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Inclusive urban futures : from inequality to opportunity
No full textThe 2026 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report: “Inclusive Urban Futures: From Inequality to Opportunity” explores how Asia and the Pacific, home to 54% of the world’s urban population and growing rapidly, can harness urbanization to create equitable, inclusive, and sustainable futures.
While cities have driven economic growth, expanded infrastructure, and improved access to basic services, deep inequalities persist. Millions still lack affordable housing, decent work, and access to clean, safe, and resilient urban environments. The report identifies a threefold inequality challenge: unequal access to housing and services, widespread informal employment, and environmental vulnerabilities, and analyses how these intersect to leave many urban residents behind.
Against this backdrop, the report calls for urgent action to make cities more affordable, inclusive and resilient. It showcases people-centred solutions that deliver results, including community-led housing and service delivery, initiatives to expand decent work and social protection for informal workers, and approaches to improve air quality, waste management and climate resilience. The report identifies key policy actions–backed by governance, financing, science and technology and partnerships–to scale these solutions and support sustainable urban growth that leaves no one behind.Table of Contents
Foreword........................................................................................................... vi
Executive Summary.......................................................................................... vii
Summary Infographic ...................................................................................... xiii
Acknowledgement........................................................................................... xiv
Abbreviations .................................................................................................. xix
Explanatory notes............................................................................................ xxi
Introduction........................................................................................................1
Chapter 1 Urban Divides .....................................................................................................5
1.1. Urban inequality in access to housing and basic services........................................................ 5
1.1.1. Housing: slums and informal settlements ................................................................................................6
1.1.2. Access to drinking water and sanitation................................................................................................ 10
1.1.3. Access to electricity and clean energy................................................................................................... 12
1.1.4. Access to the Internet .................................................................................................................. 14
1.1.5. Access to finance .................................................................................................................... 16
1.1.6. Access to public transport systems....................................................................................................... 17
1.2. Urban informal employment...................................................................................................... 18
1.2.1. Trends in urban informal employment................................................................................................... 20
1.2.2. Sectoral and supply chain linkages........................................................................................................ 22
1.2.3. Occupational structure, skills and education......................................................................................... 24
1.3. Urban environmental liveability ................................................................................................. 28
1.3.1. Air pollution and urban inequality........................................................................................................... 28
1.3.2. Solid waste and urban inequality ........................................................................................................... 31
1.3.3. Disasters, risks, and urban inequality..................................................................................................... 34
1.4. Governance and policies ........................................................................................................... 39
Chapter 2 Addressing Urban Inequality: Good Practices from the Region..........................42
2.1. Addressing urban inequality of housing and access to basic services.................................. 42
2.1.1. Supporting community-led solutions for informal settlement and slum upgrading.............................. 42
2.1.2. Implementing holistic planning and cross-sectoral collaboration to provide affordable housing and basic urban services .............................................................................................................................. 45
2.1.3. Bridging last mile access to basic services and infrastructure for marginalized and vulnerable groups47
2.2. Advancing decent and inclusive urban employment for all .................................................... 51
2.2.1. Promoting better and more secure jobs ................................................................................................ 51
2.2.2. Improving working conditions and social well-being ............................................................................. 53
2.2.3. Fostering an enabling environment for a gradual and inclusive transition to formality ........................ 56
2.3. Improving urban environmental liveability................................................................................ 57
2.3.1. Interventions to reduce urban air pollution ............................................................................................ 58
2.3.2. Improving solid waste management and addressing problems faced by waste-pickers...................... 60
2.3.3. Strengthening urban resilience, including through nature-based solutions and green spaces............. 62
2.4. Enablers for inclusive urban transformation................................................................................................ 64
2.4.1. Financing innovation for sustainable urban development..................................................................... 65
2.4.2. Science and technology as catalysts for urban solutions ..................................................................... 66
