Many developing rural communities within Asia-Pacific Countries have inadequate access to Internet, digital products, and services as well as the transport system, and public utilities, in comparison to urban areas and rural communities in advanced Asia-Pacific countries. In this regard, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the linkage between digitalization, transport connectivity and sustainable development.
In consideration of the above, ESCAP is implementing a project funded by the United Nations Development Account-14 tranche, with an objective to strengthen the capacity of government officials in three Asia-Pacific countries, namely, Bangladesh, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Samoa, to develop innovative strategies for improving rural digital and transport connectivity for socio-economic resilience. The project is being implemented by the Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division (IDD) and the Transport Division (TD) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in collaboration with partner organizations and national institutions. Under the project, a regional inception meeting was organized on 3 November 2022 in a hybrid format in Bangkok with the three participating countries, and the two-day Lao PDR national workshop was organized on 30-31 May 2023 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
The two-day national workshop will be organized on 8-9 May 2024 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, bringing together relevant stakeholders to review the proposed actionable strategies prepared by national consultants, share good local and regional practices, and identify and prioritize possible actionable strategies for implementation.
For further information, please contact the ICT and Development Section, ICT and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, ESCAP, e-mail: [email protected].
