The CGD Podcast: Recent Episodes
Center for Global Development
International development experts share their ideas on smarter policies for a better world. Hosted by the Center for Global Development.
Following the 2025 Development Leaders Conference, CGD's Rachel Glennerster speaks with BMZ's Dirk Meyer and SAIIA's Elizabeth Sidiropoulos about conference takeaways, including whether climate should be a focus for development agencies, how to get more bang for your climate-change buck, and how developing countries might prioritize between climate mitigation and adaptation.
After a large share of USAID's work was terminated, a small cadre of development experts created Project Resource Optimization, or PRO, to identify highly cost-effective, life-saving programs that were on hold and connect them with philanthropic donors who could fill the gaps. CGD's Erin Collinson speaks with two PRO team members, Rob Rosenbaum and Caitlin Tulloch, about the origins and limits of the PRO initiative, its successes to date, and the lessons from the work that could help re-envision US foreign aid.
CGD's Sanjeev Gupta and Benedict Clements of Universidad de Las Américas discuss the considerations that influence the design of sound monetary and fiscal policies, the role of income taxes, and the kinds of reforms that can bring equity to both emerging and advanced economies.
As the second season of Pandemic Proof comes to a close, host Javier Guzman reflects on the progress made in pandemic preparedness since COVID-19, the challenges we still face, and the rapidly shifting global landscape that will shape what comes next.
Ahead of the African Development Bank's presidential election in May, CGD's Karen Mathiasen and AfriCatalyst's Daouda Sembene interview three of the candidates – Amadou Hott, Samuel Munzele Maimbo, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala – on their priorities for the Bank and their views on how to help steer countries through a volatile and uncertain time and achieve their development goals.
Takahiro Tsuda and Atsushi Mimura from the Japanese Ministry of Finance join Javier Guzman to examine current funding mechanisms for pandemic preparedness and response, explore Japan's role in driving global efforts (and insights gained), and discuss potential pathways to strengthen PPR financing.
CGD's Gyude Moore speaks with Hannah Ryder of Development Reimagined and Yunnan Chen of ODI Global about the evolution of China's relationship with Africa, the opportunities presented by FOCAC 9, and where the money should go to do the most good.
CGD's Kehinde Ajayi speaks with UNICEF's Ruth Graham-Goulder and CGAP's Rani Deshpande about the importance of including adolescent girls' perspectives to inform policy, of working across sectors to provide multi-issue solutions, and of developing financial and economic interventions that reflect adolescent girls' realities.
Catharina Boehme, Assistant Director-General for External Relations and Governance at the WHO, joins guest-host Pete Baker to discuss the outcomes of the WHO Investment Round and the opportunities and risks it presents for strengthening global health and pandemic preparedness.
CGD's Rachael Calleja speaks with Santiago Quiñones Cardenas of APC Colombia, a member of the Re-thinking Development Cooperation Working Group, about the value of multidirectional learning, the importance of creating inclusive spaces for engagement, and Santiago's advice for successful triangular cooperation.
CGD's Eeshani Kandpal speaks with Twaweza founder Rakesh Rajani and the World Bank's Halsey Rogers about how Twaweza's learning assessments influenced the 2018 World Development Report on education. Together they shed light on how partnerships between international actors and local institutions can have outsize impact on policy worldwide.
In the final episode of Lagos to Mombasa, Gyude reflects on some major topics and takeaways from the past three years and calls for better climate mitigation and adaptation measures for Africa.
Following the UK general election, CGD's Ranil Dissanayake speaks with Stefan Dercon from the Blavatnik School of Government (and CGD) and Laura Chappell from the Institute for Public Policy Research about the unique challenges presented by today's development landscape, the key drivers of economic growth, and what the new UK government should prioritize.
Precious Matsoso, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body for the new Pandemic Agreement, joins Javier to reflect on the negotiations process and what must change for this round of negotiations to be successful.
Gyude speaks with Antonio Pedro of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, about the links between the sustainable development goals, climate adaptive technology, and accelerating infrastructural development on the continent.
CGD’s Liliana Rojas Suarez speaks with Paraguay’s Minister of Finance Carlos Fernández Valdovinos about the keys to the country’s growth, including the impact of recent reforms, aligning development policy with climate goals, and diversifying the economy.
