ESCAP Repository (United Nations ESCAP)
Not a member yet
8868 research outputs found
Sort by
Report on sustainable urban transport index : Tashkent, Uzbekistan
No full textTashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, stands as a central hub in Central Asia. As of April 1, 2024, it hosted a population exceeding 3 million, making it the most populous city in the region.
The report provides analysis of current SUTI assessment for Tashkent provides a comprehensive analysis of the city's urban transport system, focusing on the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. The SUTI Aggregate Score for Tashkent was 62.64. Its transport plans cover public transport, intermodal facilities, and infrastructure for active modes. This reflects the city's commitment to sustainable mobility and its vision for public transport development by 2025. The city demonstrated significant progress in making transportation accessible, investment in expanding the bus fleet and metro lines make it economically viable and affordability.
Despite these successes, challenges remain in operational costs and service quality. The current fare structure makes public transport affordable but does not adequately cover operational expenses. Additionally, the quality and reliability of public transport services indicates the need for service improvement.
To enhance overall sustainability of urban mobility in Tashkent, the report recommends a multifaceted approach, including measures such as the following:
• Enhance pedestrian and cycling infrastructure;
• Improve public transit operations;
• Establish a dedicated public transport department;
• Accelerate electric bus procurement;
• Implement renewable energy solutions;
• Promote gender diversity in the workforce.
By focusing on these areas, Tashkent can build a more sustainable, inclusive, efficient, and user-friendly urban mobility system, significantly enhancing the quality of life for its residents. </p
Data privacy and protection : embracing a global standard
Get PDFThis module aims to facilitate the rationalization and development of data privacy and protection regulations in various jurisdictions. It covers fundamental aspects of data privacy, including history, theory, concepts, and evolution. The module introduces current international privacy policy frameworks and analyzes modern national regulations, focusing on their alignment with global principles. It also explores cross-border and domestic enforcement of data protection regulations, particularly addressing risks associated with third-party data transfers. Best practices, challenges, and opportunities in data privacy and protection are also examined.</p
Программа развития потенциала специалистов: Цифровизация железнодорожного и мультимодального транспорта в Северной и Центральной Азии
No full textThe landscape of B2C e-commerce marketplaces in the Republic of Korea
Get PDFThis country brief is part of an eleven-part series exploring the landscape of B2C e-commerce marketplaces in various East Asian economies. This series offers in-depth insights into the traffic trends for active e-commerce websites, national established and emerging key players, main characteristics of the marketplaces, ease of online selling, the degree of specialization in terms of products as well as the products characteristics. For more project information visit https://www.unescap.org/projects/b2c The Republic of Korea shows a particularly high internet penetration rate (97%) and a large proportion of e-commerce users (77%). Nevertheless, the density of B2C marketplaces is in the middle range with a total of 173 B2C marketplaces for a population of 51.6 million (35.1% of the total traffic in the region studied).
Over the period 2019-2022, traffic on the 173 B2C marketplaces remained relatively stable, at 8 billion visits per year and slightly above. Among them, online shopping malls account for the largest proportion of marketplaces (61.3%) and capture most of the traffic (76.3%).
The e-commerce market in the Republic of Korea is dominated by domestic companies (52%), followed by the United States (22%) and China (4%). On the total of 173 online marketplaces, there is an important geographical diversity considering the 16 other countries with companies holding marketplaces.
The e-commerce market is diluted with the Top 10 online marketplaces capturing only 67.6% of total traffic. This Top 10 is largely dominated by online shopping malls, 7 in total, and B2C marketplaces are all owned by domestic companies.
Regarding the ease of selling on these B2C marketplaces, only 45% allow foreign sellers to operate and 41% offer open registration to online sellers. A moderate proportion of these marketplaces are fully transactional (62%) but, as a corollary, 63% require trading fees to sell online.
