In many of the world's poorest countries, global change has not brought significant improvements to people's lives. A quarter of the developing world's population lacks access to safe drinking water, and almost half of it has no electricity. One hundred thirty million children, most of them girls, are not getting the chance to go to school. Despite the explosive growth in the world economy, many countries are being left behind. And many of the world's poorest countries are so deeply in debt as to make it practically impossible for them to sustain vital economic reforms.
Armed violence continues to plague the world.
Just last year, there were some fifty armed conflicts worldwide. We are all aware of the horror in Bosnia, where a quarter of a million people have been killed, and unspeakable horrors committed. But Bosnia is far from the only site of such abominations. And the world remains under the growing threat of environmental deterioration, uncontrolled population growth, epidemic disease, and an emerging shortage of water resources. This means we must stay close to our clients and develop our own ability to adapt to their changing needs.