The recent economic success of the Asia-Pacific region has been driven
largely by international trade, foreign direct investment and the emergence of global
and regional production networks and value chains. These drivers, in turn, were
facilitated by trade liberalization, expansion of transport links and the diffusion of
information and communications technologies. However, the region’s growing
prosperity has not been shared equally, and there are clear signs of rising income
inequality both within and between countries. In particular, the region’s least
developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing
States have yet to fully benefit from the new opportunities arising from enhanced
connectivity.
It is therefore timely that the Commission selected the theme of “Regional
connectivity for shared prosperity” for its seventieth session. The present document
contains a discussion on the role of connectivity in driving recent economic growth
in the region and identification of new drivers of growth which will shape social and
economic development into the future. A set of regional strategies is then presented,
the aim of which is to strengthen connectivity  in four critical areas: trade and
transport; information and communications technology; energy; and people-to-people
connectivity.
As the region’s networks become increasingly integrated and interdependent,
the future of regional connectivity will depend on how closely countries in the Asia-
Pacific region work together. This will require stronger institutional coordination
between Governments, both across sectors and across borders. Greater cooperation is
also needed to collect and analyse relevant data on connectivity, as well as to identify
new sources of finance for developing regional infrastructure networks. To enhance
the effectiveness of these efforts, Governments should enlist the support of the
private sector, academia and civil society.
The Commission may wish to deliberate on the issues raised in the
document, particularly on how the region can take advantage of extended and
strengthened connectivity for the shared prosperity of its member States. The
Commission may also wish to guide the secretariat on the next steps for
implementing the regional strategies presented in the document.