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World
Bank Poverty
Report 2000
A decade on from its
1990 Report on poverty which influenced the thinking of many bilateral
donors, the World Bank's World Development Report 2000/2001 is entitled
Attacking Poverty. See www.worldbank.org
fax + +1 202 477 6391. During an extensive drafting process, including
consultation meetings and web based discussions (424 email commentaries
were posted), the report Director Ravi Kanbur left the Bank, following
disagreements on the approach the report should take on issues of poverty
and globalisation. For external comment and analysis see www.brettonwoodsproject.org/issues/kanbur.html
Statistical
publication from the World Bank
Almost
400 pages of statistics on people, environment, economies, states and
markets and global links are contained in the 2000 edition of World Development
Indicators from the World Bank (published March 2000) Tel + 1 202 590
1906 email info@worldbank.org
web www.worldbank.org/data
New
development framework proposed
World Bank President
James Wolfensohn has published a discussion paper outlining 'A proposal for
a comprehensive development framework', January 1999. This sets out 14 prerequisites
for sustainable growth and poverty reduction and four players: Governments
(national, state, city and municipal); multilateral and bilateral agencies;
civil society in all its forms and private sector, domestic and foreign. The
World Bank hopes to roll out the New Development Framework over the next 2
years. Uganda is one of 12 countries where the NDF is being piloted. The basic
elements of the NDF are:
Setting up an 'activist partnership mechanism' in co-operation with governments and donors based on a fresh vision of developing country leadership and ownership
The formulation of a long term development vision for each country - designed to sharpen the understanding of all stakeholders on what was needed over a 10 to 15 year period - and mobilise all players around a holistic picture.
A systematic effort to scale up the development effort - looking at how to effect change in a country and in sectors - and then addressing projects (not the other way around).
Assessing
Aid
'What works,
what doesn't and why' is a Policy Research Report from the World
Bank by David Dollar and Craig Burnside. The report finds that aid has
been successful in reducing poverty where there is sound economic management
and robust government institutions.
The number of countries which can use aid well has increased dramatically in the nineties. For three out of four people in absolute poverty increased aid would result in faster poverty reduction. The report's definition of sound policies includes open trade, private property rights, absence of corruption, rule of law and social safety nets.
In the 32 poor countries with above average policies, every aid dollar generated two in private investment. But without favourable business conditions, aid can do little to attract investors.
The PovertyNet electronic newsletter from the World Bank provides an update of new resources about understanding and alleviating poverty from the PovertyNet web site, www.worldbank.org/poverty/
New Asian Development Bank strategy
In November '99 the Asian Development Bank approved a new poverty reduction strategy to help eradicate extreme poverty from Asia and the Pacific. At least 40% of all lending in future will be for poverty interventions - currently the ADB finances about $6 billion worth of projects and programs a year.
Whilst Asia's population has jumped over the last 30 years from 1.8 billion to 3 billion, the number of poor people has fallen slightly. But 900 million remain in poverty and the Bank intends to readjust its focus to benefit directly or indirectly large numbers of very poor people who have been untouched by the general rise in prosperity. The 3 elements of the ADB's new strategy are: promoting pro-poor, sustainable economic growth, social development and good governance. The single, over-arching goal will be eliminating poverty from the region.
The Bank will in future undertake poverty analyses of individual countries, which will be discussed at forums with governments, NGOs, community-based organisations, the private sector and the donor community. These forums will produce country operational strategies to be implemented through partnership agreements. The Bank will invest more to provide the poor, especially women, with access to essential services including access to basic education and primary health care.
The ADB will also use new tools, including lending directly to local governments, promoting social and investment funds and supporting NGOs with proven track records for helping the poor.
See http://www.adb.org/Documents/Policies/Poverty_Reduction/default.asp
or contact ADB E-mail: igill@mail.asiandevbank.org
Fax: (63-2) 636-2444.
DIU2 Nov 99.
DI
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