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ESCAP
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region. With a membership of 62 Governments, 58 of which are in the region, and a geographical scope that stretches from Turkey in the west to the Pacific island nation of Kiribati in the east, and from the Russian Federation in the north to New Zealand in the south, ESCAP is the most comprehensive of the United Nations five regional commissions. It is also the largest United Nations body serving the Asia-Pacific region with over 600 staff.
Established in 1947 in Shanghai, China, and currently headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, ESCAP seeks to overcome some of the region’s greatest challenges. ESCAP focuses on issues that are most effectively addressed through regional cooperation, including:
- Issues that all or a group of countries in the region face, for which it is necessary to learn from each other;
- Issues that benefit from regional or multi-country involvement;
- Issues that are transboundary in nature, or that would benefit from collaborative inter-country approaches; amd
- Issues that are of a sensitive or emerging nature and require further advocacy and negotiation.
Find out more about ESCAP at http://www.unescap.org
Latest Resources
Regional Progress and Strategies towards Building the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific
This publication aims at increasing awareness and knowledge among policymakers on how to create an enabling policy environment for enhancing regional connectivity and building a regional information society, taking into consideration the needs of the developing countries, least developed countries, the landlocked developing countries, the small island developing States, and countries with economies in transition.
Policy Brief in ICT Applications in the Knowledge Economy, No. 7: Improving Health Care in Rural Areas: Information and Communications Technology Solutions for Least Developed Countries
Achieving the health-related MDGs requires strengthening health systems, particularly in the following areas of (a) Expanding the primary health-care workforce and enriching the skill levels; (b) Upgrading and broadening medical infrastructure and logistics; (c) Providing affordable access to drugs and medical supplies; (d) Improving health decision-making and early warning by enhancing data collection and analysis of disease trends. This brief summarizes cost-effective information and communication technology (ICT) applications to support improvements in these areas in least developed, landlocked and small island countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Enhancing Pacific Connectivity: The Current Situation, Opportunities for Progress
Compiling new socio-economic and connectivity indicators, the study finds most Pacific states delivering on health care and education, with many people noting that socio-economic opportunities provided by affordable and effective communications may now be a high priority. The study describes opportunities for improved cable and satellite connectivity, and for the use of terrestrial wireless as well as wired and satellite connectivity within Pacific states. The study suggests that sufficient capital is available for connectivity, if policies, infrastructure and services lead to effective, affordable, and popular systems. Indeed, such benefits are reaching several small island states. However, a regionally cooperative approach may help Pacific states to collectively decide and develop programmes toward that success. The study takes advantage of numerous studies to produce a new synthesis and suggestions for steps forward.
Integration of Information and Communication Technologies into National Development Plans for Central Asian Countries
This publication is the output of the project on "Capacity Building for ICT Policymaking" supported by UNDA and executed in cooperation with UNECE. The project’s main objective was to assist decision makers in Central Asia and the Caucasus in building indigenous capacity for ICT strategy and policy development, in particular for integration of ICT in national development programme. It is the major aim of this publication to assist in reaching the above-mentioned objective.
Policy Brief in ICT Applications in the Knowledge Economy, No. 3: ICT for the Economic and Social Development of Rural Communities
The establishment of ICT access points poses numerous challenges, particularly for those located in extremely remote areas that are inaccessible by roads and/or have no power supply. In this policy brief, we feature appropriate policies drawn from the experience of successes and failures to promote the establishment of sustainable ICT access points for the economic and social development of rural communities.
Internet Use for Business Development: An Introductory Set of Training Modules for Policymakers
This publication is the output of the project on “Capacity Building in Internet Governance” financially supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea. The project aimed at the government policy makers and implementers to utilize their capacity for formulation and implementation of essential public and other policies relevant to internet governance for sustainable socio-economic development and to enhance effective participation in the regional and global internet governance forums. The training modules were presented and endorsed at the regional workshop on the use of Internet for business development in Asia and the Pacific that was held in October 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Developing Women’s Entrepreneurship and E-business in Green Cooperatives in the Asian and Pacific Region
Through the formation of women’s cooperatives and development of their capacity in entrepreneurship, women can become better equipped to enter the market for green products and gain access to vital resources needed for businesses. With dramatic growth in ICT innovation, women’s green cooperatives in the region can benefit from the use of e-business practices. This guidebook provides policy makers and entrepreneurs with background information in this niche area, with guidelines on developing women’s cooperatives, entrepreneurship and e-business. Some good practice cases are illustrated that can be replicable in some countries.
