25-May-2022: 78th Commission Session of UN-ESCAP

Emerging technologies and their innovative applications in the energy sector offer advantages such as efficiency improvement, emissions reduction and cost optimization, among others. Enabling policies and strategies are essential to facilitate transfer and diffusion of emerging technologies across the Asia-Pacific region. To discuss and identify strategic priorities for adoption of emerging technologies in the energy sector, a virtual side event was organized on 24 May 2022 during the 78th Session of ESCAP, from 23-27 May 2022. The event was jointly organized by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and the Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) of ESCAP.

Welcoming the delegates, Mr. Surinder Pal Singh, Joint Secretary of DSIR & National Focal Point (India) for APCTT underlined the critical importance of emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, Blockchain and Big Data for the energy and power sector and called for more engagement to work for solutions and adoption of these technologies among member states.

The Head of APCTT, Dr. Preeti Soni, highlighted the need to identify regional priorities and explore strategies for cross-border transfer and diffusion of emerging technologies among member States in the energy sector. Ms. Alpana Dubey, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Bangkok and Deputy Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, appreciated the efforts of DSIR in jointly organizing this important side event and expressed her hope that this event would result in collective action at all levels in tackling climate change issues, through adoption of emerging technologies, in the energy sector. Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, in her special remarks, highlighted the need to arrive at suitable strategies for international cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.

The thematic session on ‘Regional priorities and challenges’ was moderated by Dr. Soni. The eminent panelists comprised (1) Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance, (2) Dr. Rose Mwebaza, Director and Advisory Board Secretary, Climate Technology Centre & Network, (3) Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, and (4) Prof. Pinakeswar Mahanta, Director, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Arunachal Pradesh, India. The panelists presented their experiences and recommendations regarding the regional priorities and challenges in the energy sector for climate change mitigation, based on current trends in the sector with examples of best practices from the Asia-Pacific region. The experts underscored the need for regional collaboration and conducive policy ecosystem to overcome the existing challenges and to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies in the energy sector. The participants from member countries and institutions /organizations raised very inquisitive queries especially from Philippines and Pakistan among others. The representative of Philippines appreciated the need of renewable power sector and asked about the policies and measures taken by government of India in successful promotion of renewable energy and use of emerging technologies in the country which was replied by the Indian representatives in detail. The representative from Pakistan raised a pertinent question about the agreement between India and France on solar technology. Representative from United Kingdom was of the opinion that partnerships are crucial for community development and acknowledged ISA’ statement on women being enlisted to sell solar panels which proves an excellent example demonstrating the active participation of women and community in the transition towards clean energy. She requested the Indian speakers to share more examples reflecting the active participation of the community to mitigate climate change and also, the role of gender or green bonds and the involvement of other critical partners to benefit local communities.

There were other questions raised by member countries on the sustainable deployment of solar photovoltaics and how capacity building is required in this direction. Some valuable suggestions were also received from participants e.g. one participant stated that dissemination of information about renewable technologies, commercialization and its availability to all stakeholders is very important. Similarly, another suggestion was received that visibility of policies to young entrepreneurs and SMEs in all the participating countries are very important too and APCTT should take appropriate measures in this regard.

The event concluded with closing remarks by Dr. Ramanuj Banerjee, Scientist ‘F’, DSIR and & National Focal Point (India) for APCTT.  He underpinned that future will require a clear vision and strong commitment of cooperation by the member States towards adoption of Emerging Energy Technologies for Climate Change Mitigation on this Earth. This side event was attended by over 100 participants from the Asia-Pacific region and provided a platform for experts, policy makers and participants from the member States to deliberate on strategies to facilitate transfer and adoption of emerging technologies in the energy sector for climate change mitigation.

25-Aug-2021: Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai attended the UNESCAP Regional Conversation Series 2021

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai today attended the UNESCAP Regional Conversation Series 2021: Ministerial Panel on Disaster, Climate and Health Resilience, through video conferencing. The conference was also attended by ministers from Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.

In his address, Shri Nityanand Rai said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi always believes in working in and with cooperation with the world. Shri Rai said that we are all in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters like tropical cyclones, floods, landslides in the midst of the pandemic have multiplied the hardships and sufferings of our peoples, particularly the poor and vulnerable segment of our populations.

The Union Minister of State said that he would like to share a few key lessons and experiences from India that may help build a resilient future in the Asia-Pacific region. He said that there is much to be satisfied with from India's achievements in the area of Disaster Risk Management over the last two decades. He said that there is a need to direct more efforts towards reducing the risk of losses from known disasters while on the other, we must be prepared for the less understood or unexpected disaster risks. Shri Rai said that COVID-19 has shown us the power of uncontrolled disaster and it has revealed how impacts can escalate quickly. Referring to natural disasters, the Minister said that the way Climate Change is taking place, it can result in many losses to nature and humans, due to its negative impacts.

Sharing India’s experiences in handling challenge of COVID-19, the Minister said that India is actively engaged in addressing this global challenge with the global community and will continue to stand with the global community.

He said that, in India, the awareness and supervision of environment has existed since ancient times. A verse from the Rig-Veda states that “Environment provides bliss to people leading their life perfectly. Rivers bless us with sacred water and provide us health, night, morning, vegetation. The Sun blesses us with peaceful life. Our cows provide us milk”.

