Structural economic reforms – such as labour market and pension reforms – typically imply sacrifices today in exchange for benefits tomorrow. As such, they can be viewed as “social investments”. The popular view, however, is that they represent a bitter medicine against an ill-defined disease. More...

We know already that the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are considered to be the world’s leading instrument on corporate responsibility. But, after 42 years in existence and 5 updates, the question is: are they still fit for purpose? Are they still on the cutting edge of business ethics. More...

Kyrgyzstan embraced the move to a market economy quicker than any of them. Nonetheless, gross national income per capita in 2015 was below its level in 1990, and industry’s contribution to output and employment has shrunk dramatically. Moreover, large holes have appeared in the social safety net that once covered the entire population. More...

Not all factories are the same. Today, their differences are bigger, more impressive and carry far-reaching implications for development in developing economies. Since the 1970s, industrial production has been organised in complex, multi-country networks of suppliers and providers. More...

At Leather Wings, a small shoe-making outfit based in central Kathmandu, four women sit in a small room cutting up bright red cowhide imported from India. Next door, a dozen of their colleagues stitch the shapes together on sewing machines. More...