Showing papers in "World Bank Publications in 2006"

Global burden of disease and risk factors

Abstract: This volume is a single up-to-date source on the entire global epidemiology of diseases, injuries and risk factors with a comprehensive statement of methods and a complete presentation of results. It includes refined methods to assess data, ensure epidemiological consistency, and summarize the disease burden. Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors examines the comparative importance of diseases, injuries, and risk factors; it incorporates a range of new data sources to develop consistent estimates of incidence, prevalence, severity and duration, and mortality for 136 major diseases and injuries. Drawing from more than 8,500 data sources that include epidemiological studies, disease registers, and notifications systems, this book incorporates information from more than 10,000 datasets relating to population health and mortality, representing one of the largest syntheses of global information on population health to date.

Gender, Time Use, and Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: The papers in this volume examine the links between gender, time use, and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. They contribute to a broader definition of poverty to include time poverty, and to a broader definition of work to include household work. The papers present a conceptual framework linking both market and household work, review some of the available literature and surveys on time use in Africa, and use tools and approaches drawn from analysis of consumption-based poverty to develop the concept of a time poverty line and to examine linkages between time poverty, consumption poverty, and other dimensions of development in Africa such as education and child labor.

Empowerment in Practice : From Analysis to Implementation

Abstract: This book represents an effort to present an easily accessible framework to readers, especially those for whom empowerment remains a puzzling development concern, conceptually and in application. The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 explains how the empowerment framework can be used for understanding, measuring, monitoring, and operationalizing empowerment policy and practice. Part 2 presents summaries of each of the five country studies, using them to discuss how the empowerment framework can be applied in very different country and sector contexts and what lessons can be learned from these test cases. While this book can offer only a limited empirical basis for the positive association between empowerment and development outcomes, it does add to the body of work supporting the existence of such a relationship. Perhaps more importantly, it also provides a framework for future research to test the association and to prioritize practical interventions seeking to empower individuals and groups.

India's Water Economy : Bracing for a Turbulent Future

Abstract: India faces a turbulent water future and the current water development and management system is not sustainable.Unless dramatic changes are made and made soon in the way in which government manages water, India will have neither the cash to maintain and build new infrastructure, nor the water required for the economy and for people. This Report examines the evolution of the management of India's waters, describes the achievements of the past, and the looming set of challenges. The Report suggests what changes should be considered and how to manage the transition from the ways of the past to the ways of the future in a principled but pragmatic manner. This report focuses on two basic issues-the major water-related challenges facing India, and the critical measures required to address them. It calls for a reinvigorated set of public water institutions to sustain water development and management in India. The study examines the evolution of water management in India, describes the achievements of the past, analyses the challenges ahead, and suggests ways of evolving a sustainable water management system.

Can Migration Reduce Educational Attainment? Evidence from Mexico. Policy Research Working Paper Series. WPS3952.

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of migration on educational attainment in rural Mexico. Using historical migration rates to instrument for current migration, we find evidence of a significant negative effect of migration on schooling attendance and attainment. IV-censored ordered probits show that living in a migrant household lowers the chances of boys completing junior high school and of boys and girls completing high school. We find that the observed decrease in schooling of 16- to 18-year-olds is accounted for by current migration of boys and increased housework for girls.

Reference Guide to Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism : Second Edition and Supplement on Special Recommendation IX

