Date and Time:    Wednesday, March 16, 2016, 2:00 - 5:00 pm (Beijing time)

Place:                  Room 504, Guohong Building B, A-11, Muxidi Beili, Xicheng District, Beijing

A seminar on The 2016 World Development Report (WDR): Digital Dividends, will be jointly organized by the Training Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Information Office and the World Bank, on March 16 in Beijing.

The WDR is the World Bank's most important analytical publication and has been published annually since 1979. Each year it focuses on a contemporary topic of interest to the broader development community—this year’s Report aims to expand our understanding of the impact of digital technologies on the lives of poor people in developing countries.

The WDR 2016 documents many profound and transformational effects of digital technologies that are boosting growth, expanding opportunities and improving services. It also finds that the broader benefits have fallen short and are unevenly distributed. For digital technologies to benefit everyone everywhere requires closing the remaining digital divide. But greater digital adoption will not be enough. The WDR 2016 argues that to get the most out of the digital revolution, countries also need to work on the “analog complements”—by strengthening regulations that enable firms to connect and compete, by adapting workers’ skills to the demands of the new economy, and by ensuring that institutions are accountable.

Deepak Mishra and Uwe Deichmann, co-directors of the WDR 2016, will present the report, followed by a panel discussion and Q&As.