The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) analysed trends in global foreign direct investment (FDI). Despite geopolitical tensions and instability in global trade, worldwide FDI flows increased by 6% in 2025 to USD 1.6 trillion, ending a two-year decline. However, the recovery remains uneven. Investment flows to developed economies rose by 11%, while developing economies recorded growth of only 2%, reaching USD 901 billion. UNCTAD notes the increasing concentration of investment flows. The 20 largest recipient countries accounted for more than 80% of global FDI, while a significant share of the increase was driven by projects in digital infrastructure and energy. For developing countries, FDI remains the largest source of external finance, accounting for around 50% of total external financial flows in 2025. However, its contribution to development depends not on the volume of capital attracted, but on the integration of domestic companies into global value chains. Strengthening infrastructure, human capital and governance institutions is therefore essential to improving competitiveness.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) published its Macroeconomic Outlook for 2026–2028, covering the Bank’s seven member states. According to the report, the escalation of the conflict in the Persian Gulf has driven up oil prices and accelerated global inflation, slowing GDP growth in 2026 to 1.7% in the United States, 0.9% in the euro area and 4.6% in China. Most economies in the EDB region are expected to maintain strong growth. GDP is projected to increase by 6.0% in Armenia, 5.5% in Kazakhstan, 10.2% in the Kyrgyz Republic, 8.3% in Tajikistan and 7.9% in Uzbekistan. Growth in Russia and Belarus is expected to remain more moderate, at 1.0% and 1.3%, respectively. Overall, regional GDP is forecast to expand by 2.0% in 2026 and 2.4% in 2027, while inflation is expected to slow to 6.1% and 5.3%, respectively. EDB analysts expect Russia’s key interest rate to continue declining to 12% by the end of 2026, while Kazakhstan is projected to begin easing its base rate to 16%. The impact of the energy shock will vary across member states. For energy exporters Russia and Kazakhstan, higher oil prices will support export revenues and national currencies. Other countries in the region, as net energy importers, will primarily face heightened inflationary risks.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), artificial intelligence is reducing employment opportunities for entry-level professionals. In the United States, since late 2022, the number of entry-level vacancies in occupations highly exposed to AI has fallen by 16%. These roles typically involve routine textual, analytical, computational and administrative tasks. Similar trends have been observed in the United Kingdom and Sweden. AI is transforming the nature of work faster than education systems can adapt. At the same time, the impact of AI adoption on employment will depend not only on technological developments, but also on decisions taken by employers, educational institutions and governments. As immediate priorities, the WEF recommends incorporating entry-level recruitment into strategic workforce planning, redesigning work processes and establishing continuous cooperation between businesses and education systems.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) analysed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the digital security of the financial sector. The main threat lies not in the emergence of new types of cyber risk, but in AI’s ability to accelerate the identification of technical vulnerabilities, increasing the speed, frequency and scale of attacks. According to the IMF, the use of AI by malicious actors increased by 89% in 2024–2025. The average time required to gain access to information systems within a network fell to 29 minutes. Financial institutions are critically dependent on digital infrastructure, cloud technologies and open-source software, while vulnerabilities in payment and settlement services may lead to large-scale systemic disruptions. The IMF calls for regular system-wide monitoring of cyber risks, stronger oversight of key providers of digital and AI services, and the development of technical expertise among supervisory authorities and financial institutions. It also recommends introducing standards for the timely disclosure of cyber incidents, strengthening international coordination and expanding cooperation between governments and the private IT sector.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) developed a methodology for assessing the coverage and effectiveness of social protection systems. Its purpose is to help compare the scale and structure of public expenditure with the actual results of programmes and their impact on people’s quality of life. The assessment covers six areas: support for older persons, families with children, persons with disabilities, unemployed and underemployed people, poor and vulnerable groups, and protection against financial risks in healthcare. Programmes are also classified by funding source, form of assistance, duration of benefits and targeting of low-income groups. The methodology comprises three levels of indicators. The first measures the volume and composition of expenditure on social insurance, social assistance, employment programmes and healthcare. The second assesses population coverage, average expenditure per beneficiary and the distribution of support across different groups. It also examines the protection of workers in formal and informal employment and the readiness of social protection systems to respond to economic, natural and climate-related shocks. The third level models the contribution of public programmes to reducing poverty and inequality and strengthening food security. The common methodology is intended to support the preparation of national profiles and cross-country analysis in Asia and the Pacific. At the same time, it remains flexible and can be adapted to national priorities, institutional conditions and data availability.