Abstract
As the debt crisis has unfolded in many of the world’s poorest countries, much attention has
focused on seeking individual debt restructurings through the G20 Common Framework. This remains a priority, but the implementation remains slow and lacks the predictability needed to provide debtors and creditors with confidence. The Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable and the April 26 World Bank debt conference, Breaking the Impasse in Global Debt Restructuring, discussed effective debt restructurings and debt sustainability. The conference also addressed how to avoid excessive debt build-up; and pressing questions regarding the debt sustainability implications of a decline of net international reserves into negative territory as countries draw on debt-like instruments such as swap lines. Following this week’s G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Japan, we will publish the initial findings from a recent debt reconciliation initiative, which points to many technical challenges in agreeing on the amounts of debt to be treated in a restructuring.
The recently updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) significantly increased targets for emissions reductions across several key sectors. Vietnam has also translated global pledges on forests and methane into specific national action plans and policy priorities.
What is missing, however, is the financing needed to achieve these goals. Carbon markets and results-based carbon and climate finance, which pays for emission reductions once they are achieved, have huge potential to help meet this financing challenge. The quickly evolving carbon market ecosystem, however, has many rules, requirements, players, and priorities. The government of Vietnam has requested World Bank Group support in navigating this complexity and identifying opportunities to access carbon finance and market opportunities.
“Vietnam is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, with increasingly destabilized water and food supplies and threatened coastal areas. In the face of these challenges, the government is showing bold leadership and climate ambition.”
Domestic food price inflation remains high around the world. Information from the latest month between December 2022 and March 2023 for which food price inflation data are available shows high inflation in almost all low- and middle-income countries, with inflation levels greater than 5% in 70.6% of low-income countries, 90.9% of lower-middle-income countries, and 87.0% of upper-middle-income countries and many experiencing double-digit inflation. In addition, 84.2% of high-income countries are experiencing high food price inflation. The most-affected countries are in Africa, North America, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia.
Download the latest brief on rising food insecurity and World Bank responses
Competition for workers rising as populations age in rich and middle-income countries
WASHINGTON, April 25, 2023—Populations across the globe are aging at an unprecedented pace, making many countries increasingly reliant on migration to realize their long-term growth potential, according to a new report from the World Bank.
Governments worldwide are facing overlapping crises, including COVID-19, debt, climate change, and conflict, which challenge their ability to provide essential public goods and services to their people, especially the most vulnerable. Fiscal constraints, climate-related disasters, wars, and lack of legitimacy often limit governments’ capacity to act effectively.
You must be logged in to post a comment.