Expert Opinions & Stories

In today’s interconnected world, the ability to prove one’s identity isn't just a legal formality—it’s a fundamental human right that unlocks access to a wide range of services and opportunities. For…

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicator framework has been developed with 231 indicators for global monitoring of the 2030 Agenda. However, the applicability of certain indicators to…

Based on the current rate of progress in Asia and the Pacific, the Sustainable Development Goals will only be achieved by 2062 – a sobering reminder of how much work remains.  Women and girls…

Have you ever tried to register a birth, a death or maybe your own marriage? Unfortunately, many of these vital events in Asia and the Pacific remain unregistered often with dire consequences for…

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant to all countries, whether high, middle or low income. With increasing attention to the SDGs, countries are progressively turning to data as a…

The Asia-Pacific region is experiencing a rapid increase in demand for passenger transport driven by high population and economic growth rates. While the crucial role of transport for economic and…

Each year, the births of 64 million children under the age of five and deaths of 8.4 million people are invisible to governments in Asia and the Pacific. Most countries in the region are yet to…

“How many people have died from COVID-19?” - this seemingly straightforward question cannot be answered in many countries due to the absence of a complete and well-functioning civil registration…

With a population of around 4.9 billion people, the Asia-Pacific region is home to 63 per cent of the world’s inhabitants. As of 2021, the region accounts for around 37 per cent of global GDP (USD 35…

Every year, millions of people in Asia and the Pacific die without their deaths being registered. The under-registration of deaths has serious consequences for individuals, families, communities and…

Whilst we know data can change lives there are still huge gaps and many countries are struggling to obtain relevant, timely and granular data on the issues which matter most to them.

Citizen…

The world is due to reach 8 billion people today, November 15! This very precise date hides an uncomfortable truth – we don’t really know exactly how many people there are in the world. This is…

Last week, the death certificate of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made international news. Such certificates rarely make the headlines, possibly with the notable exception of the discussions…

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new estimates of excess mortality resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the work of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) comprised of…

Increasing attention is being paid today to gender equality. There is growing awareness of the importance of narrowing gaps between girls and boys, women and men in all spheres of their lives -…

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are embedded in the principle of leaving no one behind. Often overlooked is one of the root causes of being left behind - the lack of a legal identity that…

Increasing and evolving statistical demands in the face of limitations such as rising costs and declining response rates are significantly challenging census-taking. The COVID-19 pandemic is a sharp…

The inauguration of 414 km electrified standard gauge Lao-China railway line has a potential to change the dynamics of international transport among the ASEAN member States and beyond.

The railway…

The recently concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021, or COP26, in Glasgow, recognized that rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2, are…

“My name is Ali. (…) I was not registered until I reached the age of 16, when I realized how important it is.  Without my birth certificate, I would have been deprived of my right to…