Dirk Willem te Velde - Böcker

Relatively little is known about how regional integration affects poverty. Many suggest that increased investment would be one of the benefits of agreeing on regional integration provisions but this has not been put to the empirical test for South-South integration. This volume examines the channels through which regional integration affects poverty and empirically analyzes the effects on foreign direct investment.

Relatively little is known about how regional integration affects poverty. Many suggest that increased investment would be one of the benefits of agreeing on regional integration provisions but this has not been put to the empirical test for South-South integration. This volume examines the channels through which regional integration affects poverty and empirically analyzes the effects on foreign direct investment.

Small states are vulnerable to the effects of the global financial crisis because of their high dependence on foreign direct investment, the importance for them of export earnings, and high levels of remittances and aid flows. The crisis thus also in turn affects investment and private sector development. This Economic Paper examines the effects of the crisis on three countries: Mauritius, St Lucia and Vanuatu. Only Vanuatu is relatively resilient so far, with the effects on investment in Mauritius and St Lucia being dramatic, though affecting different sectors in each country. The policy responses followed also differ markedly. The authors demonstrate once again the vulnerability of small states to shocks, and emphasise that they are often at the receiving end of global policies, particularly so in the context of the global financial crisis. They argue that more could be done to clarify and address the greater vulnerability of many small states.

This Economic Paper presents the first analyses of the use and effectiveness of Aid for Trade (AfT), the initiative to help developing countries boost their involvement in the global economy, for small and vulnerable economies (SVEs). It examines in detail the extent to which SVEs have been able to access AfT funds and to what extent this assistance has helped them to improve their trade performance.Well designed trade-related assistance will help SVEs face the challenges posed by their characteristics, particularly when the prospects for small states have been deteriorating further due to preference erosion and the emergence of new and large competitors.

Aid for Trade (AfT) has been an integral part of official development assistance (ODA) since its inception at the World Trade Organization's Hong Kong Ministerial in 2005. While many observers agree that the initiative has generated momentum in securing more trade support, the policy discourse on AfT continues to be vibrant and dynamic.This volume, comprising 16 chapters prepared by 20 renowned experts from a range of international organisations, think tanks and academic institutions, including Commonwealth Secretariat, ODI, ECDPM, DIE, ICTSD, Saana Consulting, WTI Advisors, and Columbia University, provides a comprehensive review of the Aid for Trade initiative. Part I of this volume uses quantitative and qualitative analysis to examine the effectiveness of different components of Aid for Trade and underlying factors affecting the outcomes. Part II provides analyses of current issues, including regional AfT, global value chains, infrastructure for development for agriculture, AfT adjustment and lessons from emerging economies in aiding exports. Part III looks to the future, proposing a range of possible directions including an alternative way to improve trade outcomes for developing countries from Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.