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2. Road warriors: Foreign fighters in the armies of jihad
- Author:
- Brookings Institute
- Publication Date:
- 05-2019
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- On May 10, Brookings hosted the launch event for Senior Fellow Dan Byman's latest book, “Road Warriors: Foreign Fighters in the Armies of Jihad,” with discussion moderated by Peter Bergen, acclaimed journalist and vice president for Global Studies & Fellows at New America.
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
3. Toward data driven education systems
- Author:
- Samantha Custer, Elizabeth M King, Tamar Manuelyan Atinc, Lindsay Read, and Kabir Sethi
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Today, 650 million children around the globe are at risk of being left behind as they fail to learn basic skills. Inequitable access to education is part of the problem, but even when children are in school, they may not be learning. In Uganda, for instance, barely half of grade 6 children read at a grade 2 level (Uwezo, 2016). In India, just one in four children enrolled in grade 5 can read a simple sentence or complete simple division problems (ASER Centre, 2017).
- Topic:
- Education and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
4. 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
5. Leave no Country behind: Ending poverty in the poorest places
- Author:
- Geoffrey Gertz and Homi Kharas
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Research Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The past 15 years saw the most rapid decline in global poverty ever, with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the global poverty rate reached several years ahead of schedule. Building on this, governments around the world committed to a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ending extreme poverty everywhere by 2030.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
6. Normal is Over
- Author:
- Constanze Stelzenmüller
- Publication Date:
- 02-2018
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Year one of the Trump administration has been uniquely unnerving. Yet the trans-Atlantic security community has also been breathing a sigh of relief, because many of their worst expectations seem to have been averted: trade wars, an attack on North Korea, the end of NATO. The conventional wisdom in Washington, DC and many European capitals today is that—despite a president who continues to defy conventions—U.S.-European relations have largely normalized. As a result, most Europeans are attempting to ride out what they believe to be a temporary aberration of American politics with a mixture of hugging and hedging. There is certainly evidence for a normalization of U.S. foreign policy, not least in the president’s formal endorsement of NATO’s mutual defense clause, and the reinforcement of American contributions to reassurance and deterrence in Eastern Europe. There are also many signs that the past year has re-energized American civil society, belying determinist critics in Europe. But Trumpism needs to be recognized as a massive discontinuity. Trump is the first postwar American president to question the liberal order as such. In its purest form, the “America First” doctrine has implications for the EU and some of its member states (especially Germany) that should be of intense concern to Europeans. Europeans should worry even more, however, about its fundamentalist critique of globalization (which it refers to as globalism) as a quasiadversarial ideology. The globalization-globalism dichotomy, unlike all previous transAtlantic disagreements, is a dispute about the nature of the world we live in. And it is a wedge that could drive the United States and Europe apart. America could attempt (at immense cost to itself) to decouple from the liberal world order and the global economy. But for Europe to do so would be suicidal. This flips the existing logic of the trans-Atlantic alliance on its head: it is Europe now that has the greater—and for it, existential—interest in preserving an international order that safeguards peace and globalization
- Topic:
- International Relations and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
7. The new dynamics of global energy and climate
- Author:
- Rachel Kyte
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- On the heels of a major new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the rising risks of climate impacts, on November 19th Brookings hosted Rachel Kyte, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, in conversation with David G. Victor.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, International Political Economy, and Climate Finance
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
8. Responding to the Global Financial Crisis
- Author:
- Brookings Institute
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Ten years after the lowest moments of the worst financial crisis and deepest recession in generations, former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and former Treasury Secretaries Tim Geithner and Hank Paulson—chief architects of the rescue that prevented a repeat of the Great Depression—look back and look ahead in an interview conducted by Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times and CNBC.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
9. Delivering inclusive access:
- Author:
- Jeffrey Gutman, Adie Tomer, Thomas J. Kane, Dev Patel, and Ranjitha Shivaram
- Publication Date:
- 08-2017
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Across the world, rapid urban growth offers enormous opportunity to those living in cities and suburbs. Urban residents tend to earn higher incomes than their rural peers, and enjoy the benefits of living in closer proximity to vital services and commerce. However, the same influx of people and economic activity also places enormous pressure on the built environment, straining existing transportation systems across the developed and developing world. In turn, residents and businesses increasingly struggle to reach one another, and they often place a premium on locating in neighborhoods with the greatest urban access. In other words, people want to live where it is easy to reach key destinations. This can drive up the price of land and contributes to a toxic mix of income inequality and spatial inequity.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
10. Meeting U.S. Deterrence Requirements
- Author:
- Robert Einhorn and Steven Pifer
- Publication Date:
- 09-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In conducting its Nuclear Posture Review, the Trump administration needs to consider how best to meet U.S. deterrence requirements in a changing security environment. Today’s most pressing challenges to U.S. deterrence goals come not from the threat of a massive nuclear attack against the U.S. homeland but from the possibility that nuclear-armed adversaries will use the threat of escalation to the nuclear level to act more aggressively in their regions and prevent the United States from coming to the defense of its allies and partners.
