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Mainstreaming sustainable trade in the development plans of Tajikistan. Event on Sustainable Trade and Circularity under the SPECA Working Group on Trade
No full textSession IV : Advancing climate-smart trade through sustainable trade,trade facilitation, digitalization, and circularity, under the SPECA Working Group on Trade Dushanbe, 26 November 2024This policy brief for session IV of the 2024 SPECA Economic Foru
Information notice. 2024 SPECA Economic Forum, “Green Development in the SPECA Region”, and Nineteenth Session of the SPECA Governing Council
No full textThe Governing Council of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) will hold its 19th session on 8 November 2024 as hybrid session with in-person and online participation. Under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan, seven SPECA participating countries, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will discuss the outcomes of 2022 SPECA Economic Forum and adopt its conclusions and recommendations.This Information notice provides logistical details regarding 2024 SPECA Economic Forum and the nineteenth session of the SPECA Governing Council jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the present Chair country of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Report on sustainable urban transport index : Chattogram, Bangladesh
No full textThe findings of the study were presented and discussed at the “Expert Group Meeting on Integration
of Urban Public Transport Systems and Application of Digital Technologies” held in Suwon, Republic of
Korea on 24 and 25 October 2023 in conjunction with the 8th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum and the National
Workshop on Integration of Urban Public and Application of Digital Technologies, held in Chattogram
on 7 May 2024Urban public transport systems in developing cities are often inadequate and inefficient, lacking proper infrastructure and sufficient public transport options. This can lead to reduced economic productivity, limited access to essential services, increased air pollution, higher road traffic accidents, and thus a lower quality of life. Dhaka and Chattogram City, two major cities in Bangladesh are also facing challenges of inadequate public transport accessibility, poor infrastructure and management, and excessive congestion. Despite all challenges, the government of Bangladesh and city authorities are making all efforts to improve the urban public transport systems.
This report discusses the exiting urban public transport system in Chattogram City, Bangladesh. This report uses ESCAP Sustainable Urban Transport Index (SUTI) methodology to assess the sustainability of the urban public transport system of Chattogram City. The existing state of urban public transport is evaluated across ten sustainability indicators, including access to public transport, non-motorized transport infrastructure, affordability, road safety, and air quality. This report also offers a series of problem specific recommendations to enhance overall sustainability, accessibility and the resiliency of the urban public transport systems in Chattogram City.</p
Financial resilience, inclusion, and entrepreneurship : is Asia and the Pacific close to gender parity?
Get PDFESCAP’s report "Financial Resilience, Inclusion, and Entrepreneurship: Is Asia and the Pacific Close to Gender Parity?" analyzes a set of indicators on women’s access to finance and the impacts on their lives. The report reveals gender gaps in women’s financial inclusion, asset control and ownership, financial resilience, and entrepreneurship. According to the findings, women in most Member States and Associate Members exhibit lower levels of bank account ownership, access to credit, and access to pensions. Additionally, women report higher levels of stress related to their financial situation, and MSMEs owned by women lack adequate access to financial services. To address these disparities, the report proposes several recommendations for policymakers and financial service providers aimed at fostering a more gender-inclusive financial system across the region.</p
A data overview: taking stock of women entrepreneurs in Samoa
Get PDFThe current report acts as a first step in addressing the data gap by exploring two main issues, vis-à-vis the policy space: 1. Taking stock of the current status of data that captures women’s involvement in the MSME sector in Samoa. 2. Providing recommendations and insights on what data is needed to measure changes in the sector over time, in order to contribute to policy development.
The pursuit of these two goals is intended to identify a starting point from which a relevant data project can begin. With a long-term goal of addressing the dearth of data in the MSME space, the Government of Samoa’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (MCIL) and their constituents will be able to draw on the findings of this report to develop a greater range and depth of relevant evidence to support policymaking for small business. This report is not intended to be an official baseline derived from an original research exercise, rather, it is a secondary research review of what is known about the size and scale of women-led entrepreneurship through existing data. The secon- dary research, in combination with the 14 stakeholder interviews conducted as part of the research, will provide a springboard to identify the most appropriate research and monitoring approach to use as the sector evolves over time, considering new programmatic inputs and the MSME Development Policy and Strategy 2020.</p
Manual for inclusive business accreditation in Viet Nam
Get PDFThis Manual for Inclusive Business Accreditation in Viet Nam provides the guide for accrediting IBs in Viet Nam. It gives detailed information about:• the concept of IB• the rationale for IB accreditation• the IB assessment and identification criteria and benchmarks• the process and governance system to manage and oversee the IB assessment and identification• the tools to conduct the assessment and identification, including the IB readiness assessment and the IB profile form.</p
Assessment, analysis and redesign of civil registration and vital statistics processes (CRVS) - Turkmenistan
No full textUsing the methodology and tools defined by the CRVS Systems Improvement Framework, the national CRVS Stakeholders (supported by a Country Coordinator and a Senior Advisor) gathered information about the birth and death registration process and the production of vital statistics. They identified weaknesses and proposed solutions to address performance issues with current CRVS processes through online consultations and in-person workshops.
