RCI-POD
WEBINAR 13
2:00–3:30 pm (Manila) Platform: Microsoft Teams Meeting
Bilateral Investment Treaties and Asia’s FDI: Insights and Policy Challenges
Bilateral investment treaties (BITs) are an important policy tool for promoting foreign direct investments and safeguarding the interests of States and investors. They govern particular areas of investment policy, including the treatment of foreign investors and the dispute settlement mechanisms in place. If the reach of BITs has increased, some concerns have emerged in recent years about the benefits, but also costs, they may bring to some States. The COVID-19 crisis has also underscored a risk that governments’ response to the pandemic could trigger an upsurge of investor-State disputes in coming years. The webinar discussed the potential role of investment treaties in the response to COVID-19 and the long-term strategies of Asian economies towards the economic recovery.
Video Link:
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Link to YouTube
Downloads:
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Agenda (PDF)
Previous Episode:
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Supporting SME Internationalization in the New Normal
15 Sep 2020 15:00–16:30
(Manila) Next Episode:
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Regional Health Cooperation for a Safer ASEAN
15 Oct 2020 1:30–3:00 pm
(Manila)
- Overview/Introduction
- Presentation on Provisions in Bilateral Investment Treaties and their impact on FDI flows in Asia
Rolando Avendano Economist, Regional Cooperation and Integration Division, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department (ERCD), ADBBioRolando Avendano is an Economist at the Economic Research and Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank. Prior to joining ADB, he worked for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), including the Economics Department, the OECD Development Centre and the Statistics and Data Directorate (PARIS21). He was a Lecturer at the Engineering Faculty at University of Los Andes (Colombia), and research associate at University College London (UK). He holds a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from University of Los Andes and a Master and PhD in Economics from the Paris School of Economics (PSE).
Fahad Khan Economist, Economic Analysis and Operational Support Division, ERCD, ADBBioFahad Khan is an Economist in the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of Asian Development Bank (ADB). He joined the Asian Development Bank in 2015 after completing his PhD focusing on empirical political economy from Australian National University, and also holds a BA from Yale University. At ADB, he has worked on a variety of issues relating to international economics and economic development.
Panel Discussion:Moderator:
Cyn-Young Park Director, Regional Cooperation and Integration Division, ERCD, ADBBioCyn-Young Park is Director of the Regional Cooperation and Integration Division in the Economics Research and Regional Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In her current capacity, she manages a team of economists to examine economic and policy issues related to regional cooperation and integration (RCI) and develop strategies and approaches to support RCI. During her progressive career within ADB, she has been a main author and contributor to ADB’s major publications including Asian Development Outlook (ADB’s flagship publication), Asia Capital Markets Monitor, Asia Economic Monitor, Asia Bond Monitor, and ADB Country Diagnostic Study Series. She has also participated in various global and regional forums including the G20 Development Working Group, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN+3, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). She has written and lectured extensively about the Asian economy and financial markets. Her work has been published in peer reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Banking and Finance, the Journal of Futures Markets, the Review of Income and Wealth, and the World Economy.
Prior to joining the ADB, she served as Economist (1999-2002) at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where she contributed to the OECD Economic Outlook. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University. She holds a bachelor degree in International Economics from Seoul National University.
Panelists:
Yothin Jinjarak Senior Economist, Macroeconomics Research Division ERCD, ADBBio PresentationYothin Jinjarak joined ERCD in August 2020. His research interests currently cover the socioeconomic impacts of FDI and the cross-country patterns of fiscal/monetary space. Yothin has work experiences in New Zealand, Japan, England, Singapore, and the US. He is originally from Thailand.
Rodolphe Desbordes Professor of Economics, SKEMA Business School, FranceBio PresentationRodolphe Desbordes is in the Economics area at SKEMA Business School. He was previously a Reader in Economics at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow UK. He holds a BA in Political Science (Sciences Po Paris) and a PhD in International Economics (University of Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne). He has widely published in the fields of foreign direct investment, economic growth, and applied econometrics. He has visited the IMF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
Christina Pak Principal Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, ADBBio PresentationChristina Pak is the Principal Counsel of the Asian Development Bank specializing in international finance and has been working on complex multi-sector projects across the Central West, Southeast and East Asia regions. She is also responsible for managing the Office of General Counsel’s Law and Policy Reform Program and has been developing and implementing various technical assistance projects in the areas of international arbitration, climate change and climate finance and environmental law. Prior to joining ADB, she worked in Singapore as a legal counsel and vice president for markets and international banking at a major UK bank and also worked in New York City as a debt capital markets and structured finance associate at a large law firm. She is a US-qualified lawyer, admitted in the States of New York and New Jersey and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, International Union for Conservation of Nature World Commission on Environmental Law, International Bar Association and American Bar Association.
Q&A