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2. The New global agenda and the future of the multilateral development bank system
- Author:
- Amar Bhattacharya, Homi Kharas, Mark Plant, and Annalisa Prizzon
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The new global agenda, with Agenda 2030 at its core, is ambitious, comprehensive, and universal. The three central goals now are to reignite growth, deliver on the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and meet the ambitions of the Paris climate agreement aimed at mitigating climate change and adapting to its effects. Achieving these goals will require a significant scaling up and reorientation of investments, especially for sustainable infrastructure and human development. Implementing this agenda is urgent, as the world is witnessing the largest wave of urban expansion in history and more infrastructure will come on stream over the next 15 years than the world’s existing stock. This is also the last opportunity to manage remaining significant demographic transitions.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
3. Development as Dignity
- Author:
- Dapo Oyewole, Andrew Quinn, and Holly Kear
- Publication Date:
- 10-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Aspen Institute
- Abstract:
- What is development? What does it look like? Development means different things to different people and in an increasingly polarized world, voices from the Global South are urgently needed to provide a balance of perspectives, lest we hear mostly one side of a multifaceted story. The Aspen New Voices Fellows writing in this anthology all agree that fundamentally, development is about dignity. Dignity of people. Dignity of planet. Dignity of life. The stories in this collection reflect this quest for dignity and share engaging insights and moving stories from diverse countries in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. The authors challenge us, inspire us and force us to open our eyes to the many ways we can truly see and foster ‘development as dignity.’
- Topic:
- International Affairs and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
4. The 'Responsibility to Protect' and International Development: Connecting the Atrocity-Prevention and Fragile-States Agendas
- Author:
- David W. Yang
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Abstract:
- At the United Nations World Summit in September 2005, global leaders took a historic stand against mass atrocities by adopting the doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). One of the principal commitments that UN members made in endorsing the R2P doctrine was to assist states in developing the capacity to protect their populations from mass atrocities.1 In endorsing these “pillar two” actions, the international community recognized that development assistance is the most practical tool for preventing atrocities over the long term. The development community has slowly begun to heed this call, taking steps to integrate atrocity prevention into its policies and programs over the past decade.
- Topic:
- International Development, Responsibility to Protect (R2P), and Atrocity Prevention
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
5. Skills for a changing world: National perspectives and the global movement
- Author:
- Esther Care, Helyn Kim, Kate Anderson, and Emily Gustafsson-Wright
- Publication Date:
- 03-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- There have been increased calls globally for students to develop a broader set of skills during the years of formal education than in the past. Education has typically been seen as a preparation for adulthood and its work-related responsibilities. Recently, however, the focus on academic, vocational, and technical skills (e.g., Brewer, 2013) has shifted toward an aspiration for education to inform both work and life more generally (e.g., Pellegrino and Hilton, 2012). Many frameworks describe the skills or competencies that this 21st century world demands (e.g., Binkley et al., 2012; Lippman, Ryberg, Carney, and Moore, 2015), and in so doing, they display strong commonalities. The frameworks examine what competencies people need to function effectively in society, with descriptions varying from very high level (e.g., Delors, 1996) to very detailed (e.g., Binkley et al., 2012). Differences also emerge primarily in the degree to which skills or competencies alone are identified or whether a wider range of human characteristics are included. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2016) acknowledges this shift in the focus of education toward a broader approach. Of particular interest for Skills for a Changing World, Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for skills beyond literacy and numeracy—including readiness for primary education (4.2), technical and vocational skills (4.4), and skills needed to promote global citizenship and sustainable development (4.7). These targets signal an emphasis on the breadth of skills necessary to prepare children, youth, and adults comprehensively for 21st century citizenship and life.
- Topic:
- International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
6. Payouts for Perils How Insurance Can Radically Improve Emergency Aid
- Author:
- Theodore Talbot, Stefan Dercon, and Owen Barder
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development
- Abstract:
- Millions of people face hazards like cyclones and drought every day. International aid to deal with disasters after they strike is generous, but it is unpredictable and fragmented, and it often fails to arrive when it would do the most good. We must stop treating disasters like surprises. Matching finance to planning today will save lives, money, and time tomorrow.
