• OPINION

  Regional cooperation vital to sustainable growth

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 07/05/2018

  » Asia and the Pacific remains the engine of the global economy. It continues to power trade, investment and jobs the world over. Two thirds of the region's economies grew faster in 2017 than the previous year and the trend is expected to continue in 2018.

• OPINION

  Pyeongchang winter games herald peace, prosperity

  Oped, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 09/02/2018

  » All eyes are on the 23rd Olympic Winter Games and 12th Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. Top athletes will carry their national flags in an opening ceremony which has come to epitomise the international community. Sports fans worldwide eagerly await the Olympics, and this time there is cause for cautious optimism that sport diplomacy may lower tensions on the Korean Peninsula itself. Leaders, diplomats and citizens from the world over will witness North and South Korean athletes walking side by side. For this, there could be few better places than Pyeongchang, which means peace (Pyeong) and prosperity (Chang): goals integral to the mission of the United Nations and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

• OPINION

  Living sustainably alongside increasing natural risks

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 20/09/2017

  » The past few weeks have been a grim reminder that natural disasters know no borders. They can strike countries at opposite ends of the globe simultaneously and whether in Asia or North America, the images of people and livelihoods being swept away are disturbing.

• OPINION

  Escap continues to build on seven decades of success

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 27/05/2017

  » The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) marks its 70th anniversary this year. This is a rare opportunity for the oldest and largest of the United Nations regional commissions to take stock of past achievements, but also to spotlight where efforts need to be concentrated to meet new challenges.

• OPINION

  Effective governance is key for growth in Asia-Pacific

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 04/05/2017

  » The Asia-Pacific region's high and steady economic growth has been an anchor of stability for the struggling world economy in recent years. Developing economies of the region now account for almost a third of global GDP, slightly less than the combined output of the developed economies of North America and Western Europe.

• OPINION

  Asia-Pacific moves towards global development goals

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 05/04/2017

  » With just over a year since the adoption of a historic blueprint to end poverty and protect the planet, positive signs have already started to emerge among countries in the Asia-Pacific region as they push ahead with the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• OPINION

  Disasters need better risk handling

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 30/01/2017

  » This month's floods are a worrisome reminder of the increasing uncertainty of extreme weather events. Thailand's flood season usually ends in November, but this year, influenced by a low depression area and a strong northeast monsoon, widespread flooding in the south of the country has killed more than 90 people, affected over 330,000 households, and resulted in widespread asset losses.

• OPINION

  Asean needs to cross boundaries

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 20/02/2017

  » The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has shown to be an exemplary role model for regional cooperation guiding the 10-country bloc on the path toward shared prosperity and sustainable development.

• OPINION

  Plan for energy transition is crucial

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 18/01/2017

  » The Asia-Pacific region is at a turning point in its energy trajectory. The energy solutions that have fuelled growth in the region over the past few decades are no longer compatible with the sustainable development aspirations of our nations and their people. In transitioning to a new era of sustainable energy, policymakers across the region face complex decisions. Supplies must be secure and affordable, and they must fill the energy access gap which leaves half a billion people across the region without access to electricity.

• OPINION

  An opportunity to raise productivity

  News, Shamshad Akhtar, Published on 30/11/2016

  » Against the backdrop of a sluggish global economy, lacklustre trade growth, and uncertainty in major economies, countries of the Asia-Pacific region continued to push ahead at an estimated 4.9% in 2016.

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