Will the Green Climate Fund Pledges Create a Momentum for Ongoing Climate Negotiations?
The recent formal pledging session for the Green Climate Fund (GCF)—more than $9 billion in just 5 months—is by far the most successful resource mobilization ever seen for a multilateral climate fund. The US has pledged $3 billion, followed by Japan ($1.5 billion), UK ($1.13 billion), and Germany and France (with $1 billion each). Four developing countries—Indonesia, Mexico, Mongolia, and Panama—have made pledges, breaking the traditional donor boundaries.
Speaking Up for Asia’s Invisible Population
Recall the time you had to apply for a passport, driver’s license, job, or bank account. You are required to bring proof of identity, and more often than not, the most basic proof of existence would be your birth certificate. You probably know exactly where it is – tucked away in an envelope in a drawer, or perhaps a fireproof vault. This is not the case for some 230 million children around the world under the age of 5 who have not had their births registered.
ICT Helping Countries Move Toward Universal Health Coverage
ICT can bridge the gap between existing health systems and universal health coverage, but it’s a complex process and every country has its own challenges.
There’s Nothing Random About Fostering an Environment of Creativity
Creativity has little space where tasks are practiced as regimentation. “Business unusual” is a catchphrase about doing things differently, to bring about change, to innovate. Times are becoming more complex. For economic gain, nature can no longer be simply considered as something to be “conquered” by people to extract wealth
Ten Steps Toward Achieving Universal Health Coverage
When ADB recently hosted a conference on using information and communication technology (ICT) in universal health coverage, it was vital not to miss the opportunity to pin down practical steps that participants could commit to taking in their own workplace. The conference culminated in the iCTen Steps: practical next steps with both quick wins and some longer-term goals that can be adapted to specific country settings, regardless of where they are on the road to universal health coverage.
Does Education Equal Wealth?
At an E-Camp: Social Accountability for Better Education Services held in the Philippines on 3-5 December, 2014, students from various countries in the Asia and Pacific region asked, “Is education still a way out of poverty?”
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?
Migration Can Mitigate Negative Impacts of Climate Change on Children
Children are generally more at risk than adults when environmental threats gradually grow, or when natural disaster suddenly strikes.
The Meek Shall not Inherit the Earth - Gender Equality and Access to Land
Land is power – immutable and unyielding. It provides succor and sustenance. Unfortunately, there is an overwhelming gender gap in land ownership, reinforcing the gender discrimination women face in other spheres.
What Can We Learn from Eradication of Smallpox?
The eradication of smallpox has been a great public health success over the last 30 or 40 years or so. Smallpox was responsible for 300 million–500 million deaths during the 20th century.