WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

About

The WIDERAngle publishes expert commentary and analysis of the latest research in global development. The WIDERAngle supports UNU-WIDER’s missions to undertake research and policy analysis on the most pressing concerns affecting humanity and provides a forum for knowledge sharing, discussion, and debate.

 

To see past newsletters, visit our WIDERAngle archive.

 

Write for the WIDERAngle

We accept submissions that represent sincere efforts to advance knowledge on topics related to the promotion of sustainable and equitable development for all. Although many of our writers are established in their fields, we particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, policy professionals, and writers who represent Global South countries and perspectives.

 

For guidelines on WIDERAngle submissions, please refer to our Guidelines for submissions.

 

Send submission queries to editorialteam@wider.unu.edu.

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor: Annett Victorero

Managing Editor: Timothy Shipp

Assistant Editor: Tristan Reid

 

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Watts happening to work? The labour market effects of South Africa’s electricity crisis

by Haroon Bhorat, Tim Köhler
two miners with shovels
In South Africa, the power grid undergoes rotational, scheduled outages—or rolling blackouts—most commonly referred to as load shedding. Load shedding is primarily a consequence of frequent breakdowns at the national utility. These are due to a combination of poor long-term planning, a lack of financial resources, rampant state capture and corruption, and aging coal-fired power stations. Four of every five (80%) of South Africa’s coal-fired plants are past their mid-life cycle. Power outages...

How to get back on track to ending poverty – the imperative for a livable planet

by Luis Felipe López-Calva
We are off track to end poverty. Despite remarkable progress over the past few decades, the goal of eradicating poverty remains elusive, and SDG1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere is out of reach. While more than a billion people have been lifted out of poverty, the pace has significantly slowed. If we persist with business-as-usual, by 2030 around 7% of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty—more than double our target of 3%.Unsurprisingly, this challenge is...

Just transitions and the importance of social protection reforms for ambitious climate action

by Christina Dankmeyer, Katrin Gasior, Gemma Wright
As greenhouse gases once again climb to record levels, countries are under pressure to make the move to a low-carbon economy. Policies that move in this direction are needed to mitigate against the worst impacts of climate change, but policy choices will have winners and losers. As it is crucial to consider the effects of climate change mitigation policies on various population groups, we explore two policy options —carbon pricing and removal of fossil fuel subsidies. In our latest...

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    Blog
    Bolstering the skills of young people – the key to South Africa's economic growth
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    As a young data developer responsible for mining and analysing the administrative tax data provided to researchers through the SA-TIED programme, I am...

    Blog
    Are knowledge monopolies driving global inequality?
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    In a new release for the UNU-WIDER and Cambridge University Press Elements in Development Economics series, I look at global capitalist economic...

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    From UNU-WIDER to the world: Journeys in development economics
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    ‘What makes UNU-WIDER a unique place for researchers is the sense of community and the combination of academic rigour, policy relevance, and position...

    Blog
    Watts happening to work? The labour market effects of South Africa’s electricity crisis

    In South Africa, the power grid undergoes rotational, scheduled outages—or rolling blackouts—most commonly referred to as load shedding. Load shedding...

    Blog
    Mapping economic stability for countries in the Global South
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    In 2024, central banks worldwide are confronted with the challenges of juggling inflation control, economic growth, and the preservation of financial...

    Blog
    How to get back on track to ending poverty – the imperative for a livable planet
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    We are off track to end poverty. Despite remarkable progress over the past few decades, the goal of eradicating poverty remains elusive, and SDG1: End...

    Blog
    É preciso abrir os olhos, acordar e realizar: Dois poemas de Neide Sigaúque
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    Aqui não dá para dormir, quanto mais para sonharSou a Neide Sigaúque,mulher,oriunda do leito Austral do terceiro mundo,Moçambique, terra de boa gente...

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    Two poems by Neide Sigaúque
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    On 15 May, poet Neide Sigaúque was commissioned to perform two poems on the themes of the WIDER Development Conference The world at crossroads –...

    Blog
    Just transitions and the importance of social protection reforms for ambitious climate action

    As greenhouse gases once again climb to record levels, countries are under pressure to make the move to a low-carbon economy. Policies that move in...

    Blog
    Counting (on) the labour market to secure a just transition

    The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for...

    Blog
    Quantifying the economic impact of conflict traps
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    As we look towards securing a brighter future for coming generations, we must address the complex challenges that threaten sustainable development and...

