Development Research Group

International trade has historically been a force for development and poverty reduction. But trade is increasingly viewed as contributing to inequality and risk, depleting natural resources, and threatening the environment. To better understand the role of international trade on development outcomes and their sustainability and inclusivity, the World Bank and the editorial team from the Journal of International Economics are hosting a research conference in Washington, DC on September 12-13, 2024.

Note: A call for papers is open until May 15, 2024.

How can low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) build fairer and more efficient tax systems? Technological advances, novel data, and better policy coordination are creating new opportunities to rethink taxation and development.

Join us on May 7 for a discussion of new research insights with World Bank economists Oyebola Okunogbe, Pierre Bachas, and Anne Brockmeyer on Taxation for Development: Rethinking Fair and Efficient Tax Systems for the Next Decade. 

Land institutions and policies will be critical to help African countries respond to the challenges of climate change, urban expansion, structural transformation, and gender equality. Yet, many African land registries command little trust due to poor performance and wealth bias in service delivery. This publication draws on a wealth of data, examples, and studies from Africa and beyond to show that regulatory and institutional reforms can harness countries' potential by improving the quality, coverage, usefulness, and sustainability of documented land rights.

How can a programming language born from sheer necessity rise to global prominence? The story of Lua, a lightweight programming language that has gained worldwide influence, is a fascinating tale of the journey from a Brazilian innovation effort at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro to the global stage of technology.

This blog post is part of a series on the potential role industrial policy can, should, or shouldn’t play in government economic policy in low- and middle-income countries. Also see:

Productivity as a guide for industrial policies

Micro-industrial policy: The empirical evidence on whether governments can successfully directly support firms

Macro-industrial policy: Is the public procurement system an effective policy tool?