"Highly informative and equally persuasive."
-Adam Przeworski, Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Politics, New York University
"Should be required reading by all who publish or use governance indicators, especially those who are making policy or offering policy advice."
-John D. Sullivan, Executive Director, Center for International Private Enterprise
“Given the proliferation of governance indicators, Arndt and Oman offer a welcome assessment of how existing studies are best interpreted and used by scholars, aid agencies, governments and businesses. This careful appraisal of present knowledge will be the basis for launching the next round of inquires.”
-Hilton L. Root, Former U.S. Treasury Department Official, Author of Capital and Collusion, Princeton University Press.
“A seminal study. Extremely thorough. Should reach a very wide audience”
-François Roubaud, Director of Research, Développement Institutions et Analyses de Long terme (DIAL)
North and West Africa are undergoing rapid urbanisation. While cities and urban areas have always been sites of conflict, given their political and economic importance, many insurgencies, rebellions and separatist movements are associated with rural areas. Has increased urbanisation led to increased conflict in cities or do conflicts stay predominantly rural? Combining a regional and local perspective, this report examines and maps the rural-urban geography of conflict in North and West Africa since the late 1990s. A qualitative analysis of ten cities helps to illuminate the local sources of conflict. At a time of increasing violence in West Africa, the report lays out a solid foundation for policy makers, experts and researchers to develop more security and development place-based policies.
Since 1950, the number of urban agglomerations in West Africa increased from 152 to almost 2 000, and today towns and cities are home to 41% of the region’s total population. Cities and their inhabitants are increasingly shaping West Africa’s economic, political and social landscape. Yet there is little up-to-date data available for analysis and the formulation of development policy at the local, national and regional levels.
Africapolis, a comprehensive and homogenous dataset on urbanisation, is a significant step towards closing this data gap. The 2015 update covers 17 West African countries spanning the period 1950 to 2010. Its original methodology combines demographic sources, satellite and aerial imagery to provide population estimates and geolocation at the level of individual agglomerations. The morphological approach adopted by Africapolis helps identify territorial transformation processes which are at the core of West Africa’s complex urbanisation dynamics and can be observed at several levels: metropolises, secondary cities, the merging of villages and the formation of conurbations.
The identification of cities with fewer than 100 000 inhabitants is a major contribution of Africapolis – 90% of West Africa’s cities, or a combined population of 45 million people, fall into this category – a figure which underscores the important role of small cities within the urban system. This edition also includes new measurements of urbanisation in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, constituting the most complete dataset on urbanisation dynamics in this country to date.
Demographic pressure and the youth bulge in the developing world pose a major employment challenge. This situation is exacerbated by insufficient job creation, scarce formal wage employment opportunities and vulnerability in the workplace. For these reasons, fostering youth entrepreneurship has gained importance in the global and national development policy agenda. This report aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the role of youth entrepreneurship in generating employment in developing countries. It is based on the analysis of mixed labour force and enterprise surveys conducted in Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, Peru and Viet Nam, as well as evidence on the impact of entrepreneurship programmes. This report’s findings add to the global debate on youth entrepreneurship in three important ways. First, it constitutes an unprecedented effort to capture the real situations and multiple faces of young entrepreneurs in selected developing countries. Second, it provides new empirical evidence on the determinants of youth entrepreneurial performance. Third, it proposes a policy roadmap based on lessons learned from recent meta-analyses of the effectiveness of entrepreneurship programmes.
The multidimensional and intergenerational nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for integrated policies. Progress made in a particular social, economic or environmental area or individual goal may generate synergies and trade-offs across dimensions (spillover effects), and steps taken in one country could have positive or negative impacts beyond national borders (transboundary effects). Assessing the multidimensional and cross-border effects of policies has become even more urgent in the context of COVID-19 containment measures. However, there are gaps in governance and analytical tools for identifying and managing spillover and transboundary effects, posing challenges for governments in designing and implementing sustainability strategies. This book, a collaborative effort by the OECD and the European Commission-Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC) presents a set of new governance and analytical tools, lessons learned from country experiences, and good emerging practices for managing spillover and transboundary effects in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Commodity trading presents specific and heightened risks of corruption due to the large amount of money involved in commodity trading transactions, which are source of important revenues for developing countries, and due to the sophisticated mechanisms used to channel corrupt payments. These include complex and opaque corporate structures, the use of off-shore entities, that render the identification of beneficial owners more difficult, the use of intermediaries (including briefcase or shell companies) and joint ventures with politically exposed persons (PEPs).
