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3rd China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction
4th ASEAN+3 High-Level Seminar on Poverty Reduction

The Impact of the Global Economic Slowdown on Poverty and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific

Asia is currently affected by the world's most serious global economic slowdown since the 1930s. The causes and impacts are different from the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998 in several respects. The current crisis concerns not only the very poor (i.e. those living under the $1.25 poverty line) but more so the vulnerable poor, mostly educated youth in the export sectors (and backward industries and services). Impact channels are going through labor markets, migration and remittances, social budgets, social protection, gender, health, education and training, among others.

Unlike the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis, current response packages in the region are less focused on the social impact; rather initial programs are more oriented towards stimulating growth and strengthening banking and finance. The crisis offers new opportunities for Asia and the Pacific to rebalance toward more inclusive labor markets and social protection systems.

A high level conference will discuss implications of the global economic slowdown on the people in Asia and the Pacific, specially the poor and vulnerable. It is jointly organized by the State Council Leading Group on Poverty Alleviation and Development of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Viet Nam, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the ASEAN Secretariat*.

The conference is supported by partner organizations such as the ADB Institute (ADBI), the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), the German Development Cooperation (BMZ/GTZ/KfW), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank.

The conference also serves as the 3rd China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction and the 4th ASEAN+3 High-Level Seminar on Poverty Reduction. It will further build on discussions during the February 2009 ASEAN+3 Officials Meeting on the Social Impact of the Crisis*. Expected high-level participants include various ministers, deputy ministers and directors general from our partner countries, senior management from partner organizations, and ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda, among others.

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The conference will exchange information on how countries in the region adjust to address the social impact of the crisis. On a more systematic level, the conference will also discuss opportunities of the crisis to make social and economic development and growth in Asia more inclusive.

In a special seminar on "The Environments of the Poor", the conference will provide insights on how two phenomena – the financial crisis and climate change – are affecting the poor and those vulnerable to poverty. Links between the two will be explored and insights on interventions that could benefit the poor both in short term (e.g., to withstand economic crises) and long-term (e.g., to strengthen climate adaptation) will be discussed.

The event will come up with key policy recommendations for government action across the Asia and Pacific region.

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The conference will build on cross-cutting and country papers related to:

• Labor markets and value chain job relations
• Social protection
• Poverty impact
• Migration and remittances
• Implications for gender equality
• Impact of rescue packages on social budgets and fiscal space for more inclusive social policy
• Impact on urban development and governance relations through decentralization
• Impact on the people's health and education
• Global recession and climate change impact on the environments of the poor
• Poverty Statistics and Millennium Development Goals Monitoring

Input papers will come from various institutions and governments. They are financed by ADB, ADBI, BMZ/GTZ/KfW, DFID, ILO, JICA, UNDP, WHO, and World Bank, among others. Other input papers are supported by ISEAS, IPRCC, and NCEAR, and financed through the ADB Poverty Network project.

In addition, the conference will feature country-focused discussions on specific issues. It will also provide the opportunity for governments to share their experiences and positions.

The conference will also work out a communiqué on the opportunities of the crisis for inclusive growth in the region. This will then be presented during the next ASEAN Summit towards the end of 2009.

ADB's response to the global economic slowdown was shared in a position paper presented by President Kuroda during ADB's recent Annual Meeting in Bali. ADB and ADBI also prepared a series of studies on the financial, economic and social impact of the slowdown in the region. Work of partner organizations can be accessed through the respective links found on the sidebar of this website.

All knowledge products will be shared through this conference website and the results will be published in a book.

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The conference will bring together about 180 participants from the region and development partners.

Most participants will be high-level policy makers and officials involved in poverty reduction for the Asia-Pacific region. About 50% of them will come from ASEAN+ countries in East and Southeast Asia, 30% from South Asia, Central Asia and the Pacific, and 20% are sector and thematic experts and senior management from partner development institutions.

ADB will participate in the conference through President Haruhiko Kuroda and Vice President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss as well as other staff.

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