- Topic:
- International Security
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
11. Unpacked: The threat from North Korea
- Author:
- Jonathan Pollack
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Brookings Senior Fellow and SK-Korea Foundation Chair Jonathan Pollack explains the threat that North Korea poses to the United States, its neighbors, and the world. Pollack also explores the different options that the United States has to handle threats from North Korea and describes the different scenarios that could escalate tensions between the United States and North Korea.
- Topic:
- International Security and Geopolitics
- Political Geography:
- America, North Korea, and Global Focus
12. The Hellish Road to Good Intentions How to Break Political-Criminal Alliances in Contexts of Transition
- Author:
- Vanda Felbab-Brown
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Large-scale illicit economies and organized crime have received increasing attention from governments and international organizations since the end of the Cold War. The end of the Cold War brought a permissive strategic environment that allowed many states to focus on a broader menu of interests in their foreign policy agendas, such as the fight against drug trafficking and production. The post-Cold War era also exposed the fragility and institutional underdevelopment of many of these states, a deficiency perhaps exacerbated by globalization. At the same time, criminal and belligerent actors with significant power previously obscured by the shadows of Cold War politics were spotlighted by the international community, especially when their activities were associated with intense violence or corruption.
- Topic:
- Corruption and Political Theory
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
13. Why trade facilitation matters now more than ever
- Author:
- Antoni Estevadeordal
- Publication Date:
- 04-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- On February 22, 2017, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force. The TFA was concluded at the WTO Bali Ministerial Conference in 2013. Since then, countries have been working on implementing the agreement in their domestic markets to reach the two-thirds requirement for implementation.[1] As of March 2017, 113 members (or 69 percent of WTO members) have ratified the agreement—including 19 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries—and another 93 countries have notified the WTO of their timeline for each TFA provision, giving a comprehensive picture of the state of the agreement.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
14. 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
15. Addressing the accelerating labor market dislocation from digitalization
- Author:
- Roger Burkhardt and Colin I. Bradford Jr.
- Publication Date:
- 03-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In this policy brief, we highlight the impact of the speed and the scale that digital innovation will have in disrupting labor markets in the future, which requires anticipating policy responses now. We advocate for the formation of new social partnerships between business, labor, governments, financial institutions, and social stakeholders to forge comprehensive policy responses to address the coming social impact of technological change. This brief was used at the VISION 20 Workshop held at the Brookings Institution on February 27, 2017 to help generate new “big picture” policy approaches for the German G-20 Summit in Hamburg in July. The workshop was sponsored by the University of British Columbia Institute for Asia Research, the Munk School at the University of Toronto, the Boell Foundation, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung with the participation of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and the German Development Institute.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
16. Proposal to accelerate social mobility: Incentivizing greater private investment in the skill development of 21st century workers
- Author:
- Colin I. Bradford and Roger Burkhardt
- Publication Date:
- 03-2017
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In this policy brief, we discuss the importance of accelerated private investment in skill development of labor as a means to increase the competitiveness of firms, to create value added by workers, and to boost wages and social mobility. This brief was used at the VISION 20 Workshop held at the Brookings Institution on February 27, 2017, to help generate new “big picture” policy approaches for the German G-20 Summit in Hamburg in July. The workshop was sponsored by the University of British Columbia Institute for Asia Research, the Munk School at the University of Toronto, the Boell Foundation, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung with the participation of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and the German Development Institute.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Social Movement, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
17. Non-proliferation challenges facing the Trump administration
- Author:
- Robert Einhorn
- Publication Date:
