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Enabling growth in the new economy : industrial policy choices in a world of disruptive technological change
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This paper examines recent technological developments and how they could impact efforts by policymakers and political leaders in developing countries to harness trade and investment liberalization to achieve economic development outcomes.
It begins by discussing some of the proven elements to moving up the development ladder but then warns that the tried and trusted methods and pathways could be closing in light of new technological developments such as automation and artificial intelligence, the impact of which on labor markets promises to be disruptive in the short to medium term.
The paper provides a set of policy prescriptions that governments could and should be contemplating in order to position their economies to benefit from the opportunities of the new economy but also to shelter their workforces from any possible downsides that these new and disruptive technologies may bring with them.
Perhaps the most important finding this report has to offer is that the most decisive factor in achieving genuine change and tangible development improvements is political will and the determination to override the resistance to change that will inevitably come from entrenched interests (including political and economic elites) that benefit from the status quo. This is about improving the state of economic governance in countries and can only be achieved by embarking upon serious and results-driven reform.
The report discusses some areas of reform that seem particularly important in light of the technological transformations unfolding, namely skills and education, empowering the private sector and embracing digitization. It was written before the global health pandemic and ensuing economic shocks unleashed by COVID-19, but its findings remain relevant and the urgency for implementing its recommendations has increased as a result of the many sudden and drastic changes the global economy has been forced to undergo as a result of this crisis
Strengthening financial interlinkages among the SPECA countries
Get PDFFinancial integration brings much benefits but at the same time some associated costs. In developing country context, such trade-off is even more pronounced for policy consideration. This paper aims to systematically analyze financial landscape in SPECA countries as well as its financial integration potential, drawing on the experience of ASEAN. It is one of the first paper on financial integration to critically analyze SPECA financial landscape in this context. The paper finds that Financial interlinkages among SPECA financial systems remain very weak due to low economic interlinkages. As economic integration and strong domestic financial sector are fundamental preconditions for any successful financial integration, the highest priority for some SPECA countries are to complete the rehabilitation of weak banks, strengthen supervisory practices, and improve the legal frameworks in order to foster the development of strong banking sectors. A key lesson learned from ASEAN experience is that regional integration is a very long process which requires highest political commitment and appropriate sequencing of financial liberalization. Given the current stage of economic development of the SPECA countries, and particularly in the wake of weak banks, one of the priority areas for enhancing financial interlinkages among SPECA countries should be in facilitating the expansion of financially strong and well-managed banks, as the cross-border presence of strong regional banks can help improve the banking and credit culture in countries where it has been weakest. In this context, lessons could be drawn from ASEAN banking integration and seek capacity building for actual implementation.I. Introduction.............................................................................................................. 2
II. The Economic and Financial Landscape..................................................................... 4
III. The Challenges and Opportunities of Deeper Financial Integration ......................... 19
IV. International Experience—The Case of ASEAN Financial Integration ....................... 26
V. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................ 33
References....................................................................................................................... 3
Information note : the importance of CRVS systems for gender equality
No full textCivil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems play a significant role for all individuals by ensuring the registration of births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events, and the recording of causes of death. They provide individuals with legal forms of identification, enabling access to government services such as education and healthcare but also facilitating opening a bank account, formal employment and getting a driving license or a passport. However, people in many countries face barriers that limit registration, and the impact of registration or lack of registration often depends on sex. The barriers potentially block women and girls from accessing services, restrict their enjoyment and exercising of rights and reinforce a gender gap. As a result, a gender lens is required because gender inequalities shape the constraints of CRVS systems, thus determining many of the gaps and challenges in using civil registration data for producing vital statistics. This information note, developed by ESCAP, elaborates on these points and highlights the efforts underway in Asia-Pacific to address these issues. </p
Research report on ICT infrastructure co-deployment with transport and energy infrastructures in Mongolia
Get PDFMongolia, a country of 3 million people, is located in Central Asia and is land-locked by Russia to the north and China to the south. It is the nineteenth largest country in the world with a total area of approximately 1.6 million square kilometers. While Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world, with less than 2 people per square kilometer, two thirds of its population live in urban areas with more than one million people living in the capital city Ulaanbaatar.
This report is designed to pave the way to a socio-economic environment in which major infrastructure management agencies and/or companies can cooperate to develop and deploy ICT infrastructures before it is too late.</p
Regional conversation series report for building back better
No full textThis six-part Regional Conversation Series on
Building Back Better was hosted by the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP) to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of the United Nations
Population registers : a key resource for producing vital statistics
Get PDFTechnological advances have increased the potential uses of population registers for producing statistics. At the same time, greater demand for timely and disaggregated data amplifies interest in population registers as a source of statistical data. This brief will examine the how population registers can be used to produce vital statistics, looking at the historical and current context, the role of population registers within the National Statistical System, integration with other data sources, linkages with the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system, and the production of vital statistics. Case studies and recommendations for improvement are included within the brief.This Stat Brief is issued without formal editing. It is prepared by Gloria Mathenge, The Pacific Community, Petra Nahmias, Chief of Population and Social Statistics Section, ESCAP Statistics Division, Tanja Sejersen, Statistician, ESCAP Statistics Division and Afsaneh Yazdani, Statistician, ESCAP Statistics Division. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect ESCAP or any UN agency
Satellite communications in Pacific island countries
Get PDFThe Pacific subregion is the world’s most dynamic geographic region, encountering huge daily challenges due to the small size of the islands in terms of area and population, their remoteness as they are spread widely across the vast Pacific Ocean, and their vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change threats. In this context, improving connectivity of the Pacific subregion with other parts of the world using submarine cable and satellite technologies is being considered as the most crucial enabler for economic and social well-being
