bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
50 Years, 50 Works: The Art of Latin America and the Caribbean in the 20th Century. Information Bulletin No. 108
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Selections from the exhibit presented at the Museo de Antioquia, in Medellín, Colombia (from March 16 to May 17, 2009), on occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Inter-American Development Bank, and the celebration of the 50th Annual Meeting of Governors of the IDB. The Cultural Center of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has scheduled this same exhibition gathering selected artworks from the art collections of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Art Museum of the Americas of the Organization of American States (OAS) - both in Washington, D.C. The exhibit represents, to a great extent, the development of the arts in the Region throughout the 20th century.
IDB Group-Civil Society: Engagement Review 2014-2015
Authors: Milano Flavia , Espinoza Viviane
Published: March 2024

This publication highlights the work that the different IDB Group's sectors, departments, divisions and units conduct with Civil Society through five levels of engagement: Information, dialogue, consultation, collaboration and partnerships. This is the first review that the IDB Group undertakes on engagement actions with civil society in 26 countries of Latina American and the Caribbean. This review constitutes both a natural and indispensable step to better understand the work led by the Bank and, at the same time, provide the first database needed for our future endeavors.
INTAL Connection: No 230: October, 2015
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

INTAL Connection informs on integration and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean and disseminate IADB activities on this topics.
INTAL Connection: No 232: December, 2015
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

INTAL Connection informs on integration and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean and disseminate IADB activities on this topics.
Integration & Trade Journal: No. 40: June, 2016
Authors: Gayá Romina , Wagner Rodrigo , Warner Eric , Ellis Evan , Jenkins Rhys , Bianchi Eduardo , Gereffi Gary , Baumann Renato , Myers Margaret , Campos Rosario , Hidalgo César , Hartmann Dominik , Moneta Carlos , Koch-Weser Iacob , Gallagher Kevin , Jara-Figueroa Cristina , Soares Andre , Tang Jun , Beliz Gustavo , Guillamon Bernardo E. , Aróstica Pamela , Piñeiro Martín , Mesquita Moreira Mauricio , Ferreyros Eduardo , Estevadeordal Antoni , Rebolledo Andrés , Simoes Alex , Yang Wanming , Qianru Song , Ruiz Marco Vinicio , Guevara Miguel , Sheng Andrew , Phelps Edmund
Published: March 2024

How to build a convergence within the diversity of integrationist experiences? How can global efforts converge with regional and national realities through a glocal (global + local) governance that supports a productive integration and generates sustainable jobs? In this context of new challenges, Latin America must face the transformation of the Chinese economic model. After years of keeping prices of raw materials high, an exponential growth and an active investment policy in the region, Chinese economy grows at a slower rate, shows greater financial volatility, and shifts the focus from production to consumption. How will this metamorphosis impact on Latin-American development? What are the ways to overcome the stage of mere exchange of commodities for industrial products? How to move forward to a technology transfer that fosters innovation and facilitates export diversification? World-class authors, diplomats, negotiators, academics and private sector representatives analyze here the outlook of the linkage with the Asian giant. From an interdisciplinary approach, the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (INTAL), a unit of the Department of Integration and Trade of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), makes through this volume a contribution to building a regional agenda to jointly address the questions of the current scenario.
Environmental Economics for Evidence Based Policy: Vol. 1, No. 3: IEEM: Promoting Synergies Between Producers and Users of Natural Capital Accounting
Authors: Banerjee Onil
Published: March 2024

In this third edition of the “Environmental Economics for Evidence Based Policies” series, we briefly review the advances with respect to the IEEM mission, and its lines of strategic action, which are: (i) the development of new platforms and applications of IEEM for those countries with Environmental and/or Ecosystem Service Accounts; (ii) integration of regulation and cultural and aesthetic ecosystem services within the IEEM framework; and (iii) collaborations with government institutions in the region, intended to create capacities to implement and apply the IEEM Platform. With respect to this third point, in this third edition of the series, we are pleased to have the contributions and perspectives of Henry Vargas, Director of the Department of Macroeconomic Statistics and Evelyn Muñoz Salas, Director of the Department of Economic Research, both based at the Central Bank of Costa Rica.
INTAL Connection: No 251: Julio, 2017
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean
Published: March 2024

INTAL Connection informs on developments on integration and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. This issue focuses on the seminar “MERCOSUR–Pacific Alliance: A Positive Agenda for Integration”, held as part of the Summit of the MERCOSUR and Associated States in Mendoza, Argentina. During the seminar, authorities, representatives from the private sector, and integration experts discussed issues including regional value chains, trade facilitation, and customs cooperation.
INTAL Connection: No 252: August, 2017
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean
Published: March 2024

