With peace accords transforming the political landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean , IDRC research support will focus on peacebuilding and conflict management. Urban issues are another area of concern. The complex problems faced by people living in cities range from violent crime to access to water and sewage systems. Research on governance in sub-Saharan Africa will complement this area of emphasis. For example, research might look at ways to accommodate ethnic and religious diversity in civic and political institutions.
Economic globalization threatens African economies while offering new opportunities.
Research will be directed at helping countries participate more effectively in the international economy. At the national and local levels, research on economic livelihoods will stress the informal sector as well as small and medium enterprises. IDRC will help to improve the delivery of health services by concentrating support on areas suffering from high rates of disease. Peacebuilding is of obvious importance in the West Bank and Gaza , and IDRC will direct research support to this issue. Moreover, because the Middle East and North Africa as a whole suffers from high unemployment, research will focus on training as well as ways of promoting entrepreneurship and strengthening small and micro-enterprises.