This study resulted from UNDPs interest in the Philippine proposal for debt-to-MDG financing presented to the United Nations in September 2005. It is based on an analysis of the problem and the processes involved as well as consultations with key Philippine stakeholders, and views of creditor...

This paper provides an evaluation of the long-term fiscal sustainability of advanced economies, based on current estimates of these economies’ current-policy fiscal trajectories. As will be quite evident, for many countries short-term fiscal measures, such as the debt-GDP ratio and the...

Asian economies have undergone significant transformation since 1997/98 financial crisis. In order to reduce risks of balance of payment crisis, Asian policymakers introduced a number of policy reforms, including promotion of current account surpluses, accumulation of foreign reserves and some...

The policy measures taken to date in the Asia-Pacific region are helping to cushion the blow of the global recession. Monetary and fiscal policy stimulus has been strong and there has been considerable attention given to strengthening the financial system. Questions, however, remain about how...

In the turmoil of 20072009, troubles in a relatively small corner of the US mortgage market escalated into a crisis of global proportions. An amplification mechanism were the huge valuation losses on credit instruments, which dwarfed actual losses from default. We argue that these valuation...

Asia is a region whose financial integration has not kept pace with real integration. Asias relative financial isolation has limited its exposure to the direct fallout of the global financial crisis (though it did not prevent trade links from exerting severe contractionary impact). Does this...