In the 12th SPOT webinar, the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Keiko Nowacka and Fook Yen Chong, EIEE’s Johannes Emmerling, ILO’s Christian Viegelahn, and EY’s Callista Ng discussed the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on labor markets and how it has exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly for women and the youth, in Southeast Asia. They emphasized the role of innovative policy and concerted action in advancing digitalization, addressing skills mismatch and gaps, and ensuring a more resilient and inclusive workforce in a post-COVID-19 world.

In the 10th SPOT webinar, Omer Zafar, Takashi Yamano, and Noorullah from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Dil Rahut from the ADB Institute, and Jennifer Rosenzweig from Indonesia’s World Food Programme shared their views on factors that threaten the agriculture food system in Southeast Asia. They discussed cyclical factors and structural challenges shaping the global food system, including the effects of high food prices on nutrition and access to affordable diets, and the impact of climate change and other shocks on productivity and food production.

In the 9th SPOT series, Aiko Kikkawa, Guntur Sugiyarto, and James Villafuerte from the ADB; and Jonathan Capal of Developing Markets Associates discussed the issues and prospects of labor mobility and remittances in Asia. The discussion noted the critical role of remittances as a lifeline for people in the region.

In the 8th SPOT series, Director Christine Engstrom from PSOD, Shigehiro Shinozaki from ERCD, Poornima G.W. Jayawardana from SERD, and Yoonee Jeong from SDCC discussed the catalytic role of financial inclusion to attain the SDGs and support more inclusive development.

The discussion highlighted the importance of a One ADB approach to strengthen financial and digital infrastructure, promote financial literacy and education especially for women, and strengthen the partnership between regulators, the private sector, and MFI's. James Villafuerte from SERD moderated the discussion.

The 7th SPOT on Reshaping Cities in the Post-COVID-19 World discussed these issues:

a) the challenges of the urban cities in battling the impact of COVID-19;

b) how cities can play the role of job creators and engines of growth; and

c) what the private sector can do to reshape cities.

The speakers included Thuy Trang Dang of SEUW, Arghya Sinha Roy of SDCD, Jiang Yi of EREA, and Sanjay Grover of OPOH with James Villafuerte of SERC as moderator.