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Making Job Platforms Work for Women: A Guide for Practitioners and Researchers
Get PDFThis report examines how job platforms can create better work opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups. It focuses on the main barriers they face, how platforms operate, and practical steps to make platforms more inclusive. The findings draw on interviews with platform leaders and researchers, academic studies, and real-world examples, highlighting concrete strategies to improve women’s engagement and success on platforms. Based on this evidence, the report outlines nine recommendations for platforms to better engage women and marginalized jobseekers and expand their access to work opportunities
Malaysia Economic Monitor, October 2025: From Bytes to Benefits - Digital Transformation as a Catalyst for Public Sector Productivity
Get PDFGovTech - the special topic of this edition - has the potential to act as a critical lever for boosting public sector productivity and sustaining Malaysia’s transition to a digitally driven, high-income economy, which in turn will enable private sector growth and higher quality jobs for Malaysians. The country has committed significant financial resources to digitalization - investing billions in platforms such as MyGovCloud, MyDigital ID, and interoperable data systems - making it one of the region’s most ambitious GovTech reformers. However, international experience shows that investments in digital technology alone does not guarantee impact; without the adequate analogue complements - robust institutions, cross-government coordination, transparent data governance, and a digitally skilled workforce - digital investments risk fueling disillusionment rather than delivering productivity gains for governments and societies. The window for action is narrow as citizens’ expectations rise alongside escalating investments. Delays in strengthening the enabling environment could erode public trust and slow Malaysia’s digital momentum. Malaysia has already begun addressing these gaps through the creation of the Ministry of Digital, the Jabatan Digital Negara, and nationwide skills initiatives, yet challenges remain in integration, transparency, and uneven adoption across ministries and regions. To fully realize the digital dividends, Malaysia must move decisively to strengthen digital foundations, empower institutions, and put citizens at the center of reform - ensuring GovTech becomes a vehicle for efficiency, and a driver of trust, inclusion, and sustainable growth
Comptes des écosystèmes forestiers du bassin du Congo et recommandations politiques: rapport régional de synthèse sur l'étendue, l'état, les services et les comptes d'actifs des écosystèmes 2000-2020
Get PDFThis regional synthesis report of the Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem Accounts (2000-2020) compiled from data for each these six countries (namely: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Republic of Congo. Ecosystem accounting enables countries to assess the value of their ecological capital, a key component of national wealth, by monitoring changes in ecosystem extent, condition, and ecosystem services in both physical and monetary terms. The accounts follow the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) Ecosystem Accounting methods, a standardized framework that uses concepts, definitions, and classifications consistent with the System of National Accounts (SNA). The individual country reports are also available.
The value of domestic benefits provided by the forest ecosystems is significant, ranging from one percent of GDP for Equatorial Guinea to 15.4 percent of GDP for the Central African Republic. With global climate regulation being especially important, reflecting more than 95 percent of the value in most countries. Forest ecosystems in the Congo Basin retained around 90.9 billion tons of carbon in 2020, equivalent to 333.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is 10x the amount of the total global emissions from the energy sector in 2020 (34.5 billion tons). The total asset value of the Congo Basin’s forests has almost doubled from US 23.2 trillion in 2020. The overall asset value without the global public good value of climate change regulation stood at US 154 billion in 2020. While the total asset values are increasing, the per capita values are not keeping up with population growth. If one excludes the global public good value of carbon the picture becomes more negative, with a decrease in per capita of forests across all countries. These accounts should be institutionalized and enhanced periodically to inform policy and planning. The Congo Basin forests offer substantial ecological benefits, many of which remain unmonetized. These forest ecosystem accounts can improve understanding and inform policy development relating to the natural resource management sectors and those that impact on these assets, and on monetization of these critical ecosystem services.Ce rapport de synthèse régional des Comptes de l’écosystème forestier du bassin du Congo (2000-2020) compilé à partir des données de chacun de ces six pays (à savoir : Cameroun, République centrafricaine, République démocratique du Congo, Guinée équatoriale, Gabon et République du Congo). La comptabilité écosystémique permet aux pays d’évaluer la valeur