- 03-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The global nuclear non-proliferation regime, as it has evolved since the entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970, has been remarkably resilient. Despite predictions of a “cascade of proliferation,” there are currently only nine states with nuclear weapons, and that number has remained the same for the past 25 years.[1] The NPT is nearly universal, with 190 parties and only five non-parties (India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, South Sudan). Several countries voluntarily abandoned nuclear weapons development programs (Argentina, Brazil, Egypt); several others were forced diplomatically or militarily to give up the quest (Iraq, Libya, South Korea, Syria); three former Soviet republics inherited nuclear weapons but gave them up (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine); and one country built a small arsenal before unilaterally eliminating it (South Africa). With Iran’s path to nuclear weapons blocked by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for at least 10 to 15 years, there are no non-nuclear weapon states currently believed to be pursuing nuclear weapons, according to U.S. government sources. And despite cases of nuclear smuggling and continuing interest of terrorist groups in acquiring nuclear weapons, no thefts of enough fissile material to build a bomb are believed to have taken place.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Security, and Nuclear Power
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
18. Measuring and analyzing the impact of GVCs on economic development
- Author:
- David Dollar
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Global value chains (GVCs) break up the production process so different steps can be carried out in different countries. Many smart phones and televisions, for example, are designed in the United States or Japan. They have sophisticated inputs, such as semiconductors and processors, which are produced in the Republic of Korea or Chinese Taipei. And they are assembled in China. They are then marketed and receive after-sale servicing in Europe and the United States. These complex global production arrangements have transformed the nature of trade. But their complexity has also created difficulties in understanding trade and in formulating policies that allow firms and governments to capitalize on GVCs and to mitigate negative side effects.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Global Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
19. Is a growing middle class good for the poor? Social policy in a time of globalization
- Author:
- Raj M. Desai and Homi Kharas
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Does an expanding middle class benefit society’s poorest? Much has been written recently about the rapid growth of the middle class as well as the rapid fall in absolute poverty (Kharas 2017; Kocharand Oates 2015; Burrows 2015). However, few studies seek to link these two trends. It is worth emphasizing at the outset that a growing middle class and a falling poverty rate are not simply two sides of the same coin; there is a large “vulnerable” (or near poor) cohort between the poorest individuals and the middle class. Additionally, the trends can be quite different. In the United States, for example, the percentage of middle-class households has steadily fallen since the 1970s, while the portion of households in the lowest income brackets has remained steady (Kochhar,Fry, and Rohal 2015). Similar trends have occurred in the European Union since the early 2000s (ILO 2015). By contrast, in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, most of those lifted out of poverty appear to have joined the ranks of the vulnerable rather than the middle class (Calvo-Gonzalez 2017; Chandy 2015). There, the middle class has stagnated despite reductions in poverty.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and Global Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
20. 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
21. A toolkit for building successful community college-employer relationships
- Author:
- Elizabeth Mann
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Amid persistent concerns about the well-documented skills gap, community colleges have the potential to provide low-cost, high-quality education and training to students. Robust relationships between colleges and local industry partners are critical to building strong workforce development programs for students. In this context, this toolkit offers practical advice on how community college leaders can take a deliberate approach to communication with potential partners in their community, including local businesses and industry leaders.
- Topic:
- International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
22. 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
23. The politics of foreign aid
- Author:
- Liz Schrayer
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In 2011, as the annual budget resolution hit the Senate floor, multiple amendments were offered to cut the foreign assistance account. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky offered the most dangerous amendment to cut billions from the International Affairs Budget. While it was defeated, it still garnered 20 votes. In the intervening years, Senator Paul offered similar amendments—but his final effort in 2015 was different. It was soundly defeated by a 96-4 vote.
- Topic:
- Humanitarian Aid and Foreign Aid
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
24. Institutional architecture of U.S. foreign aid
- Author:
- George Ingram
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- “Bureaucratically fragmented, awkward, and slow, its (foreign aid) administration is diffused over a haphazard and irrational structure... The program is based on a series of legislative measures and administrative procedures conceived at different times and for different purposes and many of them obsolete, inconsistent, and unduly rigid and thus unsuited for our present needs and purpose.”—President John F. Kennedy’s Special Message to the Congress on Foreign Aid, March 22, 1961, that led to the enactment of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the establishment of United States Agency for International Development.