INTAL Connection informs on developments on integration and trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. This issue focuses on the presentation of the report “Robotlution. The Future of Work in Latin American Integration 4.0.”, where 40 international experts address the automation of jobs and its impact on the productive matrix on the region.
INTAL Monthly Newsletter: No. 209: January, 2014
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The INTAL Monthly Newsletter reports on developments in integration and trade across Latin American and the Caribbean. It also serves as a forum for discussing the IDB's activities related to these issues through news items, technical cooperation, and a wide array of projects and studies.
INTAL Monthly Newsletter: No 213: May, 2014
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The INTAL Monthly Newsletter reports on developments in integration and trade across Latin American and the Caribbean. It also serves as a forum for discussing the IDB's activities related to these issues through news items, technical cooperation, and a wide array of projects and studies.
INTAL Monthly Newsletter: No 215: July, 2014
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The INTAL Monthly Newsletter reports on developments in integration and trade across Latin American and the Caribbean. It also serves as a forum for discussing the IDB's activities related to these issues through news items, technical cooperation, and a wide array of projects and studies.
INTAL Monthly Newsletter: No 220: December, 2014
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The INTAL Monthly Newsletter reports on developments in integration and trade across Latin American and the Caribbean. It also serves as a forum for discussing the IDB's activities related to these issues through news items, technical cooperation, and a wide array of projects and studies.
INTAL Monthly Newsletter: No. 199: March, 2013
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The INTAL Monthly Newsletter reports on developments in integration and trade across Latin American and the Caribbean. It also serves as a forum for discussing the IDB's activities related to these issues through news items, technical cooperation, and a wide array of projects and studies.
Integration & Trade Journal: Volume 13 : No. 29 : January-June, 2009
Authors: Peña Félix , Knaack Peter , Pérez del Castillo Carlos , Evenett Simon J. , Wignaraja Ganeshan , Moreno Mejía Luis Alberto , Fernández de Soto Guillermo , Gonçalves José Botafogo , Bouzas Roberto , Aldonas Grant , Kawai Masahiro
Published: March 2024

This issue is an editorial re-launch of the IDB's Integration & Trade Journal. This new stage in the Journal's development coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Bank. The introduction as written by IDB President Moreno outlines his own vision of how the IDB intends to confront the challenges to Latin America and the Caribbean where regional and insertion in the global economy are concerned. Next, three individual essays by experts on the subjects of Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Asia are presented: The IDB and Half a Century of Regional Integration in Latin America and the Caribbean; Fostering Cross-Border Commerce and Market Integration: Lessons from European Experience; Global and Regional Economic Integration: A View from Asia. What follows are interviews with experts from "A Dialogue on the Future of Regional Integration in the Americas."
New Mechanism to Give Voice to Communities: New Policy Will Allow Citizens to Express Their Concerns about the IDB
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

PUENTES, Civil Society Newsletter
Ideas for Development in the Americas (IDEA): Volume 13 : May-August, 2007: Nationalization for the Poor?
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

Contrary to popular belief, privatizations can be socially very beneficial, but delivering these benefits to the poor often requires the power of government to regulate companies. The latest issue of IDEA looks at this unsung side of privatization and at the complementary regulation that could help boost its image.
Ideas for Development in the Americas (IDEA): Volume 23 : September-December, 2010: How Democracy Works in Latin America
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This issue of IDEA explores the workings of democratic institutions in Latin America and how they shape economic and other policies. It analyzes the roles, incentives, capabilities and interaction of key political players: the legislature, business, organized labor and the media. Based on a recent IDB book, How Democracy Works: Political Institutions, Actors, and Arenas in Latin American Policymaking, the newsletter provides a taste of the multiple, complex actors at work on the region¿s policymaking stage.
Microenterprise Development Review: Volume 4 : No. 2 : January, 2002
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This issue of the Microenterprise Development Review examines three mergers involving microfinance institutions in Paraguay, Nicaragua and Bolivia (El Comercio, Confia and Eco Futuro, respectively). Also examined are microenterprise growth and environmental protection and a close look at pollution problems in this sector.
Microenterprise Development Review: Volume 9 : No. 1 : July, 2006
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This issue of Microenterprise Development Review contains an article addressing The New Capital Accord known as Basel II, which seeks to promote among financial intermediaries best practices in risk management, more effective regulation and supervision, and greater market discipline. The article seeks to understand just how appropriate these formulas are for the typical portfolios of developing countries, in particular for microfinance portfolios, and what the results of their possible application would be. Another article in this edition addresses microinsurance in Latin America and the Caribbean and the partner-agent model, a model which it is argued, with appropriate donor support can rapidly scale-up the spread of insurance to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Offshore Services Industry: A New Opportunity for Latin America
Authors: Gereffi Gary , Fernandez-Stark Karina , Castillo Mario
Published: March 2024

