Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464806721
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.
World Development Report 2016
Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464806721
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464806721
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 359
Book Description
Digital technologies are spreading rapidly, but digital dividends--the broader benefits of faster growth, more jobs, and better services--are not. If more than 40 percent of adults in East Africa pay their utility bills using a mobile phone, why can’t others around the world do the same? If 8 million entrepreneurs in China--one third of them women--can use an e-commerce platform to export goods to 120 countries, why can’t entrepreneurs elsewhere achieve the same global reach? And if India can provide unique digital identification to 1 billion people in five years, and thereby reduce corruption by billions of dollars, why can’t other countries replicate its success? Indeed, what’s holding back countries from realizing the profound and transformational effects that digital technologies are supposed to deliver? Two main reasons. First, nearly 60 percent of the world’s population are still offline and can’t participate in the digital economy in any meaningful way. Second, and more important, the benefits of digital technologies can be offset by growing risks. Startups can disrupt incumbents, but not when vested interests and regulatory uncertainty obstruct competition and the entry of new firms. Employment opportunities may be greater, but not when the labor market is polarized. The internet can be a platform for universal empowerment, but not when it becomes a tool for state control and elite capture. The World Development Report 2016 shows that while the digital revolution has forged ahead, its 'analog complements'--the regulations that promote entry and competition, the skills that enable workers to access and then leverage the new economy, and the institutions that are accountable to citizens--have not kept pace. And when these analog complements to digital investments are absent, the development impact can be disappointing. What, then, should countries do? They should formulate digital development strategies that are much broader than current information and communication technology (ICT) strategies. They should create a policy and institutional environment for technology that fosters the greatest benefits. In short, they need to build a strong analog foundation to deliver digital dividends to everyone, everywhere.
World Development Report 2017
Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464809518
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 605
Book Description
Why are carefully designed, sensible policies too often not adopted or implemented? When they are, why do they often fail to generate development outcomes such as security, growth, and equity? And why do some bad policies endure? World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law addresses these fundamental questions, which are at the heart of development.Policy making and policy implementation do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they take place in complex political and social settings, in which individuals and groups with unequal power interact within changing rules as they pursue conflicting interests. The process of these interactions is what this Report calls governance, and the space in which these interactions take place, the policy arena. The capacity of actors to commit and their willingness to cooperate and coordinate to achieve socially desirable goals are what matter for effectiveness. However, who bargains, who is excluded, and what barriers block entry to the policy arena determine the selection and implementation of policies and, consequently, their impact on development outcomes. Exclusion, capture, and clientelism are manifestations of power asymmetries that lead to failures to achieve security, growth, and equity.The distribution of power in society is partly determined by history. Yet, there is room for positive change. This Report reveals that governance can mitigate, even overcome, power asymmetries to bring about more effective policy interventions that achieve sustainable improvements in security, growth, and equity. This happens by shifting the incentives of those with power, reshaping their preferences in favor of good outcomes, and taking into account the interests of previously excluded participants. These changes can come about through bargains among elites and greater citizen engagement, as well as by international actors supporting rules that strengthen coalitions for reform.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464809518
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 605
Book Description
Why are carefully designed, sensible policies too often not adopted or implemented? When they are, why do they often fail to generate development outcomes such as security, growth, and equity? And why do some bad policies endure? World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law addresses these fundamental questions, which are at the heart of development.Policy making and policy implementation do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they take place in complex political and social settings, in which individuals and groups with unequal power interact within changing rules as they pursue conflicting interests. The process of these interactions is what this Report calls governance, and the space in which these interactions take place, the policy arena. The capacity of actors to commit and their willingness to cooperate and coordinate to achieve socially desirable goals are what matter for effectiveness. However, who bargains, who is excluded, and what barriers block entry to the policy arena determine the selection and implementation of policies and, consequently, their impact on development outcomes. Exclusion, capture, and clientelism are manifestations of power asymmetries that lead to failures to achieve security, growth, and equity.The distribution of power in society is partly determined by history. Yet, there is room for positive change. This Report reveals that governance can mitigate, even overcome, power asymmetries to bring about more effective policy interventions that achieve sustainable improvements in security, growth, and equity. This happens by shifting the incentives of those with power, reshaping their preferences in favor of good outcomes, and taking into account the interests of previously excluded participants. These changes can come about through bargains among elites and greater citizen engagement, as well as by international actors supporting rules that strengthen coalitions for reform.
