COVID-19 and Development Challenges: Insights from Economist Asad Islam

Back in April 2020, the Global Labor Organization (GLO) published an important interview with Development Economist Asad Islam, Professor at Monash University, conducted by GLO President Klaus F. Zimmermann. The discussion centered on the urgent challenges the COVID-19 pandemic posed for developing economies.

  • Temporary lockdowns were seen as a necessary measure — not as a perfect solution, but as a way to raise public awareness.
  • Safety nets and food distribution systems needed urgent strengthening to protect the poorest during crisis.
  • Broad-based transfer systems and fiscal stimulus were crucial to keeping vulnerable households afloat.
  • Global problems demand global collaboration — COVID-19 taught us that poverty, health, and climate issues in one region cannot be ignored by another.

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