Historically, services were considered non-tradable and offshoring was confined to the manufacturing sector. However, the evolution and diffusion of information and communication technologies has increased the availability of offshore services in the global economy in recent years. Face-to face contact between the client and the provider in traditional trade is being replaced by remote service centers in the new knowledge era.
Suriname: Trade Sector Policy Note
Authors: Shearer Matthew , Vignoles Christopher , Jessen Anneke
Published: March 2024

This paper provides an overview of Suriname's trade sector and, based on an assessment of the sector's performance, presents policy recommendations, so that becomes a useful tool for improving the country's economic growth and development prospects. The paper suggests that Suriname's primary objective in this area should be to maximize the benefits and mitigate the costs of trade liberalization. To achieve this, the country should focus on eight strategic areas related to trade: defining and adopting a trade strategy, strengthening trade-related institutions, improving public-private sector coordination, enhancing the regulatory framework, improving the quality and coverage of statistics, expanding access for Surinamese products in international markets, boosting domestic supply conditions, and supporting export diversification.
Structural Transformation in Ecuador
Authors: Hausmann Ricardo , Klinger Bailey
Published: March 2024

This paper applies new techniques and metrics to analyze Ecuador's past record of and future opportunities for structural transformation. Ecuador's export dynamics and the emergence of new export activities have been the historical drivers of the country's growth, but recently Ecuador's export basket has undergone little structural transformation. The same broad sectors continue to dominate, and the overall sophistication of the export basket has actually declined in recent years. In order to consider why movement to new, more sophisticated export activities has lagged in Ecuador, we examine export connectedness and find that the country is concentrated in a peripheral part of the product space. We quantitatively scan Ecuador's efficient frontier and identify new, high-potential export activities that are nearby in the product space. This sector evaluation provides valuable information for the government to prioritize dialogue and interventions, but it is not meant to be a conclusive identification of "winners". Rather, we provide policy guidelines to facilitate the emergence of these and other new export activities, dealing with the sector-specificity of much of what the government must provide to the private sector to succeed while at the same time avoiding the well-known perils of traditional industrial policies.
Investing in Integration: The Returns from Software-Hardware Complementarities
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

New empirical evidence produced for this policy brief supports the conclusion that in a postcrisis environment, the value of integration is increasing. Meanwhile, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) operates below its long-term integration potential. Going forward, integration policies may generate additional trade, growth, and welfare, provided that policymakers harness greater complementarities between the software and hardware components of the agenda, that is, they undertake policy and regulatory reforms coupled with regionally coordinated investments. But why is integration more valuable today than it has been in the past? Further, what exactly are these software-hardware complementarities in investment? This policy discussion brief is a joint Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), World Bank, and United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) response to a request made by Ministers during the Third Meeting of Finance Ministers of the Americas and the Caribbean, held in Lima, Peru, on May 28, 2010.
The Use of Free Zones for the Promotion of the Offshore Industry in MERCOSUR Countries: A Reasonable Choice?
Authors: Gari Gabriel
Published: March 2024

This paper discusses the suitability of using free zones as a mechanism for the promotion of the offshore industry in MERCOSUR countries, both from a legal and a broader policy perspective. From a legal perspective, the paper examines the consistency of the incentives offered by free zones with WTO disciplines and discusses the implications that stem from this for offshore suppliers that operate within free zones. The paper also discusses the merits of using free zones in light of the attributes sought by multinational corporations when choosing an offshore destination and suggests that, instead of offering goods-biased fiscal incentives, governments should focus on improving IT and communications infrastructure, training the local workforce, encouraging research and development, upgrading the legal framework, and securing a business-friendly environment.
Structural Reforms in Brazil: Progress and Unfinished Agenda
Authors: Ter-Minassian Teresa
Published: March 2024

This paper discusses Brazil's structural reforms since the 1990s and areas where work remains to be done. Reforms of the 1990s included the containment of inflation, the adoption of a comprehensive Fiscal Responsibility Law, a successful debt restructuring program for subnational governments, the reduction of trade barriers, a wave of privatizations, and the expansion of health and education programs. Reforms of the 2000s included strengthening welfare programs, rapidly increasing the minimum wage, and reforming the financial sector to increase access to credit among lower income groups. Political opposition and other factors, however, have prevented reforms in the tax and pension systems and in the labor market. Brazil's recent strong economic performance owes more to generally sound macroeconomic management, and to a favorable external environment, than to a comprehensive and sustained structural reform effort. Doubts remain about the country's ability to sustain high growth rates while keeping inflation low.
Capacity Building for the Implementation and Administration of Free Trade Agreements: Implementing Service and Investment Provisions
Authors: Robert Maryse
Published: March 2024