World Development Indicators 2016
Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464806845
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 184
Book Description
World Development Indicators 2016 provides a compilation of relevant, high-quality, and internationally comparable statistics about global development and the fight against poverty. It is intended to help policymakers, students, analysts, professors, program managers, and citizens find and use data related to all aspects of development, including those that help monitor progress toward the World Bank Group’s two goals of ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity. Six themes are used to organize indicators—world view, people, environment, economy, states and markets, and global links. WDI 2016 includes: •A selection of the most popular indicators across 214 economies and 14 country groups organized into six WDI themes •A new section on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has replaced the one on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). •The SDG section covers all 17 goals, and important targets to achieve these goals. Each goal has been presented in a maximum 2-page spread with selected indicators to explain the targets. •Each of the remaining sections includes an introduction, a map, a table of the most relevant and popular indicators for that theme together with a discussion of indicator compilation methodology. •A user guide describing resources available online and on mobile apps. Download the WDI DataFinder Mobile App and other Data Apps at data.worldbank.org/apps. WDI DataFinder is a mobile app for browsing the current WDI database on smartphones and tablets, using iOS and Android, available in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. Use the app to: •Browse data using the structure of the WDI •Visually compare countries and indicators •Create, edit, and save customized tables, charts, and maps •Share what you create on Twitter, Facebook, and via email
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464806845
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 184
Book Description
World Development Indicators 2016 provides a compilation of relevant, high-quality, and internationally comparable statistics about global development and the fight against poverty. It is intended to help policymakers, students, analysts, professors, program managers, and citizens find and use data related to all aspects of development, including those that help monitor progress toward the World Bank Group’s two goals of ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity. Six themes are used to organize indicators—world view, people, environment, economy, states and markets, and global links. WDI 2016 includes: •A selection of the most popular indicators across 214 economies and 14 country groups organized into six WDI themes •A new section on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has replaced the one on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). •The SDG section covers all 17 goals, and important targets to achieve these goals. Each goal has been presented in a maximum 2-page spread with selected indicators to explain the targets. •Each of the remaining sections includes an introduction, a map, a table of the most relevant and popular indicators for that theme together with a discussion of indicator compilation methodology. •A user guide describing resources available online and on mobile apps. Download the WDI DataFinder Mobile App and other Data Apps at data.worldbank.org/apps. WDI DataFinder is a mobile app for browsing the current WDI database on smartphones and tablets, using iOS and Android, available in four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Chinese. Use the app to: •Browse data using the structure of the WDI •Visually compare countries and indicators •Create, edit, and save customized tables, charts, and maps •Share what you create on Twitter, Facebook, and via email
World Development Report 2018
Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464810982
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
Every year, the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR) features a topic of central importance to global development. The 2018 WDR—LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise—is the first ever devoted entirely to education. And the time is right: education has long been critical to human welfare, but it is even more so in a time of rapid economic and social change. The best way to equip children and youth for the future is to make their learning the center of all efforts to promote education.The 2018 WDR explores four main themes:First, education’s promise: education is a powerful instrument for eradicating poverty and promoting shared prosperity, but fulfilling its potential requires better policies—both within and outside the education system.Second, the need to shine a light on learning: despite gains in access to education, recent learning assessments reveal that many young people around the world, especially those who are poor or marginalized, are leaving school unequipped with even the foundational skills they need for life. At the same time, internationally comparable learning assessments show that skills in many middle-income countries lag far behind what those countries aspire to. And too often these shortcomings are hidden—so as a first step to tackling this learning crisis, it is essential to shine a light on it by assessing student learning better.Third, how to make schools work for all learners: research on areas such as brain science, pedagogical innovations, and school management has identified interventions that promote learning by ensuring that learners are prepared, teachers are both skilled and motivated, and other inputs support the teacher-learner relationship.Fourth, how to make systems work for learning: achieving learning throughout an education system requires more than just scaling up effective interventions. Countries must also overcome technical and political barriers by deploying salient metrics for mobilizing actors and tracking progress, building coalitions for learning, and taking an adaptive approach to reform.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464810982