The co-hosts of the 2024 Development Leaders Conference—CGD's Mikaela Gavas, Siti Nugraha Mauludiah from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Indonesia, and Norad's Bård Vegar Solhjell—share their takeaways from the event, including the diverse experiences of traditional and emerging donors, the challenges of bridging gaps between sectors and priorities, and the importance of sharing solutions within the development community.
Gyude speaks with Dr. Stephen Adaawen of the University of Groningen about the different types of human mobility and their complexities, the disproportionate impact of climate change on unplanned settlements, and the unique burdens of climate-related migration on African women and children.
Dr. Stephanie Psaki, US Global Health Security Coordinator, joins host Javier Guzman to discuss the changes made across the US government since the pandemic, her priorities as Coordinator, and US ambitions for the pandemic agreement negotiations in the run-up to the World Health Assembly later this month.
On this episode of the CGD Podcast, Anita Käppeli speaks with several guests with close ties to the European Parliament who can offer insight on what June's elections will bring for development policy.
Host Javier Guzman launches Season 2 with reflections on global progress on preparedness since the pandemic, then speaks with H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya of Africa CDC about how Africa CDC is translating lessons from COVID-19 into stronger, more resilient systems.
CGD's Gyude Moore speaks with Nick O’Donohoe from British International Investment and Frank Aswani from the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance about balancing local and international focus, the impact of a "funding winter," and how the public and private sectors can fill the financing gap for budding entrepreneurs across Africa.
Is there a relationship between climate change and conflict? Gyude speaks to Dr. Edward (Ted) Miguel of University of California Berkley about the impact of rising temperatures, extreme droughts, and floods on competition for resources, and how governments can respond to climate change’s compounding impact in fragile regions.
CGD's Eeshani Kandpal speaks with the Interamerican Development Bank's Ana María Ibáñez about her recent report on women economists in Latin America, the reflection of cultural norms in education and the workplace, and the importance of role models and mentors in shaping expectations.
Ahmed Saeed of Allied Climate Partners and formerly the Asian Development Bank joins CGD’s Karen Mathiasen and Clemence Landers for a conversation on his organization's new approach to blended finance, how to bridge the private and public sectors more effectively, and how to balance climate mitigation with traditional development goals.
CGD's Masood Ahmed speaks with Development Leaders Conference cohosts Siti Nugraha Mauludiah from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Indonesia and Bård Vegar Solhjell of Norad about the differing experiences of traditional and emerging donors, the challenges of bridging gaps between sectors and priorities, and how the development community can share solutions more effectively. Also, take our podcast survey here: CGDev.org/podcast2023
Only one woman born and raised in a low- or middle-income country has ever headed an international financial institution. CGD's Eeshani Kandpal speaks with Francisco Ferreira from the London School of Economics and Amie Batson from WomenLift Health about what effective mentorship and allyship can look like, the importance and impact of diversity in leadership, and the actions that organizations can take to better support the women and people of color who work there.
Olu Verheijen from the Nigerian government and Vijaya Ramachandran from the Breakthrough Institute join Gyude to discuss the scale and nature of the energy crisis in Africa, the role that renewable energy can (and can't) play in addressing it, and what steps African countries—and partners—can take to address both climate and energy challenges.
Bjørn Lomborg, author of Best Things First, joins CGD's Gyude Moore to discuss the 12 "most efficient" policy solutions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, how they were assessed and identified, and the tradeoffs they may require.
Gillian Pais of McKinsey & Company returns to Lagos to Mombasa to discuss the importance of localizing climate solutions, strategies to promote the uptake of climate-smart agriculture, and the role of regional organizations in sharing best practices.
Stephanie von Friedeburg of Citi and formerly the International Finance Corporation joins CGD’s Karen Mathiasen and Clemence Landers for a conversation on how to balance risk and impact in investment, why blended finance needs a rethink, and what mechanisms offer the most promising solutions to the development finance problem.
Africa is home to 30 percent of the world’s critical minerals reserves, which play a key role in clean energy. How can African communities benefit? Gyude speaks with Ayaan Adam (Africa Finance Corporation) and Juliet Akamboe (formerly Standard Bank Group) about how to strengthen processing and refining operations across the continent, build regional cooperation, address the detrimental impact of mines in local communities, and harness critical minerals to uplift mining regions.
