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Accelerating sustainable energy transition in South and South-West Asia
No full textThis paper examines the evolving dynamics of the South and South-West Asia subregion’s energy systems within the broader context of sustainable development and climate action. South and South-West Asia—home to nearly one-fourth of the global population—continues to depend predominantly on fossil fuels, which constitute about three-fourths of its total energy consumption. Although renewable energy capacities, particularly in solar, have grown substantially in recent years, they have not kept pace with the region’s rapidly rising energy demand driven by industrialization, urbanization, and economic growth. The paper analyses key dimensions of the transition, including the subregion’s energy mix, import dependency, electrification trends, renewable energy expansion, energy efficiency performance, and sectoral emissions patterns. It identifies several policy priorities crucial for accelerating sustainable energy transition: strengthening renewable energy deployment frameworks; enhancing energy efficiency across sectors; improving grid reliability and cross-border power trade; promoting clean biomass utilization; and encouraging electrification of industry and transport. The study underscores that a balanced approach—integrating renewable expansion with infrastructure modernization, regulatory reform, and investment in green technologies—is vital to achieving SDG 7 and ensuring energy security. The findings provide actionable insights for governments and stakeholders seeking to design coordinated, evidence-based energy transition strategies for the subregion.Contents
Foreword...................................4
Abstract........................................5
1. Introduction.............................6
2. SDG 7 progress in the South and South-West Asia subregion.....................................6
3. Sustainable energy transition challenges of the SSWA subregion..8
3.1 Energy consumption mix ...............8
3.2 Expected growth in energy demand...................................................................10
3.3 Energy import dependency...................................11
3.4 Renewable energy capacities ............14
3.5 Trends in electrification ...............................................18
3.6 Energy efficiency gains...........................................23
3.7 Sectoral energy consumption and emissions from fuel combustion ...............25
4. Policy lessons and the way forward ..................29
References.......................................................3
Addressing representation issues of developing countries in international financial institutions
No full text: This 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.Voting right imbalances persist in international financial institutions with respect to the population and size of the economy of their member States. Aiming for greater influence on financing policy decisions impacting developing countries, Asia-Pacific member States should continue to remain engaged on discussions on reforming these institutions. At the same time, strengthening of regional financial institutions should also continue as a complementary approach.Table of Contents
Summary............................................................................................................................ 4
I. MAIN ISSUES ................................................................................................................... 5
II. POLICY CONSIDERATIONS...............................................................................................
Guide de l’utilisateur et note explicative pour TINA
No full textThe purpose of this guide is to narrate how to use TINA, Trade Intelligence and Negotiation Adviser. TINA is designed to assist policymakers to negotiate trade agreements and enhance trade in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provides insight on current tariffs, non-tariff measures (NTMs), agreements and bilateral trade flows, and serves to identify key commodities to negotiate better tariffs. Please note as TINA is continuingly being developed, some discrepancies with the look/available features may occur. For any queries, please contact us, https://tina.trade.Ce guide explique comment utiliser TINA, le conseiller en renseignements commerciaux et en négociations. TINA est conçu pour aider les décideurs politiques à négocier des accords commerciaux et à renforcer les échanges commerciaux en faveur du Programme de développement durable à l'horizon 2030. Il fournit un aperçu des droits de douane, des mesures non tarifaires (MNT), des accords et des flux commerciaux bilatéraux actuels, et permet d'identifier les produits de base clés pour négocier de meilleurs tarifs. Veuillez noter que TINA est en cours de développement et que certaines fonctionnalités peuvent présenter des différences. Pour toute question, veuillez nous contacter
Asia-Pacific Quarterly Economic Update. February 2025
Get PDFHighlights
• Stronger-than-expected economic growth in China and robust South-East Asian economies drove
the region’s output growth in Q4/2024.
• Goods exports surged but the months ahead are uncertain due to tariff hikes in the United States.
• Despite overall steady output growth, some economic sectors have contracted, with implications
for poverty and income equality.
