Against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown, reinvigorating domestic and intra-regional demand plays a crucial role in reviving economies in Asia and the Pacific, according to a newly released-United Nations report, which also recommends a proactive fiscal policy emphasising productivity and addressing inequalities in the region. “While the 2030 Agenda promotes a broader concept of human welfare, robust growth is important for creating jobs and improving overall development outcomes,” Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said on the launch of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2015: Year-end Update . Ms. Akhtar added that “adoption of the 2030 Agenda comes at a time when the global policy makers are still struggling to revive economic growth despite taking extraordinary measures.” Developing economies of the Asia-Pacific region grew by an estimated 4.5 per cent in 2015, the lowest rate since 2010, with only a modest rebound to five per cent growth projected for 2016, according to the report.