This paper draws on the experience of Mexico in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and on the experiences of four Latin American countries in the implementation of their services and investment obligations in their FTAs with the United States: Chile (United States-Chile FTA), Costa Rica and El Salvador (Dominican Republic-Central America-United States FTA, or CAFTA-DR), and Peru (United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, or PTPA). The paper highlights the provisions of these agreements (investment, cross-border trade in services, financial services, and telecommunications), and then discusses the processes and results of their implementation, as well as the domestic political constraints.
Labor Provisions in the U.S Free Trade Agreements: Case Study of México, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Peru
Authors: Samet Andrew
Published: March 2024

This document is divided into two components. First, it provides a comparison of the obligations contained under these four agreements and presents the evolution in the language and commitments in them for the 15 year period between 1993 and 2008 during which they were negotiated. Second, it reviews the developments in each country during the relevant period with regard to changes in labor laws and regulations, and also in the strengthening of labor institutions 2 relevant for labor law enforcement, specifically the ministries of labor and the labor justice systems. This document cannot assess whether the negotiation or implementation of labor chapters in free trade agreements were the cause for any changes made within a country; the document can only report the changes made with regard to the labor framework of a country during the process of negotiations and the subsequent periods during which the agreements have been in place.
How Can Latin America Help the World to Cope with Climate Change?: The Issue of Deforestation
Authors: Galiani Sebastián , Puente Manuel , Weinschelbaum Federico
Published: March 2024

Latin America has a comparative advantage in deforestation compared to other forms of climate change mitigation. Thus, to the extent that Latin America should engage in mitigation, the optimal climate change policy should manage these advantages by generating incentives in Latin America to deal with forestry. This paper describes the problem of deforestation and studies the market failures that arise in relation to forestry emission problems, analyzing them from a global public good perspective. The paper additionally describes other problems related to forestry emission issues and presents a non-exhaustive review of the solutions currently proposed to address this issue. The paper concludes with policy recommendations.
The Politics of Policies: Revisiting the Quality of Public Policies and Government Capabilities in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Franco Maria , Scartascini Carlos
Published: March 2024

Most policy analyses and academic papers deal with finding the combination of policies that may bring about the best development outcomes. However, in the long run, it is the features of public policies that seem to matter for explaining development outcomes. Unfortunately, Latin America and the Caribbean lags behind other regions in the quality of the features of public policies. Policy features depend on the quality of government institutions, but Latin America and the Caribbean countries have done particularly poorly in that area as well. Not every country, however, fares the same. While a few countries sit alongside the developed world, more than two-thirds of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean score below the median. This policy brief should encourage researchers to use the data, and it may help policymakers to identify which institutions may be reducing the possibility of moving upward and forward. Some of the policy recommendations may help to change current paths.
The Fear Factor: A Back-Of-The-Envelope Calculation on the Economic Risk of an Ebola Scare in the Caribbean
Authors: Schmid Juan Pedro , Malcolm Xavier
Published: March 2024

This brief presents simulations of an Ebola scare in the Caribbean, including three highly tourism-dependent economies, The Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica. On the basis of the experience of Mexico in 2009 with swine flu, we simulate a short but sharp drop in tourist arrivals resulting from tourists' worries about Ebola. The Caribbean is special in that tourism contributes directly and indirectly up to half of its GDP. The simulations indicate that the volatility of tourism combined with that dependence creates significant vulnerability for the region. Under the worst-case scenario, a noticeable impact could be expected even in countries with a smaller dependence on tourism. In addition, declines could also be expected for employment and revenues. However, 'pandemic scares' can be short-lived and the simulations indicate that the Caribbean would be able to absorb a short tourism drop. The intensity and duration of the outfall in tourism would depend on the real and perceived preparedness of the affected countries, highlighting that countries in the Caribbean need to not only avoid or minimize any Ebola cases but also ensure that tourists perceive these countries as safe places.
Addressing Debt Overhang: Experiences from Two Debt Operations in Jamaica
Authors: Schmid Juan Pedro
Published: March 2024

