- This year’s International Aids Conference has warned the epidemic is far from over, and a combination of drug resistance, costly treatment and the lack of power many women have in sexual relationships mean it could be getting worse.
- Paul Romer has become the World Bank’s new chief economist. Romer is perhaps most famous for his role in establishing endogenous growth theory, which all students of economics will no doubt be familiar with.
- The Economist describes Romer as 'an intriguing figure: a respected economist, an expansive and unorthodox thinker on issues of economic development, and an occasionally fierce critic of the field of economics itself'.
- My personal favourite on Romer comes from another famous development economist William Easterly, who notes 'there's a thin line between revolutionary and crazy. Paul Romer has been adept at walking that line throughout his career, staying just out of the crazy part'. Bring on the crazy.
- Recent Nobel Laureate Angus Deaton argues that 'perhaps it is not so clear that the greatest needs are on the other side of the world' in an essay for the World Economic Forum, highlighting the plight of poverty in rich countries. However, if we used the same World Bank metric of under $2 a day poverty, no one in America would fit under that threshold. (h/t David Evans)
- The White House hosted a Summit on Global Development to highlight President Obama’s achievements. You can read his remarks here. Scott Morris considers what was missing, while Gawain Kripke discusses why Obama’s legacy was a long slog.
- Purnedra Jain takes a look at Japan’s motivations for being the fourth largest foreign aid donor.
- Chris Blattman’s recent reflections at the UK's Department for International Development DFID on evaluating ideas and not programs make for interesting reading.
- (Satire warning.) Who wore it best at the UN Secretary-General debate.
- Christine Lagarde spoke at the Centre for Global Development recently on redoubling our resolve for global development:
Aid and development links: Aids not over yet, Paul Romer, why Japan keeps giving, and more
Published 1 Aug 2016
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