    Blog
    What are foresight methods and how can they secure our common futures?
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    Future tools and foresight thinking are crucial instruments to improve decision-making for a common future. As a Youth Foresight Fellow with UNICEF, I...

    Blog
    Uganda’s tax system isn’t bringing in enough revenue, but is targeting small business the answer?
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    Uganda, with a fiscal deficit of 5.6% in 2023, has increasingly turned to local resources to make up for its revenue shortfall since the World Bank...

    Blog
    Securing a future for the next generations – navigating today’s global challenges
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    In an era frequently described as ‘unprecedented’, the global landscape often seems daunting. Countries classified as democracies are increasingly...

    Blog
    How India’s economy has fared under ten years of Narendra Modi
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    More than 960 million Indians will head to the polls in the world’s biggest election between April 19 and early June. The ruling Bharatiya Janata...

    Blog
    Studying food price dynamics in Mozambique – insights from the field

    In Mozambique, analysing how and why food prices change is crucial. Understanding the dynamics of price formation is fundamental to mitigate the...

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    Analysing monetary policy communication in South Africa
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    In monetary policy communication, every word carries weight. Consider this scenario: the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) articulates its stance to...

    Blog
    Affirmative action in Brazil’s higher education system

    Evidence from Brazil shows how affirmative action students in the higher education system adjust their behaviour to catch up with initially higher...

    Blog
    Time to rethink theory on the role of finance in development: The new structural financial economics framework

    The primary role of finance is to serve the ‘real economy’¬—the part of the economy that produces goods and services. Yet in practice, the financial...

    Blog
    The poorest countries attract few foreign investments
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    The share of the least developed countries (LDCs) in global foreign investments is less than one percent. But positive developments have taken place...

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    Rethinking change – three stories of real-world impact

    UNU-WIDER operates at the intersection of research, capacity development, and policy engagement, with a mission to improve the lives of the world’s...

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    Research in focus – country profiles: Indonesia and Ecuador
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    Our Institute’s expansive international research contributions, consisting of over 800 WIDER Working Papers in the 2019–23 work programme, delve deep...

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    Decoding development – insights from UNU-WIDER's synthesis process and beyond
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    At UNU-WIDER, we undertake our work explicitly within the context of an emergent strategy designed to maximize the impact of our research findings. We...

    Blog
    Nigeria: botched economic reforms plunge the country into crisis

    Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is facing an economic crisis. From a botched currency redesign to the removal of fuel subsidies and a currency...

    Blog
    Chile under neoliberalism

    In our book, we examine Chile's economic, social, and development policies over the past six decades. The focal point is the enduring influence of the...

    Blog
    Are Sovereign Wealth Funds fit for purpose in Africa?

    Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have become a symbol of national success and a means for global, commercial and geopolitical influence. But how well do...

    Policy Brief
    Man at a supermarket, with a female clerk, Tanzania. Image: Imani Nsamila / UNU-WIDER
    Keys for sustaining Tanzania’s economic development
    Policy Brief
    How to create decent work for women

    Despite advancements for gender equality in some spheres, labour market outcomes for women continue to be worse than for men. Gender gaps in pay, labour force participation rates, and measures of job quality are stubbornly persistent and continue to...

    Blog
    Cash Plus: Towards poverty reduction in Zambia
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    The Zambian government wants to reduce poverty by 20% by 2030. To make this happen, the government reformed their national cash transfer programmes...

    Research Brief
    Search image, calculator, pen, Ugandan currency, URA form. Image: Kalungi Kabuye / UNU-WIDER
    What is the impact of corporate tax incentives in Uganda?
    Blog
    Can agriculture be the key to Mozambican prosperity?: Report from the 2023 IGM Annual Conference
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    More than 70% of the Mozambican population depends on subsistence agriculture. As such, the agriculture sector is undoubtedly of fundamental...

    Blog
    Affirmative action policies to increase diversity are successful, but controversial, around the world

    In a landmark judgment in June 2023, the US Supreme Court ruled against the use of race-conscious admissions in colleges and universities. This...

    Blog
    Data access for economic growth in Africa

    Sub-Saharan Africa has abundant natural resources and a substantial market, with an estimated population of 1.2 billion. The population is projected...

