Press Release

Never before have development gains in Asia and the Pacific been at such risk of being swept away by overlapping and intensifying crises. The Tenth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) opened today in Bangkok with a resounding call for countries to make radical changes at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda or risk evaporating their slim chances of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   

Organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) from 27 to 30 March, the Forum brings together a cross-section of key development actors, including senior government and UN officials, the private sector, youth and civil society representatives to share their experiences and mobilize regional action to rescue the SDGs.

“The data reveals a story that vulnerable people across the world know only too well: we are badly off track. There is reason for alarm – but I would like to emphasize that there is also reason for hope. Delivering on the promise of the SDGs is possible – and essential,” said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed in her opening address.

“It is the lack of progress on the SDGs that left us with punishing consequences of a riskier world,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. She added, “To emerge from these depths, we simply have to go to where it all started: Protecting our people, especially those furthest behind, ensuring gender equality, shock-proofing our economies, and preserving our planet. These all lie at the very core of the 2030 Agenda.”

In the Asia-Pacific region, the cost-of-living crisis has deprived 400 million people of safe and nutritious food. Climate related catastrophes, coupled with biodiversity loss and pollution are taking lives and causing immense hardship and suffering. Food and energy prices have left governments struggling to protect their people. Fiscal space is constrained; borrowing costs are sky-high and rising; debt burdens are unsustainable.

Over the next four days, the APFSD will also undertake an in-depth review of the region’s progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean water and sanitation); Goal 7 (Affordable and clean energy); Goal 9 (Industry. innovation, and infrastructure); Goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and Goal 17 (Partnership for the Goals). Recommendations from the regional Forum will feed into the global High-Level Political Forum and SDG Summit later this year.

President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Lachezara Stoeva urged Forum participants to be unfaltering in their assessment on the state of the SDGs in the region. “Policymakers need frank data and evidence-based diagnosis of the situation in order to develop impactful policies.”

“Halfway through the 2030 Agenda, we are still very far from our goals as the systemic barrier of giving priority to profit over people’s rights and welfare is still at play. How can we accelerate development if its drivers are left behind?” underscored Kai Ra Cabaron from the National Alliance of the Urban Poor in the Philippines (KADAMAY), representing the civil society. 

Youth representative Prim Rajasurang Wongkrasaemongkol called for meaningful participation and inclusion at all levels of the decision-making process. “Give us (youth) the opportunities, platforms and resources for meaningful engagement to foster leadership, innovation and critical thinking skills.”

Also speaking at the opening were President of French Polynesia Édouard Fritch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Don Pramudwinai, and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua.

At the forum, ESCAP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly launched the latest edition of the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report: Delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals through Solutions at the Energy, Food and Finance Nexus. The report points to clear solutions for confronting the multiple crises and regaining ground on the SDGs, from transforming agriculture towards climate resilience to accelerating a just energy transition and increasing the fiscal space and public investment towards the SDGs.   

Since 2014, the APFSD has provided an annual and inclusive platform for countries to share regional best practices and lessons learnt, support the presentation of their voluntary national reviews, and assess progress made towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

For further information on APFSD, visit: https://www.unescap.org/events/apfsd10

For multimedia assets: https://bit.ly/APFSD10assets

The United Nations has lauded countries in the Asia-Pacific region for demonstrating an ongoing commitment to sustainable development despite facing unprecedented recent challenges such as intensifying climate change, health crises and geopolitical conflicts.

The Asia and the Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Progress Report 2023 issued today by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) spotlights several heartening evidence-based national initiatives such as reducing child marriages in India, increasing the rate of births attended by skilled personnel in Timor-Leste, improving the processing of identity documents for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and a Clean Air Plan to tackle air pollution in Cambodia.

However, this year’s report also warns that at the midpoint mark, the region has only achieved 14.4 per cent of progress needed. At the current pace, Asia and the Pacific will miss 90 per cent of the 118 measurable SDG targets by 2030 unless efforts are multiplied.

“While there are impressive national accomplishments across the 17 Goals, none of the countries in the region are on track to reach them and overall achievement is much lower than anticipated for the midpoint,” underscored Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

She added, “In developed and developing countries alike, persistent data gaps remain. Governments must renew their commitments to producing relevant, timely, granular, high-quality information to monitor and review the march towards the SDGs.”

In 2022, the areas of greatest progress for the Asia-Pacific region were affordable and clean energy (Goal 7) and industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9). Progress towards achieving Goal 7 was largely driven by achievements in access to electricity and international support for clean and renewable energy, while there was little progress in the share of renewable energy consumption. Progress towards achieving Goal 9 was driven by successes in mobile network coverage and total official flows for infrastructure development in the least developed countries. 

