Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) Briefs

The ASEAN+3 Bond Market Forum (ABMF) started publishing the ABMF Brief series in January 2023, and the Cross-Border Settlement Infrastructure Forum (CSIF) began the CSIF Brief series in December 2023. A total of 10 ABMF and CSIF briefs had been issued by January 2025. To better reflect that ABMF and CSIF activities support the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) mandate to develop the ASEAN+3 local currency bond markets, the original 10 briefs have been reissued as ABMI Briefs in May 2025.

This section contains the original ABMF Briefs and CSIF Briefs reissued as ABMI Briefs, in the order of their original date of publication, and the subsequent ABMI Briefs published from June 2025.

The ABMI Brief series provides insights into professional bond markets, their development, and necessary or desirable components to issuers, investors, market intermediaries, regulatory authorities and policymakers, academia, and other interested parties. Individual briefs are dedicated to specific subjects discussed in ABMF, CSIF, and the Digital Bond Market Forum given their relevance for domestic bond markets.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 11 — Intraday Liquidity and Cross-Border Collateral: Central Bank Perspective

This brief explores the considerations involved in using local currency government bonds as cross-border collateral, focusing on the same-day liquidity operations of central banks. Two mechanisms led by central banks—cross-border liquidity bridges and cross-border collateral arrangements—provide institutional frameworks for mobilizing collateral on a same-day basis.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 10 — Mitigating the Data Gap in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculation for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

This brief highlights the importance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation for small and medium-sized enterprises and explores how technology can help address data

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 9 — Principles and Practices of Due Diligence in Bond Underwriting

This brief highlights the role of bond underwriting and shows how it helps reduce risk and ensure fair pricing to maintain the credibility and stability of international capital markets.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 8 — Key Aspects of UNIDROIT Principles on Digital Assets and Private Law

This CSIF Brief shows that the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law’s (UNIDROIT) Principles on Digital Assets and Private Law (the Principles) aim to achieve high predictability in transactions and provide common ground and global legal certainty in the treatment of digital assets by unifying and harmonizing essential parts of private law. UNIDROIT recommends each jurisdiction adopt rules that conform to these Principles. In response, each jurisdiction may formulate laws and regulations that reflect the Principles.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 7 — An Introduction to Digital Assets

This CSIF brief explains the challenge to uniformly define fast-emerging digital assets, shows how it risks sparking legal conflicts, and underscores the need to develop common principles to support growing cross-border transactions.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 6 — Comparative Analysis of Collateral Eligibility Criteria

This brief examines the development of local currency (LCY) bond markets in ASEAN+3 economies and considers how setting out sound collateral eligibility criteria can bolster their development and increase financial stability.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 5 — Acceptance and Use of English in the Bond Market

This brief explains why ASEAN+3 bond markets should consider using English as a common language to attract more professional investors, boost liquidity, and support the future creation of an intraregional market.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 4 — Update on Financial Market Infrastructures in ASEAN+3

This brief assesses the development of payment and settlement market infrastructure in ASEAN+3 economies, tracks the evolution of real-time gross settlement systems, and looks at the potential of rapid digitalization.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 3 — Fundamentals of Disclosure in the Bond Market

This brief explains bond market disclosure, outlines its various forms, and details how it helps maintain market integrity and protect investors in ASEAN+3 economies.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 2 — Professional Investor Concepts and Categories

This brief explains what determines a professional bond market investor, explains the rules governing how they operate, and details the vital role they play in developing bond markets in the ASEAN+3 region.

Asian Bond Markets Initiative Brief No. 1 — The Professional Bond Market: A Practical Introduction

This brief serves as an introduction to professional bond markets in ASEAN+3 economies, explaining debt market terminology, outlining how regional bond markets operate, and detailing their merits for investors, issuers, and policy makers.