Contains an updated comprehensive explanation of the criteria, procedures and methodology used in establishing which countries are eligible for inclusion in, or recommended for graduation from, the least developed country (LDC) category. It also provides an overview of the special support measures that can be derived from having least developed country status.
This book provides an authoritative insight on the Loss and Damage discourse by highlighting state-of-the-art research and policy linked to this discourse and articulating its multiple concepts, principles and methods. Written by leading researchers and practitioners, it identifies practical and evidence-based policy options to inform the discourse and climate negotiations. With climate-related risks on the rise and impacts being felt around the globe has come the recognition that climate mitigation and adaptation may not be enough to manage the effects from anthropogenic climate change. This recognition led to the creation of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage in 2013, a climate policy mechanism dedicated to dealing with climate-related effects in highly vulnerable countries that face severe constraints and limits to adaptation. Endorsed in 2015 by the Paris Agreement and effectively considered a third pillar of international climate policy, debate and research on Loss and Damage continues to gain enormous traction. Yet, concepts, methods and tools as well as directions for policy and implementation have remained contested and vague. Suitable for researchers, policy-advisors, practitioners and the interested public, the book furthermore: • discusses the political, legal, economic and institutional dimensions of the issue• highlights normative questions central to the discourse • provides a focus on climate risks and climate risk management. • presents salient case studies from around the world.
Since the group of least developed countries (LDCs) was identified in 1971, only five countries have graduated from the group, all of which are characterised by small size or population. The projections are that the next decade will see a rapid increase in the pace of graduation, with Bangladesh in particular poised to be one of the largest countries, in terms of its economy and population, yet to leave the group. While previously many LDCs viewed the prospect of graduation with some apprehension, fearing significant erosion of international support, increasingly, the move is being seen as a more positive landmark. This book aims to articulate appropriate strategies and initiatives to help Bangladesh to maintain its developmental momentum and to prepare for a sustainable graduation in 2024. In doing so, the book explores themes such as key analytical issues of the LDC graduation paradigm, smooth transition and structural transformation, and post-graduation challenges and opportunities. Further, against the backdrop of Gross National Income per capita, the Human Assets Index and Economic Vulnerability Index goals required for graduation, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the 2030 Agenda will also be in the process of implementation. Whilst some feel that the two agendas might be in conflict, the book teases out some of the important synergies which can be drawn when LDCs are undertaking the journey of graduation in the era of the SDGs. The book also takes into cognisance the uncertain external environment and the emerging global scenario within which Bangladesh's graduation is to take place. Conceptual discourse around LDC graduation and the particular narrative around Bangladesh's journey towards LDC graduation will be of interest not only to scholars of Bangladesh, but also to researchers and policymakers with an interest in LDC graduation for other countries facing similar challenges.
In 2023, the combined GDP of the LDCs was 10 per cent below the level it would have reached had the pre-pandemic (2010-2019) growth trend been sustained. As a result, at least an additional 15 million people in LDCs are now living in extreme poverty, with their governments severely constrained in their ability to sustain adequate investments in public services or invest in advancing development progress. The Report highlights the urgent need for concerted action to restore fiscal space in LDCs through the lasting resolution of the debt crisis, reform of the international financial architecture, and the mobilization of climate finance to enable needed investments towards low-carbon transition and green structural transformation. Without which, the SDGs and sustainable development cannot be realised. The Report advances several recommendations aimed at advancing the reform of global development finance, which in its current state, is deficient in terms of its quantity, quality, structure, cost and ease of accessibility. The Report also contains a detailed analysis of the possible role of central banks in shaping the financing of sustainable development and green structural transformation in LDCs. While the contribution of central banks to dealing with climate change has been discussed in developed countries, this is the first time this type of analysis is done in the context of the LDCs.
This departmental paper provides an in-depth overview of access to climate finance for Pacific Island Countries, evaluating successes and challenges faced by countries and proposes a way forward to unlock access to climate funds.
For the first time, here is the complete history of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). In the fifty years since the end of World War II, the world of development finance has grown rapidly. One of the many financial institutions which cropped up to help war-torn countries with their reconstruction was the IFC. International Business Expansion Into Less-Developed Countries examines the success of the IFC in its wide variety of public sector development activities. Covering thirty-five years of IFC operations, the book thoroughly evaluates the formulation of the concept of the IFC and its evolution as a viable global development finance agency. It is the most complete and up-to-date treatment available of the IFC. The administration and operational procedures are described in detail as are case examples of financial development in all regions. Problems encountered by the IFC and new and future activities of the IFC are discussed. Scholars of economic development and international finance will find the unusual way in which the IFC was established and the case examples presented a highly valuable reference, as will students of international studies and organizations.
In 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.
Ending poverty and stabilizing climate change will be two unprecedented global achievements and two major steps toward sustainable development. But the two objectives cannot be considered in isolation: they need to be jointly tackled through an integrated strategy. This report brings together those two objectives and explores how they can more easily be achieved if considered together. It examines the potential impact of climate change and climate policies on poverty reduction. It also provides guidance on how to create a “win-win†? situation so that climate change policies contribute to poverty reduction and poverty-reduction policies contribute to climate change mitigation and resilience building. The key finding of the report is that climate change represents a significant obstacle to the sustained eradication of poverty, but future impacts on poverty are determined by policy choices: rapid, inclusive, and climate-informed development can prevent most short-term impacts whereas immediate pro-poor, emissions-reduction policies can drastically limit long-term ones.
