Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Asean's energy security at risk
Oped, Theresa P Lazaro, Published on 26/03/2026
» In June 1986, the five founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) assembled in Manila to discuss Asean's response to the global energy crisis, which began with the Iranian Revolution in late 1978.
Govts need to balance ethics, AI innovation
Oped, J. P. Singh, Published on 27/10/2025
» The biggest governance dilemma in AI is setting guidelines for the technology's ethical use without unduly weakening the incentive to innovate.
Timor-Leste's long road to Asean
Oped, Ronny P Sasmita, Published on 22/10/2025
» This Sunday, when Timor-Leste finally joins Asean as its 11th member, it will mark a diplomatic triumph for one of Asia's smallest states and a moral test for the region's most enduring organisation. For Dili, this long-awaited step is not about prestige; it is about survival, legitimacy, and opportunity. For the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), welcoming Timor-Leste completes the Southeast Asian map but also exposes the limits of its inclusivity.
Getting sustainable debt right
News, Kevin P. Gallagher & José Antonio Ocampo & Kunal Sen, Published on 19/05/2025
» A slowing global economy, rising trade tensions, and increased risks of recession could mean a perfect storm for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) burdened by high sovereign debt. Faced with exorbitant borrowing costs and an increasingly jittery international environment, these countries' potential for economic growth and development will be severely curtailed.
New IMF debt deal needs a rejig
Oped, C P Chandrasekhar & Martín Guzmán & Jayati Ghosh & Charles Abugre, Published on 03/10/2024
» Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka's president, recently lost his re-election bid after voters overwhelmingly rejected the debt-restructuring deals he negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other creditors. Instead, Sri Lankans elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the left-wing National People's Power (NPP) alliance and a vocal critic of IMF-imposed austerity measures, who has vowed to renegotiate the country's agreement with the fund.
The WTO's investment challenge
Oped, Karl P Sauvant, Published on 01/03/2024
» Every country is eager to attract foreign direct investment -- and for good reason. FDI facilitates capital inflows, creates jobs, drives skills development and facilitates technology transfers, accelerating economic growth and enabling recipient countries to access global markets.
IMF must lead climate financing
Oped, Laurence Tubiana & Kevin P Gallagher, Published on 19/12/2023
» With their agreement at COP28 to "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems", countries have made genuine progress on tackling climate change. But there is still much to do to mobilise the level of financing needed to turn the commitment into reality. International organisations -- especially the International Monetary Fund -- must step up. Though the IMF was relatively slow off the mark in the race to combat climate change, it has made great strides under Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. But it must take its climate leadership much further.
Asean must save its biodiversity
Oped, THERESA MUNDITA S LIM, Published on 08/03/2022
» Approximately 20% of the planet's vertebrate and plant species are found only in the Asean region and nowhere else in the world. Home to four biodiversity hotspots and three of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, Asean has extraordinarily high levels of richness of species and endemism.
The tide is turning
David P Boehm, Published on 24/03/2021
» In recent decades, medical science has made tremendous progress in the treatment of the human condition, and almost every day I am reminded of the incredible expertise of so many amazing doctors, scientists, and health professionals on this planet. What makes these new treatments so compelling for medical science are practical applications of precision medicine for each individual.
Asia's student-debt time bomb
Asia focus, M Niaz Asadullah and Theresa Chan, Published on 12/08/2019
» One of the most pressing issues facing the year-old government of Malaysia, led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, is the severely strained balance sheet it inherited. And part of its fiscal weakness is rooted in the 39 billion ringgit (US$9.5 billion) in outstanding debt owed to the National Higher Education Fund Corp (PTPTN).