Jamaica entered the world economic downturn in 2008 from a position of ongoing weak economic performance and high, increasing debt levels. As a result, Jamaica's fiscal situation quickly became unsustainable. Starting in 2010, the government made important efforts, including two domestic debt exchanges, to bring its debt trajectory on a sustainable path. This brief assesses the two debt exchanges and explores whether their design was appropriate to address Jamaica's debt sustainability. A major issue in the case of Jamaica is the high exposure of the financial sector to government debt, creating a link between the fiscal situation and financial sector stability. In addition, the composition of Jamaica's debt restricts debt operations to domestic government securities, which comprise around half of total debt. Any attempt to restructure the debt stock through a debt action, such as a haircut, is likely to have a substantial impact on the domestic financial sector, which has a sizeable exposure to sovereign securities. Any losses of the financial sector would likely have negative multiplier effects on GDP growth, employment, and poverty. As such, the brief concludes that the scope of fiscal savings from debt restructuring in the absence of financial sector crisis was always small.
La Implementación de Acuerdos Comerciales Preferenciales en América Latina: La Experiencia de Implementación del CAFTA-RD en Costa Rica
Authors: González Anabel
Published: March 2024

El Tratado de Libre Comercio entre República Dominicana, Centroamérica y Estados Unidos (en adelante, CAFTA-RD) entró en vigencia para Costa Rica el 1 de enero del 2009, catorce meses después de su aprobación en el primer referendo en la historia del país, treinta y cuatro meses después de que entró en vigor para los primeros países en ratificarlo, cincuenta y cuatro meses después de su firma, y setenta y dos meses después del inicio de negociaciones.
Integración comercial e innovación tecnológica: Aspectos conceptuales y análisis de experiencias
Authors: Porta Fernando
Published: March 2024

El propósito principal de este documento es aportar algunos elementos que puedan informar la discusión sobre las perspectivas que abre el actual proceso de integración económica en Centroamérica para estimular las actividades de innovación productiva en los países de la región. A este efecto, se desarrollan en la Sección I diversos aspectos conceptuales y analíticos sobre el vínculo entre integración regional, estructura productiva, competitividad e innovación. En la Sección II se presenta una revisión de varias experiencias de coordinación regional de políticas y programas de innovación, considerando casos de diverso grado de desarrollo e institucionalización. En la Sección III se incluyen estimaciones comparativas de los recursos y modalidades afectadas a las políticas de CTI en tales esquemas y se analizan brevemente las características de los sistemas de innovación en nuestra región. Finalmente, en la Sección IV se estilizan ciertas lecciones posibles para el caso latinoamericano basadas en los sendos planos de análisis previos.
Ingresos fiscales por explotación de recursos mineros e hidrocarburos en Perú
Authors: Del Valle Marielle
Published: March 2024

El crecimiento de la economía mundial y el aumento de los precios internacionales de los productos básicos o commodities han dado lugar a un mayor dinamismo en las actividades extractivas en los países ricos en este tipo de bienes. En Perú, la contribución de dichas actividades a los ingresos fiscales a través de impuestos y rentas de concesión se ha más que triplicado en la última década, generando con ello una mayor dependencia del fisco respecto de las mismas. Este documento describe la regulación que rige el desarrollo de las industrias extractivas en Perú, el rol de las instituciones que intervienen en la asignación de los recursos generados, los mecanismos de distribución de los mismos a los otros niveles de gobierno, y las distorsiones en la equidad creadas por dicha distribución. Asimismo se mide la sensibilidad de los recursos fiscales generados ante cambios en el entorno internacional, mediante el cálculo de elasticidades precio.
Apertura comercial y crecimiento de la productividad total de los factores
Authors: Andrian Leandro Gaston
Published: March 2024

Mejorar la productividad es uno de los principales retos para las economías dado que es un elemento fundamental para el desarrollo y crecimiento económico sostenible en el largo plazo. La literatura reciente demuestra que existen diferentes canales que afectan a la productividad agregada, como el stock de capital, la educación, el comercio y la calidad institucional. Este trabajo se propone identificar y cuantificar el efecto de las políticas públicas de una de las principales variables que determinan el crecimiento de la productividad total de los factores (PTF), la apertura comercial. En este sentido, este estudio encuentra que las exportaciones son uno de los principales determinantes de la evolución de la PTF. Luego, es natural preguntarse cuál es el efecto de las políticas de apertura comercial sobre las exportaciones dada la influencia que estas últimas tienen sobre la productividad. De esta manera, se encuentra que los tratados de libre comercio son el principal instrumento mediante el cual los gobiernos podrían aumentar el nivel de exportaciones. En particular, las economías emergentes son las que más se benefician de este tipo de acuerdos cuando los mismos son celebrados con economías desarrolladas.
Government Capabilities in Latin America: Why They Are So Important, What We Know about Them, and What to Do Next
Authors: Tommasi Mariano , Scartascini Carlos
Published: March 2024