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
Every year, the World Bank’s World Development Report (WDR) features a topic of central importance to global development. The 2018 WDR—LEARNING to Realize Education’s Promise—is the first ever devoted entirely to education. And the time is right: education has long been critical to human welfare, but it is even more so in a time of rapid economic and social change. The best way to equip children and youth for the future is to make their learning the center of all efforts to promote education.The 2018 WDR explores four main themes:First, education’s promise: education is a powerful instrument for eradicating poverty and promoting shared prosperity, but fulfilling its potential requires better policies—both within and outside the education system.Second, the need to shine a light on learning: despite gains in access to education, recent learning assessments reveal that many young people around the world, especially those who are poor or marginalized, are leaving school unequipped with even the foundational skills they need for life. At the same time, internationally comparable learning assessments show that skills in many middle-income countries lag far behind what those countries aspire to. And too often these shortcomings are hidden—so as a first step to tackling this learning crisis, it is essential to shine a light on it by assessing student learning better.Third, how to make schools work for all learners: research on areas such as brain science, pedagogical innovations, and school management has identified interventions that promote learning by ensuring that learners are prepared, teachers are both skilled and motivated, and other inputs support the teacher-learner relationship.Fourth, how to make systems work for learning: achieving learning throughout an education system requires more than just scaling up effective interventions. Countries must also overcome technical and political barriers by deploying salient metrics for mobilizing actors and tracking progress, building coalitions for learning, and taking an adaptive approach to reform.
World Development Report 2019
Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464813566
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 201
Book Description
Work is constantly reshaped by technological progress. New ways of production are adopted, markets expand, and societies evolve. But some changes provoke more attention than others, in part due to the vast uncertainty involved in making predictions about the future. The 2019 World Development Report will study how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology today.Technological progress disrupts existing systems. A new social contract is needed to smooth the transition and guard against rising inequality. Significant investments in human capital throughout a person’s lifecycle are vital to this effort. If workers are to stay competitive against machines they need to train or retool existing skills. A social protection system that includes a minimum basic level of protection for workers and citizens can complement new forms of employment. Improved private sector policies to encourage startup activity and competition can help countries compete in the digital age. Governments also need to ensure that firms pay their fair share of taxes, in part to fund this new social contract. The 2019 World Development Report presents an analysis of these issues based upon the available evidence.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464813566
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 201
Book Description
Work is constantly reshaped by technological progress. New ways of production are adopted, markets expand, and societies evolve. But some changes provoke more attention than others, in part due to the vast uncertainty involved in making predictions about the future. The 2019 World Development Report will study how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology today.Technological progress disrupts existing systems. A new social contract is needed to smooth the transition and guard against rising inequality. Significant investments in human capital throughout a person’s lifecycle are vital to this effort. If workers are to stay competitive against machines they need to train or retool existing skills. A social protection system that includes a minimum basic level of protection for workers and citizens can complement new forms of employment. Improved private sector policies to encourage startup activity and competition can help countries compete in the digital age. Governments also need to ensure that firms pay their fair share of taxes, in part to fund this new social contract. The 2019 World Development Report presents an analysis of these issues based upon the available evidence.
