This Report examines if and how expert witnesses impact the integrity, impartiality and efficiency of adjudication in four countries-Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The report is part of a broader World Bank initiative to raise awareness of reform...

This report aligns to the framework of structural transformation to identify opportunities for development in the agriculture sector in the Western Balkans, while also exploring patterns of trade and factors for improving agricultural competitiveness in the region. to build a pathway to...

The Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, as well as one of the most deprived and socially excluded groups. Because of the lack of high-quality data, research on Roma inclusion to inform evidence-based policies is scarce, and accurate data on programs implemented in the Western Balkans...

The European Commission's Directorate General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations approached the World Bank to develop an evidence base and to deliver policy advice and technical assistance for supporting the effective reintegration of (Roma) returnees in the Western Balkans: Albania,...

Ambient air pollution (AAP) is a serious global health problem that accounts for an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide per year. People in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans are frequently exposed to air pollution levels above those considered safe, particularly in the winter....

As elsewhere in the world, in the Western Balkans the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged countries into deep recession. Because of the recession, labor market conditions have taken a turn for the worse and welfare improvements have been interrupted, although government response measures cushioned the...

In January 2013, International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched a research project entitled women on corporate boards in Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, and Serbia. The purpose of the project was to gather information on the representation of women on corporate boards and to learn about...

Just like nearly every aspect of human experience, crime, civil conflict, and violence have become increasingly global. Around the world, civil wars, of which there are more today than at any time since the end of World War II, displace greater numbers of people ever further from their countries...

Iraq was plunged into two simultaneous crises in the second half of 2014, one driven by a sharp decline in oil prices, the other, by Islamic State militants. Since June 2014, crude oil prices per barrel have fallen from around 112 USD to 97 USD in September and 62 USD by December. Given Iraq's...

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group (WBG) and one of the leading investors and lenders in emerging markets. Efforts to strengthen the global financial system following the 2007-2008 global financial crisis have contributed to withdrawal...