Asia and the Pacific has already posted a marked slowdown in achieving many of its Sustainable Development Goals, delaying the point when it reaches its targets for reduced poverty, narrowed social inequality, and improved social mobility, among others. Although many economies in the region reported stronger economic growth in 2021, there were hints of divergent growth paths.

Financial markets in East and Southeast Asia have become increasingly sophisticated and interlinked over the last two decades. A panel of experts discussed six new technologies that are helping financial market infrastructure evolve to meet the challenges of the digital age.

Developing Asia has vast public spending needs to build a more inclusive, sustainable future for the region. How can authorities mobilize sufficient tax revenues fairly while still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Entrepreneurial firms are important enablers of economic resilience during crises. In this webinar, experts shared insights from a 2-year longitudinal study from four Asian countries and the UK on how entrepreneurs can build entrepreneurial resilience in their businesses. In addition, they discussed how policymakers can facilitate and harness entrepreneurial resilience for greater economic resilience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for progress toward gender equality in Asia. The UN Women’s Rapid Gender Assessment—which provides snapshots of how the region’s women and girls have experienced the pandemic—is helping expose the extent of these impacts and their implications for the region’s recovery.