Publications

This report analyses Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) trends as well as data availability for monitoring progress in Asia and the Pacific and its five subregions. It assesses progress towards the SDGs and the gaps which must be closed for these to be achieved by 2030. This assessment is designed to ensure the region’s actions remain on target, shortcomings are addressed as they arise, and all interested parties remain engaged. It is an invaluable resource for all stakeholders involved in prioritisation, planning, implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific.

A survey on sexual behaviour was conducted among 7122 males (aged 18-49 years) in six districts (three urban and three rural) in Bangladesh. Overall 18% of the respondents reported ever having sexual intercourse outside of marriage (10% with female sex workers, 9% with casual female partners and 2% with males/transgenders) in the past year. There are limited data on the sexual behaviour and sexual networks of males in the general population and understanding these behaviors and networks may help identify potential trends and patterns of HIV transmission in the country. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of various non-marital sexual behaviours of males in the community. It also investigated variation of such behaviours among different socio-demographic groups.

In many countries, initiatives that aim to improve adolescent (1) sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) implement projects without well thought out plans for evaluation. A range of reasons help explain this phenomenon, including a limited of training and understanding of the value of evaluation and dedicated evaluation resources within implementing and technical entities. 

In the context of this renewed emphasis on the health and wellbeing of people, UNODC and WHO are pleased to join forces and present this updated second edition. As in the case of the first edition, the Standards summarize the currently available scientific evidence on the basis of overview of recent systematic reviews, and describe interventions and policies that have been found to improve drug use prevention outcomes. In addition, the Standards identify the major components and features of an effective national prevention system.

UNDP’s work on HIV and health makes a powerful contribution to Agenda 2030 and the commitment to leave no one behind. The 2017-2018 Annual Report highlights results from UNDP’s work with partners to support the development dimensions of HIV and health in 129 countries. To meet the complex, interrelated challenges identified in the 2030 Agenda, multi-stakeholder partnerships and innovative platforms are needed. The report includes an overview of UNDP’s HIV and health portfolio, and how we support countries to turn innovations into scalable and sustainable solutions to deliver results on reducing inequalities and exclusion that drive HIV and poor health; promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and; building resilient and sustainable systems for health.

Thailand’s prison population has steadily increased over the years and the country has the dubious distinction of having the largest prison population and the highest incarceration rate among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. For more than a decade, United Nations (UN) human rights mechanisms have expressed concern over prison conditions in Thailand. Regrettably, successive Thai governments have failed to make any progress in the implementation of the UN’s recommendations and to uphold their own commitments to improve prison conditions. In addition, since the 2014 military coup, Thailand’s junta has enforced measures that have caused conditions in the prisons to deteriorate. The junta also increased the use of military facilities to detain civilians.

The evidence collected in this discussion paper shows that gender equality is critical to achieving a wide range of objectives pertaining to sustainable development. These include promoting economic growth and labour productivity, reducing poverty, enhancing human capital through health and education, attaining food security, addressing climate change impacts and strengthening resilience to disasters, and ensuring more peaceful and inclusive communities. It therefore argues that accelerating gender equality in all spheres of society leads to a more rapid increase in progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda.

In September 2015, the 193 United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN Resolution 70/1 adopting the 2030 Agenda includes a pledge that “no one will be left behind” as well as commitments to prioritize the poorest and most marginalized. This UNDP discussion paper 'Sustainable Development Goals: Sexual and Gender Minorities' presents evidence of the marginalization and exclusion experienced by sexual and gender minorities in the context of the SDGs. The paper also discusses promising policy and programme approaches to protect the human rights of sexual and gender minorities and strengthen their inclusion in sustainable development, with attention to the potential role of philanthropies, development assistance providers and United Nations development system.  

This report examines the trends of sexual and reproductive health behavior over a 9-year period (2008-2017) in the Philippines. The analysis utilizes data from three nationally representative household surveys conducted by The Demographic and Health Surveys Program in 2008, 2013, and 2017.

The Thailand Migration Report 2019 contains 11 chapters that delve into themes such as working conditions, access to services, remittances, human trafficking and exploitation. Each chapter, written by a specific UN agency, provides up-to-date information on migration trends and patterns in Thailand, as well as independent analysis of migration-related issues and policy developments. Recommendations for policy and programmatic changes to improve migration governance are also included.