    Blog
    Reforming taxation in Kenya to reduce debt distress
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    Improving tax systems is important for multiple reasons. For Kenya, finding ways to mobilize domestic revenue streams is critical to cutting the...

    Blog
    Taking localisation beyond labels and lip service

    Donors increasingly speak of locally led aid response, but often do not walk the walk. Case in point is the United States Agency for International...

    Blog
    Gender pay gaps on the rise in South Africa

    New analysis of income data in South Africa shows the gender pay gap—how much more men earn than women—has increased. According to findings from a...

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    High wage inequality in South Africa – are employers to blame?
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    South Africa ranks as the world’s most unequal country by income. This is largely due to high wage inequality, given that wages are the main income...

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    Accelerating progress towards the SDGs in Africa: focusing on three thematic priorities
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    I was recently invited to attend the event co-hosted by UNU-WIDER and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa...

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    Financing development goals in times of crisis

    Pursuing the global development agenda will require genuine commitment from political leaders and significant stepping-up of government efforts. But...

    Blog
    Improving early child development outcomes in low-income settings

    Improving early child development outcomes in low-income settings requires affordable, sustainable, and easily scalable solutions. The “First Steps”...

    Blog
    Modelling to influence poverty and inequality in Zanzibar: Latest addition to the SOUTHMOD programme
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    ZANMOD, the tax-benefit microsimulation model for Zanzibar, was launched in November 2023. The model will aid local authorities and researchers in...

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    WIDER Alumni Amadou Boly shares wisdom for next generation
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    Amadou Boly is Special Assistant in the Economic Governance and Knowledge Management Complex at the African Development Bank (ADB). Before that, he...

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    Looking back, moving forward – a photo retrospective of the 2019-2023 WIDER Work Programme
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    As we conclude the groundbreaking years of the 2019–2023 work programme on transforming economies, states, and societies, we reflect on the milestones...

    Blog
    How climate change increases vulnerability to human trafficking in the Philippines
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    As COP28 unfolds, I share new findings on the impact of climate change on human rights violations and, more specifically, on human trafficking as...

    Blog
    Realizing socioeconomic rights with a limited budget
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    The South African constitution is considered progressive and transformative in intention due to its inclusion of socioeconomic rights, such as the...

    Research Brief
    The prolonged effects of terrorism

    Terrorist violence has a profound influence on social attitudes, including trust in governmental institutions and attitudes towards migration and civil freedoms. Acts of terrorism cause citizens to experience a complex range of negative emotions...

    Blog
    Development aid cuts will hit fragile countries hard, could fuel violent conflict

    Fragile and least developed countries have had their development assistance cut drastically, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation...

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    Why are frontiers and borderlands more conflict prone—and what have institutions got to do with this?

    According to a recent OECD Report, borderlands experience a greater intensity of violence, especially violence targeted against the state. While there...

    Research Brief
    Kampala, Uganda, search image. Image: Anna Toppari / UNU-WIDER
    Why are businesses in the capital area of Uganda not paying their taxes?
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    Local governance in Ghana is more complicated than central versus regional

    Measuring the effectiveness of local government in Ghana is hampered by incomplete records, but despite that there are still visible patterns, write...

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    Pre-colonial politics affects tax compliance in modern day Uganda

    Parts of Uganda that had centralised political systems before colonial rule are more likely to have higher rates of voluntary tax compliance. Merima...

    Policy Brief
    Tasks, skills, and institutions

    Concerns about widening income inequality within countries continue to gain prominence in public debate worldwide. In the last decade, attention to the concentration of income at the very top of the distribution (top 1%) has increased. This...

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    Overcoming the challenge of illicit financial flows: Four pieces of advice for policymakers
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    From profit shifting to sanction evasion, illicit financial flows divert funds away from essential poverty-fighting and infrastructure programs. A...

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    On the road to fairer societies in Asia and the Pacific region: Four focus areas on center stage

    A recent panel discussion at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok set out to identify policy...

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    Pinelopi Goldberg warns of the impact of deglobalization: Sobering insights from the 27th WIDER Annual Lecture
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    With several violent conflicts around the world weighing heavily on our minds, we attended the 27th WIDER Annual Lecture. Dr. Pinelopi Goldberg’s...

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    Four things to consider to improve public revenues in the Global South: New findings from the Government Revenue Dataset

    Across the Global South, governments continue efforts to increase domestic revenues and capacity for public spending. As concerns over debt distress...