- Topic:
- Foreign Aid
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
25. Handle with care: The challenge of fragility
- Author:
- Nancy Lindborg
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Despite enormous gains in poverty reduction and a long, steady drop in global violence over the past 70 years, progress is stubbornly stalled in those states considered most fragile. In the last de- cade, rising levels of violent con ict in states and regions like Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Nigeria and East Africa have spawned four civil wars, the specter of four famines, and historic numbers of people displaced by violence, all of which are straining the global humanitarian sys- tem and threatening precious development gains. The world has responded with ever-larger pack- ages of humanitarian, military, and peacekeeping action. What remains missing, however, is a concerted focus on the underlying dynamics of fragility, which will ultimately require a different way of doing business and, importantly, a shared blueprint for action among political, security, development, and humanitarian actors.
- Topic:
- Foreign Aid
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
26. Multilateralism under stress
- Author:
- Homi Kharas
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The multilateral development system, led by the United States, has guided development cooperation by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, evolving gradually through new institutions and new norms since World War II. Organized by a small group of like-minded countries, multilateralism has been a way of managing burden-sharing among donors and of delivering public goods. These functions are now under stress. According to a poll conducted in December 2016 by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland, most Americans (59.3 percent) support the statement that “when giving foreign aid, it is best for the U.S. to participate in international efforts, such as through the United Nations. This way it is more likely that other countries will do their fair share and that these ef- forts will be better coordinated.” However, a majority of Republican voters disagree, believing that it is better for the U.S. to provide aid on its own, to ensure control over how money is spent and to gain recognition for its generosity.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance and Global Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
27. American public support for foreign aid in the age of Trump
- Author:
- Stephen Kull
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Is President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy a reflection of a larger isolationist trend in public attitudes? And what do Americans think about foreign aid in particular? The answer is complex. On the one hand, recent polls suggest a robust majority support an engaged U.S. role in the world, a moral dimension to U.S. foreign policy, and giving foreign aid, especially humanitarian aid. On the other, many are dissatisfied with America’s role in the post-Cold War era, and Trump has effectively played on that disillusionment. The U.S. is seen as having overextended itself in playing a hegemonic role in the world, a role that has served corporate interests and the wealthy, but that has not effectively served the middle class, which is largely footing the bill for it. This overextension is seen as being reflected in the U.S. budget deficit, which troubles the public more than the elites.
- Topic:
- International Affairs and Foreign Aid
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
28. Unpacked: US NAFTA renegotiations
- Author:
- Joseph Parilla
- Publication Date:
- 09-2017
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Brookings Fellow Joseph Parilla discusses the renegotiation of NAFTA 25 years after its creation and explains the importance of NAFTA to the U.S. economy at both the national and local level.
- Topic:
- International Political Economy and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- America and Global Focus
29. Back from the Brink Toward Restraint and Dialogue between Russia and the West
- Author:
- William Perry and Deep Cuts Commission
- Publication Date:
- 06-2016
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- This report contains a number of bold proposals on how to better manage relations between the West and Russia in order to avert worst-case scenarios. Specifying that cooperative solutions are pos- sible without giving up on the fundamental interests of each side, it warrants a close look by officials in both Moscow and Washington.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Cooperation, International Security, International Affairs, and Geopolitics
- Political Geography:
- Russia, America, Europe, and Global Focus
30. The post-2015 agenda and the evolution of the World Bank Group
- Author:
- Homi Kharas
- Publication Date:
- 09-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The Addis Ababa Action Agenda reaffirms the central role of development banks in providing concessional and non-concessional long-term financing, countercyclical financing, guarantees and leverage, policy advice, capacity building, and other support to the post-2015 agenda. "We recognize the significant potential of multilateral development banks and other international development banks in financing sustainable development and providing know-how. We stress that development banks should make optimal use of their resources and balance sheets, consistent with maintaining their financial integrity, and should update and develop their policies in support of the post-2015 development agenda, including the sustainable development goals (SDGs)."