However, progress towards climate action (Goal 13) is slipping away. The region is both a victim of the impact of climate change and a perpetrator of climate change, with a responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Countries are not on track to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The region is also regressing on Goal 13 owing to the increase in deaths and missing persons attributed to disasters.

While there is enough data for countries to act with greater ambition on the implementation of the SDGs, data availability for evidence-based follow-up and review remains a significant hurdle in implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The report notes significant data gaps in Goal 5 (gender equality), Goal 14 (life below water) and Goal 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), each with less than 30 per cent sufficient data available.

An annual flagship publication, in partnership with seven other UN agencies, the Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2023 uses the latest data for global SDG indicators to determine where additional effort is needed in the region and where momentum for future progress is building. This year’s report provides further analysis on COVID-19 impacts on sustainable development, the progress in countries with special situations as well as recommendations to bridge data gaps.

Access the full report: https://bit.ly/AP-SDGProgress2023

Access multimedia assets: https://bit.ly/SDGProgressAssets

A regional commemoration on International Women's Day hosted by the UN in Bangkok today called upon countries to reaffirm their shared commitment to "leaving no one offline" and accelerating efforts towards building a more secure, accessible, inclusive and equitable digital world for women and girls.

“Our digital spaces are not yet gender-neutral and gender-inclusive. Access to the benefits of technological innovations has been unequal across the Asia-Pacific region,” underscored Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in her opening remarks.

Only 54 per cent of women in the Asia-Pacific region use the Internet, compared with 59 per cent of men. In the region’s low- and middle-income countries, women are 20 per cent less likely to own a smartphone or to use the Internet on a mobile device than men. In addition, although some women and girls own digital devices, they often live in contexts where they do not have the autonomy to use them and, thus, are unable to leverage digital tools to benefit themselves.

Apart from insufficient digital access and skills, gender stereotypes and social norms continue to hinder the advancement of an equal digital transformation. Gender sensitivity in digital education systems and the development of new technologies are fundamental to reducing the digital access gap between men and women.

“Imagine Asia and the Pacific, where women and girls in all their diversity have equal opportunities to safely and meaningfully access, use, lead, and co-design technology with freedom, joy, and boundless potential. It is a fair wish and a possible dream. Let us all make women's rights a reality every day,” said Sarah Knibbs, Regional Director a.i., UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Themed DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality, the regional commemoration further highlighted the crucial roles held and contributions made by women and girls working to transform the world into a more connected place. Panelists at the event explored several key areas such as the gendered impact of the digital revolution, meaningful connectivity to narrow the gender digital divide, gender-transformative technology design, and gender-inclusive environments for STEM education and careers.

Prominent discussants included Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, Rebecca Razvi, Asia-Pacific Head of Public Policy and Economic Graph, Linkedin, Kirthi Jayakumar, 30 for 2030 Youth Network and Rhea See, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, She Loves Tech, as well as other key stakeholders from across the region.

The event also served to promote resilient digital networks across the region as well as digital inclusion partnerships and regional cooperation between governments, the private sector and non-governmental organizations to ensure accessible and reliable connectivity for all in the region.

For more information: https://www.unescap.org/events/2023/asia-pacific-regional-commemoration-international-womens-day-2023-iwd-2023-digitall

Watch the regional commemoration: https://www.youtube.com/live/1rihHeM_v5I?feature=share

As one of the leading destinations and sources of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) globally since 2020, the Asia-Pacific region has the potential to use this financing to further scale up sustainable development activities and ensure that the benefits of rapid growth reach everyone equally.

Given estimates that additional investments of at least $1.5 trillion are needed each year by developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, mobilizing FDI effectively and urgently will require investors to shift their practices to investing for social and environmental impact beyond profit.

“Governments in the region are starting to take supportive action on this front,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), at the opening of the inaugural Committee on Trade, Investment, Enterprise and Business Innovation. “These are early days, however, and there is certainly much room to foster an environment that incentivizes businesses and investors to focus more on people and the planet.”

Trade frictions, inflationary pressures, geopolitical tensions and worsening climate change are complicating the region’s rebuilding efforts and impacting lives and livelihoods. However, top policymakers and corporate leaders at the Committee urged countries and businesses to not lose sight of the opportunities available for more inclusive and sustainable development.

