Poverty Reduction 
We help countries accelerate poverty reduction and develop strategies that are country-owned and results-oriented. More>>

Economic Policy and Debt
We produce policy and analytical work in the areas of growth, fiscal policy, strategic debt issues, and regional development.  More>>     

Public Sector Governance
We help governments build efficient and accountable public institutions, create the foundations for good governance, and fight corruption. More>>

 Gender and Development
 
We promote equality of opportunity for women and men and foster women's economic empowerment in productive sectors. More>>

Global Development Architecture
We promote an international framework and set of measures that support developing countries’ growth prospects and represent their interests in the global community. More>>

Rising Food Prices Threaten Poverty Reduction

April 9, 2008 – High food prices are threatening recent gains in overcoming  poverty and malnutrition, and are likely to persist over the medium term, says a new World Bank Group policy note released today.

Press Release  | Policy Note| Country Policies 

Re-examining Korea’s Crisis in a Post Sub-Prime World
by Danny Leipziger, World Bank Vice-President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management

The current turmoil in financial markets has exposed an important contrast in the way that economic observers view the concept of leveraging. Just about a decade ago, Korea suffered through its most severe financial crisis in its history when international credit markets froze up and a nation with an impeccable record of economic management was humbled by a massive liquidity crisis. While the proximate cause was financial contagion affecting an economy whose financial markets had been forced open without requisite regulation, many observers blamed the problem on the excessive leverage of Korean conglomerates, the fabled chaebol that produced Hyundai, Samsung and Lucky Goldstar.   Read more

The Commission on Growth and Development Launches Its New Working Paper Series

This new series presents papers taken from the work of the Growth Commission. Shortly after its inception in April 2006, the Commission sponsored the preparation of papers by leading academics and policy makers from developing and industrialized countries. Its purpose is to review the state of the art, including the controversies, in a variety of areas it thought relevant for economic growth and development. Read more

World Bank and UN Renew Commitment to Stolen Asset Recovery
 
The World Bank Group and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today renewed their commitment to helping developing countries recover billion of dollars of looted funds.

"We are strongly committed to making the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative succeed," said Danny Leipziger, World Bank Vice-President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM), the institution's network responsible for the initiative. "Recovering assets is a difficult task, so the experience and advice from experts will be key in achieving our goal."

"This alliance between the World Bank and the UNODC, the custodian of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), will help countries tackle the problem," said Minister Touq. "If the (stolen) money could be used for development, it would be helping a lot of people." Read more

PREM Notes 116: Millennium Development Goals and Africa: An Alternative View
Danny Leipziger, Vice President & Head of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, the World Bank

In his paper “How the Millennium Development Goals Are Unfair to Africa” (Brookings Institution Working Paper # 14, November 2007), William Easterly argues that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are poorly constructed targets for development efforts and that they are inherently biased against Africa, making it more likely that the continent will fail to achieve them by the year 2015. He cites numerous references to the current trends whereby Africa will fail to meet the seven major MDGs and he posits that this is an almost deliberate attempt to “make Africa look bad.”

In these brief comments, I will argue that although the MDG goals could have been better specified, they have served a purpose, namely, to galvanize support among concerned donors to increase official aid flows as well as to focus attention on the one continent where poverty rates have moved little in recent decades. Read more

Liberia Eligible for HIPC Assistance
The IMF and World Bank have deemed that Liberia is eligible for assistance under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative based on a preliminary assessment. >>>>

Handbook of International Trade in Services

Some 80% of GDP in the US and the EU originates in services. Together they account for over 60 % of world services exports. Industrial countries are the largest exporters of such services, but developing countries are among the most dynamic. Since the mid-90s, the business services exports of 20 of these countries including India, Brazil, Mauritius and Costa Rica, have grown by over 15% per annum.

The book highlights the benefits of liberalization of services trade and the potential gains from reforms of trade in communications, finance, transport and business services. It also claims that if high-income countries allow the temporary immigration of foreign services providers equal to just 3% of their labor force, the global gains would be over $150 billion –three times more than the total development assistance flows. Read more

Female Migration Increases and Spurs Development, Shows World Bank Research
The current share of women in the world’s international migrant population is close to one half. Despite the great number of female migrants, there has until recently been a striking lack of gender analysis in the economic literature on international migration and development.
This new research provides focuses on the nexus between gender, international migration and economic development.>>>>

Bank, UN Push Global Drive To Recover Stolen Assets

The World Bank has joined with the United Nations in a broad new effort to help developing nations recover billions of dollars of looted funds.

The Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative estimates that between US$1 trillion and US$1.6 trillion is lost each year to various illegal activities including corruption, criminal activity such as drugs, counterfeit goods, money, and illegal arms trade, and tax evasion.

“This Initiative will foster much needed cooperation between developed and developing countries and between the public and private sectors to ensure that looted assets are returned to their rightful owners.” Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.

"There should be no safe haven for those who steal from the poor. Helping developing countries recover the stolen money will be key to fund social programs and put corrupt leaders on notice that they will not escape the law.” World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick.

The StAR Initiative is a "turning point in the global fight against corruption". From now on, it should be harder for kleptocrats to steal the public's money, and easier for the public to get its money back." Executive Director of the UNODC, Antonio Maria Costa.   More

The Roads to Gender Inclusion

Successful transport projects do more than simply building roads: they make sure that whole communities benefit from better access to transport. This includes women, who often have transport needs and burdens different  from men.

The PREM Gender team and the Sustainable Development Network have therefore joined efforts to support the implementation of the new World Bank Gender Action Plan in the infrastructure sector. More