Two years into the deepest global financial crisis in the post-war era, the world economy is still experiencing uneven economic recovery and financial weakness. Financial market conditions are signali
Over recent decades the Latin America and the Caribbean region has seen a dramatic and virtually uninterrupted rise in female labor force participation. Women there have increased their participation
World Bank Working Papers are published to communicate the results of the Bank's work to the development community with the least possible delay. The manuscript of this paper therefore has not been p
The European Union (EU) is one of the most favored destinations for immigrants in the world. The subject of migration has been moving up the policy agenda of the EU for some time now. This increasing
More than a decade has passed since the introduction of comprehensive macroeconomic stabilization packages and trade, fiscal, and financial market reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean. However,
Disability is an important issue for the transition countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Not only is a significant portion of their population either in poor health or disabled--wi
'Global Monitoring Report 2008', the fifth in an annual series, is essential reading for those who wish to follow the global development agenda and debate in 2008. The year marks the midpoint toward t
The role of public finance in reducing poverty is the focus of this volume, with discussion of case studies from Africa and Latin America. Moreno-Dodson and Wodon compile 12 chapters (including eight
'Developing Science, Mathematics and ICT in Secondary Education' is based on country studies from ten Sub-Saharan African countries: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Afr
This book's prime audience is government policy-makers. It provides a policy framework for governments to increase micro, small and medium enterprises' access to financial services—one which is based
As labor migration both within and outside of countries continues, and nations continue to develop, children are increasingly learning in groups with children from ethnic and racial groups about which
This book reviews techniques and tools that can be used to evaluate the poverty and distributional impact of economic policy choices. It describes the most robust techniques and tools now available-fr
MENA is one of the richest regions in the world in terms of natural resources: it holds more than 60 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves, mostly located in the Gulf region, and nearly half of g
This volume summarizes a series of studies undertaken to better understand the current socioeconomic context of the Northern and Eastern provinces in Sri Lanka. Nearly a decade after the end of the Sr
The World Bank has partnered with the Commitment to Equity Institute at Tulane University to implement their diagnostic tool—the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Assessment—designed to assess how taxation a
This report's focus is making global value chains (GVCs) more inclusive. To achieve inclusiveness is by overcoming participation constraints for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and facilitation ac
In 2013, the World Bank Group adopted two new goals to guide its work: ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. More specifically, the goals are to reduce extreme poverty in the world to
Skills development in Ghana encompasses foundational skills, transferable/soft-skills, and technical and vocational skills. This report focuses on one segment of this skills development system: formal
The development paradigm has shifted toward private investment, and the private sector has become central in development strategies. There is much to be learned about how to effectively facilitate and
Social norms, gender roles, beliefs about one’s own capacity, and assets, as well as communities and countries, determine the opportunities available to women and men—and their ability to take advanta
The successful development of children and young people requires that we protect and nurture a set of interrelated physiological, cognitive, and socio-emotional systems. What happens to these systems
Access to well-secured, well-zoned and well-serviced land is a crucial condition for industrial and commercial investment. In many developing countries, where the land market remains underdeveloped a
Produced by the staff of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank, this two-volume annual publication reviews global financial conditions facing developing countries. T
'The Link between Health, Social Issues and Secondary Education' is based on country studies in six Sub-Saharan African countries—Eritrea, Mali, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, and a lite
In the past fifteen years, most countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States have shifted from predominantly collective to more individualized agriculture. These
Part of a series of studies published by the Middle East and North Africa Regional Vice Presidency of the World Bank, this book examines poverty and human development in the region since the mid-1980s
This report from the World Bank describes practical, evidence-based strategies aimed at empowering the poor to get the health services they need. It contains 11 case studies that identify the chief be
Decades of investment and improved policies have greatly increased women's education and health and have reduced their fertility rate. However, the expected payoffs in higher employment and economic g
'Trade, Investment, and Development in the Middle East and North Africa: Engaging with the World' describes why expanding trade and investment is vital for this region. The greatest economic challenge
This book analyzes the cultural heritage sector in the Middle East and North Africa region and the World Bank's policy and operational experiences in this sector over the past six years—1996 to 2001.
At the turn of the millennium, the world experienced a dramatic increase in funding for global health programs. Competing demands for these resources meant that policymakers needed access to valid, ev
The basic premise of this book is that the conversation on the future of development needs to shift from a focus on poverty to that of inequality. The poverty emphasis is in an intellectual and politi
Aging is a challenge which countries in East Asia and Pacific (EAP) regions are grappling with or will soon confront. It raises many questions for policymakers ranging from potential macroeconomic imp
At the turn of the millennium, the world experienced a dramatic increase in funding for global health programs. Competing demands for these resources meant that policymakers needed access to valid, ev
This edited volume presents the comprehensive review of the work on developing assessment frameworks for democratic parliaments. The book identifies areas of internationally agreed consensus among the
Global trade moves along a few select high-density routes or corridors. Such routes have existed for several millennia, of which the Silk Road is the most famous. In fact, all regions of the world,