For example, digital transformation and technological innovations are opening new possibilities, facilitating access to new markets, lowering the costs of cross-border transactions and easing participation in global and regional value chains, on top of reducing carbon emissions from trade and business. Within countries, the emergence of innovative business models such as social enterprises and inclusive businesses are also tackling social and environmental challenges, reaching those most often left behind.

Over the next three days, delegates at the Committee will also delve into ways to enhance regional integration and trade competitiveness, promote climate-smart trade, leverage the digital economy as well as mobilize investments, business innovation and public-private partnerships towards more sustainable and inclusive development.

On the sidelines of the Committee, ESCAP will launch its Policy Guidebook on Promoting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Digital Economy. The report encourages countries to rethink traditional approaches to FDI and identifies three areas in which it can support digital transformation: building digital infrastructure; supporting the digital transformation of traditional firms, in particular, MSMEs and value-chain linked firms; and supporting the development of local digital businesses.

Key dignitaries speaking at the Committee include Tipu Munshi, Minister of Commerce of Bangladesh; Chhem Kieth Rethy, Minister Delegate attached to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation of Cambodia; Teten Masduki, Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs of Indonesia; Gantumur Tuvdendorj, Vice Minister of Economy and Development of Mongolia; and Deepak Bagla, Chief Executive Officer of Invest India.

For more information: https://bit.ly/CTIEBI1-2023

For multimedia content: https://bit.ly/CTIEBIassets

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Climate Action Team at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (EOSG/CAT) and the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) jointly organized a high-level forum virtually today to create a platform to share policy practices and explore collaboration between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea on the carbon neutrality transition.

The year 2023 will be a major inflection point on climate change with two major milestones: the Climate Ambition Summit convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the inaugural Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement at the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28). China, Japan and the Republic of Korea have reaffirmed their commitments for reducing carbon emissions to achieve carbon neutrality, and are critical actors as major economies in the global response to tackle the climate crisis.

The Forum served as a timely platform bringing together government officials as well as experts from international organizations and academia to strengthen and reaffirm the leadership of the three countries in reducing emissions to achieve carbon neutrality and to close the emissions gap.

In her opening remarks, Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP said that “the world needs the strong leadership of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which together account for about 28 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.”

Ou Boqian, Secretary-General of Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat welcomed this year’s speakers and participants, who are not only government officials but also representatives from new energy industries. She emphasized that “without their input and involvement, it would be a mission impossible to achieve our carbon neutrality goals.”

“Clean fossil fuels do not exist. Less dirty is still dirty. Brown, grey, blue – nothing is truly clean unless it is fully green,” added Selwin Charles Hart, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team. Stressing the need to make real progress this year in narrowing the global emissions gap, Hart added: “China, Japan and Korea are uniquely well placed to jumpstart the renewables revolution domestically, regionally and internationally.”

At the Forum, experts examined the regional status of climate response and sustainable transition and shared national, subnational and sectoral good practices, as well as the latest strategies, measures and experiences of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. The Forum facilitated discussions from policies to technologies that could further accelerate, promote and strengthen regional climate action.

It also identified the common challenges of China, Japan and the ROK regarding climate action and suggested approaches towards a carbon-neutral region with new ideas on incorporating trilateral and multilateral cooperation into existing carbon neutrality efforts. It further fostered an exchange of views on how they can individually and jointly mobilize support and cooperation to accelerate transitions to net-zero emissions domestically and in other countries.

Outcomes of the Forum will be presented during the 79th ESCAP Commission Session under the theme of “Accelerating climate action in Asia and the Pacific”. It will also be reported to the 9th China-Japan-Korea Ministerial Conference on Transport and Logistics.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Rouna A, Associate Environmental Affairs Officer, ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office, T: +82-32-458-6611, E: [email protected]

Matthew Coghlan, United Nations Climate Action Team, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, E: [email protected]

Prum Kang, Programme Officer, Department of Economic Affairs, Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, T: +82-70-4162-5338, E: [email protected]

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), together with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), organised the Sixth Pacific Forumon Sustainable Development (PFSD) with the theme “Reflections on SDGs in the Pacific amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and pathways towards the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels and achieving the 2050 Strategy”.

The 2022 PFSD was held on the 6th and 7th December at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Suva, Fiji and brought together representatives from government, the Private Sector and CSOs to take stock of the progress by Pacific countries in achieving the SDGs, particularly SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

There was recognition that some SDG areas required development of policies and guidelines, with more effort needed to implement these policies, once formulated. This requires targeted public services, coordination across sectoral agencies, financial resources, tailored technology, and solution focused options and instruments to implement national development priorities in line with the SDG ambitions in the Pacific. It was underscored that regional cooperation remained vital to foster innovation and build the resilience of the food-energy-finance sectors to future shocks.