This policy brief takes stock of the research on government capabilities undertaken at the Inter-American Development Bank, highlights the relevance of government capabilities for generating better policies and higher levels of development, summarizes what has been learned about the origins of those capabilities, suggests avenues for further exploration, and derives lessons (and caveats) for institutional reforms and for the operational work of the Bank.
Ecuador: Creating Fiscal Space for Poverty Reduction: A Fiscal Management and Public Expenditure Review. Volume I
Authors:   World Bank,   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This report consists of two volumes. Volume I examines whether, and how, the core goals of public expenditure management, i.e., balanced fiscal aggregates, resource allocations to strategic sectors, and equity and microeconomic efficiency of public spending are met in Ecuador. Volume II presents sector studies on fiscal sustainability, the fiscal rules, education, health, pensions, the results of a national teachers tracking survey, water and sanitation, electricity, telecommunications and oil.
Heritage Conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Bank Experience
Authors: Rojas Eduardo
Published: March 2024

The Bank is leading the involvement of development banks in financing urban heritage conservation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is a new area of work for the Bank and emerged in response to requests from borrowing member governments for assistance in their efforts to preserve sites and monuments valued as important components of their heritage. This note provides a glimpse into this complex field of Bank intervention and lays out some of the emerging issues and questions.
Exploring the Possible Benefits and Costs of FTAA
Authors: Harberger Arnold C.
Published: March 2024

Given the unclear results in Latin America's past experience with free trade areas and customs unions, one wonders whether the present degree of enthusiasm about the prospects of a much more grandiose effort in the same direction (the Free Trade Area of the Americas [FTAA]) is really justified. This document takes a coldly analytical look at the pluses and minuses surrounding a prospective FTAA and focuses on the economists' tried and true criteria of costs and benefits.
Banking the Unbanked
Authors: Hernández Ben
Published: March 2024

Research study about the remittance from hispanic immigrants living in the USA, their sending habits and relationship with Financial Institutions that offer remittance services
CARICOM Report No. 1 (2002)
Authors: Gonzales Anthony Peter
Published: March 2024

The overall purpose of the report is to appraise progress towards deeper integration among the member states of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). More specifically, and with particular reference to the goals of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), it seeks to assess the depth of market integration and functional cooperation by examining the state of policy coordination and harmonization, the level of institutional development, and the degree of capacity sharing. The study also addresses CARICOM's pace of widening and its integration into the world economy, against the backdrop of trends in international trade negotiations.
Economic Development and Inclusion through Local Broadband Access Networks
Authors: Balletti Alessandra , Collado di Franco Miguel , Edwards Karl , Deza Luis , Migliorisi Stefano , Dias Ugo Silva , Donà Roberto , Mendoza David
Published: March 2024

The theme of the study is the recent experience of community-based initiatives driven by municipal governments, community organizations, local entrepreneurs associations, NGOs that have deployed sustainable local broadband connectivity services. This report provides a detailed mapping of best practice for the implementation of sustainable local broadband access networks and an analysis of the situation in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Peru.
Final Report of the entra21 Program: Phase I: 2001-2007
Authors:   International Youth Foundation,   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This report evaluates the results of the first phase of the entra 21 program. It describes how 35 locally executed projects have implemented varying strategies to train some 19,000 young people, placing more than 10,000 in good jobs, and the lessons derived from these experiences.
Implementation of Quality Management Systems under MIF's ISO Cluster: Does it Make a Difference?
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank,   The Lexington Group, Inc.
Published: March 2024

This project reviews previous projects designed to improve business performance and strengthen institutional capacity in standards, certification and accreditation for advancing competitiveness for SMEs in Latin America through international standards.
MIF Retrospectives: Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Bloomgarden David R. , Maruyama Asako
Published: March 2024

This paper is the second contribution to the MIF Retrospectives series and discusses MIF support for infrastructure development in the region, emphasizing the promotion of public-private partnerships.
Innovative Technologies in Microfinance for Latin America: Building Effective Delivery Channels: Summary of the Microfinance Workshop on the Use of Information Technology to Deliver Financial Services
Authors: Castello Sergio A.
Published: March 2024

Success of MFIs in Latin America depends on: adopting technologies in delivery channels like ATMs and PDAs; successfully implementing virtual delivery channels like mobile finance and remote transaction systems; and cooperation among MFIs to reduce IT investment cost and increase standardization.
MERCOSUR Report No. 5 (1998-1999)
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

