ESCAP Repository (United Nations ESCAP)
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ESCAP Twinning Programme for the Voluntary National Reviews
No full textThe Twinning Programme connects two or more countries in the region that are preparing their
Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in the same year. ESCAP provides financial, facilitation and
coordination support to link the countries during their VNR process. The Programme involves
study tours, online workshops, and joint presentations and side events at the High-Level
Political Forum (HLPF) and regional forums such as the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable
Development (APFSD).
The aim of the Twinning Programme is to strengthen the preparation of VNRs through peer
learning. Through promoting the exchange of good practice, lessons and knowledge among
partner countries, the Programme aims to support partnerships and cooperation that can
strengthen the VNR process, improve SDG practices and implementation, and enhance
leadership on the SDGs
Policy guidebook on attracting and promoting FDI in the digital economy
No full textForeign direct investment (FDI) can significantly contribute to the sustainable development of both home and host countries in several important ways: through expanding production and access to markets, bringing in foreign exchange, contributing to skills development/ human capital growth, technology transfer and increasing competition in local markets. It can also support industry upgrading and facilitate regional and global value chain integration, including of small and medium-sized enterprises, and can even trigger outward FDI by local enterprises. Consequently, it is possible for governments, either directly or through their investment promotion agencies (IPAs), to promote and facilitate FDI which targets their country’s specific sustainable development priorities. For instance, some countries see FDI as a means to create more employment opportunities and transfer capital, while other countries see it more as a vehicle to generate a change in the structure of their economies through encouraging diversification, competition and digital transformation.
Regardless of which sustainable development effect countries aim to generate through FDI, two things are clear in today’s socio-political and economic climate:
1. FDI will be an especially important resource for all economies in building back better in the COVID-19 recovery period; and 2. The digital transformation of our economies is fundamentally transforming people’s lives and creating new ways for all economies to attract, promote and facilitate FDI.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation, especially in developing countries. Measures enacted by governments to contain the pandemic propelled businesses towards digitalization and the provision of online operations and services. At the same time, demand for digital services has exponentially grown. Firms that were more digitally agile adapted to this new environment most successfully, while those that were not started to focus on digitally skilling-up their business models.
At the policy level, several countries in the Asia-Pacific region have already begun developing and even implementing national digital economy strategies and policies, but FDI is often left out of these plans. Yet, developing robust digital infrastructure and improvements in and access to digital education and training systems will require extensive public and private sector investments, including FDI. Policymakers in the various line ministries responsible for each component of the digital economy must therefore coordinate with the national IPA to design a coherent digital investment strategy and regulatory framework as a part of the wider national digital economy plan.
The Policy Guidebook on Promoting FDI in the Digital Economy in Asia and the Pacific aims to support policymakers in their endeavor to do just that. It identifies three areas in which FDI can support host country digital transformation – namely, in building digital infrastructure; in supporting the digital transformation of traditional firms, in particular MSMEs and value-chain linked firms; and in supporting the development of indigenous digital businesses. A key priority of this guidebook is to help policymakers understand each of these three areas, how FDI can contribute to their further development, and what would entice foreign direct investors to invest in one or more of these areas in a desirous host country. By understanding the evolving context, trends and investor needs, policymakers in line ministries and IPAs can jointly develop coherent investment policies to target and promote FDI in the digital economy more effectively. Since levels of digital economy development vary across countries, the types of digital FDI they will seek to attract and promote, and the actions they need to attract it, will differ. For this reason, this guidebook also provides a set of policy recommendations specific to each area in which FDI can support digital economy development.</p
Work plan of the SPECA WG on ITSD for October 2023-December 2025
No full textThe activities to be carried out by the Working Group on Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Development (WG on ITSD) are demand-driven, focused on a limited number of priority topics and matched with available resources
Association of University Business Incubators and Accelerators