World Development Report 1978
Author:
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821372823
Category : Adaptation (Biology)
Languages : en
Pages : 135
Book Description
This first report deals with some of the major development issues confronting the developing countries and explores the relationship of the major trends in the international economy to them. It is designed to help clarify some of the linkages between the international economy and domestic strategies in the developing countries against the background of growing interdependence and increasing complexity in the world economy. It assesses the prospects for progress in accelerating growth and alleviating poverty, and identifies some of the major policy issues which will affect these prospects.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821372823
Category : Adaptation (Biology)
Languages : en
Pages : 135
Book Description
This first report deals with some of the major development issues confronting the developing countries and explores the relationship of the major trends in the international economy to them. It is designed to help clarify some of the linkages between the international economy and domestic strategies in the developing countries against the background of growing interdependence and increasing complexity in the world economy. It assesses the prospects for progress in accelerating growth and alleviating poverty, and identifies some of the major policy issues which will affect these prospects.
World Development Report 2004 Overview
Author:
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821356371
Category : Economic development
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Book Description
Inclusive." --Résumé de l'éditeur.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821356371
Category : Economic development
Languages : en
Pages : 36
Book Description
Inclusive." --Résumé de l'éditeur.
Global Financial Development Report 2015/2016
Author: The World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464804710
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
Global Financial Development Report 2015/2016 focuses on the ability of financial systems to sustainably extend the maturity of financial contracts for private agents. The challenges of extending the maturity structure of finance are often considered to be at the core of effective, sustainable financial development. Sustainably extending long-term finance may contribute to the objectives of higher growth and welfare, shared prosperity and stability in two ways: by reducing rollover risks for borrowers, thereby lengthening the horizon of investments; and by increasing the availability of long-term financial instruments, thereby allowing households to address their lifecycle challenges. The aim of the report is to contribute to the global policy debate on long-term finance. It builds upon findings from recent and ongoing research, lessons from operational work, as well as on inputs from financial sector professionals and researchers both within and outside the World Bank Group. Benefitting from new worldwide datasets and information on financial development, it will provide a broad and balanced review of the evidence and distill pragmatic lessons on long-term finance and related policies. This report, the third in the Global Financial Development Report series, follows the second issue on Financial Inclusion and the inaugural issue, Rethinking the Role of the State in Finance. The Global Financial Development Report 2015/2016 will be accompanied by a website worldbank.org/financialdevelopment containing extensive datasets, research papers, and other background materials as well as interactive features.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464804710
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 211
Book Description
Global Financial Development Report 2015/2016 focuses on the ability of financial systems to sustainably extend the maturity of financial contracts for private agents. The challenges of extending the maturity structure of finance are often considered to be at the core of effective, sustainable financial development. Sustainably extending long-term finance may contribute to the objectives of higher growth and welfare, shared prosperity and stability in two ways: by reducing rollover risks for borrowers, thereby lengthening the horizon of investments; and by increasing the availability of long-term financial instruments, thereby allowing households to address their lifecycle challenges. The aim of the report is to contribute to the global policy debate on long-term finance. It builds upon findings from recent and ongoing research, lessons from operational work, as well as on inputs from financial sector professionals and researchers both within and outside the World Bank Group. Benefitting from new worldwide datasets and information on financial development, it will provide a broad and balanced review of the evidence and distill pragmatic lessons on long-term finance and related policies. This report, the third in the Global Financial Development Report series, follows the second issue on Financial Inclusion and the inaugural issue, Rethinking the Role of the State in Finance. The Global Financial Development Report 2015/2016 will be accompanied by a website worldbank.org/financialdevelopment containing extensive datasets, research papers, and other background materials as well as interactive features.
Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016
Author: World Bank Group
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464809798
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016 is the first of an annual flagship report that provides a global audience comprising development practitioners, policy makers, researchers, advocates, and citizens in general with the latest and most accurate estimates on trends in global poverty and shared prosperity. This edition documents trends in inequality and identifies recent country experiences that have been successful in reducing inequalities, provides key lessons from those experiences, and synthesizes the rigorous evidence on public policies that can shift inequality in a way that bolsters poverty reduction and shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.Specifically, the report addresses the following questions: •What is the latest evidence on the levels and evolution of extreme poverty and shared prosperity?•Which countries and regions have been more successful in terms of progress toward the twin goals and which are lagging behind? •What does the global context of lower economic growth mean for achieving the twin goals? •How can inequality reduction contribute to achieving the twin goals?•What does the evidence show concerning global and between- and within-country inequality trends?•Which interventions and countries have used the most innovative approaches to achieving the twin goals through reductions in inequality? The report makes four main contributions. First, it presents the most recent numbers on poverty, shared prosperity, and inequality. Second, it stresses the importance of inequality reduction in ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity by 2030 in a context of weaker growth. Third, it highlights the diversity of within-country inequality reduction experiences and synthesizes experiences of successful countries and policies, addressing the roots of inequality without compromising economic growth. In doing so, the report shatters some myths and sharpens our knowledge of what works in reducing inequalities. Finally, it advocates for the need to expand and improve data collection—for example, data availability, comparability, and quality—and rigorous evidence on inequality impacts in order to deliver high-quality poverty and shared prosperity monitoring.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464809798
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2016 is the first of an annual flagship report that provides a global audience comprising development practitioners, policy makers, researchers, advocates, and citizens in general with the latest and most accurate estimates on trends in global poverty and shared prosperity. This edition documents trends in inequality and identifies recent country experiences that have been successful in reducing inequalities, provides key lessons from those experiences, and synthesizes the rigorous evidence on public policies that can shift inequality in a way that bolsters poverty reduction and shared prosperity in a sustainable manner.Specifically, the report addresses the following questions: •What is the latest evidence on the levels and evolution of extreme poverty and shared prosperity?•Which countries and regions have been more successful in terms of progress toward the twin goals and which are lagging behind? •What does the global context of lower economic growth mean for achieving the twin goals? •How can inequality reduction contribute to achieving the twin goals?•What does the evidence show concerning global and between- and within-country inequality trends?•Which interventions and countries have used the most innovative approaches to achieving the twin goals through reductions in inequality? The report makes four main contributions. First, it presents the most recent numbers on poverty, shared prosperity, and inequality. Second, it stresses the importance of inequality reduction in ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity by 2030 in a context of weaker growth. Third, it highlights the diversity of within-country inequality reduction experiences and synthesizes experiences of successful countries and policies, addressing the roots of inequality without compromising economic growth. In doing so, the report shatters some myths and sharpens our knowledge of what works in reducing inequalities. Finally, it advocates for the need to expand and improve data collection—for example, data availability, comparability, and quality—and rigorous evidence on inequality impacts in order to deliver high-quality poverty and shared prosperity monitoring.
World Development Report 2020
Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464814953
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 545
Book Description
Global value chains (GVCs) powered the rapid expansion of international trade after 1990. Countries import not only for domestic consumption, but also to export, and transactions typically involve long-term, firm-to-firm relationships rather than anonymous spot market transactions. Trade and the rise of GVCs enabled an unprecedented convergence: poor countries grew faster and began to catch up with richer countries. More than 1 billion people escaped poverty as a result. Since the Great Recession, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has slowed down. At the same time, potentially serious threats have emerged to the model of labor-intensive, trade-led growth. New labor-saving technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce demand for labor. And trade conflict among large countries could lead to a retrenchment of supply chains or a segmentation of GVCs. The World Development Report (WDR) 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs. It concludes that technological change is at this stage more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty, provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms and industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies.
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464814953
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 545
Book Description
Global value chains (GVCs) powered the rapid expansion of international trade after 1990. Countries import not only for domestic consumption, but also to export, and transactions typically involve long-term, firm-to-firm relationships rather than anonymous spot market transactions. Trade and the rise of GVCs enabled an unprecedented convergence: poor countries grew faster and began to catch up with richer countries. More than 1 billion people escaped poverty as a result. Since the Great Recession, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has slowed down. At the same time, potentially serious threats have emerged to the model of labor-intensive, trade-led growth. New labor-saving technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce demand for labor. And trade conflict among large countries could lead to a retrenchment of supply chains or a segmentation of GVCs. The World Development Report (WDR) 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs. It concludes that technological change is at this stage more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty, provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms and industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies.