The specific objectives of this Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) are to: 1) Review the existing situation in the sector, identify priority areas for policy changes or investments, and consider the role of the government, the private sector, and donors in implementing this agenda 2) Assess...

This paper is the first joint country study conducted by the United Nations and the World Bank aimed at translating into practice the principles of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2250, through direct and local engagement with young people and their communities in one of...

The international community is currently planning for a potential political settlement in Afghanistan. Negotiations may bring opportunities for significant reductions in violence. Government and development partners are considering how to support, consolidate, and sustain any reduction in...

The conflict inflicted by ISIS has forced over 5 million ordinary Iraqis to flee their homes, left schools destroyed and hospitals dysfunctional. Seven governorates have been fiercely affected while the entire country felt the shockwaves. During these times of despair, our neighbors and the...

The Iraq Economic Monitor provides an update on key economic developments and policies over the previous six months and presents findings from recent World Bank work on Iraq, placing them in a longer-term and global context and assessing the implications of these developments and other changes...

Iraq's overall security situation has notably improved after the defeat of ISIS, but significant challenges lie ahead. Iraq has witnessed major political and security transitions in 2017 when Prime Minister Al-Abadi announced in December the victory over ISIS after a war that lasted three years....

As a region, the Mashreq has seen more than its share of deaths, economic losses, and instability for the last decade. The region has braved massive economic and social shocks that would challenge even the most advanced economies in the world. The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has...

The World Bank's teams have been resorting to the use of a mix of standard tools and innovative geospatial and remote-based data sources (e.g., nighttime lights, shipping-position data, traffic congestion data, aviation statistics, mobile phone location data, remote sensing vegetation indices,...

This joint report by the World Bank and OECD identifies building blocks for more effective co-operation and is the first comprehensive global study of its kind. The content of the report is based on responses from 67 countries to a survey, which examined the organizational structure for...