Announcement

The purpose of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth (SINGG) Network Project is to share the Green Growth concepts and policies with member States. With funding support from the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea (KME), member States can integrate green growth strategies and policies into the implementation of sustainable development. The outcomes and lessons learned from the Network projects will be shared among member States at the national and subnational levels.

With your interest, you can submit the application for SINGG Network Project using the attached template to Mr. Seung Hoon Lee at [email protected], preferably no later than August 2023.  

2025 Seoul Initiative Network Project Proposal

Papers are called for the May 2024 issue of the Asia Pacific Sustainable Development Journal (APSDJ, Vol. 31, No. 1) under the theme, Sustainable Development Challenges in the Pacific Small Island States (PSIDS) and the role of regional cooperation and integration.

The thematic section will be guest edited by the APSDJ Editorial Board Member, Professor Dr. Rukmani Gounder, Professor of Development Economics, School of Economics & Finance, Massey University, New Zealand.

Interested authors are invited to submit their papers to the Guest Editor, Professor Gounder by e-mail ([email protected]) with a copy to the Managing Editor, Professor Anis Chowdhury ([email protected]; [email protected]) by 16th October, 2023. Authors from the Pacific Small Island States are particularly encouraged.

Papers should focus on:

• any aspect of the three pillars of sustainable development – economic (e.g., stable & sustained growth), social (e.g., inequality & social exclusion) and environment (e.g., ocean health; climate change vulnerability & adaptation);
• either the whole region, or at least major countries, or a comparative country analysis. Paper (s) focused on a single country can be considered under normal submission provided it meets the academic standard;
• how regional cooperation and integration can address the sustainable development challenges.

In preparing their papers, authors should follow APSDJ submission guidelines for authors, available at: https://www.unescap.org/knowledge-products-series/asia-pacific-sustainable-development-journal. Please note:

• Papers should not exceed 8,000 words including the footnotes, references, etc.
• Abstract should not exceed 100 words.
• Paper should include 4 to 5 keywords and JEL classification codes.

All papers will be peer reviewed, following ASDJ’s editorial policy

Background

The Pacific Small Island States (PSDIS) cover a vast expanse of 30 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. In this vast and diverse region, PSIDS are made up of countries and territories with varying land sizes, populations, natural resources, economies and cultures. The main economic sectors in the region are tourism, fisheries, forestry and agriculture. Remittances play an increasingly important role in the economies of Pacific SIDS, contributing towards economic growth and sustaining livelihoods, including meeting education and basic needs.

Geographic isolation and the small land area and population sizes of SIDS result in unique challenges in all three aspects for sustainable development – economic, social and environment. Pacific SIDS suffer from diseconomies of scale in production and exchange of goods and services, remoteness from export markets and a high vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. 

Many PSIDS, although in general ranked as medium and above on the Human Development Index prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), still face persistent challenges linked to poverty and inequality. These countries still need to improve the quality of, and access to health and education. Those are important goals in themselves, but also vital for building resilient societies.

For some PSIDS, youth unemployment is among the highest in the world. This is a serious challenge and limits the full human potential of all men and women and their access to equal opportunities. In addition, people with mental and physical disability and the elderly are particularly prone to exclusion in the Pacific. Exclusion and inequality are significant challenges to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG5 which relates to achieving gender equality, and SDG10, relating to reduce inequalities. Increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is also a barrier to socio-economic progress.

Pacific island nations are among the most vulnerable to on-going climate change, with many already experiencing higher temperatures, shifts in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events. Further changes on top of an existing, naturally variable climate are expected long into the future because of global warming.

Nevertheless, the uniqueness of their environment, culture and geography, especially isolation, has also produced resilient communities with strong traditions, cultures and coping capacity. However, for most SIDS, fiscal challenges have limited the capacity of governments to deliver social services. For many PSIDS, debt servicing has diverted resources from investments in social, human and economic development as well as climate change adaption and mitigation. Regional cooperation and economic integration may offer an avenue to address some of the sustainable development challenges facing PSIDS.

