Asia Pacific Post-2015 Priorities, MDG8 and Global Partnerships
Any contemporary story on development in Asia-Pacific begins with reflection on massive gains achieved in the fight against poverty. The incidence of people living on less than $1.25 a day fell from 54.5% in 1990 to 20.7% in 2010, with the number of extreme poor declining from 1.48 billion to 733 million. This precipitous decline in poverty incidence has been accompanied by tremendous gains in access to health and education.
Eradicating Absolute Poverty by 2030 - Are We Aiming Too Low?
The Post-2015 development agenda is leaning toward a goal of eradicating absolute poverty by 2030. The World Bank’s recently approved corporate strategy has the same goal. I believe, however, that this target is absolutely meaningless for our region, Asia and the Pacific.
Crossing the Great Divide: Convincing Others of What Works to Address Poverty
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab just marked its tenth year anniversary on the MIT campus outside Boston with a one day event which drew over 1200 participants from all over the world.
The Age of ‘Big Data’
We are living in the time of Big Data. It comes from everywhere - from our cell phones, our computers, from fuel pumps, water sensors in meteorological stations, and countless other sources.
Bridging the “Identity Divide”: A Quiet Revolution in India
I do not have a birth certificate. Even though I was born in the capital city of the biggest province in India, my birth was never registered. Luckily, I went to school where they recorded my date of birth and my high school certificate gave me an identity. Now, I also have a passport and I can prove who I am.
Rising Tide Raises All Boats — Or Does It?
Last week, the development economics world was shaken by an open clash between two of its most distinguished luminaries—Amartya Sen and Jagdish Bhagwati. One is a Nobel Prize winner in the field of economics, and the other is widely believed to be worthy of one.
Aging Without Security: Asia's Experiences on Introducing Social Pension
There is a saying if you live in Asia and don’t work in public service, you will stop working only when you die. According to the United Nations (UN 2008), many of the poor are older persons living in rural areas due to low and insufficient lifetime earnings.
Closing the Gap: New Trends and Challenges Faced by Developing Asia
Evidence-based strategies—the pragmatic pursuit of polices that worked—were at the front and center of developing Asia’s extraordinary success in raising living standards and reducing extreme poverty over the past two decades.
Primary Health Care Still Matters Today
The Alma-Ata declaration is about how to make healthcare sustainable not only in limited resources setting. The emphasis is on the need for strong primary health care, which includes health promotion.
Thoughts on the High-Level Panel Reports on the Post-2015 Agenda
The discussions around the post-2015 development agenda – and the work of the High Level Panel of Eminent (HLPEP) persons – were seen controversially in the last months. Some felt that the consultation led by the HLPEP would lead into a kitchen sink report, which would cover every possible development concern.