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    Will growth be enough to end poverty?: New Projections of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

    Today, October 17th is the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (you already knew that, right?). In new analysis for UNU-WIDER, we...

    Blog
    How institutions matter in Mozambique

    Launched in 2015 and completed in 2022, the Institutional Diagnostic Project aimed at identifying institutional factors that affect development...

    Research Brief
    Oranges and yellow paper creating circular and wavy patterns. Photo by Li Zhang on Unsplash
    The rise of social protection in the Global South – the role of foreign aid
    Research Brief
    Cart with collected items on the street. Photo by Gio Almonte on Unsplash
    Will the poverty-related SDGs be met? Global projections for 2030
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    Lessons for tax policy from the WIDER Development Conference in Oslo
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    The annual WIDER Development Conference held this year in Oslo concentrated on domestic revenue mobilization (DRM). The 2.5-day hybrid event...

    Policy Brief
    WIDER Annual Lecture Brief | Globalization in crisis – confronting a new economic reality
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    Forging economic progress through a secure data facility lab in South Africa
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    Data is the key to informed decision-making in today's rapidly changing world. As nations strive to address complex economic challenges, data-driven...

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    From tax data to inclusive policies: How collaboration can help
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    UNU-WIDER has worked for several years in collaboration with sub-Saharan African revenue authorities to facilitate the analysis of digital tax data...

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    The COVID-19 TERS policy saved at least 2 million jobs: But not without some unintended results

    About three years have passed since the South African government introduced the COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) in response...

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    Oslo conference turns the spotlight on sustainable development financing
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    With the deadline for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals just seven years away, there is an increasing sense of urgency over the...

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    Contributing to gender inclusivity: A glimpse into Pumla Bam's journey
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    In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting women driving change in economics. Through the 'Breaking Barriers, Building...

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    Driving change: Nadine Riedel on economics and gender equality
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    In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting exceptional women with the 'Breaking Barriers, Building Economies: Women in...

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    Georgina Ryan – paving the path in economic policy and inclusivity
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    As part of the SA-TIED ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Economies: Women in Economic Policy' initiative, Georgina Ryan emerges as a visionary force...

    Policy Brief
    How to support the emergence of effective tax systems

    There has been a revival of interest in the state’s role in economic development. Recent research argues that the most successful economies are those where effective states provide crucial public goods and services. The historical emergence of...

    Blog
    Stuck at the bottom of the job ladder in Africa: The stumbling block to resilient growth and prosperity
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    When the question of creating good jobs and decent work in Africa arises, policymakers and development partners often focus on formalization. For...

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    UNU-WIDER’s new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) advances progress on SDG 8: Decent Work

    UNU-WIDER’s 6-week online course on delivering Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) brings together recent research on the linkages between economic...

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    Celebrating gender diversity and leading with impact
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    In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting the women driving change within the field of economics. Through the ‘Breaking...

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    My journey from research assistant to the World Bank and Yale: How SA-TIED transformed my career
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    When I began my role as a research assistant for the SA-TIED programme in January 2020, I didn’t know that it would lead me to such prestigious...

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    Carol Newman's journey in economics and advocacy for gender diversity
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    In celebration of South Africa's Women's Month, SA-TIED is spotlighting the women driving change within the field of economics. Through the ‘Breaking...

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    Will a revenue boom support development in resource-rich economies?

    The post-COVID-19 economic recovery and Russia’s war with Ukraine have caused some natural resource prices to reach new highs. Although forecasting...

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    Why the Aid Effectiveness Principles are important for development

    Demonstrating empirically the Aid Effectiveness Principles' global impact on development is a challenge. But according to Rachel M. Gisselquist...

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    Climate resilient development needs effective co-operation
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    The rise of resilience policy in sustainable development Climate resilience is an increasingly popular response to development in a time of polycrisis...

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    Addressing poverty and unemployment in South Africa’s townships
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    Nearly half the working-age population and nearly two-thirds of the unemployed live in areas designated as townships under apartheid spatial laws...

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    Unlocking efficiency – overcoming challenges in South Africa's rail freight sector
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    The South African rail freight sector is currently facing a crisis of operational efficiency, which is having a significant economic impact. In the...

    Blog
    Democracies are no longer immune to revolution – evidence from Lebanon and Iraq

    New research for UNU-WIDER explores the differences between revolutionary mass mobilizations in democracies versus dictatorships. Evidence from...

