Working in Conflict-Affected Areas – The Myanmar Experience
ADB is committed to finance the last stretch of a regional transport corridor that includes a road passing through Myanmar’s restive Kayin State. It would have been easier for ADB to simply avoid a conflict-affected area, but we did not shy away from the challenge.
Women’s Participation: Why Quality Counts More Than Numbers
Nana lives in a remote village. She is married with three children. Both she and her husband are farmers. Nana went to school up to grade 3. Every now and then, the households in her community are asked to attend a meeting. One day, the village leader requested her to attend a meeting the next day.
Will We See an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015?
Launched as a political bloc and security pact in the aftermath of the Viet Nam War, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has evolved to embrace an ambitious economic agenda. Its latest project is to establish the ASEAN Economic Community by 31 December 2015. But is this likely?
Why You Need to #Hi5forSDG5, the Gender Goal
We cannot wait another 118 years to achieve economic gender equality.
Why Partnering with the Private Sector is Key to Inclusive Growth
Over the past couple of decades, no one can deny that the Asia and Pacific region has represented a remarkable success story. Absolute poverty levels have fallen significantly and the region is on course to achieve a number of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Why Localizing Global Agendas Matters to Address Urbanization, Climate Change
Is Asia engaging in a “mission impossible” when it comes to addressing two of the most pressing issues of our time?
Why Infrastructure Governance Matters
The delivery of services – such as clean water, reliable public transport, schools and hospitals – through economic and social infrastructure is among the most important functions of government. Resources must be well spent to ensure quality.
Why Development Projects Must Respect Indigenous Peoples, Ancestral Domains in Asia
Responsible urban and regional planning and policy-making should do more to defend traditional cultures and ancestral domains in secondary cities.
Why Asia and Pacific Needs Youth Policies
Based on Plan International’s 2012 World Atlas of Youth Policies, fewer than half of the countries in Asia and the Pacific have youth-specific policies. Other countries have integrated youth in their constitutions or sector-specific policies, such as on education, health, and drug prevention. Do we really need to prioritize and direct limited resources to a certain demographic defined only by age?
Why are More Women Dying in Childbirth in Indonesia?
As the world marks International Day of Action for Women's Health, maternal deaths are an uncomfortable reminder that much work still needs to be done. Indonesia is a case in point. While it is one of the fast growing economic powerhouses in Asia it is also experiencing a worrying rise in maternal deaths.