Baku to host ADB-CAREC conference on global trade, private business

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Institute (CAREC Institute) will host a conference on “Challenging Global Trade Environment and Private Sector Businesses in Asia and the Pacific” on November 13, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Repor informs via the ADB.

This program is also part of the Launch Seminar of the ASM 2025 on November 12-13, 2025. Authors of selected papers will be invited to present their work at the conference. After review, their papers will be considered for publication in the book “Challenging Global Trade Environment and Private Sector Businesses in Asia and the Pacific” (to be published in February 2026).

The book will discuss the various trade impacts of elevated geopolitical risks on private sector businesses, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Higher protectionism and trade tensions continue to amplify risks of supply chain disruptions globally with surging trade costs. Uncertainties in the external trade environment will not only weigh on the prospect of trade growth, but could also threaten global economic stability, with significant, negative repercussions for private sector businesses engaged in international trade, particularly in the case of small exporting firms.

"The objective of the conference is to promote high-quality, frontier research on private sector development. This will include MSME development issues such as impact assessments of global economic uncertainty on the internationalization of MSMEs. The conference will foster knowledge sharing among social scientists, development practitioners, and policymakers," the bank noted.