This study argues that the 15 European
Union (EU) countries and their 12 Mediterranean Partners
should complement their Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area
for industrial goods with a common transport space. This
would require the removal of policy-induced frictions in the
region's multi-modal transport system in order to
facilitate the flow of foods, people, and investments within
this emerging trade block. The purpose of this report is to

This book analyzes the development of
knowledge-based economies in the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA). Its principal messages are: Because of the
so-called "knowledge revolution" resulting from
the rapid growth in information and communication
technologies (ICT), the acceleration of technical change and
the intensification of globalization, a new form of economic
development is taking shape worldwide. The knowledge

It has been widely argued that, with the
decline in trade costs (for example, transport and
communication costs), the importance of distance has
declined over time. If so, this would be a boon for
countries located far from the main centers of economic
activity. The authors examine the evolution of
countries' distance of trade (DOT) from 1962-2000. They
find that the DOT falls over time for the average country in

In 1993 the Board of the World Bank
endorsed a Water Resources Management Policy Paper (WRMPP).
In that paper, and in this Strategy, water resources
management comprises the institutional framework (legal,
regulatory and organizational roles), management instruments
(regulatory and financial), and the development, maintenance
and operation of infrastructure (including water storage
structures and conveyance, wastewater treatment, and

The assessment team interviewed a cross
section of country stakeholders regarding the effectiveness
of the legal infrastructure, and its implementation
supporting debtor-creditor relationships, corporate
insolvency and credit risk management, and resolution
practices, including among others, members of the
Inter-Agency Commission for the preparation of a new
insolvency law, and members of the drafting team for the new

By Dr. Gregory Myers, USAID Division Chief, Land Tenure and Property Rights On July 30, I had the pleasure of joining Landesa President Tim Hanstad at Global Washington in Seattle for a rich discussion of the Global Farms Race: Implications of Food Security, Poverty, and Foreign Investment. At the heart of this conversation are the rights of communities and individuals to decide for themselves how to use and profit from land. Do they possess clear and documented land and resource rights? Who has the power to make decisions?

A new report from the World Bank suggests that Africa, which is home to half the world’s uncultivated land, can significantly reduce poverty, achieve rapid economic growth, and increase food security by improving land governance systems and strengthening land tenure and resource rights. “Land governance issues need to be front and center in Africa to maintain and better its surging growth and achieve its development promise,” says Frank Byamugisha, author of the report and lead land specialist in the World Bank’s Africa region.

On July 30, the Global Donor Working Group on Land was officially announced. The group is comprised of bilateral and multilateral donors and development agencies committed to improving coordination and information sharing to enhance the effectiveness of development programs that focus on land governance. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) will serve as the group’s inaugural chair. The donor working group is facilitated by the secretariat of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development.

A recent story from NPR described how slum mapping can be a powerful negotiating tool when used as a public record of problems such as dark street corners, limited toilets, or illegal dumping. In one of the largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya – home to an estimated 200,000 people – maps of slum areas enabled community members and authorities to identify available space to lay municipal water pipes. Around the world, slums lack street names, addresses, and, due to their informal nature, property rights.

A working draft of a Washington Declaration Diagnostic Framework (also in French) has been prepared by USAID for use by the Working Group on Artisanal and Alluvial Production (WGAAP) of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). This tool is intended to help countries assess the status of their artisanal mining sector, and implement the principles outlined in the "Washington Declaration on Integrating Development of Artisanal and Small Scale Diamond Mining with Kimberley Process Implementation.”

Land tenure security has been highlighted as one important link to food security in President Obama’s Feed the Future Progress Report, formally released this week. The report points out that in Tajikistan last year, the Feed the Future initiative supported the improvement of land rights and land use by working with the Government of Tajikistan to amend its land code to include ownership of land, use rights, and increased women’s equality. In addition, the U.S.

A recent study in Ecology Letters suggests that protected areas in Tanzania are becoming increasingly important as a climate change adaptation measure. When surrounding landscapes become degraded, the protected areas serve as islands of habitat for several species of dry-land birds. The authors of the study conclude that the protected areas should be maintained as an effective means for achieving conservation and climate change adaptation objectives.