This report maps out corruption risks of cross-cutting relevance for the sales of oil, gas and minerals that can arise at several points in commodity trading transactions. It contributes to advancing the global transparency and accountability agenda in commodity trading, by improving understanding and raising awareness of corruption red flags and evolving corruption patterns across a wide range of stakeholders, including home jurisdictions of buying companies, trading hubs, host governments, state-owned enterprises and buying companies.
African agriculture is a sleeping giant. Agribusiness remains in its infancy in most sub-Saharan African countries. Many of them now pay higher prices for imported food products and struggle to keep inflationary pressures under control. Given the strong long-term prospect for world food prices, increasing the productivity of food crops becomes a top priority. It requires sizeable investments in irrigation, storage, transport infrastructure and logistics, as well as better access to markets for inputs (fertilizers, seeds, planting materials and credit).
While successful contract-farming schemes exist for export crops, they remain rare for food crops. Greater involvement of the private sector in designing and implementing such food-crop commercialisation programmes could develop viable local food industries. Existing international financing facilities such as the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance (EPSA) for Africa should get full use. Whether Africa can unleash the potential of commercial agriculture in the coming decades also depends in no small part on the continuous and effective support of the international development community.
The findings summarised in this volume can serve as building blocks for further international discussions on fostering agro-based private-sector development and lifting smallholders out of poverty.
A shared value-system and guidance, aimed at streamlining the various approaches to commercial capital targeting SDGs. The 2019 Roadmap recognises that market-wide, co-ordinated action is necessary to mobilise the financing, and deliver the development impact that will lead to the Sustainable Development Goals.
This book presents an analysis of recent trends in migration movements and policies in OECD countries as well as in certain non-member countries. It includes a detailed description of the flows, the different channels of immigration and the nationalities of the migrants concerned.
In addition to this overall analysis, the reader will also find in this publication two sections on the recent developments in migration flows and policies in Asia and in Central and Eastern Europe; a special chapter devoted to family-linked immigration, the criteria to be fulfilled in order to take advantage of it and the legal systems which regulate family members' access to social welfare and the labour market; and a statistical annex containing the most recent available data on foreign and immigrant populations, foreign workers, migration flows and naturalisations.
This report presents an analysis of recent trends in migration movements and policies in OECD countries as well as in certain non-member countries. It includes a detailed description of the flows, the different channels of immigration and the nationalities of the migrants concerned. This report also provides details of the significant changes that many host countries (such as Australia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United-Kingdom and Poland) have made to their legislation in order to obtain greater control over migration flows. Finally, this report also presents an inventory of policies implemented to improve the integration of immigrants and to extend international co-operation.
Beside this overall analysis, the reader will also find etailed notes presenting the main migration characteristics of each country; an analysis of the economic and political implications of irregular immigration illustrating the different situations of irregularity, the methods employed to measure its extent, its impact on the labour market and the sanctions imposed on employers; and a statistical annex containing the most recent available data on foreign and immigrant populations, foreign workers, migration flows and naturalisations.
This analysis of the recent trends of migration movements and policies covers all OECD countries and certain non-member countries. It provides a comprehensive description of these flows, the different channels of immigration and the nationalities of the migrants concerned. This report also examines recent policy developments aimed at better controlling the flows, improving the integration of immigrants and extending international co-operation. Particular attention is given to the links between migration, free trade and regional economic integration.
This overall analysis is completed by thirty detailed country notes presenting the main migration characteristics of each country; a special comparative study on the temporary employment of foreigners describing the different categories of workers involved as well as the manner of their recruitment and the conditions of their stay in OECD countries; and a comprehensive statistical annex providing the most up-to-date data on foreign and immigrant populations, foreign workers, migration flows and naturalisations.
This report updates the data published in the 2015 OECD Compendium of Agri-environmental Indicators to present a summary of the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries as of end-2015. It also includes new and innovative material to further strengthen its relevance as a reference document. In particular, the four thematic chapters each cover a targeted set of indicators for which data coverage is generally more consistent across time in OECD countries and that capture the main pressures agriculture exerts on the environment. The thematic chapters cover the following areas: the interlinked issues of land use, pesticides and farmland birds; ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions, the main air pollutants from agricultural activities; nitrogen and phosphorus balances, two indicators that signal air and water pollution; and water use and irrigation in agriculture.
While many determining forces in fragile and conflict-affected countries are outside donor control, decisions about which activities to finance and how to finance them influence these countries’ path out of conflict. This is because financing is about much more than the flow of resources: it affects behaviour, aid architecture, power and influence, priorities, and capacity development. And because it signals approval or disapproval, there is no neutral choice: a financing decision has consequences that go far beyond the timescale and scope of the funded activity.