Abstract: Efforts to launder money and finance terrorism have been evolving rapidly in recent years in response to heightened counter measures. The international community has witnessed the use of increasingly sophisticated methods to move illicit funds through financial systems across the globe and has acknowledged the need for improved multilateral cooperation to fight these criminal activities. This second edition is to serve as a single, comprehensive source of practical information for countries to fight money laundering and terrorist financing. It discusses the problems caused by these crimes, the specific actions countries need to take to address them and the role international organizations play in the process. The report is organized as follows: Part A of this Reference Guide describes the problem of money laundering and terrorist financing, their adverse consequences, and the benefits of an effective regime. It also identifies the relevant international standard-setting organizations and discusses their specific efforts and instruments that fight these activities. Part B describes the various elements that are part of a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism for any country. This part of the Reference Guide is a step-by-step approach to achieve compliance with international standards, although it does not dictate the specific methods or actions to be adopted. Rather, it raises the issues that must be addressed and discusses the options that a country has in order to resolve these issues. Part C describes the role of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the global effort and the coordination of technical assistance available to countries in order to help them achieve compliance with international standards. Each chapter is a self-contained discussion of the topics covered in that chapter with detailed references to background and original source materials. Annexes I, II and III provide complete citations to reference materials.

Finland as a knowledge economy : elements of success and lessons learned

Abstract: In the early 1990s, Finland went through watershed developments due to a severe economic recession, during which unemployment rates rose from around 2 percent to over 15 percent and GDP decreased by more than 10 percent. However, in one decade Finland became the most ICT-specialized economy in the world. Three times it has ranked number 1 in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) competitiveness index. It also ranked highest in the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies of learning skills and educational attainment. This paper includes the following headings: introduction; Finland's knowledge economy today; structural changes in the Finnish economy - from agriculture to high-tech; changes in the economic and institutional regimes; innovation and education strategies and policies in Finland; sectoral perspectives on the Finnish knowledge economy -- from forest-related industries to ICT; challenges to the Finnish knowledge economy -- what's ahead; and conclusions and lessons from Finland's knowledge economy for other economies.

Poverty and the WTO : Impacts of the Doha Development Agenda

Abstract: This study reports on the findings from a major international research project investigating the poverty impacts of a potential Doha Development Agenda (DDA) It combines in a novel way the results from several strands of research First, it draws on an intensive analysis of the DDA Framework Agreement, with particularly close attention paid to potential reforms in agriculture The scenarios are built up using newly available tariff line data, and their implications for world markets are established using a global modeling framework These world trade impacts form the basis for 12 country case studies of the national poverty impacts of these DDA scenarios The focus countries are Bangladesh, Brazil (2 studies), Cameroon, China (2 studies), Indonesia, Mexico, Mozambique, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, and Zambia Although the diversity of approaches taken in these studies limits the ability to draw broader conclusions, an additional study that provides a 15-country cross-section analysis is aimed at this objective Finally, a global analysis provides estimates for the world as a whole

Sustaining Gains in Poverty Reduction and Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract: This book reviews the experience of the Middle East and North Africa region with poverty and human development since the mid-1980s It finds that poverty rates did not decline by much during this period while health and education indicators improved substantially The stagnation of poverty rates is ascribed to the stagnation of the region's economies during this period while the improvement in human indicators is likely due to several factors including improvement in the delivery of public health and education services

Perspectives on fiscal federalism

Abstract: This book addresses a variety of issues relating to intergovernmental finance and the provision and financing of local services including budgeting and financial management, the institutional framework for the conduct of intergovernmental relations, appropriate methods of service delivery in metropolitan agglomerations and remote rural areas, local government enterprises, user charges, property taxes, income and value-added taxes, natural resource taxes, and local business taxes. Throughout, the authors draw on experience both in Canada and in other decentralized countries and consider to varying extents the special problems facing Russia and other large transitional economies.

Empowering Parents to Improve Education: Evidence from Rural Mexico. Impact Evaluation Series Number 4. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3935.

Abstract: The authors examine a program that involves parents directly in the management of schools located in highly disadvantaged rural communities. The program, known as AGE, finances parent associations and motivates parental participation by involving them in the management of the school grants. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, we show that the AGE greatly increased the participation of parents in monitoring school performance and decision-making. Further, the authors find that AGE improved intermediate school quality indicators, namely grade failure and grade repetition, controlling for the presence of a conditional cash transfer program and other educational interventions.

