This annual report reviews the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) operations activity during FY03, a period that emphasized coordination, and mutually reinforcing efforts among World Bank Group units, particularly in pursuing private sector development in client countries. The report...

Globalization has increased competitive pressures on firms. Together with rapid technological change, it has altered the environment in which firms operate. While globalization offers unprecedented opportunities for firms to act successfully, it simultaneously heightens the risks for firms...

This annual report reviews the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) operations activity during FY03, a period that emphasized coordination, and mutually reinforcing efforts among World Bank Group units, particularly in pursuing private sector development in client countries. The report...

Many of the distortions in poorly performing economies do not originate in the banking sector, but where state banks still control a large share of the resources in the banking system, they continue to pose a risk to macroeconomic and fiscal stability. State banks are typically vehicles for...

This Country Framework Report for the Philippines is one of the first in a series of country reviews aimed at improving the environment for private sector involvement in infrastructure. Prepared at the request of the Philippine Government, the report has three main objectives: 1) To describe and...

Research at the bank encompasses analytic work designed to produce results with wide applicability across countries or sectors. Bank research, in contrast to academic research, is directed toward recognized and emerging policy issues and is focused on yielding better policy advice. Although...

This report highlights the key themes and findings of the Second Public Pension Fund Management Conference that was organized by the Bank and took place in May 2003. This book addresses issues of governance, accountability, and investment policies and aims to foster ongoing dialogue and exchange...

Following three years of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), during which over 10 percent of the population were killed or wounded, and over half of the population displaced, a peace agreement, the Dayton Accords (DA), was negotiated in November 1995. The DA acknowledged the bitter ethnic...

The Russia corporate governance manual has been divided into and is published in six parts: (i) corporate governance introduced; (ii) good board practices; (iii) shareholder rights; (iv) information disclosure and transparency; (v) special focus section; and (vi) annexes model corporate governance...

The paper cover two broad themes in the recent reform of fiscal and economic management in Afghanistan. The first part, The Journey So Far, sets out the impressive policy and institutional reforms that the Interim and Transitional Administrations have made since the Bonn conference in November...