More information about the Asia Pacific Sustainable Development Journal (APSDJ), please visit https://www.unescap.org/knowledge-products-series/asia-pacific-sustainable-development-journal

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the project ‘Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship’ (CWE), funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, and implemented by ESCAP.

The objective is to partner and provide grant funding in Fiji and Samoa, two of the Catalysing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) programme’s focus countries, under the following themes:

Theme 1) Increasing the economic empowerment of rural and remote indigenous women entrepreneurs.

The proposals submitted under this theme should aim to increase the economic empowerment of rural and remote indigenous women entrepreneurs in Fiji and / or Samoa through collective structures, that will promote individual women as key actors to strengthening village and community-based economies with access to increased resources, training, and/or other forms of support.

Theme 2) Promoting women's entrepreneurship in the context of climate change adaptation and mitigation, with a focus on agriculture, fisheries, and tourism.

The proposals submitted under this theme should provide innovative approaches to supporting women's entrepreneurs in the agriculture, fisheries, and/or tourism sectors to adapt their business models and ways of working to the context of climate change and/or to develop business solutions tailored to the Fijian and/or Samoan context, which contribute to climate change resilience and adaptation.

The proposals, which address one or both of the above themes are welcome.

Project Implementation Timeline: 15 July 2023 to 31 March 2024, or any shorter timeframe proposed within these dates.

Applications are open to all organizations which hold a not-for-profit status in Fiji and / or Samoa. A proof of the organization’s not-for-profit status will be required as part of the application process. Applications are also open to other UN, government and multilateral entities, who have the skills and expertise in developing similar initiatives.

EOI information detail and application guidelines: Here 

Application deadline: No later than midnight on 11 June 2023, ICT, UTC +7, by email to [email protected]

Applications must follow the provided guideline and submission format as outlined in the Application Template and Budget Proposal.

More information about the ESCAP’s Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme, please visit https://www.unescap.org/projects/cwe

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the project ‘Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship’ (CWE), funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, and implemented by ESCAP.

The objective is to partner and provide grant funding in Cambodia, one of the Catalysing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) programme’s focus countries, in the following theme:

Reducing the burden and negative repercussions of over-indebtedness of women entrepreneurs and their families.

This call for Expressions of Interest asks for proposals from organisations helping to relieve the burden and reduce the repercussions of over-indebtedness for women entrepreneurs and their families in Cambodia. Repossession of land, and coping mechanisms such as reduction in food intake, child labour and homelessness are among the reported debt related negative spill-over effects. Organisations working with women entrepreneurs to support their livelihoods in light of their debt are invited to apply.

Project Implementation Timeline: 15 July 2023 to 31 March 2024, or any shorter timeframe proposed within these dates.

Applications are open to all organizations which hold a not-for-profit status in Cambodia. A proof of the organization’s not-for-profit status will be required as part of the application process.

EOI information detail and application guidelines: Here 

Application deadline: No later than midnight on 11 June 2023, ICT, UTC +7, by email to [email protected]

Applications must follow the provided guideline and submission format as outlined in the Application Template and Budget Proposal.

More information about the ESCAP’s Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme, please visit https://www.unescap.org/projects/cwe

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the project ‘Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship’ (CWE), funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, and implemented by ESCAP.

The objective is to partner and provide grant funding for the following theme in four of the Catalysing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) programme’s focus countries Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and Viet Nam.

Increasing the resilience of women-led micro and small enterprises to climate change impacts.

The proposals submitted should provide innovative approaches to supporting women's entrepreneurs in any or multiple of the four countries to increase the resilience of women-led micro and small enterprises, to adapt their business models and ways of working to the context of climate change.

Project Implementation Timeline: 15 July 2023 to 31 March 2024, or any shorter timeframe proposed within these dates.

Applications are open to all organizations which hold a not-for-profit status in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and/or Viet Nam. A proof of the organization’s not-for-profit status will be required as part of the application process. Applications are also open to other UN, government and multilateral entities, who have the skills and expertise in developing similar initiatives

EOI information detail and application guidelines: Here 

Application deadline: No later than midnight on 11 June 2023, ICT, UTC +7, by email to [email protected]

Applications must follow the provided guideline and submission format as outlined in the Application Template and Budget Proposal.