de leur capital écologique, un élément clé de la richesse nationale, en surveillant les changements dans l’étendue, l’état et les services écosystémiques en termes physiques et monétaires. Les comptes sont conformes aux méthodes de comptabilité écosystémique du Système de comptabilité économique et environnementale (SCEE), un cadre normalisé qui utilise des concepts, des définitions et des classifications conformes au Système de comptabilité nationale (SCN). Les rapports par pays sont également disponibles. La valeur des avantages intérieurs fournis par les écosystèmes forestiers est importante, allant de 1 % du PIB pour la Guinée équatoriale à 15,4 % du PIB pour la République centrafricaine. La régulation du climat mondial est particulièrement importante, représentant plus de 95 % de la valeur dans la plupart des pays. Les écosystèmes forestiers du bassin du Congo ont retenu environ 90,9 milliards de tonnes de carbone en 2020, soit l’équivalent de 333,5 milliards de tonnes de dioxyde de carbone, soit 10 fois la quantité totale d’émissions mondiales du secteur de l’énergie en 2020 (34,5 milliards de tonnes). La valeur totale des actifs des forêts du bassin du Congo a presque doublé, passant de 12,3 billions de dollars en 2000 à 23,2 billions de dollars en 2020. La valeur globale des actifs sans la valeur de bien public mondial de la réglementation du changement climatique s’élevait à 106 milliards de dollars américains en 2000 et à 154 milliards de dollars américains en 2020. Alors que la valeur totale des actifs augmente, la valeur par habitant ne suit pas la croissance démographique. Si l’on exclut la valeur mondiale du carbone pour le bien public, le tableau devient plus négatif, avec une diminution des forêts par habitant dans tous les pays. Ces comptes devraient être institutionnalisés et améliorés périodiquement afin d’éclairer les politiques et la planification. Les forêts du bassin du Congo offrent des avantages écologiques substantiels, dont beaucoup restent non monétisés. Ces comptes de l’écosystème forestier peuvent améliorer la compréhension et éclairer l’élaboration de politiques relatives aux secteurs de la gestion des ressources naturelles et à ceux qui ont une incidence sur ces actifs, ainsi qu’à la monétisation de ces services écosystémiques essentiels
Trade promotion organisations in the pandemic world
Get PDFA 2021–22 Survey of Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) conducted by the World Bank to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected their functioning uncovers significant heterogeneity in TPOs’ characteristics across countries, but also income levels. This led to different responses to the pandemic in terms of changes in TPOs’ budgets, the adoption of a COVID recovery plan, and the implementation of virtual programs to help exporters. High-income countries experienced higher increases in budget and were more likely to adopt COVID recovery plans and virtual tools than low-income countries. Using the gravity model, we find that the behaviour of TPOs in high-income countries was correlated with higher exports
Leaving No One Behind: Unlocking Finance in Emerging Markets
Get PDFInformed by Sustainable Business and Finance Network (SBFN) members experience, the paper defines inclusive sustainable finance as practices that target vulnerable, marginalized, or excluded populations and economic sectors to (1) improve their access to financial capital for green transition, climate adaptation, and resilience, and (2) mitigate potential exclusionary effects resulting from sustainability, including climate-related policies and actions
Building Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence: Frameworks, Applications, and Self-Assessment for Readiness
Get PDFThe transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in public governance is increasingly recognized across both developed and developing economies. Governments are exploring and adopting AI technologies to enhance service delivery, streamline administrative efficiency, and strengthen data-driven decision-making. However, the integration of AI into public systems also introduces ethical, technical, and institutional challenges - ranging from algorithmic bias and lack of transparency to data privacy concerns and regulatory fragmentation. These challenges are especially salient in public sector contexts, where trust, accountability, and equity are crucial. This paper addresses a central question: How can public institutions adopt AI responsibly while safeguarding privacy, promoting fairness, and ensuring accountability? In particular, it focuses on the readiness of government agencies to implement AI technologies in a trustworthy and responsible manner. This paper responds to that gap by providing both conceptual grounding and practical tools to support implementation. First, it synthesizes key ethical considerations and international frameworks that underpin trustworthy AI governance. Second, it introduces relevant technical solutions, including explain ability models, privacy-enhancing technologies, and algorithmic fairness approaches, that can mitigate emerging risks in AI deployment. Third, it presents a self-assessment toolkit for public institutions: a decision flowchart for AI application and a data privacy readiness checklist. These tools are designed to help public sector actors evaluate their preparedness, identify institutional gaps, and inform internal coordination processes prior to AI adoption. By bridging theory and practice, this paper contributes to ongoing global efforts to build trustworthy AI that is lawful, ethical, inclusive, and institutionally grounded
