This review examines existing literature on transgender people’s human rights and HIV vulnerability across the Asia-Pacific region. The focus in this report is mainly (though not exclusively) on lower income and middle income countries of the region. This is not to suggest that transgender people in more affluent countries do not experience challenges. On the contrary, they often find themselves excluded from economic opportunities enjoyed by others and end up facing many of the same challenges of survival as do trans* people
in less developed economies.

The report analyses the climate change impacts from the perspectives of mountain dwellers, delta communities, islanders, indigenous and tribal peoples and the urban poor.

 

The report states that simultaneous action on both  daptation and mitigation is required for building resilient societies in Asia and the Pacific. The report calls for alternative sustainable development paths that fulfill the urgent human development needs of today while preserving a habitable planet.

The 2012 second issue of the newsletter covers events and activities across the region on macroeconomics issues from a gender perspective. Read more about gender  mainstreaming activities, surveys of disabilities and gender in the Philippines, gender-responsive budgeting in Malaysia and more...

This report documents the presentations and discussions made during the “Making Global Fund Money Work for  Communities: Community Partnership Consultation” held in Pattaya, Thailand on 7-8 December 2011.

It aims to draw attention to the issues associated with how current approaches to Global Fund proposals and grants management processes have hindered grantees’ abilities to inclusively develop and effectively implement rights-based programmes that best serve their communities. The report provides a wide array of recommendations for the Global Fund Secretariat, Board, Local Fund Agents and Global Fund technical partners.

The report, A Review of Socio-economic Empowerment Initiatives for Women Living with HIV in Asia, documents and shares key lessons learned on socio-economic empowerment initiatives for women living with HIV in the Asia region. While similar activities have been undertaken in the region since the early 1990s, few of these have specifically targeted women living with HIV, and documentation of these initiatives is sparse. The report examines the experiences of 10 initiatives in Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam with approaches covering microfinance, vocational training, livelihoods and social enterprises.

The Women and Wealth Project Results Assessment details the experiences of this innovative pilot project that sought to empower and improve the well-being of women living with HIV through the development of social enterprises that would provide a livelihood and a safe working environment free of stigma and discrimination, build self-confidence and increase community acceptance. The project, implemented by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) of Thailand and UNDP in close collaboration with networks of women/PLHIV at four sites in Cambodia, India and China, achieved considerable success in empowerment of the women involved. The report also sheds light on unsuccessful experiences and valuable lessons, which could greatly benefit similar initiatives.

The APRC Annual Report 2011 showcases our impact over the year highlighting results in priority areas of work including: MDG acceleration and social protection; gender equality; climate change and crisis resilience. Finding effective approaches to these complex issues required thinking outside of the thematic silos and combining the knowledge and expertise of all APRC practice teams. One of the most exciting results of these efforts is the cross-practice collaboration and the integrated interdisciplinary support that APRC is now able to offer to UNDP Country Offices across Asia-Pacific and its development partners.

The 'Innovative Approaches' series aims to highlight and promote the catalytic innovation and broad-based partnership building which are essential to producing sustainable results in the HIV response.

The 'Innovative Approaches' series aims to highlight and promote the catalytic innovation and broad-based partnership building which are essential to producing sustainable results in the HIV response.

The 'Innovative Approaches' series aims to highlight and promote the catalytic innovation and broad-based partnership building which are essential to producing sustainable results in the HIV response.

The report seeks to address the outstanding issues and concerns relating to the South Asian regional integration processes. The study finds that the existing provisions relating to special and differential treatment for the LDCs are neither meaningful nor enforceable. A key issue has been the steady erosion of preferences of the LDCs in the Indian economy, which serves as the largest market in the region. This is ascribed to India’s participation in extra-regional agreements along with India’s recent announcement of unilateral duty-free and quota-free treatment for all LDCs worldwide.

This report argues that there are good reasons to include services under South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), not least because of the potential all round gains that the sector could bring to the member countries.

The report pulls together national and regional information on services, at the aggregate level and in individual service sectors, to obtain a consolidated picture of recent trends
in liberalization in South Asia wherever data was available. These trends are expected to have a significant bearing on regional integration, growth and development objectives in
the region. The larger objective is to provide an evidence-based analysis for the ongoing services negotiations and for providing concrete policy options to further a more inclusive
process of regional integration across the region.