- Topic:
- Development, International Trade and Finance, Treaties and Agreements, United Nations, and World Bank
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
31. Driving sustainable development through better infrastructure: Key elements of a transformation program
- Author:
- Lord Nicholas Stern, Jeremy Oppenheim, and Amar Bhattacharya
- Publication Date:
- 07-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The agendas of accelerating sustainable development and eradicating poverty and that of climate change are deeply intertwined. Growth strategies that fail to tackle poverty and/or climate change will prove to be unsustainable, and vice versa. A common denominator to the success of both agendas is infrastructure development. Infrastructure is an essential component of growth, development, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Economics, Poverty, and Infrastructure
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
32. Today's challenges for girls' education
- Author:
- Elizabeth King and Rebecca Winthrop
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Educating a girl is one of the best investments her family, community, and country can make. We know that a good quality education can be life-changing for girls, boys, young women, and men, helping them develop to their full potential and putting them on a path for success in their life. We also know that educating a girl in particular can kick-start a virtuous circle of development. More educated girls, for example, marry later, have healthier children, earn more money that they invest back into their families and communities, and play more active roles in leading their communities and countries.
- Topic:
- Development, Education, Gender Issues, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
33. Aid procurement and the development of local industry: A question for Africa
- Author:
- Christine Zhang and Jeffrey Gutman
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Economic development is often tied to the evolution of local industry. One way to assess a country’s emergence as a major player in the global economy is by examining the ability of its domestic firms to compete on the global market. Public procurement—the purchase of goods, works, and services by governments—represents a significant portion of this market, making up an estimated average of 15 to 30 percent of a country’s GDP. Procurement in the developing world is especially noteworthy, since large projects are often partially or wholly financed by external donors such as the World Bank and other international financial institutions (IFIs), which encourage developing country governments to internationally advertise the goods, works, or services they require and to select the most competitive bid they receive. Yet the role of IFI-funded procurement in the emergence of global markets, particularly for and among developing countries, is seldom a topic of empirical study, despite its linkages to global growth.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Emerging Markets, World Bank, and Developing World
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
34. Accessibility and effectiveness of donor disclosure policies when disclosure clouds transparency
- Author:
- Jeffrey Gutman and Claire Horton
- Publication Date:
- 05-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Although the progress of the last decade in the disclosure of aid information has been unprecedented, the ultimate impact of that disclosure is dependent on the specific type of information being disclosed and its accessibility by those who can make use of it. What is evident is that there remains a critical gap, especially when it comes to the timely and accessible disclosure of information during project implementation. If the donor community is sincere in wanting to effectively engage stakeholders, not just during project preparation but throughout the project’s implementation, then it is essential that this gap be filled. Until this is addressed, the promise and potential of transparency and its impact on the governance of aid remain unfulfilled. There has been significant progress in transparency and the accessibility of aid information with regard to the upstream aspects of project design, including project identification, project appraisal, and safeguards. There has also been progress in the reporting of what aid projects have achieved and their impacts after completion. What is still less evident, though, is the transparency of information during the course of project implementation. This critical period—when even the best designed projects can go wrong—has been a relative foundling in terms of available timely information on how a project is progressing, what changes have been made to contract terms and amounts, and whether projects are being executed in accordance with their design and safeguard specifications, leaving a major governance gap in monitoring aid.
- Topic:
- Development, Humanitarian Aid, Reform, and Budget
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
35. Financial Globalization and Economic Policies
- Author:
- Eswar Prasad, Kenneth Rogoff, M. Ayhan Kose, and Shang-Jin Wei
- Publication Date:
- 04-2009
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- We review the large literature on various economic policies that could help developing economies effectively manage the process of financial globalization. Our central findings indicate that policies promoting financial sector development, institutional quality and trade openness appear to help developing countries derive the benefits of globalization. Similarly, sound macroeconomic policies are an important prerequisite for ensuring that financial integration is beneficial. However, our analysis also suggests that the relationship between financial integration and economic policies is a complex one and that there are unavoidable tensions inherent in evaluating the risks and benefits associated with financial globalization. In light of these tensions, structural and macroeconomic policies often need to be tailored to take into account country specific circumstances to improve the risk-benefit tradeoffs of financial integration. Ultimately, it is essential to see financial integration not just as an isolated policy goal but as part of a broader package of reforms and supportive macroeconomic policies.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Globalization, and International Trade and Finance
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus