Against a backdrop of sustained global growth and high commodity prices, Africa has experienced its best economic performance in many years. While recent economic performance is not merely driven by favourable external factors, African economies still lack proper “shock-absorbers” to...

Private business activity, by creating and using “ideas”, drives economic growth in both rich and poor countries. Creating an enabling business environment is necessary but not sufficient for fostering the private sector in poor countries. Open dialogue, transparency, accountability and...

Private equity is the African investment story to watch. African countries have made serious efforts to attract foreign investment. Global downturn may yet put successes at risk.

Growing trade with China and India offers new export opportunities for Latin America. Latin American countries need to invest in infrastructure and innovation. * This Policy Insights is based on the Latin American Economic Outlook 2008.

Higher food prices are likely to stay; emergency aid can only be a short-term solution. Making African agriculture a profitable business could turn a food-price curse into a blessing. African governments and donors should promote the commercialisation of food crops.

The total amount of debt relief accorded to African countries in the framework of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative is expected to reach $43 billion concerning 33 countries. The 15 African countries presently qualified for this Initiative will benefit from restored creditworthiness....

China’s and India’s strong appetite for energy and metal has boosted international prices and the volume and value of African exports. China in particular has become the main trade partner for a number of African countries providing cheap manufactured goods and reducing Africa's dependence...

Limited capacity to pay, large infrastructure needs and a huge backlog in the construction of sanitation facilities make recourse to cross-subsidies and government-funded subsidies a necessity in Africa. * This Policy Insights introduces the African Economic Outlook 2007.

International development assistance from richer to poorer (“developing”) economies accounts for major flows of capital, human resources and technical assistance. While the net direction of these flows remains a topic of hot debate, there have been several barriers identified to the...

Although hard to measure, informality is by all accounts high in Latin America: about half of the region’s working population can be considered informal. In Mexico, the only Latin American country that belongs to the OECD, up to 60 per cent of non-agricultural workers – almost 22 million...