2.4.3. Governance for integrated and accountable urban systems................................................................. 68
2.4.4. Multilateral and multi-stakeholder partnerships .................................................................................... 70
Chapter 3 Conclusions and recommendations..................................................................73
3.1. Overarching recommendations................................................................................................. 73
3.2. Addressing urban inequality of informal settlements and affordable housing, and
access to basic services ........................................................................................................... 75
3.3. Advancing decent and inclusive urban employment for all .................................................... 77
3.4. Enhancing urban environment and resilience .......................................................................... 79
Annexes ...........................................................................................................82
Annex 1: Methodology for identifying gaps in access to opportunities in Asia and the Pacific... 82
Annex 2: Urban slum populations in Asia and the Pacific and their socio-economic circumstances/
characteristics .................................................................................................................... 91
Annex 3: Trend in access to drinking water and sanitation in select countries in Asia and the Pacific
(2015-2024) (%).................................................................................................................. 93
Annex 4: CART analysis results on access to Internet, at household level .................................... 95
Endnotes ..........................................................................................................9
A Working Paper on Methodological Refinement of Illicit
No full textThis Stats Brief presents updated regional and subregional estimates of death registration completeness across Asia and the Pacific for 2023, drawing on official country data and standardized estimation methods. It highlights why death registration remains critical for public health, governance, and individual rights, describes recent patterns of progress, and identifies the countries and subregions where gaps persist. As the region enters the next phase toward the 2030 global target, the findings offer a robust evidence base to guide policy decisions, prioritize technical support, and direct investments to strengthen civil registration systems and ensure inclusive coverage.Why Death Registration Still Matters in Asia and the Pacific
> Data and Methods
>> Data
>> Methods
> Caveats and Limitations
Regional and Subregional Progress in Death Registration
> Overall Progress
> Subregional Variations
> Country-Level Completeness
> Discussion and Way Forward
Annex: Death registration completeness and unregistered deaths, by country, 202
Facilitating digital skills for all ages : a trainer guide
No full textThis trainer guide is designed for trainers, educators and volunteers to lead inclusive and effective learning sessions for older women and menTable of Contents
Episode 1: Getting Started with Smartphones and the Internet
Episode 2: Social media and communication skills
Episode 3: Information skills – how to search safely
and effectively online
Episode 4: Safety and privacy skills
Episode 5: Online services and secure transaction skill
Digital skills for everyday life : a learner guide
No full textTable of Contents Episode 1: Getting started with your smartphone and the Internet Episode 2: Social media and communication skills Episode 3: Information skills – how to search safely and effectively online Episode 4: Safety and privacy skills Episode 5: Online services and secure transaction skill
Digital maturity framework : digital public services for small and medium-sized enterprises
No full textSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to employment, resilience and competitiveness in North and Central Asia. Yet, many SMEs continue to face barriers in accessing and using digital public services (DPS). Fragmented delivery, uneven broadband, complex procedures, limited interoperability and digital skills gaps reduce SME participation in the formal economy and weaken the impact of national digital transformation programmes.
This working paper presents the Digital Maturity Framework (DMF) and the concept of an interstate Digital Business Card (DBC). They are developed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) under the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (APIS) initiative.
Grounded in the ESCAP Digital Transformation Index (DTI) and its three-stage approach (Foundation, Adoption and Acceleration), the DMF provides a structured methodology to assess and strengthen DPS for SMEs. It is implemented through two complementary surveys capturing both the supply and demand sides of the digital ecosystem. Survey 1 assesses the perceptions of civil servants responsible for DPS design and delivery across five public-sector criteria: (i) infrastructure and networks; (ii) public administration; (iii) the process of providing services; (iv) service delivery; and (v) integration into the digital ecosystem. Survey 2 assesses SMEs’ digital maturity using five SME-focused criteria: (i) digital infrastructure; (ii) online availability for clients; (iii) SME service delivery processes; (iv) operational maturity including automation, security and efficiency; and (v) and interaction with public administration through DPS. The responses are quantified through a weighted algorithm, producing a Digital Maturity Score (DMS) on a 1–10 scale to identify systemic bottlenecks, user constraints and priority reforms.
To translate assessment results into practical mechanisms for trust and interoperability, the DBC concept converts DMF findings into a verifiable, privacy-preserving digital profile for SMEs. Built on a permissioned blockchain with selective disclosure and standardized data schemas, the DBC can help reduce transaction costs, simplify authentication and verification, and support cross-border use cases while preserving national data sovereignty.
Together, the DMF and DBC create three reinforcing synergies: (i) DPS can accelerate SME digital uptake by nudging enterprises towards e-documents, e-payments and electronic exchange; (ii) DBC-enabled, anonymized usage insights can support user-tailored and evidence-based service reform and more proactive delivery; and (iii) repeated DMF assessment linked to an updatable DBC can enable a continuous improvement loop for SME transformation and better targeting of training, advisory support and innovation finance.
