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For sale—cheap: farms, buildings, cinemas, kindergartens and more -- by Rafael Abbasov

State-owned enterprises, including power utilities, in many countries have collected a menagerie of assets unrelated to their core business. And they are selling cheap.




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Why I’m optimistic we can achieve SDG #1—ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere -- by Alessandra Heinemann

The graduation approach provides a sequenced intervention designed to overcome multiple barriers that prevent the extreme poor from breaking out of poverty.




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Why we need to act fast on international trade laws and standards -- by Steven Beck

There’s one big element missing before we can create a truly transparent, seamless and open international trading framework.




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Resettlement isn’t easy. Here are four ways to improve outcomes for all parties involved -- by Rebekah Beatrice Ramsay

Involuntary resettlement can improve the lives of the resettled while reducing poverty and delivering results for development projects




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Tại sao Đông Nam Á không nên lo lắng về việc “chảy máu chất xám” -- by Elisabetta Gentile

Bài viết giải thích tại sao nhận thức cho rằng sự di cư của lao động có kỹ năng nghề làm tổn hại nguồn lực quốc gia là sai lầm.




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Five disaster resilience lessons we can learn from India -- by Dr. Archana Patankar

India is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to disasters and it has a lot to share when it comes to preparing for them.




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Taking the quantum leap in international development -- by Arun Ramamurthy

Quantum computing could change the face of many international development programs, including those involving transport, financial services and health care.




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What surfing taught me about reforming state-owned enterprises -- by Rafael Abbasov

Reforming state-owned enterprises can be an extraordinarily complex activity but it is underpinned by a single clear goal.




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The impact of financial innovation on monetary policy -- by Irfan A. Qureshi

Central banks have powerful tools to affect national economies but they are being challenged by innovative financial practices




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Strengthening the chains that helped pull Asia out of poverty -- by Bambang Susantono

The global value chains that help drive Asia’s export-driven economic miracle have widespread development impacts. We need to understand them better to maximize the benefits.




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Eight steps to get PPPs right in Viet Nam -- by Donald Lambert, Sanjay Grover

A well-structured law on private-public partnerships is a key opportunity to upgrade Viet Nam’s infrastructure.




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Tám bước để có đầu tư theo hình thức đối tác công - tư (PPP) hiệu quả ở Việt Nam -- by Donald Lambert, Sanjay Grover

Một bộ luật cấu trúc tốt về đầu tư theo hình thức quan hệ đối tác công-tư là cơ hội chính để nâng cấp cơ sở hạ tầng ở Việt Nam.




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Let’s make it easier for countries to trade -- by Utsav Kumar, Ben Shepherd

The World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement provides a roadmap for developing economies to increase trade while also increasing the benefits it provides to their citizens.




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Knowledge is everywhere. Here are four ways to make it easier to share. -- by Sonia Chand Sandhu

A wealth of knowledge – knowhow and wisdom – rests with the officials, professionals, practitioners and communities. The challenge is to unleash the untapped power of this information.




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At your service: trade liberalization could bring huge benefits to Southeast Asia -- by Kakali Mukhopadhyay

Making it easier for workers to move between countries is key to liberalizing the trade in services and unleashing the benefits it will produce across national and regional economies.




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Weaving a sustainable future for indigenous students -- by Lynnette Perez

In the southern Philippines, a culture-based senior high school program is serving the Tboli community with an innovated approach to education.   




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What’s the value of a project evaluation if it is not influential? -- by Véronique Salze-Lozac’h

For quality evaluations of international development projects and programs to lead to better results, they need to be influential.




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Is blockchain a good bet for development? -- by Lotte Schou-Zibell, Nigel Phair

Blockchain technology offers great promise and great risk. We need to better understand how it works and how to use it safely and effectively.




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Asia’s vibrant elderly are redefining what it means to be “old” -- by Cyn-Young Park (朴信永), Aiko Kikkawa Takenaka, Raymond Gaspar

The Asia and Pacific region is aging rapidly, and that is affecting the region’s workforce, but increased longevity is adding an unexpected element to the picture




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Can big data help us make better development decisions? -- by Werner E. Liepach, Guntur Sugiyarto

Data-driven decision making can be a powerful tool in the world of international development but it requires careful planning and management. 




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Helping governments improve performance -- by Woochong Um, Marcos Bonturi

Performance assessments help people in Southeast Asia determine how well their government is performing and how they can be improved.




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The surprising link between trade finance and gender equality -- by Steven Beck

To level the playing field in Asia and the Pacific, women-owned companies need financial backing to support their importing and exporting needs.




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Microfinance can be a powerful force in disaster recovery -- by Mayumi Ozaki

The cost of disasters far outweighs the resources available for recovery. Microfinance could be one way to fill the funding gap.  




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Estimating the value of women’s unpaid work in Asia’s homes -- by Valerie Mercer-Blackman

Work done within the home, including caring for children, is extremely important to society but undervalued and poorly tracked. 




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How governments can halt the rise of unfriendly, unstoppable super-artificial intelligence -- by Wim Naudé

Artificial intelligence could be enormously beneficial to society, and it could also lead to catastrophe. Governments can play a role determining the outcome of AI’s development.