More information about the ESCAP’s Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme, please visit https://www.unescap.org/projects/cwe

The United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) has launched its 2023 Call for Concept Notes with an overall disbursement amount of US$ 4 million. The core priorities of this Call for Concept Notes are determined by UNRSF’s Global Framework Plan of Action for Road Safety  which reflects a holistic and inclusive system approach to addressing challenges in road safety and builds upon the proven success of the countries with the strongest records in road safety. Additional special priorities of this Call for Concept Notes are based on the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

ESCAP is one of the Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs) eligible to submit the concept notes and apply for the fund. Interested eligible government entities from the ESCAP Member States and stakeholders who would like to submit a concept note for the fund through ESCAP are encouraged to refer to the 2023 Application Guidelines and 2023 Call for Project Concept Note Template.

The Participating Organization Engagement Strategy for the UN Road Safety Fund 2023 Call for Concept Notes is now available.

The deadline for submitting a Concept Note to the ESCAP Transport Division is 19 March 2023. For further details, please contact Mr. Ishtiaque Ahmed, ESCAP Transport Division at e-mail: [email protected].
 
Since the Fund’s establishment in 2018, ESCAP has successfully completed a road safety project in the Philippines. ESCAP is currently implementing two projects, one in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and another in the Islamic Republic of Iran and is going to implement four more projects funded by the UNRSF.

BACKGROUND 

The digital environment is altering traditional understandings of how we trade, what we produce, and what we consume. Digital trade is broadly defined as trade enabled through growing digital connectivity. It is widely recognized that digital trade has great potential to help address the societal and environmental goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development when treated well. It can also hamper achieving those objectives when handled poorly.

In that context, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), together with collaborators including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), launch this call for papers to collect contributions to better understand the impacts of digital trade and investment on Sustainable Development Goals and policy implications.

The contributions include empirical evidence, descriptive statistics, or case studies. It should draw clear policy conclusions from the research findings. The selected papers will be peer-reviewed by the advisory group to be published as part of the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report (APTIR) on “Unleashing digital trade and investment for sustainable development” background paper series. Selected contributors will be invited to present in a virtual ARTNeT conference to be organized in late 2023 (date to be confirmed).

TOPICS

Theme 1 The role of digital trade and investment in sustainable development

Papers in theme one should contribute to addressing one of the following topics:

• The roles of digital trade and investment on sustainable development goals (SDGs).
• the trends and patterns in digital trade and investment in Asia and the Pacific,
• the implications of digital trade and investment trends on countries with special needs[1] in Asia and the Pacific

Theme 2 Digital policy trends affecting trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific

Papers in theme 2 contribute to addressing one of the following topics:

• Trends and patterns of digital policies in Asia-Pacific
• Implications of digital policies on trade in different goods and services both in traditional and digital sectors
• Potential impacts of other policies and regulations (beyond digital regulations) that can have a material impact on digital trade and investment.

Theme 3 Multilateral and Regional Cooperation Trends in Digital Trade and Investment

Papers in theme 3 contribute to addressing one of the following topics:

• The ongoing trends in multilateral and regional cooperation initiatives related to digital trade and investment.
• A comparative analysis of the coverage and the level of the bindingness of various regional cooperation initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region

Theme 4 Promoting sustainable and inclusive development through digital trade policy and digitally driven industrialization

Papers in theme 4 contribute to addressing one of the following topics:

• Good practices in trade policy, industrialization policy, or digital trade facilitation policy in selected Asia-Pacific countries
• Promoting sustainable and inclusive development of countries with special needs through digital trade and digitally-driven industrialization

Theme 5 Attracting digital FDI to cultivate a sustainable and inclusive digital economy.