The CRVS Systems Improvement Framework introduces systems thinking tools such as process mapping, to engage stakeholders and improve understanding of the functioning of the CRVS system.
This work was supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative.</p
Advancing the green transition of SMEs : insights for SME development agencies to support sustainability practices and reporting
Get PDFSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are essential drivers of economic growth, innovation and employment across the globe. As efforts for the green transition accelerate, it is critical to ensure and facilitate the involvement of SMEs in driving the green transition.
Policymakers and government agencies with a mandate to support SME development can take various policy measures, including regulatory, awareness raising and financial approaches to support SMEs on their green transition journey. One dimension of such support includes the promotion of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and reporting among SMEs. Given their scale, SMEs often face challenges in adopting ESG practices. These challenges include limited understanding of the relevance of ESG concepts to their businesses, gaps in the skills needed to incorporate ESG principles in business operations and report on their ESG performance, and obstacles to accessing the practical tools and funding to initiate their ESG journey and support their transition to green business practices.
This report examines strategic programmes and initiatives across the ASEAN region designed to address these challenges and promote the adoption of ESG practices and reporting. It showcases selected case studies from ASEAN countries which illustrate various approaches and programmes supporting SMEs in their green transition, including roadshows, award schemes, digital platforms, capacity-building initiatives and financing mechanisms
Critical analysis of ICT connectivity in rural Bangladesh : importance, constraints, and the way forward
Get PDFThe Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) launched the project on Digital and Transport Connectivity for the Socioeconomic Resilience of Rural Communities during the post-COVID-19 Period in Asia-Pacific Countries, 2022–2025, to strengthen the capacity of government officials in three pilot countries – Bangladesh, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Samoa – to develop innovative strategies for improving rural digital and transport connectivity for socioeconomic resilience. As one activity of the project, this paper aims to assist in developing strategies for promoting information and communications technology (ICT) connectivity in rural areas of Bangladesh.
The Government of Bangladesh has advanced the integration of ICT into its economy in the past decade. The ICT sector plays a crucial role in the ambitions outlined in Vision 2021 for Bangladesh to become a middle-income country by 2021. Until recently, ICT development focused on demand-side management, for example, computerizing office environments, digitalizing public services and financial systems, and enhancing Internet access. However, the draft version of the ICT Master Plan 2041 demonstrated that the Government of Bangladesh has started shifting its emphasis to supply-side ICT development. Vision 2041, which outlines the ambition for Bangladesh to become a high-income country by 2041, includes four key pillars: smart citizens, smart government, smart society and smart economy, as outlined in the Perspective Plan (2021–2041) and transitional five-year strategic plans of Bangladesh. To further accelerate the growth process and realize Vision 2041, the Government must prioritize raising total factor productivity and enhancing intrasectoral linkages through increased application of digital technology, to minimize ICT-related rural/urban disparity.
Against this background, this paper aims to provide an overview of national ICT policies in Bangladesh and outline the rural and urban ICT dynamics. The paper maps stakeholders for a range of actions, including: i) increasing smartphone availability in rural areas; ii) developing a sector-wise, rural-specific ICT data set; iii) providing awareness and developing ICT literacy programmes for rural communities; iv) ensuring stable broadband connectivity in rural areas; v) involving direct beneficiaries in the planning process; vi) increasing the outreach of agent banking schemes in rural areas; and vii) developing community-based supply chain mechanisms through ICT. Lastly, the paper suggests a way forward for further developing ICT policies and acts for the rural sector and promoting regional collaboration and coordination to support rural ICT development.</p
Asia-Pacific digital transformation report 2024 : digital innovation for smarter climate action
Get PDFIn Asia and the Pacific, the climate crisis intersects with digital transformations through a complex mix of challenges and opportunities, creating a series of vicious but also potentially virtuous cycles. The Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2024 considers how digital transformations will structurally and irreversibly affect the trajectory of climate change. It presents a digital-growth-climate nexus to better understand the diverse and dynamic picture and considers ways in which the region can follow the most positive trajectory to avert a climate catastrophe.
The Report showcases good practices and country examples of digital applications in addressing climate change, in terms of mitigation and adaptation. These can involve the use of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data, digital twins, geospatial technologies and others, which have been employed in infrastructure, government, mobility, industry and trade, digital data centres, disaster risk reduction, agriculture and biodiversity ecosystems.
The Report then explores key drivers of digital transformation for climate change and outlines three future scenarios. It concludes with the key findings of the Report and proposes policy actions aligned with the five actors of the Digital Transformation Index Framework