How We Can Help the Poor
Introduction
Broadening the Agenda for Poverty Reduction: Opportunity,
Empowerment, Security
Nora Lustig and Nicholas Stern
Experience from the 1990s has led to a poverty reduction agenda that, in addition
to promoting economic growth, addresses ingrained inequalities, institutional failures, social
barriers, and other risks.
Point of View
Growth Versus Poverty Reduction: A Hollow Debate
Dani Rodrik
Supporting Poverty Reduction in Low-Income Developing Countries:
The International Community's Response
Masood Ahmed and Hugh Bredenkamp
Despite developing countries' improved economic growth rates during the 1990s,
poverty has remained firmly entrenched. How can developing countries, international financial
institutions, and developed countries work together more effectively to reduce the incidence of
poverty?
Progress Toward the International Development Goals
Sanjeev Gupta, Brian Hammond, Richard Leete, and Eric
Swanson
Poverty Is Powerlessness and Voicelessness
Deepa Narayan
How the Poor Can Have a Voice in Government Policy
Caroline M. Robb
Development thinking has changed significantly in recent years. Policymakers
have recognized the ability of the poor to make a valuable contribution to the analysis of poverty
and are consulting them directly. This new participatory approach has resulted in a broader
definition of poverty and better-informed public policies that are more responsive to the needs of
the poor.
Rural Poverty in Developing Countries
Mahmood Hasan Khan
How does rural poverty develop, what accounts for its persistence, and what
specific measures can be taken to eliminate or mitigate it?
Raising Growth and Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa: What Can
Be Done?
Ernesto Hernández-Catá
Sub-Saharan Africa must increase economic growth to reduce poverty and
improve living standards. This article discusses some obstacles to growth in the region, as well as
some policy actions that would improve its prospects.
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Capacity Building in Africa: The Role of International Financial
Institutions
Saleh M. Nsouli
This article reviews the evidence on the importance of domestic institutions for
economic growth and examines the role of international financial institutions, and particularly the
IMF and its training, in capacity building in Africa.
Food Production or Food Aid? An African Challenge
Willy H. Verheye
Food production is not keeping pace with Africa's rapidly growing needs. Aid
programs in the 1970s and 1980s were considered a temporary solution to the most appalling
famines, but Africa's food shortage appears to be worsening. This paper discusses the reasons for
this situation and ways to address it.
Debt Relief for Poor Countries
Robert Powell
Efforts to lighten the debt burden of poor countries go back at least two decades.
The most recent, the enhanced HIPC Initiative, will provide faster and deeper debt relief to these
countries while encouraging them to use the funds saved to fight poverty and raise living
standards.
How Oil, Gas, and Mining Projects Can Contribute to
Development
Kathryn McPhail
Oil, gas, and mining projects could be a boon for developing host countries, yet
their environmental and social costs often outweigh their benefits. Partnerships between project
developers, governments, and local communities are crucial for projects to have a lasting
development impact.
Financial Focus
Toward a New Global Banking Standard: The Basel Committee's
Proposals
Cem Karacadag and Michael W. Taylor
The Basel Committee's new capital framework proposals will have important
implications for developed and developing countries alike. Although many details remain to be
worked out, it is not too early for countries to start preparing for the proposals'
implementation.
Other Topics
The Role of Short-Term Debt in Recent Crises
Uri Dadush, Dipak Dasgupta, and Dilip Ratha
Short-term debt owed by developing countries to foreign banks rose from $176
billion to $454 billion between 1990 and 1997. This rapid buildup of short-term debt was a key
factor in the financial crises that rocked Mexico in 1994-95, East Asia in 1997-98, and Russia
and Brazil in 1998-99.
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