e-Health in Asia and the Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities
This report explores the experiences of countries in the Asia Pacific region, both in e-Health initiatives and policy actions. It also looks at the initiatives and polices at the trans-boundary level. The analysis both at national and regional levels sheds some light on the great potentials of e-Health in improvising the delivery of health care in the region, as well as the remaining challenges to fulfill such potentials. It is hoped that this would provide the basis for further research and analysis in specific areas, which would serve as a reliable guide for policy formulation and for regional cooperation.
Public-private Partnership and Community Participation on Applications of Space Technology for Socio-economic Development: Compilation of Policies and Practices in Selected ESCAP Member Countries
This technical material is a compilation of good practices on public-private partnerships and community participation for the development and applications of space-based ICTs for socio-economic development. It provides information on the types of partnerships and space-based projects and activities carried out in China, India and the Philippines, and on public-private partnerships policies in Japan and the Republic of Korea. It also presents examples on the role and importance of community participation and requirements of relevant government policies in promoting such partnerships.
Space Technology Application Capabilities, Facilities and Activities in Asia and the Pacific: A Regional Inventory
This Inventory on space technology capabilities, facilities and activities in Asia and the Pacific is part of the information dissemination and exchange efforts of RESAP. It provides comprehensive information on a wide range of aspects concerning space technology applications in the context of sustainable development in the region. It is intended for use not only by the space and relevant ICT communities but also by policymakers and end users in various development and application fields as well as general readers, and intended to foster closer regional cooperation and collaboration in the region. As space technology applications become integrated with sustainable development planning in the coming years, they are expected to assume a greatly expanded role in disaster management, environment and natural resources management, and education and health development.
Best Practices in Financial Mechanisms for ICT for Development in Asia and the Pacific
Both phases of the World Summit on Information Society highlighted the necessity of multi-stakeholders partnerships to ensure innovative solutions are designed and implemented to reduce the digital divide. This report, "Best Practices in Financial Mechanisms for ICT for Development in Asia and the Pacific" offers examples of successful financing mechanisms for Information and communication technology (ICT) for development by government, private organizations, foundations, venture capitals and entrepreneurs, in order to further improve education, open source development, e-business, e-health and expand localized content.
Policy Brief in ICT Applications in the Knowledge Economy, No. 2: ICT application in trade facilitation
ICT applications in trade facilitation refers to activities,processes and procedures that have adopted some degree of information and communication technology (ICT) in order to facilitate trade transactions, particularly in the fields of Customs formalities, trade documentation flow and trade security. This policy brief examines why there is a need for trade facilitation, and who are the stakeholders and players involved. Some policy recommendations are also provided.
Policy Brief in ICT Applications in the Knowledge Economy, No. 1: Enhancing Asia-Pacific small and medium-sized enterprises productivity through e-business
Since small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for the majority of the enterprises and employment in developing countries, their level of ICT adoption deserves special consideration. How do SMEs in Asia and the Pacific use ICT in their business? What are the challenges that they face in adopting ICT? This policy brief examines the factors that contribute to the adoption of e-business, defined as the use of ICT in business, by SMEs in the developing and the least developed countries of Asia and the Pacific. ESCAP recommends five areas for policy intervention to enhance e-business adoption among SMEs.
Guidelines on ICT Application for Trade and Transport Facilitation for Landlocked Countries in the Asia and Pacific Region
This guideline is one of the outputs of a project entitled "Institutional Capacity Building for Facilitation of International Trade and Transport in Landlocked and Transit Countries" funded by the Royal Government of the Netherlands. The guidelines intend to address challenges and opportunities that landlocked developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region face in applying ICT to the facilitation of trade and transport. It also provides guidelines on the implementation of Single Window systems.