Rethinking Poverty Reduction Building an Effective Safety Net in Cameroon
Get PDFThis policy note examines the role of social safety nets in addressing persistent poverty and inequality in Cameroon. Building on over a decade of implementation, Cameroon’s main safety nets initiative—the Projet Filets Sociaux (PFS)—has laid important foundations but remains limited in scale and reliant on external financing. Using administrative data and the 2021–2022 ECAM5 household survey, the analysis assesses PFS performance along key dimensions: expenditure, coverage, adequacy, and effectiveness. The findings show that while PFS has reached over 370,000 households, its poverty reduction impact is constrained by fragmented coverage, low benefit levels, and time-bound support. Microsimulations indicate that increasing both the size of transfers and the number of beneficiaries could substantially reduce poverty and help close the gap toward national targets. The note outlines five actionable recommendations to support the development of a national safety nets program: (1) establish a permanent institutional structure, (2) secure predictable financing, (3) expand coverage, (4) improve benefit adequacy, and (5) modernize delivery systems. These reforms would strengthen Cameroon’s ability to protect vulnerable populations, foster economic inclusion, and accelerate progress toward its development goals
Chapitre spécial - L’énergie au service de la croissance économique
Get PDFThis 2025 Economic Update for Burkina Faso contains two chapters. The first chapter presents the economic and poverty developments observed in the country in 2024 as well as the outlook from 2025 to 2027. The second chapter analyzes the power sector in Burkina Faso and provides recommendations on how to achieve energy policy targets. Major investments and reforms are needed across all segments of the electricity supply industry to address the challenges. Key challenges in the energy sector include regulatory gaps, dilapidated infrastructure, and a lack of funding to expand and modernize the grid. Sector policies and reforms could prioritize increasing access rates, private sector participation, solar PV development, grid improvements, lowering generation costs, and more efficient pricing. Urgent reforms and investments are needed to enhance private sector participation, improve regulation, and expand renewable energy solutions. Implementing cost-reflective pricing, expanding regional electricity trade, and competitively procuring solar PV projects could significantly lower generation costs.Le présent rapport sur la situation économique du Burkina Faso en 2025 comprend deux chapitres. Le premier chapitre présente l’évolution de l’économie et de la pauvreté observée dans le pays en 2024 ainsi que les perspectives de 2025 à 2027. Le deuxième chapitre analyse le secteur de l’électricité au Burkina Faso et fournit des recommandations sur la manière d’atteindre les objectifs de la politique énergétique. Pour relever ces défis, il faut des investissements et des réformes majeurs dans tous les segments de l’industrie de la fourniture d’électricité. Les principaux défis dans le secteur de l’énergie sont les lacunes réglementaires, la vétusté des infrastructures et le manque de financement pour étendre et moderniser le réseau. Les politiques et réformes sectorielles pourraient donner la priorité à l’augmentation des taux d’accès, à la participation du secteur privé, au développement de l’énergie solaire photovoltaïque, à l’amélioration du réseau, à la réduction des coûts de production et à une tarification plus efficace. Des réformes et des investissements urgents sont nécessaires pour renforcer la participation du secteur privé, améliorer la réglementation et développer les solutions d’énergie renouvelable. La mise en œuvre d’une tarification reflétant les coûts, l’expansion du commerce régional de l’électricité et la mise en concurrence des projets solaires photovoltaïques pourraient réduire considérablement les coûts de production
Ghana: A Diagnostic Review of Public Expenditures in Agriculture
Get PDFGhana: A Diagnostic Review of Public Expenditures in Agriculture is an evaluation of the composition, trends and impact of public spending in the country’s agricultural sector and provides actionable recommendations for enhanced government support and improved resource allocation. The report responds to critical sector challenges, including a heavy reliance on resource-driven growth, less than optimal prioritization of public investments, and limited alignment of policies with climate and sustainability goals
The World Bank Theme Taxonomy: June 2025
Get PDFIn July 2024, a new Theme Taxonomy was launched for all IBRD/IDA (the Bank) lending operations and Advisory Services and Analytics (ASA) products, refreshing and building on the Theme Taxonomy structure that was launched in July 2016. Theme codes are aligned with World Bank Group goals and objectives, enabling a clear understanding of the Bank’s knowledge, financing, and expertise in reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development