ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.
ORGANIZATION
ACCOUNTABILITY
ADB supports projects in developing member countries that create economic and development impact, delivered through both public and private sector operations, advisory services, and knowledge support.
Social Development and Poverty
ADB’s central mission is working to reduce poverty in Asia and the Pacific and to ensure the benefits of economic growth and social development are equitably spread.
Social Protection and Labor
Social protection is central to ADB's inclusive growth agenda. ADB defines social protection as a "set of policies and programs designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labor markets, diminishing people’s exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/loss of income."
Social Assistance
Social assistance programs help ensure income security and access to basic services for poor and vulnerable populations. Key sectors that may serve as entry points for social assistance programs include education, finance, health and public sector management.
Social assistance interventions may include:
- Cash transfers (conditional and unconditional)
- Social pensions
- In-kind transfers, such as food-for-work, school feeding programs, etc.
- Asset transfers
- Scholarships
Social Insurance
Social insurance programs mitigate risks by providing income support in the event of illness, disability, work injury, maternity, unemployment, old age, and death. Key sectors that may serve as entry points for strengthening sustainable social insurance schemes include financial sector development, health, and public sector management.
Social insurance programs may include:
- Pensions, social security systems, provident funds
- Health insurance
- Micro-insurance, small-farmer agricultural insurance, weather index-based crop insurance
- Unemployment insurance
Labor Market Programs
Labor market programs support the development of job-relevant skills and workers' retraining, particularly the low-skilled and marginalized. They also facilitate employment. Key sectors that may serve as entry points for promoting and expanding labor market programs include education and infrastructure (energy, information and communication technology, water, and transport).
Labor market programs may include:
- Active labor market policies and programs (pre-employment training, skills development and upgrading, public works, matching supply and demand for labor)
- Passive labor market policies and programs (compliance with core labor standards, job security provisions, improving working conditions)
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Social Protection to Support the Poor and Vulnerable in Asia and the Pacific
In the past decade, social protection has become a key instrument of public policy in many developing countries in Asia and the Pacific region.
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Publications and Documents
Job Matching for Youth in Asia and the Pacific: A Transitions Approach for Positive Labor Market Pathways
Uptake, Implementation, Portability, and Operability of the One Nation One Ration Card: A Study
Demography, Growth, and Robots in Advanced and Emerging Economies
Preparing the Workforce for the Low-Carbon Economy: A Closer Look at Green Jobs and Green Skills
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Other Social Development Topics
Adapting to Aging Asia and the Pacific
Rapid aging in Asia and the Pacific has put the region at the forefront of one of the most important global demographic trends.
Graduation Approach
The graduation approach is an innovative, holistic and proven approach to addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequality, Strategy 2030's first operational priority.
Human Mobility and Migration
Migration can be a powerful contributor to economic and social development. At the same time, migration can add to overcrowding in cities, strain social cohesion in migrant receiving areas, and be tied up with human trafficking.
Inclusive Growth and Poverty Reduction
Reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific, even in countries with relatively high per capita income, remains an unfinished agenda. Despite major progress, the region was home to 326 million people living in extreme poverty (or below the $1.90/day poverty line) in 2013.