The second half of 1998 was a turning point in the macroeconomic evolution of the MERCOSUR countries, and will very probably mark the beginning of a new phase in relations between them. Despite some difficulties and setbacks, the initial stage ¿ from the signing of the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 to the Russian moratorium in August 1998 ¿ should be viewed as an entirely successful stage of an original project to create and consolidate a commercial bloc made up of economies that are not fully developed.
MERCOSUR Report No. 7 (2000-2001)
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

MERCOSUR has become less operational, despite government claims that it will continue to play a leading role in the international insertion strategies of its member countries for some years. The current crisis is clearly far from over. It is important to note that the enormous difficulties that MERCOSUR faces stem not only from changes to the conditions of competition triggered by the devaluation of the Brazilian currency and the fragility of the Argentine economy. A number of more important issues and impasses undoubtedly have come into play to threaten the future of the integration process.
Migration, Remittances, and the Rural Sector in Latin America
Authors: Orozco Manuel
Published: March 2024

A version of this article was presented to the World Council of Credit Unions in preparation for the conference Paving the Way Forward for Rural Finance: An International Conference on Best Practices
NAMAs in the Transport Sector: Case Studies from Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and the People's Republic of China
Authors: Huizenga Cornie , Bakker Stefan
Published: March 2024

This report is adapted from the forthcoming Climate Instruments for the Transport Sector (CITS) report written by Cornie Huizenga, convener of the Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT), and Stefan Bakker, from the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands. Under the CITS project, studies were carried out in two Asian and two Latin American cities to explore how NAMAs, a new financial mechanism being developed under the UNFCCC, may support emissions reductions from urban transport policies and programs. The authors received valuable input from: Dario Hidalgo, from EMBARQ/World Resources Institute, for the Belo Horizonte case study; Frederic Rudolph, Urda Eichhorst and Wolfgang Sterk, from Wuppertal Institute, for the Hefei case study; Holger Dalkmann and Ko Sakamoto, from Transport Research Laboratory, for the Jakarta case study; and Martina Jung and Christian Ellermann, from ECOFYS, for the Mexico case study. This report was edited by Peter Shifter. The CITS project was guided by Rafael Acevedo-Daunas, Maria Cordeiro, Vera Lucia Vicentini, Maria Netto and Francisco Arango at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and by Jamie Leather and Sharad Saxena at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The two case studies in Asian cities were financed by the ADB, and the two Latin American studies by the IDB. The combined report was financed by the ADB and the publication financed by the IDB as part of a combined effort within an MOU signed by both institutions and their participation in the SLoCaT partnership.
Opportunities for the Majority Index: Analysis of Corporate Performance in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Wells Richard P. , Libow Alana , Bruno Alessandro , Preston Katharine , Meade Christian
Published: March 2024

The study involved the review of 75 publicly traded firms. This baseline and the conceptual model which underpins it provide an excellent framework to accurately assess and predict the out-performance of firms based on their ability to capture opportunities within the Majority.
Risk Mitigation as a Cost-Effective Microfinance Strategy: Case Study IDB-Peru Global Micro-Enterprise Credit Program
Authors: Buillamon Bernardo
Published: March 2024

Improved microfinance strategies in Peru have increased credit access for microentrepreneurs. To establish effective national credit reporting systems elsewhere in the region, ensured universal reporting cooperation, reliable identification, privacy and consumer protection are needed.
The Cost of Disputes in Companies and the Use of ADR Methods: Lessons from Nine Latin American Countries
Authors:   Inter American Development Bank
Published: March 2024

This study is a great achievement of the ADR Network for 2005. The report is innovate for several reasons: i) it is the first comparative study on the subject that has ever been conducted in the region, providing empirical information on the cost of disputes within companies; ii) it evaluates in a comparative way, the inadequacies in the legal environment for business and the private sector in general, as well as the relationship between companies and the judicial system; and iii) it targets the private sector, thus closing the traditional gap between the legal area and the business world.
The Harmonization of Indirect Taxes in the Andean Community
Authors: Valencia Alexis , Arias Luis A. , Villela Luiz Arruda , Barreix Alberto Daniel
Published: March 2024

The approval of Decisions 599 and 600 on the Harmonization of Substantial and Procedural Aspects of Value Added Taxes and the Harmonization of Excise Type Taxes (VAT and selective taxes) by the Commission of the Andean Community is a notable victory for the Andean integration process and sets a precedent in the developing world. The Decisions amount to an agreement on how to design national laws on a modern and administratively coordinated VAT, as well as joint rules on excise taxes. These accords sprang from the political will of the Andean authorities working in this field, the countries¿ technical capacities, and the catalyzing role played by the political authority of the Andean Community¿s General Secretariat (GS), which received technical support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Representatives of the five member countries¿ Finance Ministries and Taxation Directorates participated actively and enthusiastically in these efforts. The process began with a background study commissioned using funds from an IDB regional technical cooperation project, followed by three negotiating rounds and eight meetings of experts and officials organized by the GS (With the financial and technical support of the IDB through the Special Initiative on Trade and Integration).
The Role of the Multilateral Investment Fund in Skills Standards and Certification
Authors: Siegel Wendy , Kappaz Christina
Published: March 2024

