By Tim Hirschel-Burns This blog is part of a blog series on past large-scale international investment programs and the lessons they provide for the investment push needed for development and climate action today. You can read the introduction to the blog series here and part 1 here. In the decades after World War II, South […]
The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 Collaborative Grant award to advance innovative, policy-oriented research and support faculty-led projects that bridge evidence and policy to improve human capital outcomes globally. The HCI Collaborative Grant engages core faculty members and affiliates within Boston University to provide up to 12-months […]
By Tianyi Wu Development finance is at a critical inflection point: many low- and middle-income countries are facing mounting pressures just as traditional donors and creditors are retrenching, even though infrastructure needs and the demand for reliable financing of basic public services remain pressing. To examine this issue, the GDP Center hosted the “Development Finance […]
The Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN) is a set of institutions and mechanisms that provide insurance against crises and financing to mitigate their impacts. It has four main elements: countries’ own international reserves; bilateral swap arrangements whereby central banks exchange currencies to provide liquidity to banking systems; regional financial arrangements (RFAs) by which countries pool […]
The current trade war and tensions with the US pose many challenges for Mexico, but at the same time they provide both an impetus and a strategic opportunity to make progress on the longstanding and interwoven problems of low wages, poverty and slow economic growth. The impetus comes from the clear need to reduce the […]
By Laurissa Mühlich, Marina Zucker-Marques and Barbara Fritz In an era of mounting debt pressures, climate shocks and volatile international trade policies, timely and reliable financial resources are critical to stabilize economies without sacrificing essential public spending and development goals. To address this, crisis financing is provided through the Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN)—a network that includes […]
By Rachel Thrasher, Deborah Gleeson, Brook K. Baker, Veronika Wirtz, Warren A. Kaplan and Brigitte Tenni Global and regional crises call for rapid, flexible solutions, especially when it comes to access to lifesaving medicines in a health emergency. On December 30, 2025, the European Parliament published a revised regulation on compulsory licensing for crisis management. A […]
By Tim Hirschel-Burns For the first time in nearly 10 years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have a chance to revise a key framework that will shape whether low-income countries are set up for a decade of growth or a decade of lost opportunity. The IMF and World Bank’s review of their […]
Carbon pricing is widely regarded as the most efficient instrument for climate mitigation, and the carbon prices of individual countries are often used as the primary indicator of climate policy strength. However, in practice, both advanced and developing countries implement a combination of carbon pricing and non-pricing measures to reduce carbon emissions. Many countries, especially […]
By Zheng Zhai and Kevin P. Gallagher Countries across the Global South need a stepwise increase in investment to improve the well-being of their population and foster low-carbon, equitable and resilient growth. Countries must promote growth while simultaneously avoiding the significant social and economic losses that could arise from climate change and social instability. Lower […]