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Evaluation of the project on Getting Everyone in the Picture : Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems in Asia and the Pacific (Data for Health Initiative 2022 – 2024)
Get PDFThe purpose of this evaluation was to review the performance, achievements, lessons learned, and
challenges faced by the project, in order to both assess its performance against certain evaluation
criteria, and to provide forward-looking and action-oriented recommendations to ESCAP for future
programming. The evaluation looked at the most recent phase of the project, in the period from mid 2022 to early 2024, during which time the project implemented activities in support of 21 countries
across the Asia-Pacific region.
The evaluation employed a mixed methods approach consisting of a review of project-related
documents, a series of in-person and online semi-structured interviews, and an online stakeholder
survey. These helped provide data to inform responses to 11 evaluation questions in areas such as
project impact, effectiveness, sustainability, etc. The results of this approach helped to identify
common themes that then became the basis for the evaluation findings and ultimately the
recommendations to ESCAP.</p
Sustainability in the supply chain : analysing the efficiency and effectiveness of the single submission of freight transport application through the Indonesia National Single Window system
Get PDFInnovation in information communication technology (ICT), particularly in trade facilitation activities, is one of the goals targeted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The use of user-friendly technology is the starting point of the efforts that have been made so that innovation can be accepted and adopted by potential users. The Single Submission of Freight Transport Application (SSm Pengangkut or the SSm of Freight Transport Application) is an innovation initiated by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia to encourage the simplification of the process of processing port licensing documents by using single window technology. This study aims to determine time effectiveness, cost efficiency, transparency, and the role of the SSm of Freight Transport application as part of the maritime single window in supporting the SDGs. Research data was sourced from questionnaires sent to shipping agents, literature reviews, and interviews with government officials. This research also conducted data triangulation with views from the SDGs experts and stakeholdersregarding the implementation of SSm of Freight Transport. It is found that the SSm of Freight Transport application has an impact on time effectiveness, cost efficiency, and transparency in the processing of ship and port clearance documents at the seaport. The SSm of Freight Transport application minimises redundancy in submitting documents through a single entry point (INSWS) to several Ministries/Agencies in Indonesia (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Law and Human Rights) at one time, reducing processing time and operational costs as well as transparency in each submission process. The trade facilitation that has been achieved through the SSm of Freight Transport application is a concreteexample of the implementation of the maritime single window concept, which will contribute to SDGs 8, 9 and 13 in particular.</p
Inventory of best practices for low carbon and resilient infrastructure along the Asian Highway Network
Get PDFEnhancing infrastructure quality along the Asian Highway network is a significant opportunity to raise the overall sustainability of the road transport sector. Improving substandard roads enhance the seamlessness of national and international road transport, which can lead to more optimal use of road freight vehicles and reduce emissions and environmental impact. Likewise, with the latest technological progresses, including new designs and construction methods; the construction, maintenance and upgrade of Asian highways becomes an opportunity to transition to low carbon road design, thereby reducing the road infrastructure’s negative footprint on the environment. Furthermore, higher road quality brings higher resilience to future extreme weather disruptions due to climate change.
Within this context, ESCAP Transport Division undertook the study project on “Supporting the polices on green and resilient transport infrastructure along the Asian Highway Network”. The project aimed to strengthen sustainable and resilience regional transport connectivity along the Asian Highway network by collecting: (i) technical information on road infrastructure development standards and parameters of selected countries along the Asian Highway network; (ii) policy initiatives which support low carbon and resilient roads; as well as (iii) case studies on low carbon, resilient and accessible road transport in Asia Pacific and beyond. An “inventory of best practices” was compiled for the easy reference of policymakers and other stakeholders.
All study findings of the project are compiled and made available in the final study report and a technical note.
For more information, please contact: Mr. Edouard Chong, Transport Division, e-mail: [email protected] Government of China for the generous funding of
this stud
Equity lens founder’s guide : a guide for women founders in Asia and the Pacific on navigating gender bias in the fundraising process
Get PDFThis guide aims to support and empower women startup founders in the Asia-Pacific region to navigate inherent gender biases during three stages of the fundraising process: (1) preparing for investment, (2) identifying investors, and (3) pitching for investment.
In Asia and the Pacific, the gender gap in access to venture capital (VC) is significant. In 2021, only 1.8% of VC funding went to women-only startup founding teams, while 89.5% of VC funding went to startups with only men on the founding team and 8.6% to startups with mixed-gender founding teams. This disparity is largely due to gender bias in investors’ organisational policies and practices. Building on the extensive experience of Value for Women and ESCAP in this sphere, it is clear that systemic change requires “changing the institution, not the women.” However, we know that changing the institutions and systems takes more time and in the meantime, women founders face a significant gender finance gap in raising capital for their businesses.
