ABSTRACT
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is based on a commitment to ‘leave no-one behind’. South-East Asia faces a multitude of challenges from widening development gaps to the rapid ageing of society. Attaining sustainable growth remains a challenge in many economies. Indeed, significant differences in development outcomes between countries, and within countries, underscore the vulnerability of those who have participated fully in the development process.
Through the compilation of ESCAP publications on South-East Asia and ASEAN, this document aims to characterize the involvement of ESCAP to facilitate the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and support regional integration in Asia and the Pacific, particularly in ASEAN region. It also serves as a reference on how ESCAP continues to support the broader goal of empowering people, reducing growing inequality, and working to support more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable growth in the ASEAN region. To this end, the focus is given to priority areas of infrastructure connectivity, disaster resilience, inequality, sustainable consumption, and production, as well as regional integration and related cross-cutting issues.