Entrepreneurship and e-Business Development for Women
Competitiveness of businesses owned by women is usually constrained by limited access to information and resources to support the development and marketing of their products. e-Business can address this limiting factor. It promotes innovations by creating new products, new markets and even new industries. Moreover, it can help empower women by facilitating women’s entrepreneurship. This publication reports the outcomes of the International Workshop on Entrepreneurship and e-Business Development for Women that was held in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 3-8 July 2006. The Workshop was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Asian Development Bank Institute, International Telecommunication Union and Asian Pacific Women’s Information Network Center.
Guidebook on Developing Community e-Centres in Rural Areas: Based on the Malaysian experience
Over the past years, governments and development agencies have tried to bring ICT services to rural communities, very often through the use of community e-centres (CeCs). The guidebook identifies guiding principles and fundamental requirements for the establishment of rural ICT services based on the experience of rural ICT projects in Malaysia. It is hoped that this will help to promote and improve the implementation of rural community ICT services that can contribute to the reduction of poverty among the people in the rural areas of Asia and the Pacific.
Regional Action Plan towards the Information Society in Asia and the Pacific
This publication is a further step in the direction envisaged in the Regional Roadmap towards an Information Society. It addresses the key issues relating to the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and outlines how the global and regional initiatives could promote and catalyze actions at the regional and national levels. It outlines a comprehensive plan and strategic framework for collaborative ICT programmes and projects at the regional level for realizing the vision of an inclusive and sustainable information society in Asia and the Pacific.
Asia-Pacific Journal on Information, Communication and Space Technology: Reviews and Updates
Towards reducing digital divides and turning them into digital opportunities, this journal aims to inform ESCAP members and associate members, in particular policy makers, implementers and stakeholders, of the recent development in information, communication and space technology in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to identify trends and provide insights on possible future directions.
e-Procurement
This publication reviews diverse business models and trends in e-procurement; examines the policies, legal framework and technological infrastructure required for e-procurement; and identifies the overall current status of e-procurement in the Asia-Pacific region.
Designing e-Government for the Poor
This is the Proceedings of a Regional Workshop on Designing e-Government for the Poor that aimed to build capacity for the planning and implementation of e-government programmes for the poor. Some of the topics addressed at this Workshop included: e-government programmes for the poor; re-engineering internal processes of government/public administration; factors critical to the successful implementation of e-government including e-training of government officials; stakeholder participation in e-government projects; building community and government leadership; and security and privacy issues in e-government.
Framework for Regional Cooperation on Space Technology Supported Disaster Reduction Strategies in Asia and the Pacific: Study report prepared for the Meeting of Experts on Space Applications for Disaster Management, Chiang Mai, 25-28 July 2005
ESCAP has been promoting the integration of disaster management in development planning, the operational use of space technology in operational disaster management and regional cooperative mechanisms in space technology applications for disaster management. Regional cooperative mechanisms would facilitate equitable sharing of benefits of space technology development and applications among all countries in the region. This study, carried out under RESAP, provides the framework and suggested modalities of regional cooperative mechanisms to address drought and floods and related disasters, and suggested actions towards the institutionalization of the mechanisms.
Building e-Community Centres for Rural Development: Report of the Regional Workshop, Bali, Indonesia, 8-14 December 2004
This is the Proceedings of the Building e-Community Centres for Rural Development Workshop co-organized by UNESCAP and ADBI. The Workshop's objectives were to examine the various issues related to e-Community Centres in the Asia-Pacific region and share good practices that can be used as models for successful development and operation of these centres.
Regulations, Policies and Legal Frameworks Related to ICT: International Management Standards for ICT Development in the Greater Mekong Subregion
The study aims to promote an awareness and appreciation of how new and emerging international management standards such as ISO 9000 (quality management systems), ISO 17799 (information security management systems) and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) can enhance competitiveness and quality in the ICT software and hardware sectors in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region, while ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of networked information.
Collection of cases of financing ICT for development in Asia and the Pacific
This publication provides information on different financing mechanisms for ICT projects in rural and urban areas. It considers cases from China, India, Malaysia, Nepal and Thailand.
