The COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented short-term stresses on food supply chains around the world. However, rapid responses by both private-sector actors and policy makers mostly managed to prevent severe disruptions. Yet, even before the outbreak of COVID-19, food systems were faced with a...

The COVID-19 pandemic is harming health, social and material well-being of children worldwide, with the poorest children, including homeless children and children in detention, hit hardest. School closures, social distancing and confinement increase the risk of poor nutrition among children,...

This brief analyses the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated government responses on the environment. It links the impact of sectoral and regional shocks to the economy until 2040 to a range of environmental pressures, including greenhouse gas emissions, emissions of air...

The focus of this brief is to help policy makers, donor agencies, law enforcement officials and the private sector ensure that the global response to the crisis is not undermined by corruption and bribery.

This brief investigates the financial vulnerability of non-financial firms associated with confinement measures introduced in most world economies to tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. Based on empirical simulations, it evaluates the extent to which firms may run into a liquidity crisis...

COVID-19 has governments at all levels operating in a context of radical uncertainty. The regional and local impact of the COVID-19 crisis is highly heterogeneous, with significant implications for crisis management and policy responses. This paper takes an in-depth look at the territorial...

This brief explores the role of digital trade in helping to mitigate some of the consequences of COVID-19. It highlights how trade facilitates access to the goods and services that enable the digital transformation, and underscores the importance of digital trade and related policies in...

This paper provides an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on SMEs and entrepreneurs, and the SME and entrepreneurship policy measures implemented during the course of a year since the start of the pandemic. The paper formulates 15 lessons learned for policy going forward, to assist...

School systems around the world are making efforts to enhance and make education more efficient with information and communications technology (ICT). This has become especially urgent due to the current pandemic. Because of its rapidly evolving nature, ICT places unique demands on teachers,...