Good governance and effective public management are essential for country and sector development. The message of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Asia 2050 report is clear—better governance is key to determining whether a developing member country (DMC) can accelerate development and inclusive growth, and is instrumental to strengthening local institutions and reducing poverty.

The Governance Thematic Group of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) jointly organized the 2018 Forum on Governance and Institutions, in partnership with the Korea Development Institute (KDI), as a platform for senior DMC officials to discuss governance and public sector management. The Forum’s focus was on state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform and corporate governance. The Forum used a twin-track approach: component 1 (day 1) focused on the overall context of governance and public sector management in which SOE reforms and issues of corporate governance feature, and component 2 (days 2 and 3) included an SOE-specific skills development program tied to discussions on day 1.

The objectives of the Forum were as follows: (i) promote discussion and share policy insights and country experiences on SOE reform and corporate governance among government officials and experts; and (ii) build the capacity of officials to design and implement innovative approaches to SOE reform and corporate governance.

18 government officials from 10 ADB developing member countries (Azerbaijan, People's Republic of China, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam); and 15 ADB staff memebrs from resident missions and HQ participated.

After the Forum, participants gained (i) better appreciation of overall trends in corporate governance and SOE reform; (ii) understanding of the scope of ADB efforts in SOE reform and corporate governance; (iii) appreciation of the legal implications of work related to addressing corporate governance weaknesses; (iv) ability to ascertain red flags in SOE operations, and knowledge of how to approach them; and (v) development of professional networks and linkages among practitioners and policy makers in specific areas of corporate governance and SOE reform.

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