Leaders from around Asia and the Pacific – a region at the forefront of the world’s innovation and economic growth – today pledged to leverage its advantages towards protecting people and the planet. The Bangkok Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the 78th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific […]
Annual UN policy forum opens with call for Asia-Pacific countries to “reclaim its future” in a richer yet riskier world
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) opened its 78th session in Bangkok today with global and regional leaders calling for strengthened regional cooperation and multilateralism as reverberating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and geopolitical conflicts threaten to derail sustainable development. “To address systemic risks, we should […]
Delegation of Turkmenistan headed by the minister of finance and economy will take part in the session of ESCAP
On May 23-27, a delegation headed by the Minister of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan Mr.Serdarov is visiting Bangkok to participate in the 78th session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The current session of the Commission will be held under the theme “A common agenda to advance […]
Tackling the pandemic of inequality in Asia and the Pacific
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana After two years of human devastation, the world is learning to live with COVID-19 while trying to balance the protection of public health and livelihoods. For countries in Asia and the Pacific, this is challenging not only because national coffers are heavily strained by record public spending to mitigate pandemic suffering, but […]
New regional UN report sounds alarm on widening disparities and increased vulnerabilities amid the pandemic
The need to reach those who are furthest behind has never been greater, reveals the 2022 Asia and the Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report issued today by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The report finds that average progress in the region disproportionately excludes some groups with […]
Is Asia and the Pacific ready for the global climate stage?
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana As the leaders of Asia and the Pacific prepare to head to Glasgow for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), they can be sure that our region will be in the spotlight: many of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change are located here; […]
Trade costs on the rise in Asia and the Pacific, but cuts in red tape could help bend the trend
The high cost of trade in Asia and the Pacific continues to rise, but ongoing efforts to facilitate commerce will help keep goods flowing throughout the region, according to a new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Economies in the […]
Resilience in a riskier world
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana Over the past two decades, the Asia-Pacific region has made remarkable progress in managing disaster risk. But countries can never let down their guard. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its epicentre now in Asia, and all its tragic consequences, has exposed the frailties of human societies in the face of powerful natural forces. […]
ESCAP launches online tool to help countries visualize and analyze trade integration
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today launched the RIVA value chain analyzer, a new online platform to support policymakers, analysts and researchers who want to understand how well integrated countries are in global value chains. Through RIVA, the Regional Integration and Value Chain Analyzer, policy analysts from […]
Universal civil registration and vital statistics are critical for truth, trust and COVID recovery in Asia and the Pacific
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Kanni Wignaraja, Omar Abdi With health systems at a breaking point, hospitals at capacity and desperate family members searching for oxygen for loved ones, the devastating second wave of COVID-19 that has swept across South Asia has felt ¬surreal. Official figures have indicated record-breaking daily coronavirus cases and deaths, not only in […]