    Blog
    Development programmes must capture local insights

    In the paper 'Aid reimagined: results from an elite survey on perceptions of progress, capacity, and development co-operation', we tabulated responses...

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    Aid fungibility, ownership and the effectiveness agenda
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    For many people, aid fungibility is a misunderstood topic—it is mostly confused with the idea of corruption. Aid fungibility, on the other hand, is...

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    Paralyzing debt burden threatens Africa’s largest economy
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    Apart from a ‘badly flawed’ national election, insecurity, and mass exodus of its young talents to the Global North (locally known as Japa), a...

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    Sustainable Cities Discussion Forum: Cities have important role in mitigating climate threats
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    'Our window to avoid climate catastrophe is closing rapidly, and yet there are still many reasons for optimism.' This statement sums up a recent third...

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    What determines tax revenues mobilization?
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    Tax revenues and political institutions placing constraints on the executive power may reinforce each other over time and this may also bring a shift...

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    Voices from the ground – protracted displacement economies
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    Many displaced people around the world are in limbo—unable to return home or go anywhere else. Our surveys show that displaced people have lived in...

    Blog
    Clientelism and targeting of welfare benefits: Can a centralized formula-based system do better?

    Local governments in India—known as panchayats—are sometimes criticised for failing to deliver benefits earmarked for vulnerable regions or households...

    Blog
    SOUTHMOD family extended: Welcome to the three new Latin American teams

    How would progressive income taxation affect income inequality in Bolivia? What are the costs and benefits of implementing a state pension in Colombia...

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    After the war – thinking about reconstruction in Ukraine
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    Russia’s military involvement in Ukraine began in March 2014 with the annexation of Crimea, but it wasn’t until February 2022 that Russia shocked the...

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    91% of sub-Saharan African workers don’t save for old age: Why that’s a problem and how to fix it
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    Less than 10% of the workers in sub-Saharan Africa save for old age, the lowest rate for any region in the world. That implies most of the...

    Blog
    Does political clientelism lead to higher corruption and a weaker rule of law?

    Political clientelism is the strategic, discretionary, and targeted exchange of goods and services between politicians and voters for political...

    Blog
    Social ties amongst lower-income citizens shape support for vote-buying candidates

    Across Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia, political candidates often attempt to buy the votes of the most socio-economically deprived communities. But new...

    Blog
    Breaking the cycle of clientelism: How access to formal networks can empower the poor

    In democracies around the world, election season is often associated with the power of political machines and their attempts to sway voters in their...

    Blog
    Partnerships with Global South governments improve development policy and support achieving the Global Goals
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    In Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, and elsewhere, UNU-WIDER is on the ground to support national development plans, collect and create...

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    Working together on the puzzle of peace: The role of partnerships
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    When the theme for the first WIDER Development Conference of 2022—peace, security, and conflict—was chosen some years ago, no one could have predicted...

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    Partnering for development
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    At UNU-WIDER, all our work is implemented through partnerships, collaboration, and co-creation. Through those connections, we make a meaningful...

    Research Brief
    Perceptions of inequality among young adults in Mozambique
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    The Great Gatsby Curve and the Global South: Time for a more ambitious redistribution and reparations agenda

    The famous 1920s book The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is the classic analogy for the American dream of meritocracy —that any person can...

    Blog
    The richer your neighbours, the more you borrow – the case of South Africa
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    Research on how income inequality affects borrowing behaviour reignited after the 2008 global recession. One prevailing theory is that rising income...

    Blog
    Four global problems that will be aggravated by the UK’s recent cuts to international aid

    UK economic forecasts have improved markedly since the September 2022 mini-budget. The economic recession may now be more shallow and public borrowing...

    Blog
    Is a strong middle class the secret to high levels of human development?

    Many countries today experience increasing or persistent income inequality, a major concern for citizens and politicians alike. This concern is...

    Blog
    Rethinking African debt and exploitation of natural resources

    In Africa, there is a distressing correlation between debt and the need to export raw materials. A new paradigm is needed in which African countries...

    Blog
    The developing world is facing a new debt crisis: What can we do about it?

    The recently concluded COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh had one important outcome for developing countries: the announcement of a loss and damage fund. This...

    Policy Brief
    Climbing the job ladder

    Most workers in developing countries work in the informal labour market Lower-tier informal work leads to a dead end in the countries in this study, with little opportunity to move up the job ladder While those in upper-tier informal work are the...

