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The potential of the creative economy to drive sustainable and resilient economic growth is high on the agenda of the participating States of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), i.e., Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,…
Increasing the use of digital solutions including those developed by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) can enhance the sustainability and resilience of supply chains and strengthen global connectivity.
In a series of capacity-building activities…
In recent years, the participating States of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - have observed rapid growth in the number and impact of business incubators and…
With a long history of reliance on resource-based industries for growth, countries of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan - have embraced the power of innovation…
Many incidents in freight transport are attributed to poor practices in the packing of freight containers, including inadequate securing of cargo, overloading and incorrect declaration of contents. The victims of these incidents may be the general public or transport and supply chain workers, who…
Representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan met at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to discuss ways to unlock the resource potential and promote a sustainable future in Central Asia. The meeting was part of the UNECE Resource Management Week 2023…
During her recent two-day visit to Turkmenistan UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova spoke at international conference “Dialogue is a Guarantee of Peace” in Ashgabat and discussed areas of cooperation with the highest government officials, focusing on future circular, digital and green…
During its recent mission in Turkmenistan, a UNECE delegation presented a proposal for a new analytical project - “Trade and Innovation for Sustainable Development of Turkmenistan” - to the government and international stakeholders, aimed at supporting the country to enhance innovation governance…
UNECE and the QazTrade Center for Trade Policy Development are joining forces to advance sustainable trade and the circular economy in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the first country in Central Asia to use the SPECA Principles of Sustainable Trade - a set of twenty principles, adopted by the countries…
The COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent economic downturn, and the far-reaching negative effects of the war in Ukraine, have created additional development challenges for Central Asian economies. This includes the countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA),…
The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have disrupted global value chains and created new challenges for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) enshrined in the 2030 Agenda. This became particularly consequential for many economies in Central Asia, which have strong trade ties…
SPECA countries are facing unique challenges, stemming from at least three crises: the need to deal with the regional and global repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the political upheaval in Afghanistan, and the conflict in Ukraine. With the correct policies and mechanisms for subregional…
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to hit hard the countries of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) and highlights the need to diversify from current, resource-dependent models of economic development. This will mean putting ‘innovation and technology that…
Countries in the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) are falling behind potential on many metrics of innovation performance. R&D spending remains below 1 per cent of GDP, almost entirely publicly funded, and SPECA countries rely extensively on natural resources,…
Building upon the recent Innovation for Sustainable Development Review (I4SDR), UNECE and the Ministry of Innovative Development of Uzbekistan are discussing the implementation of the report recommendations and engaging in dialogue on sustainable innovation-led development this week in Geneva at…
A small sub-set of small- and medium-sized enterprises – innovative, high-growth enterprises (IHGEs) – plays an outsize role in innovation and structural transformation as they spearhead experimentation with new ideas to create value, address challenges, and reduce transaction costs. A critical…
Transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy away from a resource-intensive model of economic growth is central for sustainable development among the seven countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,…
Countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus and Eastern Europe have been hit hard by the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which threatens to derail sustainable development progress in the region.
However, there is also a stronger momentum towards regional cooperation, and countries can…
With the COVID-19 pandemic, Trade facilitation has acquired even greater importance for the land-locked countries of Central Asia, as it helps remove burdensome formalities for their trade and transport operations. Simplifying and digitalizing procedures helps diminish physical contacts along…
A circular economy is a paradigm which can contribute to reducing the economic, environmental and social costs of resource use, while at the same time strengthening economic competitiveness, reducing poverty, and providing better quality of life, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for…
The economic downturn due to COVID-19 will hit the countries of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – hard and exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. As a region highly reliant on…
The nations of Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – together with Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, are undergoing significant transformations as they advance in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, these countries are…
Central Asia lacks a coherent regional approach to address water, energy and environment challenges, which are largely transnational and can only be tackled in a collaborative manner. To remedy this situation, water, energy and environment specialists from seven countries (Afghanistan,…
Technological, economic, and institutional innovation will be essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To this end, the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), which includes Afghanistan,…
Given the close links between the energy, water management and environmental protection sectors, improved cooperation between the countries in Central Asia is crucial to achieve the relevant Sustainable Development goals. This was the main conclusion of the 20th session of the SPECA Working…