Analyzing the Distributional Impact of Reforms : A Practitioner’s Guide to Pension, Health, Labor Markets, Public Sector Downsizing, Taxation, Decentralization, and Macroeconomic Modeling, Volume 2

Abstract: The analysis of the distributional impact of policy reforms on the well-being or welfare of different stakeholder groups, particularly on the poor and vulnerable, has an important role in the elaboration and implementation of poverty reduction strategies in developing countries. In recent years this type of work has been labeled as Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) and is increasingly implemented to promote evidence-based policy choices and fosters debate on policy reform options. While information is available on the general approach, techniques and tools for distributional analysis, each sector displays a series of specific characteristics. These have implications for the analysis of distributional impacts, including in terms of the types of impacts and transmission channels that warrant particular attention, the tools and techniques most appropriate, the data sources typically utilized, and the range of political economy factors most likely to affect the reform process. Analyzing the Distributional Impact of Reforms is the second volume in a series, and covers six key areas of policy reform that are likely to have significant effects on distribution and poverty: pension, health, labor market, public sector downsizing, taxation, and decentralization. It also provides a brief overview of the modeling approaches for macroeconomic shocks and policies. This volume is a companion to a first volume, Analyzing the Distributional Impact of Reforms, edited by Aline Coudouel and Stefano Paternostro (2005), which covered reforms in the areas of trade, monetary and exchange rate policy, utility provision, agricultural markets, land policy, and education. Each chapter is organized around the different transmission channels through which policy reforms can be expected to affect the population. The chapters provide an overview of the typical direction and magnitude of the expected impacts; the implementation mechanisms through which reforms are typically carried out; the stakeholders who are likely to be affected by the reform, positively or negatively, or who are likely to affect the reform; and the methodologies typically used to analyze the distributional impact. Each chapter illustrates these points with examples, applications, references, sources and a bibliography.

Promoting Social Cohesion through Education : Case Studies and Tools for Using Textbooks and Curricula

Abstract: Since 2003, the Civic Engagement, Empowerment, and Respect for Diversity (CEERD) program of the World Bank Institute has included a program on Education and Respect for Diversity. The program consists of a series of initiatives to promote tolerance and respect for diversity through curriculum and textbook reform and pre- and in-service teacher training. To date it has focused on ways in which Bank-financed programs can help education systems to address the needs of all students and to promote social cohesion. Activities have included information dissemination, through workshops and papers, as well as financing for pilot programs in Colombia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nigeria, Romania, and Sri Lanka. These pilots are designed to put in place strategies that can be scaled up either in the pilot country or in other programs.

Pension Reform : Issues and Prospects for Non-Financial Defined Contribution Schemes

Abstract: The previous decade has been one of pension reform throughout the world. In high income countries, the driving force has been the threat that current systems will become unaffordable in coming decades, with demographic developments presenting a major risk. In another setting, countries in the process of transition from a command, to a market economy are confronted with the challenge of introducing a public pension system that will provide social security in old age, but that also supports the fundamentals of a market economy. In the latter sense, it is important to examine carefully the experiences of developed market economies. Even in these countries, the driving force behind reform is demographic change and affordability. In a third setting, middle and lower-middle income countries are faced with the question of what system will best serve the interests of their specific country goals for the future. In all of these settings "NDC"-non-financial defined contribution-pension schemes have been on the agenda in discussions of possible options. Sweden is one of the few countries to have implemented an NDC scheme in the 1990s, when NDC came into its own as a concept, implemented in four European Union (EU) countries (Italy, Latvia, and Poland are the other three). NDC has become a reform option considered by many countries, understandably since most of Europe has a pay-as-you-go tradition, and NDC constitutes a new way to "organize" a mandatory, universal pay-as-you-go pension system. With some experience of NDC schemes implemented, it is felt particularly relevant for Sweden to host a conference devoted to discussing both the conceptual and institutional aspects of NDC. The goal was even more ambitious, however: to contribute to creating a synthesis of current knowledge on this new topic. This book is the realization of that goal. It comprises discussion papers on the status of NDC, its concept and the reform strategies that follow. Papers also discuss the conceptual issues of design and implementation , lessons from countries with NDC contribution schemes, and finalizes on the potential of NDC contribution schemes in other countries' reforms.