• Special topic: Asia-Pacific governments and stakeholders gathered their collective voices in
preparation for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain in
mid-2025
Feasibility study on cross-border electronic exchange of trade data and documents : Tajikistan
Get PDFThis study assesses the feasibility of implementing the electronic exchange of trade data and documents between Tajikistan and potential partner countries. It identifies Tajikistan’s key trading partners and examines the readiness and capacity to implement electronic exchange of particular documents used in cross-border trade. The study examines the current trade environment and the practices of information exchange between international traders and government agencies. It also analyses the authorization documents used in cross-border exchanges and identifies key bottlenecks. Additionally, the study reviews and identifies Tajikistan's key trading partner countries in the Central Asian region and beyond, taking into consideration trade flows and wider economic and political relations. From this analysis, the study identifies a potential project for implementing crossborder information exchange on certificates of origin between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. A model based on information exchange through national single window mechanisms is proposed, which would allow the exchange of information from the electronic database of certificates of origin. It is expected that the project could significantly reduce both financial and time costs for Government agencies and traders, and bring benefits in efficiency, transparency and traceability. Estimates indicate that the initial cost of the project for Tajikistan would be USD 140,500 and for Kazakhstan USD 173,900, totalling USD 314,400. The transition to electronic exchange of certificate information is expected to generate annual savings of USD 79,171 for Tajikistan and USD 124,678 for Kazakhstan. The total economic benefit for both countries, excluding trader’s savings, is estimated at USD 203,849 per year. The net present value (NPV) of the project for both parties for 5 years is estimated at USD 458,351 and the return on investment (ROI) would reach 224% for the same period, which makes the project economically feasible and efficient. In order to fully benefit from implementing such electronic exchange, holistic efforts are needed. Recommendations include enhancing the necessary information systems and platforms, ensuring a conducive regulatory environment, and putting in place modern data protection and security measures, among other technical improvements. These should be accompanied by capacity building, training and support for involved stakeholders. Global and regional platforms and mechanisms, as well as partnerships with developmental organizations, should be leveraged to further enhance the effectiveness of developments in these areas
Leaving no one behind : slum households in Asia
No full textThis paper provides an analysis of the proportion of the urban population living in slums, which is captured by the SDG indicator 11.1.1. This paper employs the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) and Dissimilarity Index (D-Index) methodologies to identify demographic characteristics of households most susceptible to living in slums in urban areas and disparities in access to adequate housing. The analysis focuses on three countries in South and South-West Asia and South-East Asia: Cambodia, India, and the Philippines, utilizing the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data for each country. The paper aims to provide insights for policymakers and guide strategies to address urban housing deficiencies in the region
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth (2025 update)
No full textThe Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed sustained economic and employment growth over the past decades, and it seems to be doing well in achieving SDG 8. Yet, widespread deficits in decent work persist, undermining social justice. Informal employment remains the norm, significant gender gaps fail to close, and many young people, particularly women and girls, face limited access to employment or education opportunities.
While aggregate employment in the region has mostly recovered from the shock of the COVID-19 crisis, other SDG 8 indicators have suffered a lasting impact. Gross domestic product (GDP) did not recover from the crisis, so a permanent output loss gap of around 8 per cent has opened compared to the pre-crisis trend.1 This output loss translates into lost labour productivity and income. Relatedly, progress in reducing decent work deficits, such as informal employment, has stalled. Gender inequality in the world of work remains prominent in the region in many dimensions.
SDG 8 offers a framework for countries to implement a mixture of policies aimed at i) promoting growth and productivity without harming the environment and ii) generating decent work that respects core labour rights as an effective pathway to inclusive growth. Among the target areas covered are:
• Economic policies that pursue higher levels of productivity, including through a focus on high value added or labour-intensive economic sectors, such as services, textiles and garments, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism and hospitality
• Public policies encouraging the formalization and growth of micro, small and medium enterprises through strengthened access to gender-specific financial support services and credit, digital transformation and flexible business models
• Labour policies that aim to reduce unemployment and ensure decent work for all women, men, young people and people with disabilities while ensuring equal pay for work of equal value, and the fair redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work
• Ensuring fundamental rights at work and social dialogue, and expanding coverage and adequacy of social protection
• Ending child labour, human trafficking and forced labour and protecting the labour rights of migrant workers, women and those in precarious employment through gender-responsive interventions
• Decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation and promoting resource efficiency following sustainable consumption and production strategies and approache
ESCAP Project flyer. Subregional Workshop on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development with a focus on Digital Public Services for SMEs in North and Central Asia, and Fifth session of the SPECA Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development
No full textAsia–Pacific road safety analysis 2025 : volume 1: regional trends, country Performance and Data Integrity
No full textThe 2025 edition of the Asia–Pacific Road Safety Analysis (Volume I) provides a consolidated assessment of regional road safety performance, offering a structured review of long-term trends, structural disparities, and data integrity challenges across the ESCAP region. It draws on harmonized international estimates for 2000–2021 to compare country trajectories, conduct peer comparison within and across income groups, quantify the safety gap between the highest-risk and safest country groups, and document the statistical underreporting that shapes regional estimates.
