Commentary

I need to start with a bit of news, as promised last week. As some of you may have spotted online already, in the new year, I will be leaving CGD after four and half great years to become the Deputy Chief Economist (Development) at FCDO. It’s a great opportunity to do some good in the world, and if ...

What pledges were made at the First Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence against Children. and how might they contribute to progress?

Although there are few assessments of what low- and middle-income countries need to implement basic elements of primary health care, there is a huge financing gap for universal health coverage, estimated to reach $371 billion or $58 per person annually by 2030. Countries are struggling to finance th...

An important new program to support education research and policy launched in September. The “What Works Hub for Global Education (WWHGE) is established in Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government and funded by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

While substantive information about the flagship projects is scarce, a new list of 46 Global Gateway flagship projects for 2025 is now available. The list of flagship projects selected for 2025 is supposed to help showcase the kind of investments the EU is offering to its partners across the globe. ...

Researchers take for granted that more evidence is better. By and large, they expect that their efforts to generate and communicate new ideas and test them empirically contribute directly or indirectly to a better world. In reality, for that impact to be realized, research needs to be noticed and ac...

Last week, the UN Foundation and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs kindly asked me to talk at an informal session on the coherence between development and climate finance. I learned a lot, and it helped me understand a little better the various positions on the issue, but I (still) ca...