This publication includes readings related to the U.N. International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico, in March 2002:(a) "A Partnership for Development and Peace," a keynote speech given by World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn, two weeks before the Monterrey...

The global financial crisis has already led to sharp downturns in the developing world. In the past, international aid has been able to offset partially the effects of crises that began in the developing world, but because this crisis began in the wealthy countries, donors may be less willing or...

During Vietnam's two decades of rapid economic growth, its fertility rate has fallen sharply at the same time that its educational attainment has risen rapidly -- macro trends that are consistent with the hypothesis of a quantity-quality tradeoff in child-rearing. This paper investigates whether...

Despite significant gains in promoting economic growth and living conditions (or "human progress") globally over the last twenty-five years, much of the developing world remains plagued by poverty and its attendant problems, including high rates of child mortality, illiteracy, environmental...

This is the address to the Board of Governors, delivered by Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank. It was indicated that the development community has confirmed the Millennium Development Goals as our framework for action. Our thinking and action must be local, regional, and...

Voices of the World's Poor brings together over 100 of Wolfensohn's most important and inspiring speeches, essays and letters during the decade of his presidency. It presents the most thought-provoking ideas on critical global issues, including poverty, HIV/AIDS, trade, globalization, education,...

Globalization has been taking place for centuries, moving from the colonization of the inhabited parts of the world to the appearance of nations, from conquests to independent countries, from sailboats and caravans to steamboats, truck fleets and cargo planes, from trade in a few commodities to...

Globalization and its relation to poverty reduction and development are not well understood. The book identifies the ways in which globalization can overcome poverty or make it worse. The book defines the big historical trends, identifies main global flows-trade, finance, aid, migration, and...

The authors aim at contributing to understand the dispersion of returns from policy reforms using cross-country regressions. The authors compare the"before reform"with"after reform"GDP growth outcome of countries that undertook import-liberalization and fiscal policy reforms. They survey a large...