International Trade in Health Services and the GATS : Current Issues and Debates

Abstract: Health ministries around the world face a new challenge: to assess the risks and respond to the opportunities of the increasing openness in health services under the World Trade Organization's (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). This publication addresses this challenge head-on by providing analytical tools to policymakers in health and trade ministries alike who are involved in the liberalization agenda and, specifically, in the GATS negotiations. This book informs and assists policymakers in formulating trade policy and negotiating internationally. There is ongoing and animated international debate about the impact of GATS on public services in general and health in particular. In response, the book offers different perspectives from more than 15 leading experts. Some of the authors stress opportunities linked to trade in health services, others focus more on the risks. The book offers: Detailed legal analysis of the impact of the agreement on health policy; an overview of trade commitments in health-related services; new empirical evidence from nine country studies; and a simple 10-step explanation on how to deal with GATS negotiations.

Annual World Bank Conference On Development Economics 2006 : Growth and Integration

Abstract: The Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE) brings together the world s leading scholars and development practitioners for a lively debate on state-of-the-art thinking in development policy and the implications for the global economy. The 17th conference was held in Dakar, Senegal, on January 27, 2005. The theme of the conference was growth and integration, which was divided into five topics: growth and integration, financial reforms, economic development, trade and development, and investment climate.

Bridging Diversity : Participatory Learning for Responsive Development

Abstract: Today, one of the central tenets of development is the necessity for learning about and building upon stakeholders' and beneficiaries' insights, needs, culture, social organization, resources and active participation. This publication clarifies the myriad approaches to social research being used in the World Bank today. The focus is on participatory research as presently practiced and as a potential for forms of research which are not now particularly participatory. It makes a number of recommendations to enhance the utility of social research in and outside of the Bank.

Beyond the Numbers : Understanding the Institutions for Monitoring Poverty Reduction Strategies

Abstract: This volume provides lessons on the design and functioning of such monitoring systems, based on the experience of twelve Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) countries (Albania, Bolivia, Guyana, Honduras, the Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Niger, Tanzania, and Uganda). The focus is on the institutional arrangements of PRS monitoring systems - the rules and processes which bring the various actors and monitoring activities together in a coherent diagnostic tool - and a summary of the situation in these twelve PRS countries.

The Transit Regime for Landlocked States : International Law and Development Perspectives

Abstract: This study traces the development of the international law related to the free access of landlocked States to and from the sea. Part I is a brief introduction to economic, institutional, and development-related challenges faced by landlocked States. Part II examines doctrines and theories that have influenced the evolution of the legal regime that applies to landlocked States. Part III reviews the progress the international community has achieved over the decades in devising legal mechanisms to address the problems these States face. It discusses enforcement of the right of access, in particular, the administrative, institutional, and technical mechanisms used. The study further analyzes bilateral treaties and agreements dealing with the question of transit in different continents. These agreements aimed at facilitating transit between landlocked States and their transit neighbors provide for regimes that are tailored to the specific geopolitical and socioeconomic needs of the parties. The study also discusses the different international resolutions bearing on cooperation between landlocked States and the role of multilateral institutions. Finally, Part IV concludes the study by highlighting positive achievements of the international community in working toward a regime that is satisfactory to all, and describes a multifaceted approach to solve the problems of access of landlocked States.

Economic Development and Multilateral Trade Cooperation

Abstract: How can international trade agreements promote development and how can rules be designed to benefit poor countries? Can multilateral trade cooperation in the World Trade Organization (WTO) help developing countries create and strengthen institutions and regulatory regimes that will enhance the gains from trade and integration into the global economy? And should this even be done? These are questions that confront policy makers and citizens in both rich and poor countries, and they are the subject of this publication. It analyzes how the trading system could be made more supportive of economic development, without eroding the core WTO functions.

