This report examines ASEAN’s regional investment agreements.The report looks in particular at provisions for information transparency and coordination, at areas of incompatibility between regional treaties and bilateral treaties, and at the discharge of monitoring, coordination and implementation functions.
The message of women’s economic empowerment is gaining force all over the world, but the challenge of helping the most vulnerable women achieve true income and food security remains daunting. As part of its efforts to promote women-owned SME growth … Read More
The aim of this research is to identify common traits among initiatives that have sought to stimulate economic growth through private sector participation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The identified opportunities include donor-funded initiatives and Government-sponsored projects.
This document summarizes trends, opportunities, and gaps observed in a review of how women entrepreneurs in all 21 APEC economies are served, supported, and strengthened through business networks, private sector initiatives, and government services. The report also highlights good practices … Read More
This paper examines market centres and second/third tier cities that are: i) close to rural areas; and ii) not major economic centres. These types of urban areas are offering the most opportunities for informal sector employment, mostly in the form … Read More
This paper attempts to provide systematic evidence on how activities can serve as entry points to relieve development bottlenecks, whether it is an introduction of a new cash crop or upgrading existing crops.
This report highlights the importance of agriculture to economies and how reliant those in a chronic cycle of poverty are on agriculture for their livelihoods. As a result, financial services need to be obtainable for the rural poor so they … Read More
The ministers of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization recognize that data, particularly disaggregated by sex, are essential to the formulation of policies and reforms that can advance women’s economic participation. A milestone achievement, the Women and the … Read More
This report presents the results of a recent survey on business perceptions of trade liberalization in Laos called the Business Perceptions Survey, or BPS. The goal of the BPS was to obtain data on how businesses in Lao PDR are … Read More
The survey aimed to identify constraints to MSMEs’ development and growth with a focus on access to finance, infrastructure, business development services, markets and technology.