Papers in theme 5 contribute to addressing one of the following topics:

• Making investing and attracting FDI in the digital economy more sustainable and inclusive.
• Good practices of policies related to MNCs and GVCs in the digital economy of developing Asia-Pacific countries

Theme 6 the impact of different trade and investment-related policy scenarios on sustainable and inclusive development  

Papers in theme 6 contribute to addressing one of the following topics:

• the impact of regulatory cooperation in different digital trade-related policy
• the effect of regulatory cooperation among different groups of economies
• the impact of investment in digital-trade/economy-related sectors.

FORMAT OF SUBMISSION 

Expression of interests / applications should be submitted in English, and should include the following:

1) contact information and resume of the authors

2) an extended abstract (300 words and up to 500 words) outlining:

 • structure of the paper

 • the main issues, hypotheses, arguments, references

 • country/regional focus,

 • data or case studies to be considered

The call for applications is open until 19 March 2023. Successful candidates will be notified on 31 March 2023and invited to submit a draft paper (5,000-8,000 words), due by 30 April 2023.

Please send your application via email to Ms Witada Anukoonwattaka at [email protected] with a copy to Ms Nucharat Tuntiwigit at [email protected] and Ms Natnicha Sutthivana at [email protected]

Notes:

1. Only selected candidate(s) would be contacted. If there is no feasible proposal, research on that topic will NOT be carried out.

2. Co-authorship is permitted.

EARLY CAREER RESEARCH AWARD 

Shortlisted young research contributors will be considered for an Early Career Researcher award. The award is intended for early career researchers who submit a highly-quality, original, and innovative paper. An eligible candidate for the award is the lead author of the paper selected and is a PhD student or a young researcher with at most five years of full-time research/academia work experience.

The award winner will receive the following:

• A certificate of achievement from the United Nations
• Invitation to apply for a modest consultancy contract at the United Nations ESCAP’s Division of Trade, Investment and Innovation will be presented to the lead author of the winning paper for work during a term that is mutually agreed upon between the United Nations ESCAP and the award winner. The contract will be issued in line with United Nations rules and regulations.

Notes:

• Only the award winner would be contacted. If there is no qualified paper, the award will NOT be carried out.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Should you have any questions, please email Ms Witada Anukoonwattaka ([email protected]) with a copy to Ms Nucharat Tuntiwigit ([email protected]) and Ms Natnicha Sutthivana ([email protected]).

 [1] Countries with Special Needs include the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Islands Developing States (SIDs) that exclude Singapore.

Digitalization of trade procedures, especially through the application of emerging technologies, could contribute to trade cost reduction and efficient and inclusive trade-related processes. Despite the significant benefits it could bring,[1] paperless trade systems and applications face challenges, including interoperability and data security. Emerging technologies, such as distributed ledger technology/blockchain, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and data analytics, has the potential to address some of these challenges.

In this context, the ESCAP Secretariat invites interested researchers and practitioners to make proposals to carry out studies on the implementation of cross-border electronic exchange of trade-related data via emerging technologies. The studies will also be used to enhance the template for feasibility studies to identify feasible trade data and data exchange mechanisms for initiating the cross-border electronic exchange.

Research Duration

1 April – 30 June 2023 (The first draft paper should be ready by 15 May)

Research Output

A research paper on the topic with the focus on:

• Feasibility of emerging (rather than technologies themselves, but on its practical application)
• Application of emerging technologies for digitalization of trade procedures
• Business to government (B2G) or government to government transactions (G2G) (not business to business (B2B))
• Must provide guidance and recommendations on the application of emerging technologies for cross-border electronic exchange of trade-related data, suitable for countries in the Asia-Pacific region

The research paper would be in the form of either:

1. Case studies or use cases of  implementation of cross-border electronic exchange of trade-related data and/or document via emerging technologies from developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region (LDCs are desirable):
   1. Description of the case, including scope and functionalities, institutional aspects, tehnological aspects, financial and human resource aspects, cost and benefits achiebed
   2. Critical barriers to implementation
   3. Comparison between traditional technologies versus emerging technologies (while defining critical areas for the comparison)
2. Overview of selected emerging technologies in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in LDCs – based on literature review
   1. Summary of emerging technologies application for digitalization of trade procedures
   2. Key barriers for application (especially those unique and common for LDCs)
   3. Comparison between traditional technologies versus emerging technologies (while defining critical areas for the comparison)

The paper would be 8,000-12,000 words, excluding tables, figures, references and appendices. Format and style for the research paper will be provided for the selected proposals. It should be free of grammatical and stylistic errors. Based on previous experience, it is expected the report will undergo several rounds of reviews, and the consultant should be ready to address feedback in a timely manner.