The report finds that, while regional road traffic mortality rates have declined in aggregate, pronounced disparities persist and exposure is rising in many rapidly motorizing settings. It translates this evidence into priority actions, including stronger speed management, universal helmet wearing and compliance, people-centered street design, targeted infrastructure upgrades on high-injury corridors, and strengthened national crash and vital statistics systems.
This edition underscores the need for coordinated, evidence-based investment and sustained institutional delivery to support the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030) and advance safer, more sustainable mobility across Asia and the Pacific.Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................ 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................. 5
TABLE OF FIGURES....................................................... 5
1 ROAD SAFETY PATTERNS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION ............................................................. 6
1.1 ROAD SAFETY TRENDS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION, 2000-2021 .......................................6
1.2 THE REGIONAL SAFETY GAP ...............................10
2 COUNTRY PERSPECTIVES IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.................................................. 16
2.1 COUNTRY-LEVEL TRAJECTORIES ........................16
2.2 PEER COMPARISON ACROSS INCOME CATEGORIES ...................................20
2.3 STATISTICAL STRUCTURE: REPORTING AND ESTIMATION GAPS.......................................................29
3 CONCLUSION.......................................... 35
APPENDICES............................................................ 37
BIBLIOGRAPHY............................ 44
Table of Figures
FIGURE 1.1. ROAD TRAFFIC DEATHS IN THE ESCAP REGION AND GLOBAL TOTAL, 2000–2021.......7
FIGURE 1.2. ROAD TRAFFIC DEATH RATES IN THE ESCAP REGION AND GLOBAL AVERAGE, 2000–2021.............8
FIGURE 1.3. REGIONAL ROAD SAFETY GAP BETWEEN THE BEST PERFORMANCE AND LEAST PERFORMANCE10 PERCENT OF COUNTRIES,
2000–2021......................................................................................................10
FIGURE 1.4. REPEATED APPEARANCES IN THE SAFEST DECILE, 2000–2021.........................12
FIGURE 1.5. REPEATED APPEARANCES IN THE HIGHEST-RISK DECILE, 2000–2021. ..........................................................13
FIGURE 2.1.COMPARISON OF ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITY RATES BETWEEN 2000 AND 2021, ESCAP REGION..............................16
FIGURE 2.2. IMPROVEMENT IN ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITY RATES BETWEEN 2000 AND 2021, ESCAP REGION..............................17
FIGURE 2.3. AVERAGE ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITY RATES BY INCOME GROUP, 2000 AND 2021.................................................20
FIGURE 2.4. IMPROVEMENT IN AVERAGE ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITY RATES BY INCOME GROUP, 2000–2021.................................21
FIGURE 2.5. THREE-SEGMENT IMPROVEMENT BY INCOME GROUP ................................................................................22
FIGURE 2.6.COUNTRY-LEVEL IMPROVEMENT IN ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITY RATES BY INCOME GROUP, 2000–2021.......................25
FIGURE 2.7. RELATIVE IMPROVEMENT IN ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITY RATES BY COUNTRY AND INCOME GROUP, 2000–2021..............25
FIGURE 2.8.GAP BETWEEN ESTIMATED AND REPORTED ROAD TRAFFIC DEATH RATES, 2021..................................................29
FIGURE 2.9.UNDERREPORTING RATE OF ROAD TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN 2021, ESCAP REGION. .............................................30
FIGURE 2.10.UNDERREPORTED ROAD TRAFFIC DEATHS BY COUNTRY, 2021...................................................................31
FIGURE 2.11.UNDERREPORTING MATRIX OF COUNTRIES BY RATE AND ABSOLUTE UNDERCOUNT, 2021...................................3
