Knowledge Products

This paper, by UN-Habitat & UNCTAD, seeks to address the link between SEZs and urbanization and builds on an earlier exchange between experts on this subject in February 2020 at the Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10) in Abu Dhabi. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) continue to be widely used across all regions and [...]

This joint guidance note from the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations’ Children Fund (UNICEF) intends to provide government decision makers, school administrators/staff and partners with preliminary guidance on how to support, transform or adapt school feeding (in the short term) to help [...]

The African Union Commission has developed a comprehensive Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Smart Africa, AUDA-NEPAD, Regional Economic Communities, African Development Bank, Africa Telecommunications Union, Africa Capacity Building Foundation, International Telecommunication Union and the World Bank. The Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa builds on existing initiatives [...]

COMSATS, being an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO) of 27 developing countries, is proactive advocate and proponent of South-South and Triangular Cooperation. Its most significant manifestation can be seen from high-level interaction among its members of Network of International S&T Centres of Excellence. Comprising of science-led R&D and higher education institutions in the developing countries, the Network [...]

By Ambassador Fauzia Nasreen, Dr. Azeema Fareed, & Ms. Huma Balouch, COMSATS Technology and Innovation are quintessentially relevant especially in dealing with the multiple threats posed by COVID-19. Most developing countries are already under tremendous stress because of financial constraints, enormous development challenges and technology innovation and knowledge deficiencies. COVID-19 which has disrupted every walk [...]

The world of international cooperation is in transition. Global power shifts and the rise of populism have made the world multipolar, but not necessarily more multilateral. The traditional North–South aid system is being called into question, while transnational challenges are affecting all countries and require stronger global partnerships. In this context, the graduation of countries [...]

As the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting the lives of people across the globe, it is also affecting waste management. With lock-downs and physical distancing, there are challenges with the disruption or failure of urban basis services, including the collection, treatment and disposal of waste, which is essential for hygiene and public health. The changes to [...]

The collapse of tourism resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will have a profound impact on the Asia-Pacific small island developing States because of their high reliance on tourism rents. The pandemic will disproportionally influence the lives and well-being of the poorest and the most vulnerable, including workers in the informal sector. Addressing this challenge requires [...]