The 28th Conference of the Parties, better known as (COP28) concluded in Dubai  in December with a major agreement by 198 Parties, marking a new era of climate action. Several notable commitments…

Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali, Syed Adeel Abbas |

Our common future depends on water. We need water to eradicate poverty, promote green growth, and build more equitable societies. But climate change is exacerbating water scarcity and pollution,…

Saroj Kumar Jha |

As we marked World Poverty Day on October 17th, a blog published recently by World Bank staff highlights that poverty has finally receded to pre-COVID pandemic levels, which in essence means we…

Nadir Mohammed, Laura Moreno Herrera, Salman Zaidi |

Most workers in developing countries are in informal employment-- that is, a job that does not come with social security benefits and leaving them with limited means to manage risks to their…

Nadir Mohammed, Roberta Gatti, Marco Ranzani, Gladys Lopez-Acevedo, Nistha Sinha, Adam Elsheikhi |

Gender equality and fair treatment of women and girls is a moral imperative, but global data analytics, evidence and experience clearly demonstrate that including women also fosters economic…

Christopher Stephens |

Policies that can keep individuals employed for a longer time are especially important as societies age and governments would like to encourage older workers and workers in less good health to…

Judit Krekó, Daniel Prinz, Andrea Weber |

The recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, has raised the prominence of climate action in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)…

Asif Islam, Dalal Moosa, Federica Saliola |

Digital investments in government operations not only make them more efficient, but they also increase preparedness for emergencies, whether related to public health, climate, fragility, or trade…

Nadir Mohammed, Jens Kromann Kristensen, Emily Kallaur, Stephen Davenport |

Women of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have outperformed many other regions in terms of life expectancy, infant mortality, and tertiary education. Their performance in education has, in…

Ferid Belhaj, Paul Noumba Um, Muneeza Mehmood Alam |

Firms play an important role in the impact of payroll taxes on their workers and different firms respond differently to payroll tax cuts. Findings suggest that governments need to consider the…

Anikó Bíró, Réka Branyiczki, Attila Lindner, Lili Márk, Daniel Prinz |