• Submitted content • Editorial
As the Second Global Ocean Conference opens today in Lisbon, governments in Asia and the Pacific must seize the opportunity to enhance cooperation and solidarity to address a host of challenges that endanger what is a lifeline for millions of people in the region. If done right ocean action will also be climate action but […]
• Submitted content • Editorial
This year marks the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while an end to the pandemic is in sight, it is far from over with the consequences to be felt for decades to come. At the same time, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is becoming increasingly distant. The region must use the 17 […]
• Submitted content • Editorial
Transport ministers from across Asia and the Pacific are meeting this week to consider a potentially transformational agenda for how people and goods are moved around the region and across the globe. Pre-COVID-19 transport connectivity weaknesses in the Asia-Pacific region became even more apparent during the pandemic: landlocked developing countries, least developed countries, and small […]
• Submitted content • Editorial
Most countries in the Asia-Pacific region are on track to reach universal birth registration by 2030: an incredible achievement and a significant milestone in realizing human rights and equality. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, many weaknesses remain in official recording systems, creating gaps in knowledge about the population and affecting how authorities respond […]
• Submitted content • Editorial
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. The seven G20 […]
The head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) has called on countries throughout the region to ensure that COVID-19 recovery programmes continue the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to solving the climate crisis. As the region’s economic engine restarts, we must recognize the […]
• Submitted content • Editorial
Memories of idyllic beaches and sonorous waves may seem far away while we remain sheltering at home. Yet, we need not look far to appreciate the enduring history of the ocean in Asia and the Pacific. For generations, the region has thrived on our seas. Our namesake bears a nod to the Pacific Ocean, a […]
• Submitted content • Opinion
The unprecedented public health emergency triggered by the COVID -19 pandemic and its multi-faceted impact on people’s lives around the world is taking a heavy toll on Asia and the Pacific. Countries in our region are striving to mitigate the massive socio-economic impact of the pandemic, which is also expected to affect the region’s economic […]
• Submitted content • Opnion
Rising economic prosperity and poverty reduction may not tell the whole story of progress in Asia and the Pacific. Telling signs in the natural world recount a narrative that is far from complete. This year has been particularly affected by the COVID-19 global health pandemic, with devastating impacts on our health and the economy. Yet, […]
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The upheaval caused by the coronavirus — COVID-19 — is all around us. And I know many are anxious, worried and confused. That’s absolutely natural. We are facing a health threat unlike any other in our lifetimes. Meanwhile, the virus is spreading, the danger is growing, and our health systems, economies and day-to-day lives are being […]
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Great strides have been taken to empower women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing 25 years ago adopted an ambitious global agenda to achieve gender equality. In that time gender parity has been achieved in primary education and maternal mortality has been halved. Today, the region’s […]
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Senior government officials from across Asia and the Pacific will meet in Bangkok this week for the first Asia-Pacific Ministerial Summit on the Environment. Co-convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN Escap) and UN Environment, this historic high-level summit is a unique opportunity for the region’s environment […]