Poverty has remained stubbornly high in Africa for decades. Top-down plans and donor driven investment programs have been less than successful. Past experience suggests that decentralization will not work without vibrant, participatory communities. And enhanced participation will at some point...

The report presents the results of macro-simulations of the consequences of different excise policy scenarios for 2018-2021 in two EAEU countries, Russia and Kazakhstan. Three scenarios are considered: (a) the low-taxation harmonization level and rate of growth proposed by the Eurasian Economic...

Cities can increase economic growth and participate in global economic flows by acting as hubs or gateways to regional corridors, that are supported by three dimensions of connectivity: physical (infrastructure) connectivity, digital connectivity, and economic integration. Integrating these...

Following from Vietnam's ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in late 2018 and its effectiveness from January 2019, and the European Parliament's recent approval of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and its...

The Western Balkan countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, achieved strong growth and poverty reduction since the start of the transition to market economies. Despite progress, today the six Western Balkan...

This report seeks to inform the policy dialogue on how to accelerate Paraguay's international economic integration and in turn its medium- and long-term growth prospects. It benchmarks Paraguay's global integration; analyzes trade, investment and competition policies and the quality of related...

Higher education systems in South Asia have undergone significant changes in the past two decades. Each country in the region has experienced a rapid rise in university enrollment, fueled by demographic growth and the resulting expansion of secondary education. However, in the absence of...

The community of development partners in the Republic of Moldova would be honored to engage in the development policy dialogue with the new Government. This briefing book from development partners is offered as a first step in such a dialogue and is solely intended to assist the new Government...