'Trade Blocs' analyzes both the political and economic benefits of trade blocs. It addresses the implications of these new forms of trading arrangements, and analyzes the policy options that countries now face. The book comes to some of the following conclusions: - Selecting high-income countries as partners may be the best option for developing countries in terms of potential for income convergence over time. - There is no evidence to suggest that regional agreements either aid or impede (WTO-based) trade liberalization efforts. - Economic gains depend on securing an effective increase in...

The last decade of the 20th century witnessed striking progress in the developing world and at the same time, it also saw stagnation and setbacks. Economic growth is key to development both in its pace and also in its quality. 'The Quality of Growth' is a collection of essays in an ongoing research project. The book looks at the 'World Development Report 1991: The Challenge of Development' and examines how far we have progressed at the turn of the millennium. According to the report, there are four factors especially relevant for poverty outcomes: - distribution, - sustainability, -...

Although it achieved independence in 1947, Pakistan still has not succeeded in integrating its diverse peoples into a nationas its short yet turbulent history vividly demonstrates. The nation's search for stability is traced in this revised and updated introduction to Pakistan's political, economic, and social development. New chapters detail political developments since 1991, including the elections of 1993 and 1996. Economic changes, including the financial crisis that led to the fall of Benazir Bhutto's government in 1996, are given particular attention. Also included is an extensive...

Health indicators in developing countries have shown significant improvement in the last 50 years. People are living longer, fewer children and their mothers die in childbirth, and many diseases have been controlled and some eliminated. However, the health status of individuals in these countries remains below its potential level, and many people lack access to suitable health care and health-promoting services. There is still much to be achieved in the promotion of health care and well-being of individuals in the developing world. In recent years, the efficient and equitable provision of...

While the multilateral WTO talks remain mired in contentious debate, new bilateral and regional preferential trading arrangements are mushrooming all over the globe. The surge in regional trading arrangements prompts many questions that the Global Economic Prospects 2005 takes up: what type of regional and bilateral arrangements are most beneficial--and which types stifle development? do these agreements inspire deeper integration that multilateral trade agreements cannot? do they contribute to--or detract from--incentives for countries to engage in the multilateral Doha trade talks?

Privatization is under attack. Beginning in the 1980s, thousands of failing state-owned enterprises worldwide have been turned over to the private sector. But public opinion has turned against privatization. A large political backlash has been brewing for some time, infused by accusations of corruption, abuse of market power, and neglect of the poor. What is the real record of privatization and are the criticisms justified? 'Privatization in Latin America' evaluates the empirical evidence on privatization in a region that has witnessed an extensive decline in the state's share of production...

As a knowledge bank, the World Bank produces a wide and varied range of information tools, from project documents, country assistance strategies, and development reports to monographs, electronic databases, and web sites. Generally, these products cater to the needs of its international partners and stakeholders, such as other multilateral organizations, governments, and civil society to name a few. However a basic guide to the World Bank for young people cannot be found. 'Getting to Know the World Bank' serves an excellent starting point for young readers who want to learn more about the...

The greatest challenge of the 21st century is to provide every human being on the planet with a long, healthy, and fulfilling life, free of poverty and full of opportunities to participate in the life of their community. The Millennium Development Goals - signed by 189 countries in 2000 - set clear targets for reducing poverty and other sources of human deprivation and for promoting sustainable development. But how far are we towards meeting these goals? And what resources are needed to help those countries that are not on track? The third volume in the miniatlas series is an at-a-glance...

Participatory approaches that involve local communities in their own development have gained substantial support among international donors over the past quarter-century and have become increasingly important in the work of the World Bank. Community participation is an approach to development that can be used with any Bank lending instrument and across sectors. Projects can involve communities in different ways by sharing information, consulting, collaborating, or empowering them. The process of involving communities in project activities is also expected to contribute in most cases to...

Over the past decade, the World Bank has dramatically altered its direction to emphasize poverty eradication as the institution's main mission. Many programs and policies have been revised to make the Bank more effective in its support of the global fight against poverty. Yet, have these initiatives improved the Bank's development effectiveness? This publication focuses on three questions to assess the development effectiveness of World Bank programs: How have living conditions in the developing world improved over the last 10-15 years, and how does this compare with the previous decade? How...