Over three years since it emerged, is the COVID-19 pandemic over? Amanda Glassman speaks with Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, about ending the emergency phase of the pandemic. Then Javier Guzman joins to reflect on the first season of Pandemic Proof.
Javier speaks with Natasha Loder from The Economist and John Burn-Murdoch from The Financial Times about keeping pace with the demand for information during the Covid-19 pandemic, confronting the flood of misinformation and disinformation, and lessons learned on reporting during health emergencies.
To kick off Season 2 of Lagos to Mombasa, Gyude reflects on the intricacies of climate change and development in Africa and explores how space-based technologies can help. Temidayo Oniosun of Space in Africa and Rose Croshier from CGD join Gyude to discuss the intersections of space technology with extreme weather events, agriculture and food security, and regional capacity and preparedness.
How can we ensure that medical countermeasures—such as diagnostics and vaccines—are ready to go at local, national, and global levels when the next pandemic emerges? Amanda Glassman speaks with Dr. Amadou Alpha Sall of Institut Pasteur of Dakar and Dr. Rachel Glennerster of the University of Chicago about lessons learned during COVID-19 and opportunities for future preparedness.
When Nigerian voters head to the polls on Saturday to elect the country’s next president, all of Africa—and beyond—will be watching. CGD's Gyude Moore sits down with Amaka Anku, head of the Eurasia Group's Africa practice, to discuss the advantages and challenges of the leading candidates, the role of Nigeria’s substantial youth population, and what this election might mean not just for Nigeria and for Africa but for democracy itself.
Malin Grape, Sweden’s Ambassador of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), joins Javier Guzman to discuss Sweden’s track record on AMR, the outlook and priorities for its EU presidency, and initial reflections on Sweden’s innovative program for purchasing antimicrobials.
Dr. Yi-Chun Lo of Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control and National Taiwan University Hospital joins Javier Guzman to discuss Taiwan’s COVID-19 experience and broader pandemic preparedness and response efforts. Together, they discuss the lessons Taiwan learned from previous outbreaks like SARS, successes and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the Taiwan model could be applied in other settings to better prepare the world for the next health emergency.
In this bonus episode of Lagos to Mombasa, Gyude invites two experts who were on the ground in Sharm El Sheikh for COP27—the UN’s annual conference on climate—to report back with their observations and takeaways: Faten Aggad of the African Climate Foundation and Ian Mitchell of CGD. Together they discuss the trajectory of climate finance across Africa, including loss and damage payments to most-affected countries; the complexities of accounting for emissions and consumption levels; and what the next steps might look like for African policymakers and activists.
How does public heath surveillance work, and how can it be done better? Amanda Glassman tackles these questions with Dr. Oliver Morgan of the WHO and Dr. Theo Vos of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Together, they examine the successes and limitations of public health surveillance during COVID-19; the infrastructure, incentives, and investments needed to strengthen capacity; and ways to ensure higher quality and more representative tracking of existing and emerging disease threats.
CGD's Masood Ahmed speaks with Rémy Rioux of Agence Française de Développement about the fifth annual Development Leaders Conference, the perfect storm of crises facing development agencies, and how new ways of thinking and financing can help them achieve their goals.
On this episode of Pandemic Proof, Dr. Ayoade Alakija, the World Health Organization’s Special Envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and co-chair of the African Union’s African Vaccine Delivery Alliance, joins Javier Guzman to discuss global cooperation during health emergencies. Together they reflect on the role of ACT-A in facilitating the development of and equitable access to medical countermeasures during the COVID-19 pandemic; highlight advantages and disadvantages of regional initiatives; and call for a truly representative global health system.
Countries in Latin America were hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode of Pandemic Proof, Amanda Glassman welcomes Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., candidate for Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to the podcast to discuss impacts and lessons learned. Together they reflect on the politicization of the public health response, the importance of health system surveillance, and the role of regional entities like PAHO and national regulatory agencies in vaccine regulation and rollout.
Dr. Boghuma Titanji, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, joins Javier Guzman to reflect on the ongoing monkeypox outbreak and response. Together they discuss the parallels between monkeypox and previous infectious disease outbreaks such as COVID-19; inequities in access to vaccines and treatments; and the role national, regional, and international entities must play in preparedness and response to avoid making the same mistakes when the next—inevitable—pandemic hits.
