6 August 2014: The UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) launched a 70-year review of social and economic development in the region, on the sidelines of its 70th session in Bangkok, Thailand. Titled ‘Asia and the Pacific: A Story of Transformation and Resurgence,’ the review is a “survey of surveys” that traces the story of development in the region, based on ESCAP’s annual Economic and Social Surveys since 1947, when the Commission was known as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE).

The report has 15 chapters outlining the history of ESCAP and the diverse development experiences of countries in the region, analyzing shifts in development policies and paradigms. For example, economic successes in Hong Kong and Singapore are traced to domestic strategies that ran counter to the tenets of free trade. The survey also discusses challenges faced in countries with histories of violent conflicts, and the different development experiences of India and China. Chapter 14 outlines the changing discourse around ‘the quest for sustainable development,’ including innovations in the use of renewable resources, and the challenge of achieving inclusive growth.

ESCAP also launched its Economic and Social Survey 2014, which reviews the current socio-economic situation in the region and contains a thematic study, titled ‘Regional Connectivity for Shared Prosperity.’ The thematic study proposes possible areas for regional cooperation to enhance connectivity.

All of the annual economic and social surveys since 1947 are available in digital format. [Publication: Asia and the Pacific: A Story of Transformation and Resurgence] [Publication: Economic and Social Survey 2014 (Executive Summary)] [Links to all reports]