- Topic:
- Humanitarian Aid, Foreign Aid, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
7. Transport pricing and accessibility
- Author:
- Kenneth Gwilliam
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- common criticism of urban transport strategies is that they are unduly concerned with mobility or the ability to move rather than accessibility in which a desired journey purpose can be satisfied. It is often further argued that a consequence of this focus on mobility, particularly motorized mobility, is that transport is not affordable to the poor, and that this exclusion justified the use of subsidies to remedy the situation. A key element of “Moving to Access” is thus concerned with increasing the affordability of transport for the poor. The objective of this paper is to explore the relationships between mobility, accessibility, affordability and transport prices and subsidies in more detail with a view to better reconciling the economic efficiency of the urban transport systems with the welfare of the poor.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
8. U.S. global development leadership in a changing world
- Author:
- Homi Kharas
- Publication Date:
- 08-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- “Foreign assistance” combines two of the least popular words in United States politics. Since the end of the Cold War, isolationism has slowly weakened internationalism, perhaps because of the growing feeling that foreigners are freeloading on the U.S. as the world’s policeman and problem solver. Some indicators of popular attitudes toward foreign assistance are concerning, although these are not all consistent with each other. A 2016 Pew Survey found far more Americans responding that the U.S. does too much in terms of solving global problems (41 percent) than too little (27 percent). Similarly, a significant majority (57 percent) think that the U.S. should deal with its own problems and let others deal with theirs as best they can.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
9. International Food Security Coordination in Support of Human Security and the SDGs
- Author:
- Ann Tutwiler and Laura Frigenti
- Publication Date:
- 09-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Aspen Institute
- Abstract:
- The International Forum on Food Security Coordination, hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program in May 2016 in Rome, explored how to deepen cross-sector coordination on food security and better link existing initiatives, in the context of an ongoing global humanitarian crisis. This report summarizes the forum roundtable, as participants discussed the new context affecting food security and strategies for improving international alignment and financing of humanitarian aid.
- Topic:
- Food Security and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
10. Designing and Managing Successful International Joint Development Programs
- Author:
- Andrew Philip Hunter, Gregory Sanders, and Samantha Cohen
- Publication Date:
- 01-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Abstract:
- International joint development programs are important because of their potential to reduce costs and increase partnership benefits such as interoperability, economies of scale, and technical advancement. While all major development and acquisition programs are complex undertakings, international joint development programs introduce additional layers of complexity in the requirement for coordination with more than one government customer, supply chain and organizational complexities resulting from international industrial teaming, and technology control issues. The performance of international joint development programs varies greatly. This study compares the best practices of international joint development and domestic development programs through case-study analysis to identify the key variables that contribute to a program’s eventual success or failure and to understand the elements that are crucial to managing these programs.
- Topic:
- International Cooperation, Geopolitics, Global Security, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
11. Aligning to 2020: How the FP2020 Core Partners Can Work Better, Together
- Author:
- Rachel Silverman and Amanda Glassman
- Publication Date:
- 11-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development
- Abstract:
- In July 2012, world leaders gathered in London to support the right of women and girls to make informed and autonomous choices about whether, when, and how many children they want to have. There, low income-country governments and donors committed to a new partnership—Family Planning 2020 (FP2020). FP2020 set an aspirational goal—120 million additional users of voluntary, high-quality family planning services by 2020—and received commitments totaling $4.6 billion in additional funding. Since then, the focus countries involved in the FP2020 partnership have made significant progress. Yet as FP2020 reaches its halfway point, and new, even more ambitious goals are set as part of the Sustainable Development Goals, gains fall short of aspirations. The midpoint of the FP2020 initiative is thus an important inflection point, offering an opportunity for family planning funders and the FP2020 partnership more broadly to take stock of progress, to reflect on the lessons of the past four years, to refine funding and accountability mechanisms, and to reallocate existing resources for greater impact. Of course, the primary responsibility for expanding contraceptive access falls squarely on country governments. Nonetheless, donor contributions play an important role. With the goal of reaching as many women and girls as possible by 2020 and an eye toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the Center for Global Development (CGD) convened a working group on donor alignment in family planning in fall 2015 to see how scarce donor resources could go farther to accelerate family planning gains. As the final product of the working group, the report analyzes the successes and limitations of family planning alignment to date, with a focus on procurement, cross-country and in-country resource allocation, incentives, and accountability mechanisms, and makes recommendations for next steps.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Population, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
12. Revisiting What Works: Women, Economic Empowerment and Smart Design
- Author:
- Mayra Buvinic and Megan O’Donnell
- Publication Date:
- 11-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development
- Abstract:
- Expanding women’s economic opportunities bene ts both women and society. Women’s choices widen and societies gain from the contribution that women’s income makes to economic growth and family wellbeing. These bene ts are increasingly well-understood, but much less is known regarding the most effective interventions to empower women economically. The call to nd out what works is long overdue. Gender gaps in economic performance are pervasive and persistent — women earn less than men across countries and occupations, and gender gaps are especially salient in poor countries. A wide range of policies and programs — from long-term investments in health and education to short-term training programs and ‘just-in-time’ information on markets — can potentially help close these gender gaps and bolster women’s economic advancement.
