Given that the developing countries today present a highly differentiated picture, is it appropriate to continue to speak of a "Third World"? If so, how does this group of countries appear to the present-day observer? What is their position within the world economy? What problems and challenges...

At the close of the Second Development Decade, 1971-1980, the Third World was able to record significant achievements in industrialization and external trade. But the army of jobless has swollen further; the urban slums have grown larger; and famine has claimed more, not fewer victims. The...

The contrast between industrialized and developing countries is often seen as one between two opposites: Rich countries - poor countries. But the poverty in the developing countries is by no means identical with the need for help as perceived in the industrialized societies. Poverty in the Third...

Both free trade and protectionism have been proffered as prescriptions for Third World development but neither has carried universal conviction. Neither import substitution nor export promotion strategies have come up to expectations. The author advocates a limited measure of delinking from the...

In recent years much attention has been given to the subject of delinking of developing countries from the world economy. John H. Adler gives an account of the arguments for delinking which is followed by an evaluation of these arguments and a discussion of the policy implications for industrial...

In view of the preponderant role investments play at present in any development policy, it may well be worthwhile examining whether it would not be advisable in drawing up future aid schemes to lay greater emphasis on the stimulation of consumption.

Exchange-rate strategies may be used to pursue the most varied objectives as instruments of development policy or of structural adjustment. The following article will examine the advantages and disadvantages of a number of exchange-rate policy options.

The priority previously given to urban areas by development programmes was replaced in the 1980s by efforts to implement deliberately targeted rural development. These often relatively complex projects showed less sustainable success than had been expected, however. What are the requirements for...

The classical approach towards adjustment has proved to have considerable shortcomings, particularly in connection with supply response issues and the conditions for re-establishing sustainable growth. The following article concludes that sustainable stabilisation and adjustment require a...

Stagnating development aid and continued reluctance on the part of western commercial banks to grant new loans to problem debtor countries have led many developing countries to pay greater attention to the mobilisation of their own resources. This article outlines a strategy for increasing the...