Economic and social survey of Asia and the Pacific 2023: rethinking public debt for the Sustainable Development Goals

The report published annually since 1947, is a flagship publication produced by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP). It provides analyses to guide policy discussion on the current and emerging socio-economic issues and policy challenges to support sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. This report presents the new perspectives on fiscal and the public debt analysis the help Asia and the Pacific to effectively pursue the SDGs. Among other key messages, the report highlights the need to: revisit the nexus between public debt and sustainable development; rethink how to assess public debt sustainability keeping in view of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and increase the role played by the international development community in fostering timely and effective debt restructuring in countries facing debt distress.