Evaluering av WB's "Aid for Trade" presenteres
Studien finner at mens Verdensbankens støtte til handel har ført til åpnere markeder, har resultatene i form av økt eksport og fattigdomsreduksjon vært blandede, særlig i Afrika. Friere handel alene er ikke nok, og Banken har til dels neglisjert at dette må ledsages av reform på andre områder. Resultatene fra studien er i høy grad relevant i forhold til internasjonale prosesser på området, som WTO-forhandlingene og koherens-problematikken.
Rapporten blir presentert av Yvonne Tsikata, Lead Evaluation Officer, Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), Verdensbanken.
Norad har delfinansiert evalueringen under en partnerskapsavtale med Bankens Independent Evaluation Group. Forsker Arne Melchior fra Nupi, som har vært involvert i et eksternt rådgivende panel for evalueringen, holder et innlegg etter presentasjonen.
Rapporten og relevante bakgrunnsrapporter kan lastes ned fra evalueringens hjemmeside.
Gå til evalueringens hjemmeside
Vi ber om forhåndspåmelding så langt som mulig til Norad-post-EVAL@norad.no (22 24 03 41/22 24 03 68).
Sted: Norads Informasjonssenter (6. etasje), Ruseløkkveien 26.
Last ned sammendrag av rapporten (pdf)
Utdrag fra rapporten (eng.)
IEGs presentasjon
Assessing World Bank Support for Trade 1987-2004:
An IEG Evaluation
This report analyzes the Bank's contribution to freer trade in poor countries and makes concrete recommendations on how to boost trade opportunities to better alleviate poverty in the future. Between 1987 and 2004, 8.1 percent of total Bank commitments (US$ 38 billion) went to 117 countries to help them become better integrated into the global economy.
The study finds the World Bank support for trade helped open markets, but was not as effective in boosting exports and growth, and alleviating poverty as anticipated.
The evaluation recommends that the World Bank give greater attention to addressing poverty and distributional outcomes, and cushioning shocks associated with trade policies.
The majority of developing countries have significantly improved their environment for trade and economic growth, following over two decades of assistance from the Bank for trade reform. Tariff and non-tariff barriers that created distortions in incentives have been reduced, and import constraints largely eliminated. Trade-related projects have been helpful in this regard. Yet, these trade initiatives were less successful in generating a dynamic and sustained export growth path, especially in Africa. Because of lack of diversity in their exports, some of these reforming contries have not successfully integrated into the global economy and have actually lost market share. Complementary measures such as competition policy, reducing labor market rigidities and improving the regulatory environment did not always accompany trade reforms recommended by the World Bank. If developing countries are to reap larger gains from trade liberalization, the reforms need to be combined better with investments and institution building and measures to mitigate adverse affects. The Bank has also often promoted specific trade policies in countries without adequately assessing the potential impact they might have on affected communities. The IEG evaluation found little evidence that more recent trade-related operations are doing much better in identifying potential winners and losers of trade policies and recommending specific policies to facilitate adjustment.