................................... 61
Annex 3: Theory of change .......................................................................................................... 62
Annex 4: Evaluation matrix .......................................................................................................... 63
Annex 5: Stakeholder questionnaire ........................................................................................... 67
Annex 6: Survey Tool.................................................................................................................... 70
Annex 7: Organization of the evaluation .................................................................................... 7