Thirty Years of World Bank Shelter Lending : What Have We Learned?

Abstract: By reviewing the Bank's experience with shelter lending, this paper seeks to address the question of whether the Bank has helped developing countries deal with the inevitable problems that arise with urbanization, particularly problems with the provision of shelter. It reviews the Bank's performance, with a focus on identifying lessons learned so that current demands can be more effectively addressed. In contrast to earlier studies, however, this review focuses more on how the changing policy environment has affected the structure of Bank assistance, rather than on how Bank assistance has affected the policy environment. This perspective is taken for two reasons. First, in recent years, benevolent changes in the policy environment are helping to ensure that better shelter conditions are provided to the poor in rapidly growing cities. However, despite the generally improved environment, some serious and often long-standing obstacles are impeding and, in some places, preventing progress. The emphasis on the policy environment allows the Bank to give greater weight to these constraints. Second, Bank shelter assistance is no longer an experimental program, as it was when the first review took place. Shelter assistance is now a mature sector, with 278 loans (including International Finance Corporation [IFC] loans). As a result, this review devotes considerably more attention to the outcomes of the Bank's shelter projects than did the earlier studies. Conclusions about shelter lending are by no means completely positive, however. In particular, while the nature of the lending has evolved to embrace the private sector more fully, it has also moved away from the poverty orientation that was for many years the core focus. If the Bank is to make a meaningful contribution to the Millennium Development Goal of affecting the lives of 100 million slum dwellers, this trend will have to change.

Safeguards and Antidumping in Latin American Trade Liberalization : Fighting Fire with Fire

Abstract: This book is a report on success-success in trade liberalization and in the removal of trade barriers so as to integrate Latin American economies into the international economy More particularly, this book is about how several Latin American governments created and managed safeguards and antidumping mechanisms as part of this liberalization The core of this book is a set of studies describing how seven Latin American countries-Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru-have used these trade instruments Each country study was conducted by analysts from that country Many of the analysts were high government officials during their country's liberalization, so they have hands-on experience with the construction and the management of these instruments

Reducing Poverty through Growth and Social Policy Reform in Russia

Abstract: Following the 1998 financial crisis, four out of every ten people slipped into poverty, not able to meet basic needs. Luckily, post-crisis economic rebound was impressive and broad-based, albeit uneven across sectors and regions. This title explores the nature of poverty, both nationally and regionally, to identify the groups with a high poverty risk. It then examines growth-poverty linkages through the labor market, as well as the contribution of growth and inequality to the recent poverty reduction. It also considers the expected impact of WTO accession on overall growth and poverty. Finally, it focuses on the scope for improving social policy in ways that will have a direct impact on the poor.

Managing the Politics of Reform : Overhauling the Legal Infrastructure of Public Procurement in the Philippines

Abstract: Over the past 30 years there has been considerable research on the political economy of reform. Yet despite this, little is known about strategies for managing the politics of change-moving from a bad to a better equilibrium. Part of the challenge of studying this issue stems from the difficulty of obtaining detailed, so-called "blow-by-blow" information on actual reform processes. From this type of information, one can discern and cull practical lessons on strategy, which by its very nature is about dealing with political barriers or problems as they crop up during the implementation process. This study looks at the sequence of events that ultimately led to the passage of legislation that markedly altered the rules that govern public procurement in the Philippines. The study attempts to distill operationally useful lessons for managing the politics of a reform process.

