This paper tracks the process through which FIAS, the investment climate advisory service of the World Bank Group advised the government of Latvia from 1998 to 2004 on ways to improve the business environment, achieve higher rates of economic growth, and thereby alleviate poverty. This case study shows that it is reasonable to describe how assistance by FIAS led to an improved business environment.

Three out of every four poor people in developing countries live in rural areas, and most of them depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods. In many parts of the world, women are the main farmers or producers, but their roles remain largely unrecognized. The 2008 World development report: agriculture for development highlights the vital role of agriculture in sustainable development and its importance in achieving the millennium development goal of halving by 2015 the share of people suffering from extreme poverty and hunger.

Ownership and control over assets such as land and housing provide direct and indirect benefits to individuals and households, including a secure place to live, the means of a livelihood, protection during emergencies, and collateral for credit that can be used for investment or consumption. Unfortunately, few studies - either at the micro or macro levels- examine the gender dimensions of asset ownership. This paper sets out a framework for researchers who are interested in collecting data on individual level asset ownership and analyzing the gender asset gap.

The World Bank group, among the world's largest development institutions, is a major source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. In fiscal 2009, the World Bank group sponsored 767 projects with a total commitment of $58.8 billion, distributed in credits, loans, grants, and guarantees. This fiscal year's funding marks a 54 percent increase over the previous fiscal year and a record high for the Bank group.

This report is about how to progressively reduce over time Afghanistan's dependence on opium - currently the country's leading economic activity - by development initiatives and shifting economic incentives toward sustainable legal livelihoods. Specifically, the report identifies additional investments and policy and institutional measures to support development responses that can counterbalance the economic advantages of opium.

Significantly increased rates of deforestation in Indonesia from the 1970s to the 2000s have brought pressure on law enforcement agencies to better enforce the law and prosecute forest crimes. Generally, criminal wrongdoing in the forestry sector is only prosecuted under the provisions of the Forestry Law. Several reports and results of studies suggest that these sanctions are ineffective in stopping crimes in the forestry sector because they only catch the petty criminals in the field. The main actors who fund and plan large-scale illegal activities persistently evade sanctions.

Panduan audit investigatif ini disusun sebagai bagian dari upaya untuk mendorong keterpaduan pada tingkatan teknis operasional dalam aspek pemberantasan korupsi, pencucian uang dan kejahatan kehutanan. Panduan ini disusun agar audit investigatif dapat dilaksanakan dengan baik dan hasilnya sesuai dengan kualifikasi yang dibutuhkan penyelidik dan penyidik untuk melaksanakan penyelidikan dan penyidikan korupsi, pencucian uang dan kejahatan dalam bidang kehutanan.

Meningkatnya laju deforestasi secara signifikan selama kurun waktu 1970-an sampai tahun 2000-an berdampak pada semakin tingginya desakan terhadap penegakan hukum kejahatan kehutanan yang lebih efektif dan komprehensif. Umumnya penanganan tindak pidana di bidang kehutanan hanya diproses berdasarkan ketentuan dalam Undang-Undang Kehutanan. Beberapa laporan dan hasil studi menyebutkan bahwa penanganan tersebut kurang efektif dalam menghentikan tindak pidana kehutanan.

This note is for private sector project implementers and financers (development finance institutions, international development agencies, commercial lenders and equity investors) seeking to invest responsibly in new greenfield sites in low and middle- income countries. It aims to provide practical guidance on identifying and addressing community land conflicts to prevent them escalating into disputes between the project and local communities.