On this first episode of new CGD podcast series Pandemic Proof, co-hosts Amanda Glassman and Javier Guzman take stock of where things stand on the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss global priorities to strengthen capacity for pandemic preparedness and response. Victor Dzau, President of the National Academy of Medicine, then joins Amanda to discuss securing adequate investment and coordinating multilateral action to end the current pandemic and better prepare for and respond to the next infectious disease threat.
Get ready for Pandemic Proof, a new podcast from the Center for Global Development. Hosted by CGD's Amanda Glassman and Javier Guzman and featuring guests from around the world, Pandemic Proof will confront weaknesses in the global architecture for pandemic preparedness and response, and explore policies and reforms that can better protect our world in the future. Tune in next week for episode 1!
CGD's Megan O'Donnell speaks with coauthors Patience Marime-Ball (Women of the World Endowment) and Ruth Shaber (Tara Health Foundation) about the data backing the economic benefits of gender inclusivity, the work that went into creating their new book, and their recommendations for unlocking higher returns and lower risk.
Gyude shares his takeaways from the first season, underlines the importance of elevating underrepresented ideas, and makes an announcement about Season 2.
CGD's Javier Guzman speaks with the Indian National Health Authority's Shankar Prinja about the structure and benefits of the PMJAY insurance scheme, the challenges of large-scale programs, and the need for researchers and policymakers to work together to produce and make use of evidence on what works.
Malado Kaba of Falémé Conseil and Inge Kaul of the Hertie School join Gyude to discuss the commitments made at the long-awaited AU-EU summit, the ways in which the participants were portrayed, and whether issues beyond aid, such as research, innovation, and trade, got the attention they deserved.
CGD's Sarah Rose speaks with John Norris of the Gates Foundation and Wade Warren of Deloitte Consulting about Norris's new book on USAID, including USAID’s internal balancing act between development and geostrategic mandates, structural vs. sectoral initiatives, and the challenges USAID will face in its next decades.
Zainab Usman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Olumide Abimbola of the Africa Policy Research Institute join Gyude to discuss the implications of the European Green Deal for Africa, the outcomes of COP26, and the impacts of the climate crisis on pandemic recovery.
CGD's Masood Ahmed speaks with Sida's Carin Jämtin and MCC's Alexia Latortue about their takeaways from the 2021 Development Leaders Conference, including the tensions between national and global challenges, how development agency leaders can address them, and what these decisions might mean for agency mandates going forward.
Africa’s youth population is expected to hit one billion this year, and African countries are not on track to produce enough jobs. Dawit Dame of Ethiopia’s Jobs Creation Commission and Edwin Righa of the International Organization for Migration join Gyude to discuss how African countries can prepare for and enhance labor migration abroad.
CGD's Anit Mukherjee and Ugo Gentilini of the World Bank join Gyude to discuss how governments reach people with social protection programs, how such programs have been used during the pandemic, and what governments should do now to prepare for the next‚ inevitable, pandemic.
Dr. Joseph Atick, Executive Chairman of ID4Africa, and Alan Gelb, CGD Senior Fellow, join Gyude to discuss the evolution of ID systems across Africa, the benefits and risks of digital ID systems, and what African governments can learn from countries like India about what works and what doesn’t.
CGD's Susannah Hares speaks with Zuhra Faizi of Harvard and MIT and Rob Jenkins of UNICEF about the history and current status of Afghan education, the role of community-based schools, and what international institutions must do now to keep Afghan children in school.
CGD’s Mikaela Gavas joins Gyude to discuss barriers to private investment in health and infrastructure projects and how a new initiative—an Accelerator Hub—could help local businesses and institutions in Africa develop financially viable proposals and connect them with investors.
CGD’s Ian Mitchell joins Gyude to discuss the newest edition of CGD’s Commitment to Development Index, which ranks 40 of the world’s most powerful countries on policies that affect more than five billion people living in poorer nations. How do Africa’s development partners rank, and where is improvement needed?
This episode of Lagos to Mombasa asks: could ag policy be a means to post-COVID-19 recovery in Africa? Linda Manda of Standard Bank Group and Gillian Pais of McKinsey & Company join Gyude to discuss the true potential of the agriculture sector, not just in addressing Africa’s own food security needs but also in its global contributions.
In this episode of the new series Lagos to Mombasa, Abebe Aemro Selassie of the IMF and Charlie Robertson of Renaissance Capital join Gyude Moore to discuss how to increase investment in transportation, power, water, health, and education infrastructure to spur economic growth in African countries.