He said that in November 2016, in the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, highlighted a 10-Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction that encompassed tools and approaches to address critical challenges in achieving sustainable development objectives and renewed efforts towards DRR.

The Minister said that India has a predictable way of financing all aspects of a disaster risk management cycle. We now have dedicated resources for the entire complement of disaster mitigation, preparedness, relief and rescue, as well as recovery and reconstruction.

The Union Minister of State said that at the global level, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi announced a global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) on 23 September 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit.

In March this year, during the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI), Prime Minister Modi called for a need to foster a global ecosystem that supports innovation in all parts of the world, and its transfer to places that are most in need. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, “Infrastructure is developed for the long term. If we make it resilient, we will prevent disasters not only for ourselves, but many future generations. We should look at losses holistically. Indirect losses due to disruptions to small businesses and interrupted schooling of children maybe several times higher. We need the right accounting perspective for a holistic evolution of the situation. If we make our infrastructure resilient, we will reduce both direct and indirect losses and protect the livelihoods of millions”.

The Minister said that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us how to reduce disaster risks and what procedures need to be followed and what changes need to be made. The global crisis brought lessons due to which multi-agency and cross-sectoral governance bodies became activated with the support of political leaders. Now, the challenge is to build on these multi-sectoral models and pivot towards prevention by institutionalizing these ad hoc arrangements into forward looking, multi-hazard risk governance mechanisms. We need to continue with greater efforts now to mitigate the challenge. 

India’s ‘unprecedented, private, national and international initiative’ to control this pandemic is in line with the UN Secretary General’s call.

He said that the UNESCAP and the UN system can play an important role in international health supervision which can monitor infectious diseases and share information with various countries.

Speaking about cooperation between SAARC countries, the Minister said that over the past six years, India has been increasingly promoting regional co-operation for disaster risk reduction within frameworks like SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral and Technical Cooperation), Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Indian Ocean Rim Association, Forum for India Pacific Island Cooperation among others. The Indian Meteorological Department forms the backbone of support to WMO/ECAP Panel on Tropical Cyclone to provide operational and research support to manage tropical cyclones and coastal hazards in South Asia.

The Minister said that he would like to refer to UNESCAP’s Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2019 that highlights a substantial increase in flood-related losses, with problems expected to become worse by 2030. The report informs that under the severe Climate Change scenario in Asia, India will be the worst affected, with annual losses of nearly $50 billion.

Calling upon the UNESCAP to take some steps for managing floods in a changing climate, the Minister said that the regional platform for the management of floods and droughts in multi-hazard risk hotspots is a part of the UNESCAP’s core mandate. He also suggested developing a regional co-operation mechanism for managing trans-boundary floods and assured that the Government of India will extend all necessary support including through institutions in this endeavour.

The Minister highlighted an urgent need to protect communities and natural habitats as a key agenda item for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 26. He said that finding solutions to address unprecedented levels of flooding is crucial for accelerating climate adaptation and resilience pathways.

He said that Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has stated – “We must move towards a zero-defect and zero-effect system. Zero-defect in production with no adverse effect on the environment”

We must embrace knowledge and share experiences as essential elements of building resilience. COVID-19 has brought forth the inter-connected nature of our world. Hence, we must pursue resilience at home as well as in the global systems. He expressed hope that this regional conversation will help to open-up newer opportunities for managing systemic and complex disasters including the pandemic.

23-Jul-2021: Significant improvement in India’s score in United Nation’s Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation

India has scored 90.32% in United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific's (UNESCAP) latest Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. The Survey hails this as a remarkable jump from 78.49% in 2019. The survey result can be accessed at(https://www.untfsurvey.org/economy?id=IND).

After evaluation of 143 economies, the 2021 Survey has highlighted India's significant improvement in the scores on all 5 key indicators, as follows:

1. Transparency:100% in 2021 (from 93.33% in 2019)
2. Formalities: 95.83% in 2021 (from 87.5% in 2019)
3. Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation: 88.89% in 2021 (from 66.67% in 2019)
4. Paperless Trade: 96.3% in 2021 (from 81.48% in 2019)
5. Cross-Border Paperless Trade: 66.67% in 2021 (from 55.56% in 2019)

The Survey notes that India is the best performing country when compared to South and South West Asia region (63.12%) and Asia Pacific region (65.85%). The overall score of India has also been found to be greater than many OECD countries including France, UK, Canada, Norway, Finland etc. and the overall score is greater than the average score of EU. India has achieved a 100% score for the Transparency index and 66% in the “Women in trade” component.

CBIC, has been at forefront of path breaking reforms under the umbrella of 'Turant' Customs to usher in a Faceless, Paperless and Contactless Customs by way of a series of reforms. This has had a direct impact in terms of the improvement in the UNESCAP rankings on digital and sustainable trade facilitation.

Further, during the Covid19 pandemic, Customs formations have made all efforts to expedite Covid related imports such as Oxygen related equipments, life-saving medicines, vaccines etc. A dedicated single window COVID-19 24*7 helpdesk for EXIM trade was created on the CBIC website to facilitate quick resolution of issue(s) faced by importers.

About the Survey: The Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation is conducted every two years by UNESCAP. The 2021 Survey includes an assessment of 58 trade facilitation measures covered by the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. The Survey is keenly awaited globally as it evidences whether or not the trade facilitation measures being taken have the desired impact and helps draw comparison amongst countries. A higher score for a country also helps businesses in their investment decisions.