The paper proposes a six-step DMF–DBC roadmap structured around: (i) survey design; (ii) SME digital profile creation; (iii) algorithm development; (iv) systems integration; (v) behaviour analysis; and (vi) ecosystem application. These steps guide implementation from assessment deployment to platform integration and ecosystem use. In conclusion, the paper recommends six policy directions: (i) adopt a standardized digital maturity assessment; (ii) mandate user-centric, mobile-first design; (iii) institutionalize continuous performance measurement; (iv) harmonize legal frameworks to enable mutual recognition of digital credentials; (v) strengthen public–private collaboration; and (vi) establish sovereignty-preserving blockchain-based mechanisms for cross-border trust. Together, these measures offer a scalable and evidence-based pathway to modernize DPS, strengthen SME ecosystems and advance regional digital cooperation across North and Central Asia.The project has been implemented with the financial support of the Russian Federation from 2024 to 2026, in
partnership with national counterparts of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.Contents
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................... 3
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ 5
List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................... 6
List of figures .............................................................................................................................................. 8
List of tables ................................................................................................................................................ 8
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 9
2. Why digital maturity matters for small and medium-sized enterprises ............................... 9
3. A maturity framework for digital public services .................................................................. 10
4. Measuring the digital maturity of digital public services for small and medium-sized
enterprises .................................................................................................................................... 13
5. Roadmap for the development of a platform for the Digital Maturity Framework and
Digital Business Card ................................................................................................................. 27
6. The way forward ......................................................................................................................... 28
References .................................................................................................................................................. 29
Annex 1: Case studies .............................................................................................................................. 31
Case Study 1: Digital Maturity Score of digital public services for small and medium-sized
enterprises in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan ............................................................... 31
Case Study 2: Digital Maturity Score of small and medium-sized enterprises – Sample of
responses from survey (version 1) .................................................................................................... 33
Annex 2: Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 36
Annex 3: Blockchain applications in digital public services .............................................................. 3
Strengthening policymakers’ capacity to develop a national transport policy : the case of Bhutan
No full textThe policy brief Strengthening Policymakers’ Capacity to Develop a National Transport Policy: The Case of Bhutan documents the technical assistance provided by ESCAP to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) of Bhutan to support the development of the country’s National Transport Policy (NTP). The initiative culminated in a four-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening Bhutanese policymakers' ability to design a comprehensive, sustainable, and inclusive national transport framework. Held in Bangkok in October 2025, the workshop combined expert-led sessions and site visits to showcase international best practices and to equip policymakers with the knowledge required to make informed decisions on the formulation of the National Transport Policy.Table of Contents
I. Introduction .................................. 4
Overview of Bhutan’s transport ecosystem ................. 5
Designing capacity building for National Transport Policy .......................................................... 7
II. Workshop Summary ............................................ 10
Daily Programme Overview ....................................... 11
III. Outcomes and recommendations for other countries in the region ........................... 19
Annex I: Programme ................................................. 2
Transport connectivity for socio-economic resilience of rural communities during the post-Covid 19 period : Bangladesh country report
No full textThe report “Transport Connectivity for Socio-Economic Resilience of Rural Communities During the Post
COVID-19 Period in Bangladesh” examines the critical role of rural transport connectivity in supporting
inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and resilience in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Implemented under the ESCAP regional project on Digital and Transport Connectivity for Socio-Economic
Resilience of Rural Communities (2022–2025), the study assesses the current status of Bangladesh’s rural
transport infrastructure, identifies gaps, and proposes strategies for enhancing connectivity through
sustainable and digitally integrated approaches.TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 1
Country Profile............................................................................................................................................... 2
Road Classifications ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Rural Transport Network in Bangladesh .................................................................................................... 4
Government Agencies Involved in Rural Transport Sector ...................................................................... 4
Government Policy Documents..................................................................................................................... 6
Transport Sector Strategy for 8FYP ............................................................................................................ 8
Studies Conducted by Different Institutions on Transport Situation in Bangladesh .............................. 9
Status of Rural Transportation in Bangladesh ......................................................................................... 10
Rural Transport Connectivity Planning .................................................................................................... 11
Rural Connectivity Issues and Challenges in Bangladesh ........................................................................ 11
Draft Strategies for Rural Transport Connectivity in Bangladesh ......................................................... 12
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Pictures Showing Traditional Transport Infrastructure and Services in Rural Bangladesh ............... 1
Promoting rural ICT connectivity in Samoa : an actionable strategy report
No full textThe 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 propose actionable strategies for promoting information and communications technology (ICT) connectivity in rural areas of Samoa. It is based on both primary and secondary data sources, including interviews with key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), the Office of the Regulator (OOTR), Internet service providers, and rural community representatives, complemented by data from national policy documents (such as the Pathway for the Development of Samoa, ICT Sector Plan 2022/23–2026/27, and MCIT Corporate Plan 2022–2026), analytical reports, and lessons from case studies.