Benefits

Consultancy fees of up to 10,000 USD will be issued to carry out the research and deliver the paper – depending on the proposed scope, methodology, and researcher’s experience.

Other benefits for selected proposals:

• Presentation of research findings in ESCAP events on trade facilitation and cross-border paperless trade, where relevant
• Publication of the research paper in UN publications or through ESCAP regional networks, including ARTNeT and UNNExT, where relevant and suitable

Submission

Please apply as soon as possible or no later than 24 March 2023

Individual(s) with relevant expertise are invited to submit research proposals to Mr. Yann Duval, Chief of Trade Policy and Facilitation, ESCAP [email protected] with a copy to Ms. Soo Hyun Kim [email protected]

The submission should include:

1. An email expressing interest
2. In 500 words or less, a research proposal, including 1) a summary of the research, including scope, methodology, and detailed tentative outline of the paper, 2) research schedule/timeline, and 3) main expected outcome/finding/recommendation, and;
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV) and any other evidence of relevant work.

Selection criteria

The criteria used to evaluate the proposals will be based on the feasibility of the proposed research plan (75%), with heavy bearing on expected outcome/findings: and previous work experience of the applicant(s) in the areas related to the research topic (25%).

Notes:

1. Only selected candidate(s) would be contacted.
2. Considering the specialized nature of topics, successful proposals are expected to come from researchers who already have work/research experience.
3. Candidates are encouraged to make a proposal jointly with other researchers and practitioners to maximize synergy and complementarity of expertise.

For further information:

Please email Ms. Soo Hyun Kim at [email protected] should you have any questions.

The Transport and Communications Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific is a peer-reviewed journal published every year since 1950 by the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

ESCAP is calling for original research papers addressing low carbon transport. Papers are expected to advance knowledge and innovative concepts and offer policy recommendations on decarbonization and low carbon transport. Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited, the following:

•    Addressing energy efficiency of transport operations, systems, vehicles, and vessels;
•    Low carbon transport pathways;
•    Use of renewable and alternate energy for transport activities, including green fuels for shipping;
•    Fuel economy standards; 
•    Energy and transport systems analysis;
•    Energy transition for low carbon transport;
•    Transport optimization;
•    Integrated systems analysis;
•    Transport network analysis;
•    Application of emerging technology and innovations in passenger and freight transport;
•    Transport demand and emissions scenarios and projections;
•    Transport demand, carbon emissions and energy use modeling and analysis;
•    Transport behavior modeling;
•    Addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation in the transport sector;
•    Regional cooperation, collaboration and partnerships on low carbon transport, and
•    Linkages between transport policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Papers can be qualitative or quantitative analytical studies, regional, country, city or location specific case studies, policy analysis, review, empirical analysis addressing low carbon transport, and directly or indirectly contributing towards the achievement of SDG 7 (energy efficiency in transport), SDG 9 (resilient and inclusive transport infrastructure), 11 (affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems) and SDG 13 (climate change and transport). Submitted papers will be evaluated based on their analytical depth or novel perspectives. Only unpublished papers will be considered. All papers will be peer reviewed.

Interested authors are requested to send an abstract (no more than 200 words) to the Editor, Transport Division, ESCAP ([email protected]) and ([email protected]) not later than 1 March 2023. Following an internal review, authors will be asked to submit their full papers. Completed papers may not exceed 7,500 words and have to follow the format specified in the ESCAP “Guidelines for contributors” (to be provided later). The Bulletin will be published online in the last quarter of 2023.
 

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