Global value chains (GVCs) powered the rapid expansion of international trade after 1990. Countries import not only for domestic consumption, but also to export, and transactions typically involve long-term, firm-to-firm relationships rather than anonymous spot market transactions. Trade and the rise of GVCs enabled an unprecedented convergence: poor countries grew faster and began to catch up with richer countries. More than 1 billion people escaped poverty as a result. Since the Great Recession, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has slowed down. At the same time, potentially serious threats have emerged to the model of labor-intensive, trade-led growth. New labor-saving technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce demand for labor. And trade conflict among large countries could lead to a retrenchment of supply chains or a segmentation of GVCs. The World Development Report (WDR) 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs. It concludes that technological change is at this stage more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty, provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms and industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies.

Human ecology, the study of the interrelationships between man and his environment, is necessarily in interdisciplinary study. An aim of this series is to demonstrate the importance of appreciating the viewpoints of different disciplines on problems of the human environment when attempting solutions to those problems. It also aims to emphasise the cru

Long-term needs and sustained effort are underlying themes in this year's report. As with most of its predecessors, it is divided into two parts. The first looks at economic performance, past and prospective. The second part is this year devoted to population - the causes and consequences of rapid population growth, its link to development, why it has slowed down in some developing countries. The two parts mirror each other: economic policy and performance in the next decade will matter for population growth in the developing countries for several decades beyond. Population policy and change in the rest of this century will set the terms for the whole of development strategy in the next. In both cases, policy changes will not yield immediate benefits, but delay will reduce the room for maneuver that policy makers will have in years to come.

Work is constantly reshaped by technological progress. New ways of production are adopted, markets expand, and societies evolve. But some changes provoke more attention than others, in part due to the vast uncertainty involved in making predictions about the future. The 2019 World Development Report will study how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology today.Technological progress disrupts existing systems. A new social contract is needed to smooth the transition and guard against rising inequality. Significant investments in human capital throughout a person’s lifecycle are vital to this effort. If workers are to stay competitive against machines they need to train or retool existing skills. A social protection system that includes a minimum basic level of protection for workers and citizens can complement new forms of employment. Improved private sector policies to encourage startup activity and competition can help countries compete in the digital age. Governments also need to ensure that firms pay their fair share of taxes, in part to fund this new social contract. The 2019 World Development Report presents an analysis of these issues based upon the available evidence.

This volume brings together some of the most influential scholars in development economics to explore how to improve the well-being of the poor, how to design effective structures and institutions for poverty reduction and what the role of economic, political and social dimensions are (and should be) in global development. Issues addressed include globalization; both its governance and a historical perspective; inequality, of income, and the potential for conflict; trade and labour practises in a transitional and developing world, and; the natures and characteristics of institutions and markets.

With international human rights under challenge, this book represents a comprehensive critique that adds a social policy perspective to recent political and legalistic analysis. Expert contributors draw on local and global examples to review constructs of universal rights and their impact on social policy and human welfare. With thorough analysis of their strengths, weaknesses and enforcement, it sets out their role in domestic and geopolitical affairs. Including a forward by Albie Sachs, this book presents an honest appraisal of both the concepts of international human rights and their realities. It will engage those with an interest in social policy, ethics, politics, international relations, civil society organisations and human rights-based approaches to campaigning and policy development.

Outlines the transmission of sustainable development from the global to the local scale through the medium of an energy reduction scheme designed to mitigate global warming through behavioral change.

The face of global development is changing rapidly, and the CSIS Global Development Monitor seeks to address the complex issues highlighted by the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals. Over a dozen CSIS experts and affiliates examine the role and purpose of official development assistance against a backdrop of global trends, including forced migration, human rights, global health, urban planning, and the rise of competing multilateral development banks. In particular, the essays in this report explore ways in which official donors and key partners, such as the private sector, civil society, and multilateral institutions, can improve livelihoods, strengthen governance, and facilitate access to key resources, including food, energy, and infrastructure.

Many scholars have critiqued the neocolonial assumptions embedded in global development agendas. These often focus on the bodies and lives of poor, racialized adolescent girls in the global south as ideal sites for intervention based on these girls’ potential to multiply investment, interrupt intergenerational poverty, and predict economic growth. Girls in Global Development presents case studies from established and emerging scholars to collectively theorize and examine the concept of “Girls in Development” (GID), a distinctive way of approaching notions of girls and girlhoods in locations around the globe, at various points in history, through a critical feminist lens.

'This is an unusually rich and comprehensive comparative analysis of industrialisation and development in Asia. Drawing on the diverse experiences of Malaysia, Singapore, China, India and more, Roy, Blomqvist and Clark skilfully tease out the common institutional threads and the subtle differences in their developmental trajectories. An essential reading for all those interested in the lessons from Asian development.' – Jude Howell, London School of Economics, UK This is a thorough and comprehensive study – both in terms of country coverage and in-depth analysis – covering the economic development of all the major economies in the Asian continent, namely China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Before embarking on analyses of different aspects of economic growth and development of these countries, the authors present a thought-provoking analysis of how institutional factors such as geography, history of religion, culture and political governance have been deeply interwoven with development dynamics to shape the growth and development trajectory that each country has subsequently followed. Each country's development path consequently appeared almost be pre-determined. Japan's role as the lead-country in technology transfer under the flying-geese pattern of development is discussed, however the emphasis has shifted of late to China, India, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. the authors also propose that instead of discussing the failure of India to catch up with China in growth and development outcomes, economists should be commenting on whether China, bestowed with India's highly decentralized democratic governance structure and institutional rigidities, would have been able to achieve the same results as that of India. Only then will a true understanding and appreciation of India's achievements in economic growth and development emerge. Economic Development in China, India and East Asia will be warmly welcomed and appreciated by academics and researchers of international and development economics as well as Asian development and economics. Policy makers and those involved in NGOs in the development and aid arenas will also find this of great interest.