More than four years after the global financial crisis hit, high-income countries struggle to restructure their economies and regain fiscal sustainability. Developing countries, where growth is 1-2 percentage points below what it was during the pre-crisis period, have been affected by the...

The global economy appears to be transitioning toward a more stable period. Although acute risks have diminished, real-side activity remains sluggish ??? especially in high-income Europe. Most developing countries have fully recovered from the crisis. Although growth is slower than during the...

The developing economies of the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region grew by 7.5 percent in 2012, lower than the 8.3 percent growth recorded in 2011, but still higher than that of any other region. Within the region, available data in the first quarter of the year indicate that external weakness...

This semiannual report examines the short and medium-term challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as the external factors that were instrumental in the region???s recent performance recede. In particular, we address the role of the exchange rate as a counter-cyclical policy tool to...

The past two decades have witnessed a convergence between human rights and development, particularly at the level of international political statements and policy commitments. This phenomenon is captured in milestones such as the 2007 OECD DAC Action Oriented Policy Paper on Human Rights and...

The island nation of Madagascar has a treasure trove of tourism assets, ranging from wildlife viewing to beach tourism to cultural encounters. Yet despite its undeniable tourism potential, its growth has been severely stunted by years of political instability and lack of action on necessary...