WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

Will growth be enough to end poverty?

by Arief Anshory Yusuf, Zuzy Anna, Ahmad Komarulzaman, Andy Sumner
Today, October 17th is the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (you already knew that, right?). In new analysis for UNU-WIDER, we assess progress towards the global poverty-related SDGs, specifically monetary poverty, undernutrition, child and maternal mortality, and access to clean water and basic sanitation. Our analysis then looks forward, making projections on the state of global progress over the coming years, up to the 2030 deadline for meeting the SDGs.It’s not looking...

Development aid cuts will hit fragile countries hard, could fuel violent conflict

Fragile and least developed countries have had their development assistance cut drastically, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. For instance, net official development assistance to sub-Saharan African countries has shrunk by 7.8% compared to 2021. And development aid for peace and conflict prevention has declined to its lowest in 15 years.These cuts will hit fragile countries hard. Fragile countries make up 24% of the world’s population and account for 73%...

Overcoming the challenge of illicit financial flows

Tanzanian coins. Image: Imani Nsamila / UNU-WIDER
From profit shifting to sanction evasion, illicit financial flows divert funds away from essential poverty-fighting and infrastructure programs. A growing body of research provides essential insights for policymakers on how to tackle this key development challenge.Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are a major development challenge for countries in the Global South. Developing countries lose money and their economies weaken due to these illegal transactions of money across international borders.IFFs...

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Research Brief
The prolonged effects of terrorism

Terrorist violence has a profound influence on social attitudes, including trust in governmental institutions and attitudes towards migration and civil freedoms. Acts of terrorism cause citizens to experience a complex range of negative emotions...

Blog
Unpacking 'country ownership': four messages from the field

The new and improved Global Partnership monitoring framework for effective development co-operation, launched in 2022, is now fully in motion, with...

Blog
Development aid cuts will hit fragile countries hard, could fuel violent conflict

Fragile and least developed countries have had their development assistance cut drastically, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation...

Blog
Why are frontiers and borderlands more conflict prone—and what have institutions got to do with this?

According to a recent OECD Report, borderlands experience a greater intensity of violence, especially violence targeted against the state. While there...

Blog
Local governance in Ghana is more complicated than central versus regional

Measuring the effectiveness of local government in Ghana is hampered by incomplete records, but despite that there are still visible patterns, write...

Blog
Pre-colonial politics affects tax compliance in modern day Uganda

Parts of Uganda that had centralised political systems before colonial rule are more likely to have higher rates of voluntary tax compliance. Merima...

Blog
How institutions matter in Mozambique

Launched in 2015 and completed in 2022, the Institutional Diagnostic Project aimed at identifying institutional factors that affect development...

Policy Brief
Tasks, skills, and institutions

Concerns about widening income inequality within countries continue to gain prominence in public debate worldwide. In the last decade, attention to the concentration of income at the very top of the distribution (top 1%) has increased. This...

Blog
Overcoming the challenge of illicit financial flows: Four pieces of advice for policymakers
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From profit shifting to sanction evasion, illicit financial flows divert funds away from essential poverty-fighting and infrastructure programs. A...

Blog
On the road to fairer societies in Asia and the Pacific region: Four focus areas on center stage

A recent panel discussion at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok set out to identify policy...

Blog
Pinelopi Goldberg warns of the impact of deglobalization: Sobering insights from the 27th WIDER Annual Lecture
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With several violent conflicts around the world weighing heavily on our minds, we attended the 27th WIDER Annual Lecture. Dr. Pinelopi Goldberg’s...

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Four things to consider to improve public revenues in the Global South: New findings from the Government Revenue Dataset

Across the Global South, governments continue efforts to increase domestic revenues and capacity for public spending. As concerns over debt distress...

Blog
Will growth be enough to end poverty?: New Projections of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Today, October 17th is the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (you already knew that, right?). In new analysis for UNU-WIDER, we...

Blog
Lessons for tax policy from the WIDER Development Conference in Oslo
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The annual WIDER Development Conference held this year in Oslo concentrated on domestic revenue mobilization (DRM). The 2.5-day hybrid event...

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Forging economic progress through a secure data facility lab in South Africa
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Data is the key to informed decision-making in today's rapidly changing world. As nations strive to address complex economic challenges, data-driven...

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From tax data to inclusive policies: How collaboration can help
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UNU-WIDER has worked for several years in collaboration with sub-Saharan African revenue authorities to facilitate the analysis of digital tax data...

Blog
The COVID-19 TERS policy saved at least 2 million jobs: But not without some unintended results

About three years have passed since the South African government introduced the COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) in response...

Blog
Oslo conference turns the spotlight on sustainable development financing
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With the deadline for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals just seven years away, there is an increasing sense of urgency over the...

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Contributing to gender inclusivity: A glimpse into Pumla Bam's journey
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In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting women driving change in economics. Through the 'Breaking Barriers, Building...

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Driving change: Nadine Riedel on economics and gender equality
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In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting exceptional women with the 'Breaking Barriers, Building Economies: Women in...

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Georgina Ryan – paving the path in economic policy and inclusivity
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As part of the SA-TIED ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Economies: Women in Economic Policy' initiative, Georgina Ryan emerges as a visionary force...

Policy Brief
How to support the emergence of effective tax systems

There has been a revival of interest in the state’s role in economic development. Recent research argues that the most successful economies are those where effective states provide crucial public goods and services. The historical emergence of...

Blog
Stuck at the bottom of the job ladder in Africa: The stumbling block to resilient growth and prosperity
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When the question of creating good jobs and decent work in Africa arises, policymakers and development partners often focus on formalization. For...

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UNU-WIDER’s new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) advances progress on SDG 8: Decent Work

UNU-WIDER’s 6-week online course on delivering Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) brings together recent research on the linkages between economic...

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Celebrating gender diversity and leading with impact
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In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting the women driving change within the field of economics. Through the ‘Breaking...

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My journey from research assistant to the World Bank and Yale: How SA-TIED transformed my career
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When I began my role as a research assistant for the SA-TIED programme in January 2020, I didn’t know that it would lead me to such prestigious...

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Carol Newman's journey in economics and advocacy for gender diversity
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In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting the women driving change within the field of economics. Through the ‘Breaking...

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Will a revenue boom support development in resource-rich economies?

The post-COVID-19 economic recovery and Russia’s war with Ukraine have caused some natural resource prices to reach new highs. Although forecasting...

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