This paper documents the evolution of measures of financial integration for major advanced and emerging markets economies, assesses whether advances in integration have had a significant positive impact on countries' risk-adjusted growth opportunities, and identifies some of the channels through...

In theory, one of the main benefits of financial globalization is that it should allow for more efficient international risk sharing. This paper provides a comprehensive empirical evaluation of the patterns of risk sharing among different groups of countries and examines how international...

Financial globalization has increased dramatically over the past three decades, particularly for advanced economies, while emerging market and developing countries experienced more moderate increases. Divergences across countries stem from different capital control regimes, and factors such as...

We document external investment positions among European Union countries at the start of the financial crisis through the creation of a new database comprising bilateral external financial asset and liabilities, excluding reserve assets and derivatives. While there are some gaps in the data, the...

The report describes the policy framework for the Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy (I-ANDS) and the vision for Afghanistan's developments. It reviews the progress under I-ANDS, analyzes the macroeconomic environment, characteristics of poverty and the policy goals, assesses the...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This paper presents the Joint Staff Advisory Note on Guinea-Bissau’s Second National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II) covering 2011–15. The PRSP II, adopted by the government in July 2011, provides the framework for the implementation of a comprehensive strategy aimed at...

This paper provides an initial comprehensive framework for Afghanistan to build institutions, sustain growth, and reduce poverty. First, macroeconomic, political, and security risks were identified. As the interim strategy presents a very ambitious five-year framework, there is an urgent need...

The Seventh National Development Plan of the Maldives envisages sustainable development with economic growth, social equity, environment protection, and good governance. The report assesses the policies and strategies needed to achieve the goals as well as the agencies responsible to implement...

Although Afghanistan has made significant gains over the years, vulnerabilities remain. The economic program Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) has been developed to sustain democracy, reduce poverty, and improve growth. ANDS, an important milestone in the rebuilding and...