Car mechanic in uniform checking car in automobile

It’s time to develop better automotive value chains in Africa


By Dave Coffey, Chief Executive Officer · AAAM[i] – African Association of Automotive Manufacturers


Where is the last frontier for significant automotive development and growth in the world? It’s Africa. The challenge then is, how can local skills and raw materials be better allocated to balance contributions to global supply chains and Africa’s own industries?

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Image of Angola, one of the courtiers defined as least developed

Can LDCs reach 7% annual GDP growth by 2031?


By Brendan Vickers, Head of Section, Salamat Ali, Trade Economist, and Neil Balchin, Economic Adviser: Trade Policy Analysis, The International Trade Policy Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat


If all 46 countries categorised as “Least Developed” by the UN achieve annual GDP growth of at least 7%, their combined GDP could almost double – between 2022 and 2031 – going from USD $1.1 trillion to more than USD $2.25 trillion.

—> This is the target set by the United Nations’ Doha Programme of Action (DPoA).

Yet, in the rapidly changing global economic landscape, with the threat of a worldwide recession and multiple and interrelated food, energy, and debt crises, achieving this ambitious growth target seems a herculean task.

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How to build global resilience in a multi-crisis world


By Laura Parry-Davies, Digital Communications Officer, OECD Development Centre


From climate change to COVID-19 to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the world is weathering a series of multiple, cascading crises. How can we – the international community – scale-up our response?

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Digitalisation west Africa education

Le numérique au service de l’éducation en Afrique de l’Ouest


Par Guy Mehou, Économiste Macro-Financier & Charles Millogo, Responsable de l‘Économie Numérique, La Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD)


On entend souvent dire qu’avec Internet, l’accès au savoir est simplifié. Les possibilités données aujourd’hui au plus grand nombre de faire des recherches sur Internet ou de se former via des MOOC (cours en ligne ouverts et massifs) ont significativement accru l’accès à des contenus. Avec Internet, la connaissance n’est plus réservée à une élite mais est dorénavant l’affaire de tous. De plus, une part accrue de ce savoir est disponible gratuitement, pour peu que l’on dispose d’une connexion Internet, et donc à la portée de chacun. Pour un enseignant, donner un cours en ligne permet d’avoir une audience décuplée et pour un étudiant, suivre un cours en ligne permet de choisir le moment privilégié pour s’instruire.

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Digitalisation and growth

Can digitalisation spur growth and close gaps?


By Welby Leaman, Senior Director Global Policy Strategy, Walmart, Ana Valero, Director of Public Affairs and Regulatory for Latin America, Telefónica and Amy Alvarez, AVP, International External and Regulatory Affairs, AT&T [1]


Accelerated digital transformation has boosted e-commerce and digital service offerings. Across 13 African countries, more than 1 in 5 firms started using or expanded their use of digital technology in response to the shock of the pandemic. Decades of investment in connectivity, public-private collaboration and greater adoption of digital technologies by the public sector, including for public services, further accelerated digital transformation across emerging markets. Now, as countries struggle to return to growth, digital transformation can accelerate productivity and global trade. A 10% increase in digital connectivity between countries has been shown to increase trade in goods by nearly 2% on average, trade of parcels by 4%, and trade in services by over 3%.

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Quality infrastructure for development concept

Why do we need to invest in quality infrastructure?


By Koki Hirota, Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Saitama University and Visiting Fellow, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development


According to the principles adopted by the G20, quality infrastructure investment consists of six key components: maximising sustainable growth, economic efficiency throughout the life cycle, environmental considerations, resilience, social considerations and governance.

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Why Multilateral Development Banks Must Step Up on Debt Relief


By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary, PhD, Assistant Director of the Global Economic Governance Initiative at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center and Sara Jane Ahmed is the founder of the Financial Futures Center and Finance Advisor to the V20 Group of Finance Ministers


With a third of Pakistan under water, millions displaced and commodities like cotton at the heart of Pakistan’s economy destroyed, the existential impact of climate change on vulnerable economies could not be clearer.

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How can we improve development co-operation in fragile contexts?


By Jessica Voorhees, Digital Communications Officer, OECD


We live in an age of crises. Some places are better able to manage and absorb these shocks than others: countries and territories that are exposed to economic, environmental, political and societal risks, but lack the capacity to cope with them, are considered “fragile” by the OECD. This article explores how development actors can support these populations in addressing not only the impact of crises but also the root causes of fragility.

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Inspecting the Final Product in Zambia, Africa

It’s time to put productive capacities at the heart of every development strategy


By Paul Akiwumi, Director, Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programme, UNCTAD and Ratnakar Adhikari, Executive Director, Enhanced Integrated Framework


Over the past two decades, the 46 least developed countries (LDCs) have recorded relatively robust economic growth, averaging an annual rate of 5.7% from 2001 to 2019. However, this growth has not necessarily translated into improved development outcomes:  many LDCs are still plagued by poverty, food insecurity and inequality.

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Tackling data scarcity in developing countries through public-private partnerships


By Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh


In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) called for a data revolution. Five years on, data scarcity became a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores if public-private partnerships can be an effective means of addressing data gaps in developing countries and helping them to build back better.  

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