Good Practices in Information and Communication Technology Policies in Asia and the Pacific: Promotion of Enabling Policies and Regulatory Frameworks for Information and Communication Technology Development in the Asia-Pacific Region
This study is intended to be a resource for ICT policy planners and decision makers, and offers policy-oriented perspectives on ICT policy formulation and implementation in the Asia-Pacific region In preparing for the study, fact-finding missions were fielded to India, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea, followed by a regional seminar on enabling policies and regulatory frameworks for ICT development in the Asian and Pacific region held at Bangkok in December 2003 and an ESCAP/ITU regional training workshop on enabling policies and regulatory frameworks for ICT development in the Asian and Pacific region held at Bangkok in May 2004.
Strengthening Institutional Capacity to Promote Investment and Transfer of Technology with Special Emphasis on Information and Communication Technology
This publication provides information on the importance of intellectual property rights and the implication for investment in and development of information and communication technology.
Policy Framework on Space Information Products and Services for Disaster Management: Study report
This technical material provides an overview of the policy concept of space-based information products and services for disaster management, promoted by RESAP to support operational disaster management and essential for building regional cooperative mechanisms on space technology applications for disaster management.
Increasing Stakeholder Participation Using ICT: Report of the Regional Workshop, Bangkok, 19-24 July 2004
This report provides a summary of selected presentations and discussions from the Regional Workshop on Increasing Stakeholder Participation Using ICT. This Workshop provided participants the opportunity to share their experience and learn how to apply these tools to enhance stakeholder participation. The participants reviewed key concepts, approaches and methods related to participatory project design, communications and evaluation; compared cases of project development and implementation with and without participatory approaches; and provided possible solutions for project design based on the principles of participatory development. The workshop was co-organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, with the support of the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Institute of Technology.
Implementing e-Government: Report of the Regional Workshop, Bangkok, 31 May - 4 June 2004
This publication is a report of a regional workshop on e-government and its potential to improve efficiency and transparency in the public sector and to enhance quality of life through more inclusive public services. It presents experiences of ESCAP member countries in the implementation of e-government and discusses issues and options.
Regional Road Map towards an Information Society in Asia and the Pacific
This publication contains information to assist Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy makers and stakeholders in the region to formulate and implement national ICT strategies and action plans. It also provides specific benchmarks and indicators towards narrowing the digital divide and building an information society.
Compliance with Information and Communication Technology Related Multilateral Frameworks: Information Technology Enabling Legal Frameworks for the Greater Mekong Subregion
This publication provides a guide for Greater Mekong Sub-region countries to define and determine their requirements to shape e-business legislation and address such complex issues as: contract validity and enforceability, jurisdiction, privacy, consumer protection, security of transactions, intellectual property, and online fraud.
Space Technology Applications for Poverty Alleviation
In this report, Section I discusses poverty alleviation in the context of information, communication, and space technologies; Section II introduces trends and perspectives of relevant space technologies for poverty alleviation; Sections III addresses specific areas of poverty alleviation from a space technology perspective; Section IV discusses the relevant policy environment necessary for making these applications affordable, accessible and useful; and Section V summarizes recommendations made by the Expert Group Meeting on 20-21 August 2003.
Towards a Policy Framework for Integrating Space Technology Applications for Sustainable Development on the Information Superhighway
This study examines the effects development and convergence of technologies, including space technology, on the economy, culture and politics of countries all around the world. The influence of space technologies within the context of information superhighways to those sectors are analyzed in detail.
Strengthening Policy and Institutional Infrastructure in Information Technology: Study on Information Technology Needs Assessment and Readiness in the Greater Mekong Subregion
This study on information technology needs assessment and readiness assesses the needs of the Sub-region to recommend steps for development and use of IT-based services for overall economic growth in the Sub-region.
Towards Regional Cooperative Mechanisms for Managing Floods and Drought in Asia and the Pacific Using Space Technology
This study examines gaps between operational needs, institutional capabilities and space technology applications for disaster management, and outlines the need for national policies and capacity building mechanisms to bridge the gap. The distinct role of ESCAP to harness the potential of space technology in developing and least developed countries with critical vulnerability and constrained institutional capabilities are also presented.
Regional Cooperative Mechanism on Space Technology Applications for Disaster Management
This CD-ROM publication covers most of the presentations of two regional workshops in 2002 that discuss regional cooperative mechanisms for disaster management using space technology.
(in Korean)