When Alvin lost income because of reduced work hours at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he was able to access the COVID-19 Recovery Grant, one of the Singapore Government’s measures to protect the livelihoods of Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. The application process was done completely online, and there was no need to […]
The COVID-19 pandemic strained health systems around the world and disrupted the delivery of health services, including maternal and child health care. It also slowed down progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). As the world marks UHC Day, we look at four priorities to ensure that low- and middle-income countries can resume progress toward providing […]
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a global crisis. Today, 200 million women and girls suffer from the consequences of FGM and more than 70 million are at risk of FGM by 2030. FGM is defined by the WHO as “all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury […]
As Mediterranean countries look to chart a path forward in the wake of the multiple crises that have upended economies, accelerating regional integration becomes more critical than ever. Increased trade flows, two-way investments, and mobility across the Northern, Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries would be major drivers of a sustainable recovery. And while there are […]
Low-carbon hydrogen is a unique fuel with a high potential to address climate change and development. It can help accelerate decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry and global transport, while also promoting sustainable growth in the developing world. Low- and middle-income countries are emerging as leaders to produce and export this unique fuel that […]
Over three decades ago, economic researcher Martin Ravallion and his colleagues found a way to identify and quantify the world’s poorest people with an international poverty line that continues to guide policies to this day. Poverty has been with us since the dawn of civilization, but the measurement of global poverty is a relatively new […]
As the region recovers from the pandemic there is an opportunity to rethink how development is undertaken and to deploy mission-oriented approaches to policy making. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the worst global recession since World War II. Developing countries are planning for economic recovery and they also need to tackle the increasing risks from climate […]
The experience of the UK with the Liz Truss government and its ‘mini budget’ brought to the fore the importance of well-functioning political institutions for the economy to prosper (Acemoğlu and Robinson 2012, Alesina and Perotti 1994), and showed that the effect of political degradation on the economy can materialise quickly. The recent credit crunch […]
In 1979, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women set an agenda for expanding women’s rights around the world. Shortly after, the International Bill of Rights for Women was instituted by the UN General Assembly in 1981 and has been ratified by 189 member states since. Yet, the vision […]
The EU, the UK, and the US have sought in recent months to discourage Russia from sending military forces into Ukraine. Diplomatic missions have been complemented by promises of military support and training for the government in Kyiv. Whether these steps persuade the Russian government to stand down their troops down remains to be seen. […]