- Topic:
- Gender Issues, International Affairs, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
13. Multilateral Development Banking for this Century's Development Challenges: Five Recommendations to Shareholders of the Old and New Multilateral Development Banks
- Author:
- Nancy Birdsall and Scott Morris
- Publication Date:
- 10-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development
- Abstract:
- The multilateral development banks (MDBs) emerged as one of the international community’s great success stories of the post–World War II era. Set up to address a market failure in long-term capital flows to post-conflict Europe and developing countries, they combined financial heft and technical knowledge for more than five decades to support their borrowing members’ investments in post-conflict reconstruction, growth stimulation, and poverty reduction. However, the geo-economic landscape has changed dramatically in this century, and with it the demands and needs of the developing world. Developing countries now make up half of the global economy. The capital market failure that originally motivated the MDBs is less acute. Almost all developing countries now rely primarily on domestic resources to manage public investment, and some of the poorest countries can borrow abroad on their own. Similarly, growth and the globalization of professional expertise on development practice have eroded whatever near-monopoly of advisory services the MDBs once had. At the same time, new challenges call for global collective action and financing of the sort the MDBs are well suited to provide but have been handicapped in doing so effectively. The list goes beyond major financial shocks, where the IMF’s role is clear—ranging from climate change, pandemic risk, increasing resistance to antibiotics, and poor management of international migration flows and of displaced and refugee populations. Other areas include the cross-border security and spillovers associated with growing competition for water and other renewable natural resources, and, with climate change, an increase in the frequency and human costs of weather and other shocks in low-income countries that are poorly equipped to respond.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
14. More Than a Lightbulb: Five Recommendations to Make Modern Energy Access Meaningful for People and Prosperity
- Author:
- Todd Moss
- Publication Date:
- 04-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Center for Global Development
- Abstract:
- Energy is fundamental to modern life, but 1.3 billion people around the world live without “access to modern electricity.” The current definition of modern energy access—100 kilowatt-hours per person per year—is insufficient and presents an ambition gap with profound implications for human welfare and national economic growth. This report summarizes the energy access problem, the substantial efforts underway to bolster power generation and access in the poorest regions, and highlights concerns about the specific indicators being used to measure progress. It then condenses a set of analytical and conceptual questions the working group grappled with, such as why and how to better measure energy usage and the multiple options that should be considered. The report concludes with five recommendations for the United Nations, International Energy Agency, World Bank, national governments, major donors, and other relevant organizations.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Climate Finance, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
15. International Affairs
- Author:
- East View Information Services
- Publication Date:
- 12-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- East View Information Services
- Abstract:
- World Issues
- Topic:
- International Affairs and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
16. Land Deal Dilemmas: Grievances, Human Rights, and Investor Protections
- Author:
- Kaitlin Y. Cordes
- Publication Date:
- 03-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
- Abstract:
- Land-based investments can create significant grievances for local individuals or communities, and host governments seeking to address those grievances must navigate a complicated landscape of legal obligations and pragmatic considerations. This report, funded by UK aid from the Department for International Development, focuses on practical solutions for governments confronting grievances that arise from large-scale investments in agricultural or forestry projects. The report considers such solutions in the context of governments’ legal obligations, particularly those imposed by international investment law, international human rights law, and investor-state contracts. Understanding the implications of this diverse range of legal obligations is particularly important in light of investors’ growing recourse to international investment arbitration, which can expose a government to liability under an international investment treaty for actions that may be in the best interest of a country and its citizens. Analyzing such obligations is a useful first step for a government seeking to protect its citizens against the negative impacts of land-based investments.
- Topic:
- International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
17. Pathways to 'The future we want': socio-environmental indicators
- Author:
- José Veiga
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI)
- Abstract:
- José Eli da Veiga critically examines the socioeconomic measures already established, like the GDP and the Human Development Index (HDI). The author contextualizes the creation of such measures and points out the limits of those, which can measure the economic performance of a given society, but are not intended to measure welfare and sustainability. With a keen eye, Eli da Veiga addresses the major issues related to the development and adoption of new indicators, selecting four emerging indicators to be examined in detail. These indexes – all created by renowned international institutions – seek to overcome the notion of wealth based on the production of commodities and on physical capital and propose a narrative of progress that is more compatible with the 21st century, focusing on people’s quality of life and on environmental sustainability.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy, Political and institutional effectiveness, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus