The contributors to this collection examine the progress and impact of the 'new poverty strategies' which have governed the policies of development agencies over the past decade. While in some areas progress has been impressive, in others it has been hampered by persisting inequalities, civil conflict, institutional gaps and turbulence in the international financial system. In light of this, The New Poverty Strategies proposes a range of new policies and donor initiatives designed to achieve greater success in poverty reduction in the new century.

Sweden Country Study Guide - Strategic Informtion and Developments

This important contribution to the literature on development economics analyses the effectiveness of programme aid - i.e. aid that is not given in the form of projects. Using real world examples from countries such as Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Vietnam this book deals with one of the core issues in development economics today.

'Should be on the shelf of any academic, student, NGO activist or politician with an interest in aid issues. It should also be required reading for donor agency officials' Development and Change 'As accessible as it is comprehensive has established itself as a reliable 'watchdog' for anyone interested in this important aspect of international relations' ORBIT Despite commitments to eradicate poverty, 21 of the world's richest nations have slashed their aid to the world's poorest countries to just 0.3% of GNP, its lowest level for more than 20 years. In real terms, aid in 1994 was below the 1990 level, and with several donors planning further cuts it is likely that the aid level will continue to fall. Now in its fourth annual edition, The Reality of Aid critically examines the reality behind the rhetoric of development assistance, and the discrepancy between the targets that the 21 member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee are publically committed to and the aid that is actually disbursed. Part 1 of this year's edition includes analyses of; * the impact of the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development and '20/20' compact; * developing countries' debt and their Northern creditors, including banks and international financial institutions; * efforts to eradicate poverty, a stated aim of development assistance; * the human and economic cost of the estimated 140 million unexploded landmines currently planted around the world; and * the impact of conflict and humanitarian need on development cooperation. In a new section, Part 2 presents perspectives from the South, with contributors from India, Cambodia, Peru, Zimbabwe, Poland and Fiji. Part 3 consists of detailed, country-by-country profiles of the aid performance of the OECD donors; and Part 4 reviews aid spending by Northern governments and NGOs, with 'at a glance' tables and charts which compare donors' performance on issues such as aid to basic health and education, the priority given to poverty reduction, the political management of aid and public attitudes to aid in developed countries. Throughout, information is summarized in easily interpreted figures and graphs. First produced in 1993, The Reality of Aid has established itself as a unique source of independent evaluation and comment on aid policies and developments. It is indispensable for all involved in development aid, whether in the official or voluntary sectors. Originally published in 1996

Science and technology have long been considered key for development, problem solving and education in low-income countries, and Sweden has been at the forefront of efforts in this area, as one of the first countries to formalize research aid. This book analyses how the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (Sarec) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) have worked to promote science in low-income countries. In doing so, the book tackles challenging questions around whose knowledges and capacities count, who sets the research agenda, how knowledge resources are distributed, and how complex donor–recipient relationships serve both to address and inflate these issues. Through a discursive analysis of policy material and interviews with former directors at Sarec and Sida as well as other key persons, the book traces how perceptions of the relationship between research and development have shifted over the last five decades. Pointing to why long-term collaboration is necessary in order to contribute significantly to capacity building, as well as highlighting more general tensions relating to the production of knowledge, Sweden’s Research Aid Policy: The Role of Science in Development will be a valuable resource for advanced students and researchers of foreign aid, development cooperation and the history of science and technology.

Using real world examples from countries such as Nicaragua, Tanzania and Vietnam this important contribution to the literature on development economics analyses the effectiveness of programme aid.