In recent years, the Government of Samoa has implemented several ICT-related policies and initiatives – including the National ICT Policy, Universal Access Policy, ICT Sector Plan 2022/23–2026/27, and Smart Islands Samoa Programme – to drive digital transformation and inclusive development. While significant progress has been made through projects such as the Tui Samoa and Manatua submarine cables, rural areas still face challenges due to geographical barriers, uneven infrastructure and limited affordability. Effective implementation requires coordinated efforts among government, private sector, NGOs and communities. (6) financial accessibility: Improve financial accessibility in rural areas; (7) content and applications development: Promote the creation of relevant and localized digital Drawing on the analysis, this report proposes eight actionable strategies to strengthen rural ICT connectivity and support Samoa’s transition towards a more inclusive and resilient digital society under the Pathway for the Development of Samoa and Samoa 2040 vision.
In this context, this paper outlines actionable strategies focused on the following objectives: (1) to outline the status of ICT rural connectivity in Samoa; (2) to propose actionable strategies for improving rural digital connectivity for socioeconomic resilience, which covers ICT penetration and adoption, e-Government development and ICT plan development, the promotion of social inclusion and equality, as well as cooperation at regional and international levels (3) to examine case studies and good practices that demonstrate how ICT can facilitate rural development; and; (4) to share conclusions and recommendations from the previous analytic study of the project and the national workshop of the project held in November 2023, as well as data analysis and interviews.
Eight strategies are proposed: (1) assess current infrastructure: Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats prior the implementation of projects and plans; (2) infrastructure development: Promote digital inclusion through the expansion of mobile Internet access and establishment of community network; (3) government policies and support: Analyse current government policies related to ICT connectivity and propose policy recommendations to enhance rural connectivity; (4) public-private partnerships: Foster and strengthen partnerships between government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations to accelerate rural ICT connectivity; (5) community engagement and awareness: Explore the level of community engagement and awareness regarding ICT; content and applications; (8) monitoring and evaluation: Keeping track of progress for desirable outcomes.Contents
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. 7
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS...................................................................................................10
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................11
1. INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................12
1.1. Background................................................................................................................................................................12
1.2. Objectives..................................................................................................................................................................12
2. METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................................13
3. OVERVIEW: STATUS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
CONNECTIVITY IN SAMOA ................................................................................................. 14
3.1. Information and communications technology penetration......................................................................................14
3.2. Technologies offered by telecom operators.............................................................................................................15
3.3. Overview of existing ICT policies, national plans and strategies in Samoa ...............................................................26
3.4. Progress and achievements: Case studies.................................................................................................................29
3.5. Challenges and recommendations from analytical report........................................................................................32
4. ACTIONABLE STRATEGIES............................................................................................34
4.1. Assess current infrastructure: Identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats prior the implementation
of projects and plans........................................................................................................................................................34
4.2. Infrastructure development: Promote digital inclusion through the expansion of mobile Internet access
and establishment of community network..................................................................................................................37
4.3. Government policies and support: Analyse current government policies related to ICT connectivity and
propose policy recommendations to enhance rural connectivity ............................................................................40
4.4. Public-private partnerships: Foster and strengthen partnerships between government, the private sector
and non-governmental organizations to accelerate rural ICT connectivity...........................................................46
4.5. Community engagement and awareness: Explore the level of community engagement and awareness
regarding ICT ................................................................................................................................................................. 52
4.6. Financial accessibility: Improve financial accessibility in rural areas .............................................................53
4.7. Content and applications development: Promote the creation of relevant and localized digital content
and applications.............................................................................................................................................................54
4.8. Monitoring and evaluation: Keeping track of progress for desirable outcomes............................................57
5. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................6