The Social Protection Agenda of the SDGs and its Fiscal Challenge

Asia's accelerated growth has pressed many goverments throughout the region to find resources to finance social protection programs. ADB has been assisting its developing member countries in this area. It has also helped them assess the fiscal challenges they face in meeting their social protection targets. This presentation shares results of a study on the resource requirements 16 member countries face in order to meet the social protection agenda by 2030.

ADB, Social Protection, and the SDGs: Emerging Challenges in Asia and the Pacific

ADB Strategy 2030 envisions a prosperous, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Asia. To realize this vision, developing member-countries (DMC) need to build their capacity to provide adequate social protection. ADB currently supports governments in developing systems and programs that will expand their social protection coverage and help them achieve SDGs.

Open Government for Inclusive Development

The role of networks, such as the United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific in promoting open government practices through research, co-learning processes and mechanisms, and advocacy among member cities and local governments, is highlighted in this presentation. Networks, through advocacy, giving of awards, and co-learning processes, raise the standards in urban governance and challenge local governments to perform better in terms of transparency, citizen participation, and public service delivery.

Tax Administration Information Systems: Increasing Revenue, Improving Governance and Integrity

Imagine a future where all countries in the Asia-Pacific region are self-sufficient in domestic resource mobilization and do not require loans from international financial institutions; and where the integrity and transparency levels of tax officials are high that they flow onto other agencies and to the government itself. This presentation discusses the best investment practices in ICT in tax administrations to assist ADB developing member countries in mobilizing sufficient domestic resources to meet sustainable development goals.

Inclusive Green Growth Index: A New Benchmarking for Well-Being in Asia and the Pacific

After decades focusing on economic production, the development trend has shifted toward creating social inclusion and environmental sustainability. However, current indicators such as gross domestic product do not capture non-economic performance of countries. This research introduces the Inclusive Green Growth Index, a new comprehensive index measuring growth in all dimensions—economic, social, and environmental; and identifies the roles of countries and institutions in promoting higher quality of growth.