The 2012 first issue of the newsletter covers events and activities across the region on macroeconomics issues from a gender perspective. Read more about the Gender Asset and Wealth Gap, Socio-Economic Impact of HIV on Women and Girls. This issue also introduces a new handbook The Need for Gender Responsive Budgeting, a result of the Workshop on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) held in Penang, Malaysia in February 2011. 

This report underlines the extent of disparities across the region, looking especially at the wide gaps in the goals related to health and nutrition where the region is particularly under-performing. Even countires that have been making rapid economic progress still lose shocking numbers of children before their fifth birthday as well as thousands of mothers who did unnecessarily, as a consequence of the nautral process of childbirth. The report also reveals many opportunities for improving health outcomes - highlighting the policies and programmes which, when backed by commitment and adequate resources, could help make the Asia-Pacific region a driving forece behind the global achievement of all the MDGs.

 

The report has emerged from wide consultation, not just within and between the three partner organizations, but also many other UN agencies, particularly UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO.

 

 

This report summarises the presentations and discussions from the Access to Justice Week in October 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand, hosted by UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre. It complements a companion publication, Access to Justice Assessments in the Asia Pacific: A Review of Experiences and Tools from the Region (UNDP 2011).
The report is divided into two sections according to the following two thematic events; Non-State Justice Systems: Principles and Practices Symposium, and Regional Consultation on Access to Justice Assessments.

This publication is a compilation of the Asia-Pacific Regional Centre initiated online discussion, Ensuring Inclusion: An e-Discussion on Social Protection, held from 7 September to 14 October 2011. In addition to Asia and the Pacific, contributions were received from Africa, Arab States, Europe and CIS, and Latin America and the Caribbean.  The diversity in contributions made the discussion truly global in nature and provided a useful platform for sharing and exchanging knowledge across regions. The e-discussion aimed to explore and promote social protection policies and programs across a range of sectors. In addition to deepening understanding and fostering an exchange of experiences, the discussion enriched the debate on the practical implications of social protection initiatives, making the discussion particularly relevant for UN country office programming. It also created opportunities for collaboration among UNDP staff at the global, regional and country levels, development practitioners from different UN agencies, civil society, academics and experts. Such broad-based interaction will help build momentum towards promoting effective social protection initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

This discussion paper conceptualizes social protection as part and parcel of overall public service delivery, and examines the role that local governments can play in implementing social protection related policies. It aims to shed light on two important questions that have not been systematically addressed in the existing literature. First, what added value can local government bring to safety
net programmes? Does ‘going local’ improve or strengthen the effectiveness of social safety net initiatives? Secondly, and, inversely, what can safety net programmes bring to local government? Are there advantages for local governments in being more involved in the management and implementation of safety net programmes?

 

This publication is jointly produced by UNCDF and UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre. We hope it will provide useful knowledge for policymakers and development practitioners, and that it will enrich the debate on the role that local governments can play to foster more inclusive and sustainable growth across the developing world.

This report documents good practices and lessons learned in addressing energy poverty and expanding energy services for the poor. It draws from the experiences of 17 energy access programmes and projects in the Asia-Pacific region. It highlights that breaking through the energy-poverty cycle is best achieved by combining the delivery of energy services with measures that generate cash incomes. This ‘Energy Plus’ approach has the greatest potential for reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

 