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Five myths about population, aging and environmental sustainability -- by Jane O'Sullivan, Francesco Ricciardi, Susann Roth

For sustainable development, universal wellbeing should be the goal, rather than endless growth. Minimizing further growth in human populations is only part of the solution, but an essential part. 




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How to strengthen Asia’s financial safety net -- by Cyn-Young Park (朴信永), Peter Rosenkranz, James Villafuerte

Past financial crises have demonstrated how adequate financial safety net arrangements—globally, regionally, and nationally—are vital to safeguarding financial stability.




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Cracking the secret code of international development work -- by Floyd Whaley

The over-use of acronyms turns the joy of reading into a tedious process of decoding. It also muddles the message of development communications.




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How can we help the millions displaced each year by disasters? -- by Steven Goldfinch, Rebekah Beatrice Ramsay

Governments in the region need to invest more in prevention and response to the long-term impacts of disaster displacement.




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How Asia can ride the digital wave to spur financial development -- by Bambang Susantono

The ‘app economy’ provides potential risks and benefits for developing countries. The right policies are needed to bring out the best in these emerging economic trends.




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Think services, not only manufacturing -- by Matthias Helble, Sameer Khatiwada, Ben Shepherd

To offset the declining benefits of manufacturing, governments must increase the productivity of the services sector. This will boost growth and offer employment opportunities.




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Three ways to improve the communication of development research -- by Cahyadi Indrananto

Practical approaches can improve how we promote development research, and increase uptake by policymakers




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Why infrastructure governance matters -- by Bruno Carrasco, Edwin Lau

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.




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Here's how we can give a boost to the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific -- by Bart Édes

Asia and the Pacific is not where it needs to be to meet the Sustainable Development Goals but there remains a decade to make up for lost time.




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Taxing emissions in Singapore -- by Donghyun Park, Shu Tian, Mai Lin C. Villaruel

Singapore’s carbon tax is designed to maximize green investments while minimizing negative effects on the overall economy.




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Đây là cách chúng ta có thể thúc đẩy các Mục tiêu Phát triển bền vững tại Châu Á và Thái Bình Dương -- by Bart Édes

Châu Á và Thái Bình Dương chưa có được tiến độ cần thiết để đạt được các Mục tiêu Phát triển Bền vững nhưng vẫn còn một thập niên để bù lại thời gian đã mất.




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Leveling the playing field: Can digital technologies address inequity in cities? -- by Bambang Susantono

Throughout Asia and the world, digital solutions are being found for urban problems. Policymakers and city leaders should ensure that the poor do not get left behind in this digital transformation of cities.




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Can the Pacific become the world’s first fossil-fuel-free zone? -- by Rafael Abbasov

With key reforms, Pacific states could move toward cleaner, more affordable sources of energy that eventually eliminate fossil fuels completely.




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Charting Sri Lanka's aging population -- by Utsav Kumar

These charts illustrate how Sri Lanka’s elderly population is increasing while the number of working-age people to help support them is declining. Forward-thinking policies are needed to address the challenges arising from this imbalance.




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Building Viet Nam’s bridge to greater economic growth and development -- by Donald Lambert

There are three key strategies that can help Viet Nam achieve its ambitious development targets in the coming years.




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Đây là cách để Việt Nam có thể tài trợ cho giai đoạn tăng trưởng tiếp theo -- by Donald Lambert

Ba chiến lược mấu chốt để Việt Nam có thể đạt được các mục tiêu phát triển đầy tham vọng trong những năm tới.




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Health care must be affordable and accessible, but also high quality -- by Valerie Shelly, Susann Roth, Kirthi Ramesh

Universal health coverage must be high quality to improve patients’ health outcomes




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How can Asia avoid fallout if COVID-19 triggers a debt crunch? -- by Cyn-Young Park (朴信永)

Asia’s economies have generally maintained sound macroeconomic policies that can help the region withstand this latest challenge and emerge even stronger.




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Let's take bold action on health to avoid future pandemics -- by Susann Roth, Najibullah Habib

The COVID-19 pandemic could be an opportunity to take a more holistic approach to health and well-being, invest in health systems and in resilient supply chains.




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In the Pacific, urgent action is the key to addressing COVID-19 -- by Emma Veve

Pacific nations, led by the smallest and least well-off, moved decisively to restrict travel from a fast-growing list of COVID-19 affected countries.




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Leverage development experience to beat COVID-19 -- by Ramesh Subramaniam

COVID-19 is uncharted territory but development professionals bring a wealth of experience from past crises to rebuild lives, livelihoods, and economies. 




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We need better social protection to safeguard the poor from COVID-19 -- by Amir Jilani

Millions of families who were already poor and vulnerable before the COVID-19 outbreak face impossible decisions about food, healthcare, and survival. We have a responsibility to act immediately and protect those most in need.




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The pandemic may break value chains, but solar energy can still shine -- by Yongping Zhai (翟永平)

COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of energy value chains but solar power could be an indigenous solution to keep the lights on during a crisis.




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Asia and the Pacific can overcome COVID-19 by working together -- by Arjun Goswami

The Asia Pacific region is standing together to cooperate regionally to address the transnational threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Even with borders closing, we need to keep trade flowing -- by Steven Beck

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need to support trade to not only move medical supplies but also to bolster economies