This guide highlights the gender biases that women founders currently face and provides insights and recommendations for how to navigate and work around them. This Guide is here to help women startup founders counter the conscious and unconscious biases present throughout the fundraising process and unlock the capital they deserve, while the broader systemic changes continue.
Related document: Equity lens toolkit for venture capital investors : mitigating Gender Bias within investment processes
This guide was prepared through the collaborative efforts of the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Value for
Women Ltd under the “Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship” programme, funded by
the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canad
Toward inclusive access : navigating gender and disability barriers in entrepreneurship support and financing
No full textThis study aims to uncover and address the intersectional challenges faced by women entrepreneurs with disabilities in accessing business support and financial services in low- and middle-income countries in Asia, particularly Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Nepal. The experiences of entrepreneurs in our study highlight that women entrepreneurs with disabilities face societal, institutional, and infrastructural barriers that significantly hinder their business endeavours and access to support services, including financial capital, underscoring the urgent need for more inclusive services, programmes, and comprehensive policies.</p
Course on digital technologies and financial management
No full textWomen Entrepreneur TrackThis course empowers women entrepreneurs with financial literacy and analytical skills, enabling them to assess their financial status and interpret data effectively. By gaining confidence and professionalism, they enhance their prospects for securing funding to grow their businesses. Armed with this knowledge, they can confidently approach lenders or investors to fulfill their financial requirements and expand their ventures.</p
Seizing the opportunity : digital innovation for a sustainable future
No full textIn an era of rapid digital transformation, Asia and the Pacific is uniquely placed to leverage digital technologies to overcome sustainable development challenges. Already, the region is recognized as a dynamic hub for digitally driven innovation fueled by pioneering technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Digital Finance, GovTech, and the Internet of Things. Yet to encourage further ingenuity and tap digital innovation to bolster the huge collective effort required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the region needs a plan.
To help shape a coherent, inclusive approach, this report examines existing digital innovations which have accelerated progress towards sustainable development and explores ways to build on their successes. It proposes a framework to understand the interlinkages between digital innovation and sustainable development, investigates current and emerging practices, explores how an enabling environment might be created and provides recommendations for regional cooperation. To achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a deliberate, strategic push is required. This report aims to inform this effort, which ESCAP stands ready to support every step of the way. </p
Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2024: Boosting Affordable and Longer-term Financing for Governments
Get PDFThe Survey, published annually since 1947, is a flagship publication produced by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). It provides analyses to guide policy discussion on the current and emerging socio-economic issues and policy challenges to support sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.
The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2024: Boosting affordable and longer-term financing for Governments is the 77th issue of this flagship publication. The Survey 2024 examines how countries in the region, donors, multilateral development banks and credit rating agencies can boost the availability of affordable and long-term financing for Governments. </p
City action plans and technology adoption strategies in Bangkok, Thailand : assessment report
No full textThis report, a collaborative effort involving experts and stakeholders, presents a detailed analysis of existing measures and proposes strategic approaches for technology adoption. The findings herein serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, city planners, and technologists in Bangkok and other cities, providing insights into the effectiveness of current initiatives and recommending future policy pathways for enhancing air quality.Funded by the Korea ESCAP Cooperation FundUNESCA
The landscape of B2C e-commerce marketplaces in Brunei Darussalam
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
Brunei Darussalam shows a particularly high internet penetration rate (98%) and a large proportion of e-commerce users (72%). In addition, the density of B2C marketplaces is particularly high with a total of 65 e-commerce websites for a population of 0.45 million (0.03% of the total traffic in the region studied).
Over the period 2019-2022, traffic on the 65 B2C marketplaces remained relatively stable ranging from 7.4 to 7.7 million visits. Among them, online shopping malls account for the largest proportion of marketplaces(75.4%) and capture most of the traffic (84.3%).
The e-commerce market is largely dominated by international companies (81.5%), including first and foremostthe United States (46%). Of the total of 65 B2C marketplaces, only 12 are held by domestic companies (18.5%) and China is third holding 11% of the operating companies.
The e-commerce market is highly concentrated with the Top 10 websites capturing 91% of the total traffic. This Top 10 is largely dominated by online shopping malls, 8 in total, and companies that are mainly from theUnited States (3), Brunei Darussalam (3) and China (2).
Regarding the ease of selling on these B2C marketplaces, 71% of them allow foreign sellers to operate and 63% offer open registration to online sellers. A large proportion of these marketplaces are fully transactional(75%) but, as a corollary, 74% require trading fees to sell online.
Brunei Darussalam has a balanced proportion of generic (54%) and specialized B2C marketplaces (46%).Among the 30 specialized marketplaces, 40% specialize in fashion, accessories, and shoes (capturing 32.5%of the traffic). The traffic dynamics also show that consumer preferences lean toward purchasing groceries(32%) and to a lesser extent towards beauty products (11.5%).</p