Being environment friendly, railway transport is gaining importance in the Asia-Pacific region due to growing concerns of the adverse impact on environment of road transport on one hand and increasing concerns about energy security on the other. The importance of sustainable transport was reaffirmed in the Rio+20 document “The Future we want”. Couple this with, the entry into force of intergovernmental agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network, has provided impetus for the development of railway transport as a competitive mode of transport in the region.
Growth performance in developing Asia-Pacific economies is expected to rebound moderately after a sluggish 2013 but growth will remain subpar. The key economies of China, India, Indonesia and Thailand with large domestic markets have experienced moderate growth in 2013 compared to their recent strong performance. The region may continue to experience a “new normal” of lower growth compared to recent years—as highlighted in the Survey 2013.
The Transport and Communications Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific is a peer-reviewed journal published once a year by the Transport Division (TD) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The main objectives of the Bulletin are to provide a medium for the sharing of knowledge, experience, ideas, policy options and information on the development of transport infrastructure and services in the Asia-Pacific region; to stimulate policy oriented research; and to increase awareness of transport policy issues and responses.
The Transport and Communications Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific is a peer-reviewed journal published once a year by the Transport Division (TD) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The main objectives of the Bulletin are to provide a medium for the sharing of knowledge, experience, ideas, policy options and information on the development of transport infrastructure and services in the Asia-Pacific region; to stimulate policy-oriented research; and to increase awareness of transport policy issues and responses.
The 2013 edition of the Statistical Yearbook presents concise analyses highlighting major achievements and challenges for the 53 regional ESCAP member States and the five subregions in promoting economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. These analyses are supported with the most up-to-date and comparable data for over 300 indicators covering 32 topics, grouped into eight themes: demographic trends, health, education and knowledge, poverty and insecurity, women’s empowerment, environment, economy, and connectivity.
Conventional growth strategies have reduced poverty. People now have more access to basic services and more opportunities for mobility and participation. But there are still persistent unmet needs, widening inequalities, and new development challenges such as climate change, intensifying natural disaster and resource depletion. There is a search for growth strategies that better fit a changing economic, social and environmental reality.
During the past three decades, the development of highly integrated global value chains in which products are supplied, manufactured and distributed across national boundaries have created a new form of division of labour among Asian economies, especially in North-East and South-East Asia. The rapid growth of global value chains has dramatically changed production patterns, international trade and foreign direct investment in the region, with a notable expansion of intraregional trade through multiple border crossings of parts and components.
Asia-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region of the world. In recent years, it has faced a series of multiple exogenous shocks that transcend geographical boundaries and endanger our communities. The poor and the vulnerable are the ones most affected. Despite the rapid economic growth in the region, many developing countries are increasingly vulnerable to disasters, and the magnitude and frequency of extreme disasters are estimated to rise due to the effects of climate change. This necessitates building resilience of the region to extreme disasters in multidimensional ways.
The present document is based on the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2013 (henceforth the Report), which is the main substantive document prepared for the third session of the Committee on Trade and Investment. The Report comprises two parts. In the first part, there is a focus on trends and developments in trade in merchandise and commercial services, foreign direct investment flows, performance in trade facilitation, and reliance on preferential policies and trade agreements from an Asia-Pacific perspective.
