Global Stories

At the close of a high-level UN policy forum in Bangkok, political leaders and senior government officials recommitted themselves to tackling rising inequality across Asia and the Pacific region. Over 540 delegates from 44 Member States and Associate Members attended the 74th UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) session held...

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) called for strengthening multilateralism and regional integration to tackle rising inequalities in the region. UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Dr. Shamshad Akhtar underscored that anti-globalisation and protectionism are increasing global uncertainty. “With the gap between rich and poor widening, the...

Trucost, a leader in carbon and environmental data and risk analysis, has launched SDG Evaluation Tool to help enable companies to identify business risks and opportunities aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On September 25th 2015, countries adopted the goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable...

The 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Statistics Week (APES) closed in Bangkok with a strong focus on strengthening the capability of Member States to produce core economic statistics and improve monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Senior economic statisticians from statistical offices and central banks of countries in the region, as well as international development experts...

Mobilizing financing for development remains a fundamental priority in the Asia-Pacific region. The robust growth registered by the region in 2017 and promising prospects for this year provides the opportunity to meet this objective, according to a major United Nations report launched in Bangkok. Taking advantage of the current favorable economic conditions, economies need to address...

The prospects of around 800 million of the world’s poorest people remain dire. The global economy is experiencing a moderate upturn, and momentum around sustainable investing is growing, the UN has said. But the vast majority of investment is still short-term oriented and commitments by the international community to create sustainable economies are not being...

Future technologies and innovative financing have the potential to transform and accelerate sustainable development, but better policies and regulation are needed to ensure all benefit equally from these new advances. This was one of the main conclusions of the recently held annual Asia-Pacific Business Forum (APBF). Senior policymakers and private sector representatives came together, to discuss how...

Countries in Asia and the Pacific must build resilience to natural hazards and invest in social protection systems if the region is to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, according to a joint report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asian Development Bank...

Remarkable progress has been made in broadening electricity access globally, however sustained political will and increased public and private finance are urgently needed to provide affordable and clean energy to the 1.2 billion people without access to electricity by 2030, says United Nations. According to the latest data, 85 per cent of the global population...

The High-level Regional Conference on Information Management for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Resilience opened with a strong focus on regional cooperation for combating sand and dust storms in Asia and the Pacific. Sand and dust storms, along with drought, land degradation, desertification and wind erosion, present a formidable challenge to sustainable development. Approximately 2 trillion tons of...

We are starting to witness the penalty for unsustainable lifestyles and patterns of production and consumption. As the human population is exploding, resources are shrinking. Concerns loom everywhere, from declining pollinators affecting food security, to air and water pollution affecting the quality of life, and land shortage and degradation affecting both agriculture and biodiversity. These are...

Senior government officials, policymakers, civil society and academia from over 30 countries across Asia-Pacific gathered in Beijing to accelerate commitments towards improving the rights of the 690 million disabled persons across the region, and beyond. The high-level meeting reviewed progress made in the implementation of the Incheon Strategy for Persons with Disabilities and the Asian...