    Blog
    Building connections that matter: UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD and Scholar programmes
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    Every year about 20 visitors come to Helsinki to find a new home at UNU-WIDER in our Visiting Scholars and PhD Fellowship programmes. Although their...

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    Is marine mining a commercial viability for developing countries?

    The green energy transition is projected to cause an increase in metal demand. Will this demand lead to the opening of deep-seabed mining? As of now...

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    Along the PhD path: A change in environment for a new perspective
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    After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, I was thrilled to receive an acceptance letter to UNU-WIDER's Visiting PhD Fellowship Programme. Until this...

    Blog
    $1 trillion in the shade: The annual profits multinational corporations shift to tax havens continues to climb and climb

    About a decade ago, the world’s biggest economies agreed to crack down on multinational corporations’ abusive use of tax havens. This resulted in a 15...

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    From Monterrey to Addis Ababa, and what has happened since?
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    The importance of domestic revenue mobilization and taxation for sustainable development is widely acknowledged in global development discussions, but...

    Blog
    How can cities create better jobs in sub-Saharan Africa?

    Structural transformation involves the movement of workers from low-productivity sectors to high-productivity sectors. It has historically been...

    Research Brief
    New estimates on the share of tax evasion in Zambia
    Research Brief
    Did withholding value-added tax improve revenue collection in Zambia?
    Blog
    Is there a silver lining to COVID-19? The effects of government responses on financial inclusion
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    The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being assessed. Meanwhile, new variants continue to threaten as the reservoir of infected people remains...

    Blog
    Direct support to small scale farmers reduces poverty: What Zambia is doing right

    Over half of Zambia’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2015. In rural areas, where 89% of households are engaged in agriculture...

    Blog
    In pictures: Household surveys and behavioural games in rural Mozambique
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    Over the past few months, we have been carrying out extensive research in Mozambique as part of the Inequality and governance in unstable democracies...

    Blog
    Pay inequality is high in South Africa: Bosses are part of the problem
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    South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world. This income inequality is mostly due to high unemployment and large differences in...

    Blog
    Social mobility among disadvantaged groups in India

    In recent decades, India has experienced rapid economic growth alongside radical affirmative action programs enacted since independence. This column...

    Blog
    In memory of Martin Ravallion: A global leader in development economics

    (19 March 1952 – 24 December 2022) It is with the greatest sadness and a deep sense of grief and shock that we received the news of the passing of...

    Blog
    Secure research data lab in Uganda: A game changer for efficient and fair taxation

    In May 2022, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and UNU-WIDER collaboratively launched a secure research data laboratory facility in Kampala, Uganda...

    Blog
    Assessing the health of the private sector in Mozambique: Key findings from the IGM Annual Conference 2022
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    Since 2016, the private sector in Mozambique has faced several external shocks, including terrorism in Cabo Delgado, Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, the...

    Blog
    New global estimates on profits in tax havens suggest the tax loss continues to rise

    The world has been trying to curb profit shifting to tax havens for a decade, but consistent time series evaluating the impact of these reforms have...

    Blog
    What is next for development effectiveness in a post-aid world?
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    Improving the effectiveness of global development spending may seem like a fool's errand given the state of the world today. Yet this is precisely the...

    Blog
    Climate resilience and sustainable sovereign debt
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    2022 is already a record-breaker in the number of climate change-related events, and developing countries must now pay for the repairs and remediation...

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    New country on the SOUTHMOD map: Meet our tax-benefit microsimulation team in Rwanda!
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    How can Global South countries improve their tax and social protection systems? One way is to take advantage of tools that help assess the impact of...

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    Not too long and not too short: Introducing the new UNU-WIDER and Cambridge University Press series in Development Economics

    Simon Kuznets’ pipe dream was to have economic inequality data that rarely existed when he was writing. What are the pipe dreams of today’s...

    Blog
    Teamwork and capacity strengthening to promote development: The case of Mozambique

    Designing and implementing public policies requires caution to guarantee the best use of scarce resources, especially in middle- and lower-income...

    Policy Brief
    Development effectiveness in fragile contexts

    This policy brief draws on the studies presented at the International Research Conference on the Effectiveness of Development Cooperation on 17–18 November 2022, in Brussels, Belgium, jointly organized by UNU-WIDER and the European Commission (DG...

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