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Why we need social protection
Get PDFThis is the first in a series of four policy guides developed to support policymakers and practitioners in Asia and the Pacific in their efforts to strengthen social protection. This first guide explains the basic principles of why social protection is needed. The second guide explains the critical steps in designing a social protection scheme; the third focuses on the effective implementation of tax-financed social protection; and the fourth guide discusses options for financing social protection
ESCAP population data sheet 2021
Get PDFThe Population Data Sheet, published annually by ESCAP, features a range of key indicators on population and development. The focus is on population size, structure and growth rates, as well as fertility, mortality and migration, at country, subregional and regional levels. The Data Sheet is a useful reference tool for researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders.
The 2021 Population Data Sheet focuses on population ageing and the situation of older persons
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the SDGs in Sri Lanka and the potential for regional cooperation
Get PDFThe global economic fallout of the coronavirus (COVID-19) health pandemic is anticipated to be far worse than anything experienced in recent history. From a range of possible outcomes, developing economies will fare far worse, with greater exposure to contractions in world trade, declines in commodity prices, loss of foreign capital inflows, etc. In fashioning appropriate macroeconomic policy responses, they will also be more thinly stretched to provide adequate resources to safeguard public health, precarious jobs and limited social security cover. Amongst developing countries, those with higher initial public debt levels need to be particularly concerned. Despite a commendable health policy response, Sri Lanka is one such country, facing the COVID-19 economic fallout with a public debt ratio of near 90% of GDP and foreign debt settlements averaging USD 4 billion in the next few years.
However, given the necessity of doing everything possible to avert a sharp economic contraction, the tolerance levels for fiscal laxity and monetary easing are much higher. Sri Lanka has leaned heavily on monetary policy interventions, including direct financing of government spending and yield curve control measures to keep borrowing costs down. Whilst these measures make possible some attractive short-term numbers in the form of a V-shaped recovery, the resilience and sustainability of that recovery process will depend on efforts to ensure that equity concerns are addressed.</p
SDG 7 localisation snapshot : Zamboanga Cityy, Philippines
Get PDFSDG7 Localisation Snapshot provides a brief overview of the key areas related to implementation of the Sustainable Goal 7 (SDG7) to ‘Ensure access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable and modern energy for all’ at the local level based on the answers provided by the jurisdiction to the SDG7 Localisation questionnaire.
Questionnaire allowed to collect the assessments from the local officials regarding the situation on the implementation of SDG7 in their jurisdiction. SDG7 Localisation Snapshot
is a part of the collaborative project of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to
support city and sub-national governments in accelerating their efforts in the field of sustainable energy. SDG 7 Localisation Snapshots are short publications of the cities’ self-assessment regarding their capacity and availability of policies, actions and resources for supporting SDG 7 localisation. The Snapshots can download here
Rethinking MSME finance in Asia and the Pacific : a post-crisis policy agenda
Get PDFMSMEs are an important engine of economic growth and development due to their large share in total employment and their participation in production value chains and trade. However, they are often disadvantaged due to their small operational size and lack of financial resources, skills/knowledge, and outreach. Their disadvantages are associated, among other things, with poor access to markets; low bargaining power with customers and suppliers leading to low product prices, high costs and lower profits; weak organizational capacities and low-skilled human resources; inadequate institutional support and networking; and difficulties to access finance. With regard to the last point, governments and related agencies have devised mechanisms in recent decades to facilitate improved flows of finance to MSMEs, but many challenges remain.
MSMEs have been particularly vulnerable to the socio-economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the policy responses enacted, and need supportive policy measures by state agencies to deal with it. Indeed, the virus has helped expose those vulnerabilities, as MSMEs typically lack the additional resilience that comes from operating at scale, nor do they have diversified business models that make it easier to pivot. It is perhaps worth noting that the virus itself did not actually cause the unprecedented economic downturn. Rather, governments made a strategic decision to shut down their economies, in order to battle the virus more effectively, rightly placing public health above economic well-being. The resulting economic crisis has been deliberately induced by policy-makers; a somewhat new phenomenon.
The book takes a broadly chronological approach to the topic, and each chapter focuses on different stages of the pandemic’s effect on MSME finance in Asia and the Pacific: before, during, after and beyond. The last two chapters include some specific recommendations and ‘take-aways’ that illustrate new and potential avenues of intervention for MSME finance in Asia and the Pacific
Asian highway route map
No full textTo date the AH network comprises of slightly over 125,000 km of roads that have been selected for their potential to serve international trade within the ESCAP region as well as between Asia and Europe.
The schematic representation of AH network is made available by the secretariat as a reference illustrating the general coverage of the routes covered by the AH network.
Note: The road network on these maps reflects the routes as designated by the Parties in the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Asian Highway Network.</p