The PFSD also discussed the critical importance of development partnerships to meet the ambitions of the post-SAMOA pathway, the new global plan of action for SIDS which will be adopted in 2024.

The importance of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the Pacific Leaders’ vision to shape the region to secure long-term wellbeing and prosperity, was acknowledged.

The need for the Pacific to focus on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) was highlighted, particularly since most Pacific small island developing States (SIDS) were falling behind, as development of these services was not keeping pace with the region’s population growth. The PFSD stressed the need to invest in renewable energy transition technologies given the region’s dependence on imported expensive fossil fuels, the cause of climate change and the impacts of which were devastating for Pacific SIDS.

While discussing SDG 11, participants heard that local governance and urban management remained critical priorities for implementing the SDGs. Additionally, the Pacific’s geography required increased focus on access, affordability and reliability of transport and communications.

The PFSD also reflected on the preparation and submission of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), prepared by countries to update the other members of the UN on the progress they were making in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.  Tuvalu submitted its VNR earlier this year and Fiji is expected to submit its VNR next year. Throughout the discussions, the importance of data was again emphasized with new approaches for support to Pacific SIDS advocated.

The contributions of the Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations, Academia and Pacific Youth Council in the PFSD complements the views of the governments, enhancing the outcomes document to include a whole of society perspective.

The outcomes of this sixth PFSD will contribute to the Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) that will meet in Bangkok in March 2022 and then will go to the High-Level Political Forum that in New York, in July 2022.

--- Media Release Ends ---

Notes:

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015 coming into effect on 1st January 2016, for a period of 15 years until 2030. There are 17 SDGs. These are SDG1 (No Poverty); SDG2 (Zero Hunger); SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing); SDG4 (Quality Education); SDG5 (Gender Equality); SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation); SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy); SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth); SDG9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure); SDG10 (Reduced Inequalities); SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities); SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production); SDG13 (Climate Action); SDG14 (Life below Water); SDG15 (Life on Land); SDG16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions); and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

https://www.unescap.org/events/2022/sixth-pacific-forum-sustainable-development-pfsd-2022
https://repository.unescap.org/handle/20.500.12870/5161

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed critical cracks in health sector investments in Asia and the Pacific, with the sector’s foreign direct investments (FDI) dropping by 45 per cent from 2019 to 2020 and continuing to decline to 34 per cent in the first three quarters of 2022.

Recently released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023 further highlights that the pharmaceutical industry attracted the highest amount of FDI ($32 billion) between 2008 to 2021 – significantly more than investments in the medical devices ($20 billion), biotechnology ($17 billion) and healthcare ($10.8 billion) subsectors.

The United States was the largest investor in the, making up 35 per cent of all health-related greenfield investments (2008 – 2021), followed by Switzerland, Japan, Germany and France. China ($33 billion) was the largest receiver in the same period, followed by India ($14 billion), Singapore ($9 billion) and Malaysia ($5 billion).

Many countries in the region such as Sri Lanka, Brunei, Bhutan, Timor-Leste and Thailand have invested in the health sector as a core policy objective. However, certain key challenges continue to exist such as the limited capacity of countries to attract the quantity and quality of investment needed due to poor regional and domestic investment ecosystems, poor infrastructure and related services, as well as the lack of capital, technology and skills.

“Regional cooperation and political commitment to openness for investment will be crucial to helping economies build back better and harness the potential of FDI,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

The Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023 feature four briefs as part of an annual series produced by ESCAP to support policymakers in developing short-to-medium term plans to mitigate adverse impacts from emerging risks and uncertainties in the global and regional economies.

This year’s briefs also draw attention to the fact that the  region continues to be the largest contributor of preferential trade agreements (PTAs), accounting for about half worldwide. These PTAs have become bigger, deeper, more digital and increasingly supportive of sustainable development, with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) exemplifying these trends.

Meanwhile, regional merchandise trade growth will be limited in 2022 following a global demand slowdown in the second half of this year. ESCAP forecasts merchandise trade to total $19 trillion, with real exports expected to grow by 3 per cent while imports will contract by 0.3 per cent. Inflationary pressures have also dominated in 2022 with varying impacts across the region. Assuming that inflation will be effectively curbed during the next year, regional merchandise trade is expected to continue growing modestly in 2023 with 1.6 per cent growth in real exports and 0.7 per cent in real imports.

