Aida Karazhanova is an Economic Affairs Officer at the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) & Development Section, ICT & Disaster Risk Reduction Division, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. She is currently promoting ICT and Development, in particular, through (i) development of the subregional broadband networks and corridors in Central Asia as part of the implementation of the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS), (b) implementation of a DA-RECI project in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia and, c) implementation of AP-IS subregional implementation plans as per the AP-IS Business Plan 2019-2020, (c) the ICT Section’s work related to e-resilience and broadband for all, based on her knowledge and experience in governance & sustainable development. She also worked at the Sustainable Urban Development Section, Environment and Development Division, where she was responsible for the policy studies and technical reports in supporting the ESCAP member states in localizing 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She promoted the application of integrated policy frameworks using a systems thinking approach at goal and target levels (SDGs) and through rapid assessments of policy impacts. The areas of recent research interventions and service products cover policy guidelines and tools for the development of the Country Sustainability Outlooks as well as policy frameworks to support the water cycles in cities, sustainable sanitation services, wastewater management in urban and peri-urban areas of the region. Aida received her Ph.D. in biochemistry, Headed Chemical Laboratory at the British Gas Chair of Environmental Technology at KAZ GASA, worked for a number of years at UNDP, UNEP RRC.AP, taking principle positions, raising the grants portfolio on Environment and SD, climate change, with further inputs towards substantial operationalization of national and regional UN programs and projects. She has assisted in the delivery of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development of Asia and the Pacific as an ESCAP liaison to the Government of Kazakhstan and further contributed to the development of the cross-regional Astana “Green Bridge” Initiative and its “Green Bridge“ Partnership Programme