The SMERU Research Institute is an independent institution for research and public policy studies which has professionally and proactively provided evidence-based research on various socioeconomic and poverty issues at the national and regional levels for the past 20 years.

SMERU has participated in the 2022 G20 Presidency of Indonesia through Think20 (T20) that brings together leading think tanks and research centers worldwide with the ultimate goal of providing research-based policy recommendations for the G20 leaders. The T20 itself comprises nine different task forces which serve as the ideas bank for the multifaceted problems discussed by the G20 officials. Specifically, SMERU has been appointed as the host institution of Task Force 5 with the focus on policy areas covering the issues of inequality, human capital, and well-being. By leading Task Force 5 at T20, SMERU has managed to secure a golden opportunity to collaborate with researchers and think tanks in the T20 from across the world and government officials in the G20 working group. Additionally, this partnership has promoted SMERU’s engagement in the policymaking process at the global level.

As the host institution of Task Force 5, SMERU is responsible for leading the selection of policy brief proposals while ensuring the alignment of the briefs with the G20 and T20 agenda. Specifically, the discussion in Task Force 5 revolves around policies to accelerate human capital development, social protection reforms, and demographic transition. In the area of human capital development, the task force focuses on producing education policy recommendations to improve learning outcomes and access, as well as policy recommendations to resolve the double burden of malnutrition.

Additionally, the task force has discussed how reforms in social protection can be properly designed and implemented to address many of the key challenges facing developed and developing countries, particularly regarding disability, old-age poverty, and nontraditional workers. Finally, Task Force 5 has explored policies to harness demographic dividend that is subject to different characteristics of economies to help build comprehensive policy frameworks for more resilient economies and greater sustainable development.