Asia and the Pacific services exports and imports are expected to grow above the global average at 8.7 per cent and 9.8 per cent, respectively, in 2022, supported by a vigorous travel sector, heightened demand for ICT services and a less constrained transport sector. However, for 2023, ESCAP estimates the value of these sectors to grow slightly below this year’s performance, at 7.5 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively.

Greenfield investments in the region have remained resilient, growing by 6 per cent in 2022 despite the global geopolitical and economic pressure. For the first time, India outpaced China and became the largest destination and source of greenfield FDI ($60 billion of inward FDI and $35 billion in outward FDI). 

Read the four APTIT briefs here: https://www.unescap.org/knowledge-products-series/APTIT

With South and South-West Asia being highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters, there is a critical need to accelerate climate action and inclusive disaster risk reduction with regional and international support. Just energy transition and digital inclusion are also necessary and urgent steps to get back on track towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

These were among the key action areas noted by high-level officials and delegates at the sixth South and South-West Asia Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals organized this week by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in partnership with the Government of Pakistan and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

Delegates also noted with concern that at the current slow pace, South and South-West Asia may only achieve the Sustainable Development Goals decades after the original 2030 goalpost. Despite significant reductions in income poverty, the subregion still has the highest multi-dimensional poverty ratio among all subregions, at almost 30 per cent. Meanwhile, the subregion is also regressing on three Goals, namely, Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), and Goal 13 (climate action).

Opening the Forum, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana drew attention to the multiple crises Governments in the subregion are currently juggling with while endeavoring to build back better. She underscored, “The Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development remain as relevant as ever, especially as challenges become greater and more complex than before.”  

Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, Federal Minister Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Government of Pakistan further highlighted, “As the world undergoes unusual times, innovative forms of knowledge exchange, technology transfer, emergency response and the recovery of livelihood and economies among the nations in the global South, particularly South and South-West-Asia, are of immense importance than ever.”

“As nations and the world recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms such as the Forum are useful to identity and devise collective regional action to address the various caveats that weigh down on our SDG progress,” added Shehan Semasinghe, Minister of State for Finance, Sri Lanka.

This sentiment was echoed by Fathimath Niuma, Deputy Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Maldives, who shared that, “With just eight years left, let us acknowledge that regional and subregional collaboration is vital for South Asia to overcome the effects of COVID-19 and make an actionable difference in achieving our Sustainable Development Goals.”

Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation also observed that, “Enhanced regional connectivity in terms of transport, digital and people-to-people connectivity will substantially improve our chances of achieving the 2030 Agenda.”

More than 450 officials and key stakeholders from 10 countries participated in the Forum and further shared their recommendations on how to accelerate the progress towards SDG6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), SDG11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG17 (partnerships for the Goals).

Organized annually as one of the five subregional preparatory meetings for the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development and the global UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the SDG Forum facilitates dialogue and deliberations among government officials, stakeholder groups and development partners. It also provides a unique platform for peer learning and knowledge sharing on subregional efforts, for understanding subregional priorities and for identifying opportunities for regional cooperation.  

This year’s session is being held in conjunction with SDPI’s 25th Sustainable Development Conference, and will be closed by Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan, tomorrow.

For more information: https://www.unescap.org/events/2022/sixth-south-and-south-west-asia-forum-sustainable-development-goals

Ministers and high-level officials today renewed commitments from Asia-Pacific countries to boost regional cooperation in climate action, sustainable urban development, the protection of ecosystems and oceans, and implementing environmental rights principles; all critical elements to achieve the common goal of a healthy environment

The ministerial declaration on “Protecting our planet through regional cooperation and solidarity in Asia and the Pacific” was endorsed at the close of the seventh session of the Committee on Environment and Development convened this week by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The declaration also includes a regional action programme on air pollution to build momentum for stronger science-based and policy-oriented cooperation to improve air quality management, including through better air quality standards, open data sharing, exchange of best practices and capacity building.

“The challenges are serious, but I believe that the Asia-Pacific region has great potential to show leadership in building a sustainable future by building on our strong scientific and technological capacity,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

Discussions at the high-level meeting also focused on the future of our ocean, integrating recommendations made during the Asia-Pacific Day for the Ocean celebrated on 30 November, as well as on One Health, and the importance of a regional framework for environmental access rights.

“I wish to recognize that the delegates all acknowledged the critical role that regional cooperation plays in solving complex environmental challenges, and we need to act in unison through multilateralism,” said Amenatave V. Yauvoli, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Fiji to ESCAP and Chair of the senior officials segment.