No full textPresentation by Mr. Vladimir Popov, Director "KBTU Startup Incubator", JSC "Kazakh-British Technical University", Kazakhstan
Innovation by the Kyrgyzpatent
No full textPresentation by Ms. Aisuluu Mustapakulova, Head of Innovation and Strategic Development Department, Kyrgyzpatent, Kyrgyzstan. Given as part of the workshop session on measures taken under the Action Plan of the SPECA Innovation Strategy for Sustainable Development and recent policy actions on innovation and technology for sustainable development
Terms of reference
No full textThe United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) was established by the Tashkent Declaration on 26 March 1998. The SPECA participating States are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
The objectives of the Programme are to facilitate economic cooperation in the SPECA region, integration of the SPECA participating States into the world economy and to provide a platform for cross-border cooperation for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
SPECA (a) provides a neutral United Nations platform for discussions on strategic issues of regional economic cooperation among the SPECA participating States as well as their integration into the world economy for the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; (b) develops, supports and coordinates relevant capacity-building activities in the SPECA participating States; (c) promotes compliance with relevant international legal instruments, norms, guidelines, standards and recommendations; and (d) stimulates the exchange of best national practices among the SPECA participating States. </p
Report on train-the-trainer sessions. UNECE study tour for SPECA participating states. Innovation for the Circular Economy: Empowering Start-ups to Achieve More with Less: UNECE Study Tour for SPECA Participating States
No full textFuvahmulah : air pollution action plan
Get PDFAccording to 2018 World Air Quality Report, Asia-Pacific region has several most-polluted cities in the world. All such cities in the region are beginning to see the effects of air pollution resulting from a combination of unclean energy, industrial pollution, vehicles and transport, burning policies, and a number of other causes. Local policy makers often lack not only the capacity to gather and utilize information and data, but also the methods to understand longer term impacts of urbanization and growth, limiting the ability to properly plan and implement urban solutions to tackle air pollution that would assure future cities are resilient and sustainable.
The Fuvahmulah Air Pollution Action Plan is an output of the “Urban Air Pollution Project”, an urban air pollution mitigation program supported by the Korea-ESCAP Cooperation Fund (KECF). The “Urban Air Pollution Project” focuses on reviewing the air pollution situation in the Asia-Pacific region and through the collaborative mechanisms of co-production and co-delivery, developing pathways forward to assist policy makers at the central/local level in providing opportunities for exchange of experience and knowledge, and by enhancing their awareness and capacity.</p
Implementation of TradeLens in Sri Lanka using blockchain technology : a case study
Get PDFThe implementation of TradeLens, a blockchain-enabled digital platform that facilitates the tracking and planning of shipping containers and related documents in the global supply chain, in Sri Lanka was a significant development in the country's digital transformation strategy for the shipping and logistics sector. This case study describes the benefits, and challenges encountered during the implementation of the TradeLens in Sri Lanka and recommends policies for utilizing and supporting such technologies. According to stakeholders, the benefits of the platform included streamlined processes, increased security and transparency, less paper wastage, fewer errors, and improved visibility. However, the implementation also presented challenges, such as linking to the ecosystem, internal resistance to change, resource allocation, and the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. These challenges included convincing all partners to adopt the platform, allocating resources for its implementation, and managing internal change, which was costly and time-consuming. Despite the discontinuation of TradeLens in 2023, blockchain technology still holds promise for improving collaboration and visibility in global supply chains. Therefore, it is hoped this case study will benefit readers with lessons learned and recommendations that can be applied for implementing such technologies and developing policies to support such technologies.</p
Feasibility study on cross-border electronic exchange of trade data : Timor-Leste
Get PDFThe draft report was used as the basis for the discussions during the South Asian Subregional Stakeholder Consultation Workshop and the Inception Meeting of the Ad-Hoc South Asian Subregional Task Force on Cross-border Electronic Trade Data ExchangeThis report aims to study the feasibility of and establish a stepwise approach for engaging in cross-border electronic exchange of trade-related data and documents by Timor-Leste with its neighbouring and partner countries. Particularly, it focuses on identifying feasible trade documents and data exchange systems for initiating cross-border electronic exchange of trade data.The financial support received by ESCAP from Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) to conduct and disseminate this stud