The country has a larger proportion of generic B2C marketplaces (60%) than specialized marketplaces (40%). Among the 69 specialized marketplaces, 33% specialize in fashion, accessories, and shoes (capturing only 18% of the traffic). The traffic dynamics also show that consumers’ preferences lean towards buying automotive parts (capturing 38.5% of the traffic) and cultural content (18.5%). </p
NTMs in Nepal : existing and new issues in the wake of LDC graduation
Get PDFThis paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges posed by non-tariff measures (NTMs) on Nepal's trade, particularly in light of its upcoming graduation from the least developed country (LDC) status in 2026. NTMs, which include policy measures other than tariffs, can significantly impact international trade by altering prices and quantities traded. While NTMs often serve legitimate purposes such as public health and safety, they can also act as trade barriers, creating procedural obstacles for exporters. The study highlights the dual impact of NTMs on Nepal’s trade, focusing on sectors like agriculture and pharmaceuticals where compliance costs are high. The paper discusses the potential loss of preferential trade treatments and more lenient rules of origin (RoO) post-graduation, which will necessitate significant adjustments in Nepal’s export strategies. It also examines the impact on subsidy regimes and the readiness of Nepal’s regulatory framework to handle these changes. The paper concludes with recommendations for capacity building and proactive international engagement to mitigate the adverse effects of stricter NTMs and ensure continued trade performance
Preliminary report towards data sharing systems in the Asia-Pacific region : policy implications of European approaches
Get PDFThis paper presents a preliminary assessment on the development of data-sharing systems in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on the policy implications of European approaches to data governance. As global economies increasingly rely on digital transformation, effective cross-border data sharing becomes a critical driver of economic growth, technological advancement, and regional collaboration. The European Union (EU) has established a robust framework for data protection and cross-border data sharing, exemplified by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other regulatory measures, which offer a valuable model for other regions. The Asia-Pacific region currently lacks a cohesive framework and infrastructure for promoting cross-border data sharing among countries, and it may cast significant challenges in promoting digital transformation including artificial intelligence in the region.
This report assesses both the successes and challenges of the EU’s data-sharing ecosystem, and identifies its relevance to the Asia-Pacific context. It extracts key lessons from the EU experience, such as the need for standardized regulations, robust data governance, and international cooperation, which can help bridge the existing gaps in data-sharing frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper also provides policy recommendations aimed at fostering a secure, efficient, and inclusive data-sharing environment that promotes economic growth and digital innovation while ensuring data privacy and protection. These insights serve as a foundation for policymakers and stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific to develop a framework that leverages data as a catalyst for regional prosperity and progress.Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................5
1. Introduction ...........................................................................................................................6
2. Importance of international data flows ..............................................................................7
2.1 Challenges in cross-border data sharing............................................................................8
2.2 Navigating challenges in cross-border data sharing through regulation..............................8
2.3 Successful practices in the cross-border data sharing in Europe and the United Kingdom.9
2.4 Implications for Asia-Pacific countries ..............................................................................10
3. Data governance in the European Union .........................................................................12
3.1 Data Governance Act.......................................................................................................12
3.1.1 Reuse of certain categories of data held by public sector bodies ............................................12
3.1.2 Data intermediation services ....................................................................................................13
3.1.3 Data altruism.............................................................................................................................14
3.1.4 European Data Innovation Board..............................................................................................15
3.1.5 International data flows............................................................................................................16
3.1.6 Report: Mapping the landscape of data intermediaries...........................................................17
3.2 Private sector data sharing in Europe ..............................................................................17
3.2.1 European Commission “Guidance on private sector data sharing”..........................................17
3.2.2 World Trade Organization and data flows................................................................................18
3.2.3 European Commission survey of B2B data sharing among small and medium-sized enterprises
............................................................................................................................................................18
3.3 Success stories: Big Data Test Infrastructure...................................................................19
3.3.1 Optimizing public procurement in Norway...............................................................................19
3.3.2 Using scientific clinical evidence in Valencia to manage the pandemic ...................................20
3.3.3 European Blood Alliance investigates COVID-19 convalescent plasma therapy ......................21
3.3.4 New dimensions in labour market intelligence.........................................................................21
4. Current status of data economy in the Asia-Pacific region .........................................25
4.1 Landscape for cross-border data sharing in the Asia-Pacific region .................................25
4.2 Data sharing efforts in Asia and the Pacific ......................................................................25
4.3 Current status of data sharing among Asia-Pacific countries............................................27
5. Discussion ...........................................................................................................................30
5.1 Standardization efforts and initiatives in Europe...............................................................30
5.2 Comparison of data protection in Europe and ASEAN .....................................................32
5.3 Future development direction for ASEAN Member States................................................33
References ...................................................................................................................................3