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents a ‘good practice’ – the efficacy of large-scale manufacturing and worldwide distribution of fuel-efficient, low-emission and low-cost stoves. In collaboration with USA based designer Aprovecho Research Center, China-based Shengzhou Stove Manufacturer was able, in its first year of operation, to deliver 90,000 stoves to eight countries.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents a microfinancing scheme in the Philippines which makes renewable energy technologies accessible to poor households. BEST-OF-PREN provides loans to microfinancing intermediaries that work in poor provinces where a low percentage of households have access to electricity. To date, the project has supported 16 renewable energy microfinancing sub-projects in 14 provinces.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents a successful practice of encouraging private sector participation in the construction of more than 200,000 biogas plants in Nepal. Additional subsidies and microfinance loans for the poor improve the affordability of the technology, leading to its large-scale dissemination to poor and disadvantaged communities.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents a national biogas project in China which, between 2001 and 2010, provided around 32 million biogas plants for 110 million people. The project is a successful example of large-scale energy expansion through joint government action at all levels, working closely with the target beneficiaries.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the Capacity Building for the Rapid Commercialization of Renewable Energy project (CRE) in China. The CRE has promoted widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies by strengthening the capacities of public and private organizations, facilitating and supporting new policy initiatives, developing a regulatory system, and providing technical and co-financing support for high-value commercial pilot projects.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the Fijian Government’s achievements in expanding access to electricity in rural areas over the 1986-2009 period. It identifies key government institutions in rural electrification, assesses the objectives and implementation of the 1993 Rural Electrification Policy, and identifies good practices, challenges and lessons learned.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the experience of the Improved Water Mill programme in Nepal, which promotes a simple and versatile technology that uses available water resources to produce 3-4 kW of mechanical and electrical power to meet rural energy needs. The study shows that expanding energy services for the poor needs to combine an appropriate and affordable technology with access to financial services, private sector motivation and a clear formulation of responsibilities and ownership.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the experiences of Jagriti, a community-based organization operating in the hilly areas of India that implements its programme through women’s savings and credit groups. Jagriti has been disseminating a number of energy-saving devices that have improved the lives of poor women while empowering them in a variety of ways.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the experiences of the Government of Sri Lanka in expanding access to energy over 1997-2011 through ESD and RERED projects. In particular, the study reviews the projects’ successful strategy of sector-wide capacity building, creating awareness of renewable energy technologies and making renewable energy lending attractive to the financial sector.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents a successful community-based micro-hydro project that provided electricity to households in a remote village in Bhutan. The project has had a significant impact on the livelihoods of the community members, has supported income-generating activities through a community-managed Community Collateral Fund, and has contributed to the development of the national micro-hydro policy.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the experience of a private company disseminating rechargeable solar lanterns to off-grid households in rural Lao PDR as an alternative to the use of diesel. By constructing solar charging stations and distributing rechargeable lanterns, Sunlabob uses an innovative method of service delivery: end-users only pay for the charging, rather than for the lanterns themselves. This fee-for-service model effectively enables poor households in off-grid areas to buy hours of solar lighting, offering a cheaper, cleaner and safer alternative to kerosene lamps.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents an entrepreneurship model applied by Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) to meet the energy needs of informal industries in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (India). The model and disseminated energy-efficient technologies seek to improve end user productivity, profitability and the employee working environment. During 1998-2009, TIDE disseminated 11,840 energy-efficient industrial stoves, dryers and kilns, improving the life of at least 135,000 people.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents the piloting of renewable energy technologies in isolated rural communities in Timor-Leste. The programme reached 1,875 individuals in 375 households, with multiple impacts on quality of life, income and livelihoods. The programme also developed a national Rural Energy Policy, creating an overarching framework for future government activities in improving rural energy access in Timor-Leste.

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

This case study documents an energy service delivery model that takes into account local social and cultural settings to ensure effective electrification. The Community Powerhouse model, implemented in remote island communities of Vanuatu, provides decentralized wind- and solar-generated electric power through a series of micro-grids and battery-charging stations, and establishes community energy utilities in target areas.

 

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

Between 2009 and 2011 UNDP undertook a review of 17 energy access programmes in the Asia-Pacific region. This Action Agenda Note presents a summary of the key conclusions and recommendations, providing guidance for policy makers and development practitioners on expanding energy access in a manner that contributes to poverty reduction. The Note examines complex issues such as enabling policies, diffusion of low-emission energy technologies, financing, institutional frameworks, community empowerment, local entrepreneurship and market development.

 

The Action Agenda Note attempts to answer the following key questions:

a) What are the common features of energy access programmes and projects that have succeeded in providing access to clean, affordable and reliable energy services to the poor for cooking, heating,
lighting, communications and productive uses?
 
b) What can governments and development partners do to further expand and upscale such programmes and projects?

 

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific

This report is one of 17 case studies of energy access projects across Asia-Pacific, published as part of a review Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor. By identifying key project characteristics that have helped poor households and communities gain access to energy, case studies derive lessons for future energy access activities. Countries covered include Bhutan, China, Fiji, India, Lao PDR, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

 

This case study documents RGGVY, an Indian government-led rural electrification programme that
brought electricity to nearly 12 million households through construction and decentralized operation
of electricity distribution infrastructure. Based primarily on desk research, this report presents
an analysis of implementation efforts, costs and achievements of RGGVY since its launch in 2005. The
analysis focuses on 10 states with the highest and the lowest levels of rural household electrification
in 2004-2005.

 

Read Main Report: Towards an ‘Energy Plus’ Approach for the Poor: A review of good practices and lessons learned from Asia and the Pacific