This report reviews MIF initiatives in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Barbados to build effective skills standards and certification systems, a key goal of its overall strategy for promoting human resource development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The State of Numeracy Education in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Valverde Gilbert , Näslund-Hadley Emma
Published: March 2024

Through this review we have sought to further understanding of the state of preprimary, primary, and secondary numeracy education in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Research on the opportunities available to students in the region presents a troubling picture. Young people are not being properly prepared for the numeracy requirements of an increasingly interconnected world economy. Culprits include weak curricula, inadequate learning materials, and teachers¿ lack of proficiency in mathematics and the natural sciences.
Brazilian Economic Growth, 1900-2000: Lessons and Policy Implications
Authors: Pinheiro Armando Castelar , Gill Indermit S. , Servén Luis , Thomas Mark Roland
Published: March 2024

This paper examines Brazilian economic growth as part of the project "Explaining Economic Growth Performance" launched by the Global Development Network (GDN), the purpose of which is to explain economic growth performances across seven regions of the world. According to the author of this study, a better understanding of Brazil's paradoxical growth pattern during the 20th century may not only improve policy formulation but also help generate political support for its implementation. Any proposal for deepening the reform process in Brazil will not win wide acceptance if it is not perceived to respond to a credible account of how policies that are "wrong" in 2001 appeared "right," for half of the last century. With this context in mind, this paper addresses three overarching questions. First, how did Brazil manage to grow so rapidly from 1930 to 1980 while following so many "wrong" policies? Second, why did Brazil then perform so poorly in the final two decades of the century? And third, considering developments in both the domestic and international arenas, how should current public policy priorities be set to maximize Brazil's potential sustainable growth rate? Analysis will look at the aggregate performance of the Brazilian economy in 1930-2000, it will examine micro evidence from firms and households, respectively, and determine whether these patterns are consistent with the macroeconomic observations noted in our initial analysis. The study also provides an evaluation on how should current public policy priorities be set to maximize Brazil's potential sustainable growth rate.
Belize: A Review of Public Expenditures.
Authors: Shukla Gangadhar P. , Glenday Graham
Published: March 2024

This study undertakes a broad-based evaluation of public expenditures in Belize in order to identify ways of enhancing economic and social gains from public services. It reviews the budgeting and financial management systems used to translate public finances into public services, with a focus on social services that meet the needs and demands of the people of Belize. The study will show that although budget system and budget performance issues themselves yield a large menu of potential budget reforms, recent adverse macroeconomic developments in Belize arising out of persistent government deficits and debt build up currently dominate the government¿s financial and budgeting options and affect the choices that can be made in reforming the budget system. Some immediate problems facing the Belize economy are outlined.
Suriname: Supporting Private Sector Development
Authors: Panadeiros Monica , Bour Juan Luis , Artana Daniel
Published: March 2024

This study examines the barriers that have traditionally hindered private sector development in Suriname and presents a set of proposals to promote the role of the private sector as a driving force of Suriname's economic growth. The paper provides a description of the key characteristics of the Surinamese economy, an examination of the private sector structure, its weaknesses and capabilities, and an analysis of the main obstacles and issues to improve the enabling environment for private sector development, the challenges and opportunities faced by a small and isolated country that had a poor economic record because it encouraged the private sector to enter into rent seeking activities instead of focusing on productivity gains. Finally, there is a set of recommendations on areas of focus to support private sector development in Suriname.
Social Capital, Violence and Public Intervention: The Case of Cali
Authors: Cuesta José A. , Lamas Jorge , Alda Erik
Published: March 2024

This study attempts to quantify the impact of public interventions designed simultaneously to foster crime prevention and the formation of community-wide social capital. The relationship between social capital and violence has been rarely modeled in the literature and, when so, it has been found not significant. The study finds otherwise, on the basis of simultaneous econometric models with data from Colombia. Interpersonal trust is the single most important determinant to reduce victimization, while victimization levels cut back interpersonal trust and increasingly so only after some threshold is surpassed. Perceptions in the community of an effective public presence both reduce victimization and increase interpersonal trust, but the magnitude of these effects is rather small. Other public interventions (civic campaigns and improving the performance of public institutions) in crime-ridden communities also have a positive impact on both victimization and interpersonal trust levels.