According to the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2006, global economic growth slowed to 3.2 per cent in 2005, down from the record growth rate of 4.0 per cent in 2004. The growth rate of developing countries in Asia and the Pacific also decelerated moderately in 2005. The slowdown in the global economy and in ESCAP developing countries was the result primarily of high and volatile oil prices and a softening of global trade. More expensive oil also heightened inflation in the region; however, overall price pressures remained mild by historical standards.
The Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) is published twice a year by the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The primary objective of the APDJ is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas, information and data on all aspects of economic and social development issues and concerns facing the region and to stimulate policy debate and assist in the formulation of policy.
Adequate infrastructure in the four key sectors of transport, telecommunications, energy and water considered in this study is a prerequisite for opening up access to global trade and investment flows, increasing the competitiveness of production and services and thus sustaining the region’s economic growth.
The roots of Free trade zones (FTZs) can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago, today there are over 850 zones and the number continues to increase. Their main role can be summarized as: to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to pay for the construction cost and salaries of its citizens to build and service business.
With the advent of globalisation and the movement of goods and services to the place of least cost, countries need to find ways of attracting new businesses whilst retaining existing clients.
This study is based on the application of the Maritime Policy Planning Models (MPPM) developed and maintained by the Transport and Tourism Division of ESCAP. Its objective is to provide a planning context for informed decision making by governments, shipping lines and port authorities in the ESCAP region. It does this by providing detailed, quantified and internally consistent forecasts of the maritime container trade and port throughputs in the ESCAP region through to the year 2015.
This publication is the second one of the series of publications on water resources management produced in connection with the UNESCAP project on “Capacity-building in Strategic Planning and Management of Natural Resources in Asia and the Pacific”.
The Water Resources Journal is an annual review journal of the ESCAP secretariat. Published continuously since September 1949, the Journal aims to provide useful information on water resources for national agencies and development programmes in Asian and Pacific countries. It contains news of current developments of regional interest, accounts of national experience applicable elsewhere in the Asian and Pacific region and technical articles reprinted from various sources around the world.
Globalization is essentially a “story” of technological change coupled with the development and organization of interacting physical and non-physical networks designed to take advantage of the change. Economies of East and South-East Asia, that managed to participate in the fragmented, international production networks that have emerged since the early 1980s, have benefited much from globalization. A necessary requirement for such participation was efficient connection to an integrated, international transport network.
The Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) is published twice a year by the Macroeconomic Policy and Development Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The primary objective of the APDJ is to provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas, information and data on all aspects of economic and social development issues and concerns facing the region and to stimulate policy debate and assist in the formulation of policy.
Road safety has become an issue of great concern in countries of the Asian and Pacific region. Considering its magnitude and gravity, many countries of the region have taken commendable initiatives and are implementing various road safety improvement programmes. The articles included in this volume consider some of the safety improvement initiatives that have been undertaken by countries and on other issues related to road safety. The articles also discuss important policy issues related to the improvement of road safety.
