Croatia has made remarkable progress since independence, but daunting challenges impede the reforms required for sustainable development. In the space of a couple of decades since independence and its subsequent destructive war, Croatia has established a liberal democracy and a market economy, and achieved upper-middle income country. EU accession played a key role in these accomplishments by supporting legislative improvements, strengthening institutions and increasing the availability of funds. Nevertheless, implementation of the reform program continues to face significant obstacles. Capture of public institutions by powerful interest groups has limited the effectiveness of reforms. And frequent changes in government, each accompanied by changes in technical staff in public administration, have reduced momentum for reform and the consistency of government policies over time. This Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) provides an assessment of where Croatia stands in terms of poverty reduction and shared prosperity (namely the twin goals), and how it could maximize progress towards these goals. The SCD's purpose is not to assess the Government's development plans but rather to articulate an independent identification of, and rationale for, priorities for achieving the twin goals. The analysis is meant to inform subsequent engagement between Croatia and the World Bank Group on the Country Partnership Framework. The document is structured as follows: chapter two presents key determinants and constraints of growth; chapter three presents determinants and constraints for enhancing inclusion; chapter four discusses financial, social and environmental sustainability, and identifies key sustainability-related constraints on achieving the twin goals over the longer term; and chapter five presents the priorities for reform and concludes.

Croatia has made remarkable progress since independence, but daunting challenges impede the reforms required for sustainable development. In the space of a couple of decades since independence and its subsequent destructive war, Croatia has established a liberal democracy and a market economy, and achieved upper-middle income country. EU accession played a key role in these accomplishments by supporting legislative improvements, strengthening institutions and increasing the availability of funds. Nevertheless, implementation of the reform program continues to face significant obstacles. Capture of public institutions by powerful interest groups has limited the effectiveness of reforms. And frequent changes in government, each accompanied by changes in technical staff in public administration, have reduced momentum for reform and the consistency of government policies over time. This Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) provides an assessment of where Croatia stands in terms of poverty reduction and shared prosperity (namely the twin goals), and how it could maximize progress towards these goals. The SCD's purpose is not to assess the Government's development plans but rather to articulate an independent identification of, and rationale for, priorities for achieving the twin goals. The analysis is meant to inform subsequent engagement between Croatia and the World Bank Group on the Country Partnership Framework. The document is structured as follows: chapter two presents key determinants and constraints of growth; chapter three presents determinants and constraints for enhancing inclusion; chapter four discusses financial, social and environmental sustainability, and identifies key sustainability-related constraints on achieving the twin goals over the longer term; and chapter five presents the priorities for reform and concludes.

Reforms spurred by accession to the European Union (EU) boosted productivity and integrated Romania into the EU economic space. Gross domestic product per capita rose from 30 percent of the EU average in 1995 to 59 percent in 2016. Today, over 70 percent of the country’s exports go to the EU, and their technological complexity is increasing rapidly. Yet, Romania remains the country in the EU with by far the largest share of poor people, with over a quarter of the population living on less than $5.50 a day. There are widening disparities in economic opportunity and poverty across regions and between urban and rural areas. Although Bucharest has already exceeded the EU average income per capita, and many secondary cities are becoming hubs of prosperity and innovation, Romania remains one of the least urbanized countries in the EU. Access to public services remains constrained for many citizens, particularly in rural areas, and there is a large infrastructure gap, which is a drag on the international competitiveness of the more dynamic areas of Romania while limiting economic opportunities in lagging and rural areas. Growth is constrained by weak commitment to policy implementation, creating a poor business environment and misallocation of resources to politically connected firms. Equal opportunities are constrained by weak local service delivery and an inability to ensure sufficient local funding due to patronage-based politics. And resilience to natural disasters and climate change is constrained by lack of coordination between central and local authorities. As argued in this report, Romania has no choice but to address these institutional challenges if it is to sustain the impressive growth performance of recent years, share prosperity among all of its citizens, and improve its resilience to natural hazards.

Although labor is usually the unique asset upon which poor people can make a living, little is known about the functioning of labor markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this volume is to contribute to the building of knowledge in this area. In this book, the authors use a unique set of identical and simultaneous labor force surveys conducted in seven capitals of Western Africa, as well as in some other African countries (Cameroon, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo) in the 2000s. They present innovative and original results on how people are faring in these labour markets, using up-to-date econometric and statistical methods. Because so little is known about labor markets in the region, each chapter starts with detailed descriptive statistics that aim to shed light onto specific aspects of African urban labor markets. Comparisons between the ten cities are systematically carried out. Descriptive sections are followed by in-depth analyses on various issues. The book is divided into four parts that examine 13 topics. Part I presents the main stylised facts, which are investigated further in a more analytical way throughout the volume. Part II focuses on job quality and labor market conditions, such as unemployment and underemployment, vulnerability, and job satisfaction. Part III explores the many dimensions of labor market inequalities through various lenses, such as returns on education, segmentation, life-cycle inequality (with a particular focus on old age), inter-generational mobility, time related inequality, and gender and ethnic earnings discrimination. Part IV addresses some key coping mechanisms and private responses, with a focus on migration and child labor. The book concludes with recommendations for future research.

This book provides advice for the planning, construction, and operation of land-based wind power projects in ways that can (i) avoid harm to birds, bats, and natural habitats; (ii) manage visual and other local impacts in ways acceptable to most stakeholders; and (iii) address compensation, benefits-sharing, and socio-cultural concerns.

Why are carefully designed, sensible policies too often not adopted or implemented? When they are, why do they often fail to generate development outcomes such as security, growth, and equity? And why do some bad policies endure? World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law addresses these fundamental questions, which are at the heart of development. Policy making and policy implementation do not occur in a vacuum. Rather, they take place in complex political and social settings, in which individuals and groups with unequal power interact within changing rules as they pursue conflicting interests. The process of these interactions is what this Report calls governance, and the space in which these interactions take place, the policy arena. The capacity of actors to commit and their willingness to cooperate and coordinate to achieve socially desirable goals are what matter for effectiveness. However, who bargains, who is excluded, and what barriers block entry to the policy arena determine the selection and implementation of policies and, consequently, their impact on development outcomes. Exclusion, capture, and clientelism are manifestations of power asymmetries that lead to failures to achieve security, growth, and equity. The distribution of power in society is partly determined by history. Yet, there is room for positive change. This Report reveals that governance can mitigate, even overcome, power asymmetries to bring about more effective policy interventions that achieve sustainable improvements in security, growth, and equity. This happens by shifting the incentives of those with power, reshaping their preferences in favor of good outcomes, and taking into account the interests of previously excluded participants. These changes can come about through bargains among elites and greater citizen engagement, as well as by international actors supporting rules that strengthen coalitions for reform.

Uzbekistan has achieved sustained growth through its gradual transition to a market-based economy through cautious economic policy reforms. Despite its gradual approach to development challenges, the country experienced the smallest output decline among former Soviet economies and enjoyed high rates of economic growth from 2004 to 2015, largely driven by the high prices of its major export commodities. However, the drop in the global prices of many key commodities in recent years have severely impacted Uzbekistan's economy. Under these circumstances, the new government introduced major reforms. The pace of reform is unprecedented. The government has formulated its long-term economic strategy in its Vision 2030, which aims to double the country's gross domestic product by 2030 through a program of economic diversification. This book analyzes how Uzbekistan can boost sustainable economic growth to create more and better jobs. It considers how the country can consolidate achievements from recent policy reforms and maintain reform efforts to accelerate sustainable growth. Policy recommendations cover fostering macroeconomic stability, increasing investment in physical infrastructure, enhancing human capital, improving firms' access to finance, and lowering barriers to international trade and foreign investment inflows.