Regional trade in Africa can play a
vital role in diversifying economies and reducing dependence
on the export of a few mineral products, in delivering food
and energy security, in generating jobs for the increasing
numbers of young people, and in alleviating poverty and
promoting a shared prosperity. Women play a key role in
trade in Africa and will be essential to Africa's
success in exploiting its trade potential. In many countries

As the result of past investments in gas
and mining sectors and high world commodity prices, the
Bolivian economy grew considerably during the last seven
years. Prudent macroeconomic policies and high taxes on
hydrocarbon revenues led to a significant accumulation of
fiscal surplus and external reserves. Under a state-led
development model, the government led by President Morales
pursued redistributive policies and invested heavily in road

The Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) brings together ten countries with over 620
million people and a combined gross domestic product of more
than USD 2.5 trillion. These countries are well integrated
into the global economy and have benefited from this
integration. And, as evidenced by their adoption of the
ambitious goal of forming an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
by 2015, they are committed to even deeper regional

This report provides an overview of the
World Bank Group’s engagement in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region, highlighting the new operating model
of the World Bank Group. In particular, the report provides
insight on the key challenges and strategic engagement of
each sector (Global Practice) in MENA and details some of
the key cross-cutting challenges that countries face. This
report serves as a basis to convene international thought

This handbook is the product of a
workshop held in June 2014 with about 25 environmental
regulators from over 10 FCV-affected countries (Burkina
Faso, Central African Republic, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar,
Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and
Sudan) that was financed by the Korean Trust Fund (KTF) and
organized and hosted by the World Bank Group (WBG). Over the
course of one week the participants went through a dense

This aquaculture sector review (with
supply chain mapping) has been implemented within the
framework of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Armenia investment climate reform project implemented by the
World Bank Group trade and competitiveness global practice,
in partnership with Austria’s federal ministry of finance
and Hungarian partnership funding and Hungary Export Import
(EXIM) Bank. This project aims to contribute to improving

A World Bank series of projects to
improve aviation operations in four Pacific island countries
is demonstrating that the concept of ‘green design’ goes
beyond energy efficiency to the wider goal of environmental
sustainability. The aviation program is reducing impacts on
a broad spectrum of concerns, including solid waste
management and water quality, by designing with the full
lifecycle of all project assets in mind.

Coastal erosion is a naturally occurring
process that is accelerated by human impacts. Artificial
stabilization of the shoreline, the deterioration of natural
formations, the construction of infrastructure, the
extraction of materials, and the proliferation of dams
deprive fragile coastal areas of important sediment
deposits, which leads to erosion. Degradation of the
shoreline reduces the natural protection of coastal areas to

Can regionalism do what multilateralism
has so far failed to do—promote greater openness of services
markets? Although previous research has pointed to the wider
and deeper legal commitments under regional agreements as
proof that it can, no previous study has assessed the impact
of such agreements on applied policies. This paper focuses
on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where
regional integration of services markets has been linked to

The overall goal of this report is to
assist the World Bank Group (WBG) to achieve greater impact
for women from its current activities in agribusiness in
Papua New Guinea (PNG), and to provide clear recommendations
on additional interventions aimed at improving outcomes for
women. The report focuses on the supply chains for coffee,
cocoa, and horticultural products (fresh produce), as there
is a wealth of knowledge on these supply chains and on

Bolivia’s distinct characteristics and
aspirations are a key for understanding its development
trajectory. Bolivia is one of the countries with the highest
share of indigenous population, representing a tapestry of
different groups with different historical, cultural and
economic features, with a significant influence in policy
decision making. The country is landlocked and one of the
most sparsely populated in the world. As a result, long

Environmental and social responsibility
is becoming more and more important in today’s global
economy. There are thousands of environmental and social
codes and standards in the world today. The codes and
standards define the rules and the objectives. But the
challenge is in the implementation. An environmental and
social management system (ESMS) helps companies to integrate
the rules and objectives into core business operations,