The current Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) for 2010-2022 and the first and second National Education and Training Improvement Programs that operationalize the plan, were based on the comprehensive 2010 Education Sector Review (Marope, 2010, MoET, 2010, 2016, 2018b). As the current plan...

In 2020, Nigeria experienced its deepest recession in four decades, but growth resumed in the fourth quarter as pandemic restrictions were eased, oil prices recovered, and the authorities implemented policies to counter the economic shock. As a result, in 2020 the Nigerian economy experienced a...

After contracting by 3.1 percent in 2020, Cambodia's economy has gradually recovered. The recovery is, however, uneven, partial, and volatile in part due to the re-introduction of a domestic lockdown, triggered by recent flare-ups of coronavirus infections. Like many countries in the region,...

Morocco stands out as a country that has seized the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis as an opportunity to launch an ambitious program of transformative reforms. After its initial efforts to mitigate the immediate effects of the pandemic on households and firms, the authorities have launched various...

COVID-19 (coronavirus) has taken a heavy economic and human toll globally and in Indonesia. According to official statistics, over 3.8 million people have died from COVID as of May 2021. The global economy experienced one of the most severe recessions, shrinking by 3.5 percent in 2020 compared...

Iran's economy witnessed a modest recovery in the second half of 2020 following more than two years of economic recession. Restricted access to foreign exchange reserves and limited other external financing sources translated to pressures on the exchange rate and higher inflation in 2020-2021....

The Government of Pakistan (GoP) has initiated a preliminary analysis of Pakistan's blue carbon exposure, relevant carbon stock trends, and the sector's potential for climate action in the context of Pakistan's upcoming submission of revision of its nationally determined contribution (NDC). Blue...

Western Balkan countries face significant labor market challenges. Fostering job creation (more generally), increasing skills, and expanding access to formal jobs, especially for socially vulnerable groups, is of critical importance for the Western Balkans. The objectives of public employment...

Uganda's progress in reducing poverty during the late 1990s and early 2000s was remarkable. This note documents the trends in poverty and inequality in Uganda with a focus on the period 2012 to 2016. It first explores how various indicators of monetary poverty have evolved over time and if these...

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is in the early stages of a transition to a greener, more resilient economy. The country has embarked on an ambitious reform agenda for the forestry sector including with respect to progressing sustainable forest management (SFM). To support the reform...