East Asia & the Pacific


The region of East Asia and the Pacific is home to some of the most historically impressive stories of institution building and economic development. This region is now facing a next generation of challenges and opportunities to support dynamic economies and address the changing demands of citizens. ISE’s experience in East Asia and the Pacific ranges from supporting public financial management in Timor-Leste to leading learning missions to Singapore and studying nationally-led and well-sequenced statebuilding and market building strategies in South Korea. ISE is exploring questions of the new challenges facing many states in the region and seeking to understand how this dynamic region connects to itself.

Country Stocktaking: Timor-Leste

ISE’s country stocktakings present a thorough view of a country to evaluate opportunities for reform during pivotal periods in its development trajectory. Stocktakings diagnose countries’ open moments and pathways for reform by assessing the performance…

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State Building in Conflict-Affected & Fragile States: A Comparative Study

In conflict-affected or fragile states there is often a significant gap between what the state is able to deliver and what the citizens of that state, as well as international partners, expect the state to…

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State Building in Conflict Affected and Fragile States: A Comparative Study; Technical Working Paper

This analysis provides a comparison of fiscal performance improvements over time for Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. It reviews changes in the quality of public financial management systems as revealed by Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA)…

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Singapore: Evolution of an Entrepot

Singapore has undergone a remarkable transition since gaining statehood. ISE examines the sequence of priorities and drivers fueling its economic growth from a post-colonial city into a center of industry and trade.

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A Framework for a New Silk Road in Asia Report 1

The old Silk Road was not only a fixed route, but a constellation of rules, agreements, relationships and institutions that created an integrated economic and political system across Asia. The New Silk Road should similarly…

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A Framework for a New Silk Road in Asia Report 2

Just as ancient transcontinental trade networks generated prosperity, security and political stability in Asia, a 21st-century Silk Road could secure Asia’s future. The Asian continent is undergoing a great economic transformation that presents tremendous opportunities…

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