This report will help OECD DAC members and partners to map out more effective, rapid and flexible transition financing. This includes improving current policies and practices in financial flows, implementing procedural and cultural changes in donor administrations, and maximising use of the instruments available for in-country transition financing. The report also addresses improving the operational effectiveness of pooled funding instruments, clarifying the link between funding instruments and national ownership, and adopting a new approach to identify and prioritise specific transition needs.
The trade analysis and firm surveys conducted in several African countries in this study highlight an apparent mismatch between government policies and exporters’ needs in the provision and use of trade support services. While acknowledging the weaknesses of firms in these countries, the study does present evidence confirming the existence of a wide array of policy options for increasing business competitiveness and reducing dependence on primary commodities. Successful upgrading and diversification, however, require not only a right set of macroeconomic and structural policies, but also a substantial change in the policy-making process. A major governance problem undermines the implementation of a successful "business plan" for export diversification in these countries: the lack of involvement of private sector and civil society in policy formulation.
This report draws on key findings and recommendations emerging from available donor evaluation reports, assesses factors that have contributed to the success (or failure) of past programmes, and provides guidance for enhancing the effectiveness and impact of future trade-related assistance. It provides a timely input to the ongoing discussions amongst the aid and trade communities on effectively designing and delivering “aid for trade” as a complement to the Doha Development Agenda.
Developing and transition economies are seeking to accelerate their development by liberalising trade and investment, and taking advantage of the opportunities of the global market place. However, in the wake of recent financial crises, concerns have been expressed that some countries might turn away from open trade and investment. In fact, most crisis-affected countries are continuing to liberalise trade and investment, which they see as part of the solution to the crisis, not the cause.
This report reviews evidence of the benefits and challenges of trade and investment for development, drawing on experiences from economies in various parts of the world. Experience shows that open trade and investment have been beneficial for development, when accompanied by a coherent set of growth-oriented macroeconomic and structural policies, capacity-building, social policy and good governance. Further, countries like Korea and Mexico that have responded to economic crisis with liberalisation and structural reform have experienced positive results. All countries -- developed, developing and transition -- have a vital stake in a new Round of multilateral trade negotiations to prepare for the global economy of 21st century.
The development process can advance more rapidly than ever before in the new global economy. While opening their economies to trade and investment is a necessary condition for developing countries to achieve sustained high growth and reduce poverty, it is by no means a sufficient condition. Initiating a sustainable dynamic growth requires sound, market-oriented economic policies; appropriate social policy frameworks, including strong investment in human capital and adequate social safety-nets; and good governance. But, as shown by the Asian financial crisis, weaknesses in any of these basic foundations make even successful developing economies vulnerable to crisis.
OECD countries have a pivotal role to play in facilitating developing countries' efforts to fully exploit the benefits of open trade and investment. The key objective of this report is to identify how OECD countries can promote policy coherence by improving the framework for international investment and capital flows; addressing environmental concerns; facilitating participation of developing countries in the global information society; and enhancing the coherence of development co-operation policies. To be successful, policy coherence implies the broader agenda of consciously taking account of the needs and interests of developing countries in order for them to be effective rather than vulnerable and marginal players in the global economy.
Trade promotes economic growth, alleviates poverty and helps countries reach their development goals. However, developing countries – in particular the least developed – face difficulties in making trade happen and turning trade into economic growth. The Aid for Trade Initiative – launched at the 2005 World Trade Organisation conference in Hong Kong – aims at helping these countries to take advantage of trade opportunities and to reap the benefits of their integration into the world economy. The Initiative has been a success: it has not only raised awareness among both donors and developing countries about the role of trade in development, but also helped secure increased resources.
Trade for Growth and Poverty Reduction: How Aid for Trade Can Help explains how Aid for Trade can foster economic growth and reduce poverty, and why it is an important instrument for a development strategy that actively supports poverty alleviation. Unlocking this potential requires carefully designed and sequenced trade reforms. While developing countries have many trade-related needs, but financial resources and political capital for reforms are limited, it is an important priority to tackle the most binding constraints to trade expansion. This report describes the diagnostic tools available, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and suggests a dynamic framework to guide the sequencing of reform and donor support.
Trade and Structural Adjustment: Embracing Globalisation identifies the requirements for successful reallocation of labour and capital to more efficient uses in response to the emergence of new sources of competition, technological change and shifting consumer preferences. At the same time, it focuses on limiting adjustment costs for individuals, communities and society as a whole. Based on specific sectoral case studies, this volume includes analysis of the adjustment challenge and policy framework in both developed and developing countries, together with practical recommendations for good practice.