Poverty reduction has become the central goal of development policies over the last decade but there is a growing realization that the poorest people rarely benefit from poverty reduction programmes. Microfinance programmes can help poor people improve their lives but generally such programmes...

For much of the last 30 years the global economy has not worked well for most poor countries or for most poor people. But there are now grounds for optimism. Presently, global liquidity is ample, pushing investors into parts of the world they previously avoided, and private investment is rising....

Reconstruction from conflict is a complex and demanding task, and a major challenge for post-conflict countries as well as the international community. Countries and their donor partners face multiple priorities – rebuilding infrastructure, assisting war-damaged communities, and re-creating...

Includes cutting-edge research on poverty dynamics and their measurement Interdisciplinary approach includes contributions from leading anthropologists, economists, sociologists, and political scientists. Explains ways in which quantitative and qualitative research can be integrated to further...

As one of globalisation's most visible dimensions, foreign direct investment (FDI) is central to the prospects for developing countries in the world economy. Key issues include the direction of causation between FDI and growth, the potential role of the new information and communication...

Violent conflict is inflicting immense damage on the societies and economies of the developing world. This paper introduces the UNU-WIDER special issue of The Round Table on 'Conflict and Peace Building: Interactions between Politics and Economics'. The issue assesses experiences in Burundi,...

Understanding the development effects of official aid is crucial to building a better bridge between research and policy. This paper reviews the current evidence regarding the impact of aid on growth and poverty reduction, and develops a new narrative. In the light of this narrative, the paper...

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) give aid to Africa a new emphasis. Yet aid flows to Africa have trended downward over the last decade, and as a consequence more Africans now live in poverty. This is especially true of Sub-Saharan Africa. Any progress towards the main MDG target of...

The labour market is one of the most important channels through which adjustment programmes affect the poor. Adjustment's poverty impact will differ between competitive and imperfect labour markets. Two effects on poverty are highlighted: changes in real wages arising from changes in labour...

Summaries To strengthen the help that programme aid gives to poor, we must strengthen its ability to increase the participation of the poor in growth. To do this requires a detailed appraisal during a programme's preparation to identify the expected impact on poverty of both the resource...