Several partnership events shed light on new environmental initiatives based on cooperation and solidarity, ranging from a new air quality management framework and the promotion of a regional approach to respond to climate-related mobility in the Pacific to integrated climate action for low-carbon and resilient cities.

ESCAP also launched its flagship report on the state of the environment in Asia and the Pacific, which highlights three critical environmental challenges and identifies opportunities for concrete regional action.

Asia and the Pacific accounts for over 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, having increased by about 20 per cent between 2010 and 2022. The region also sees the most rapid and serious decline in biodiversity-related ecosystem services, is responsible for 81 per cent of global ocean plastics and nearly 90 per cent of its population regularly breathe air considered by the WHO to be unsafe. This is compounded by rapid urbanization trends, with over half of its population living in cities and urban areas. 

Only 24 countries in the region recognize the right to a healthy environment in their constitutional provisions and 17 countries still do not have any constitutional or legal recognition of this right. Furthermore, despite a series of announcements from countries to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, current ambitions as set out in nationally determined contributions fall short of what is needed to reach the Paris Agreement targets.

The bi-annual Committee was attended by Say Samal, Minister of Environment of Cambodia; Semi Koroilavesau, Minister for Fisheries of Fiji; Bat-Ulzii Bat-Erdene, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia; and Laauli Leuatea Polataivao Fosi, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Samoa; along with several other senior officials and stakeholders.

For more information: https://www.unescap.org/events/2022/ced7

Access multimedia content: https://trello.com/b/JeiBJGG2/envcom7

A United Nations regional forum opened today with a sharp focus on how to enhance transport connectivity in Asia and the Pacific and make it greener and inclusive, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises.

“Our estimates show that under business as usual, Asia and the Pacific will experience a drastic increase in carbon dioxide emissions, up to 87 per cent in some parts of our region. But the situation can change drastically if governments implement policy measures that encourage changes in the behavior of transport users, uptake of cleaner energy and vehicle technologies, digitalization to improve transport efficiency, and infrastructure investment to help meet environmental and social development goals,” Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said in her opening remarks to the seventh session of the Committee on Transport.

Government officials, representatives of international organizations, civil society and other stakeholders will take stock of the current status of regional transport and discuss strategic issues of transport development and the formulation of regional policies to advance sustainable, safe, resilient and low-carbon transport in the region. 

“As the world faces the unprecedented challenges from the ongoing climate crisis, the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemics and other regional and global challenges, we urgently need collective determination and cooperation to accelerate the implementation of SDGs. Thailand shares the critical ambition to overcome those challenges and has been committed to achieving sustainable transport development,” said Chayatan Phromsorn, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport of Thailand, delivering a statement on behalf of Saksayam Chidchob, Minister of Transport.

Considering the pandemic and other disruptive events, preserving and enhancing land and maritime transport connectivity must go hand-in-hand with addressing the environmental and social dimensions of freight transport activities and bridging the widening connectivity gaps in Asia and the Pacific. With that in mind, the Committee will deliberate on enhancing sustainability, resilience and efficiency of freight transport along the regional transport network, including the Asian Highway Network, the Trans-Asian Railway Network and Dry Ports. The Committee will also discuss regional approaches to sustainable, multimodal freight transport and to connecting to global supply chains through land and shipping corridors. To maximize the contribution of freight transport to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Committee will consider the guiding principles on sustainable freight transport in Asia and the Pacific.

According to ESCAP studies, there is a strong need to accelerate the transition of the transport sector to be more environmentally sustainable; in the Asia-Pacific region, movement of freight and people accounted for more than half of total oil consumption in 2019 and contributed to nearly 14 per cent of total CO2 emissions.

Delegates are expected to support the establishment of a regional cooperation mechanism on low-carbon transport as mandated by the Regional Action Programme for Sustainable Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific (2022–2026), as well as the Asia-Pacific initiative on electric mobility to accelerate transition to electric mobility for public transport in the region and reduce transport-related emissions.

The Committee is also set to review progress in achieving the goal of the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) to reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries by at least 50 per cent between 2021 and 2030 and endorse the Regional Plan of Action for Asia and the Pacific for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety.

In addition, the Committee will deliberate on measures that will support socially inclusive planning and design of transport services, infrastructure and systems, workforce diversity and a just transition to sustainable transport, that can measurably contribute to reducing poverty and inequality in the region

For more information: https://www.unescap.org/events/2022/committee-transport-seventh-session