Reproductive Health—The Missing Millennium Development Goal : Poverty, Health, and Development in a Changing World

Abstract: While women in developing countries continue to die in large numbers in child birth, population and reproductive health specialists and advocates around the world are struggling to keep the policy agenda focused on the rights and needs of poor women. The 1994 Cairo Conference and Program of Action changed how we do business, and opened many doors, but the agenda is not complete and has stalled in a number of ways. At the country level, governments and donors are making difficult choices about how and where to allocate scarce human and financial resources. Funding approaches have moved away from the implementation of narrowly directed health programs to a broader approach of health system development and reform. At the same time, countries are also centering their development agenda on the broad goal of poverty reduction. This volume addresses a large knowledge and capacity gap in the Reproductive Health community and provides tools for key actors to empower faster positive change. It is a synopsis of the materials developed for World Bank's Institute's learning program on Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: Poverty Reduction, Reproductive Health and Health Sector Reform. The volume brings together knowledge about epidemiology, demography, economics, and trends in global financial assistance. The volume also introduces practical tools such as benefit incidence analysis, costing, and stakeholder analysis to strengthen the evidence base for policy and to address the political economy factors for reform.

Regulatory Frameworks for Water Resources Management : A Comparative Study

Abstract: Water is a scarce and finite resource with no substitute, and upon which the very existence of life on earth depends. The challenges facing water resources are daunting. The Millennium Development Goals aim, inter alia, at reducing by half, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Although progress thus far is not encouraging, it is hoped that necessary actions will be taken to achieve this goal during the remaining period. Such actions include financial, institutional, and legal measures. Indeed, without the appropriate legal framework, the ability of the state to regulate, control, and allocate its water resources is hampered; its role in ensuring their efficient and proper use is hindered; and its right to protect those resources is challenged. This study of the regulatory frameworks for water resources management examines water legislation in sixteen jurisdictions, and highlights, in a comparative manner, the key elements needed for an effective regulatory framework. Chapter 1 traces the relevance and importance assigned to water legislation by the different international conferences and forums, including the Mar del Plata, Dublin, and Rio, and the guidance provided by those conferences for preparing such legislation. Chapter 2 surveys the regulatory frameworks for water resources management in sixteen jurisdictions, based on certain key elements. Those jurisdictions were selected based on the availability and accessibility of a water law, as well as on the need to represent different regions and legal systems of the world. Chapter 3 presents a comparative analysis of these regulatory frameworks based on the same elements. The analysis examines the main similarities and differences in the approaches adopted by the jurisdictions selected. Chapter 4 highlights essential elements that need to be addressed in any regulatory framework for water resources management, and identifies emerging trends in water legislation. Finally, Chapter 5 underscores the relevance and importance of the regulatory framework, and specifies conditions supporting its utility and efficacy.

Diaspora Networks and the International Migration of Skills : How Countries Can Draw on their Talent Abroad

Abstract: Network diasporas are but the latest bridge connecting developing economy insiders, with their risk-mitigating knowledge and connections, to outsiders in command of technical know-how and investment capital. This book examines the interaction of expatriate talent with institutions in expatriates' countries of origin in an attempt to make the potential of diasporas and their knowledge a reality. The question of how to trigger and sustain such a virtuous cycle is a central concern of this book. The focus is on the "how to" details of how to design effective diaspora networks and transform brain drain into brain gain.

The U.S.-Guatemala Remittance Corridor : Understanding Better the Drivers of Remittances Intermediation

Abstract: This study reports on recent development and future potential for U.S.-based Guatemalan workers cross-border retail transfers to be more formal, cheaper, and disposed to the cross-sale of financial products and services. It also presents the key features of remittances senders, recipients, instruments, and intermediaries involved. The paper focuses on three areas: (a) the main characteristics of the Guatemalan migrants in the United States and the key drivers behind their decision to remit money and to choose an intermediary; (b) financial infrastructure supporting U.S.-Guatemala remittances processing, especially the role of technology, payment systems and innovations going forward, as avenues to help lower transaction costs, among others; and (c) the landscape of workers remittances distribution in Guatemala, examines the characteristics of recipients and the evidence of remittances impact, and analyzes the indications of potential for cross-sale of financial services to recipients.