CGD's Mark Plant and University of Oxford's Adrienne Cheasty, formerly of the IMF, on how SDRs work, what the IMF's new allocation means, and what needs to happen to ensure its effectiveness
This first episode of the new Africa-centered podcast series Lagos to Mombasa examines how African governments can shape their responses to the pandemic and prepare for the future. Patrick Tippoo of Biovac and the African Vaccine Manufacturing Initiative and Prashant Yadav from CGD join Gyude Moore to discuss options and opportunities.
Megan O'Donnell of CGD and Soumya Kapoor of IWWAGE on breaking down the barriers that keep Indian women from the workforce, the roles of local and international actors, and promising policy models in India
Next week CGD will launch the new podcast series Lagos to Mombasa: The Trans-Africa Podcast from CGD. The series will focus on policies, problems, and promise across Africa. Join Gyude Moore every two weeks as he speaks to researchers and practitioners about some of the biggest development challenges facing the continent.
Anit Mukherjee of CGD, Pam Dixon of World Privacy Forum, and Camilla Ravnbøl of the University of Copenhagen on how vaccine certificates work, what challenges they pose, and how to make sure no one gets left behind
CGD's Sarah Rose; Henry Asor Nkang from Nigeria's Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning; and Publish What You Fund CEO Gary Forster on the current state of aid data transparency, the impacts of the pandemic, and how countries and donors can use data to improve development efforts
CGD's Sarah Rose, Bella Bird of the World Bank, Sharmarke Farah of the government of Somalia, and Jonathan Papoulidis of World Vision on the potential of country platforms for aid coordination—specifically the history and progress of Somalia's platform, the importance of country ownership, and how to make the best use of lessons learned.
CGD's Megan O'Donnell, Stephanie Kimou of PopWorks Africa, and Angela Bruce-Raeburn of Global Health Advocacy Incubator discuss the impact of the colonization of Africa on development culture, the economic and social impacts of aid workers flooding a struggling country, and a future where development is led by the so-called "beneficiaries" themselves, not by well-meaning foreigners.
CGD's Gyude Moore and journalist Howard French discuss US perceptions of Africa, the business opportunities the US is leaving on the table, and how policy changes could benefit both the US and African countries.
CGD's Amanda Glassman talks with Kupanda Capital's Bobby Pittman and rapper Ladipoe about development opportunities in Africa's entertainment industries, Bobby's experience working with Nigerian record label Mavin Records, and the inspiration behind Ladipoe's songs.
Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, Director of Technical Coordination at Ghana's Ministry of Health, explains how Ghana's health services have evolved, how they select which medicines to cover, and how to maintain political will for health reform.
CGD's Gyude Moore, Amaka Anku of Eurasia Group, and Nonso Obikili of Economic Research Southern Africa on Nigeria's recent border closure. They discuss the history between Nigeria and Benin, the costs of the border closure for people living in poverty, and possible next steps for the Nigerian government.
CGD's Megan O'Donnell, KLAY founder Priya Krishnan, and CDC Group's Jen Braswell and Graham Wrigley discuss the importance of investing in women, how to find good investments, and how to get partners on board.
In this episode of Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Carl Benedikt Frey, co-director of the Program on Technology and Employment at the Oxford Martin School, about his fears that the wage stagnation and rocketing inequality that resulted from the first industrial revolution could be repeated thanks to the spread of automation and artificial intelligence today.
IFPRI's Agnes Quisumbing joins CGD's Dominique van de Walle and Megan O'Donnell to discuss the contexts in which headship is (and isn't) useful, the importance of the circumstances leading to female headship, and how headship can relate to women's property rights and financial security.
In this episode of Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Benno Ndulu, an academic director of the Pathways for Prosperity Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development, about opportunities presented by new technologies to speed equitable growth.
Cribsheet author and economist Emily Oster on the data behind health recommendations for pregnant women, how to balance children's and parents' needs, and how policymakers can empower parents to make good decisions for their families.
Landry Signé, Aubrey Hruby, Judd Devermont, and Gyude Moore on their expectations for the new Prosper Africa initiative and the roles that infrastructure, communication, and the US Development Finance Corporation might play in its impact.
In this episode of Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Amolo Ngweno, CEO and East Africa Regional Director for BFA, about her recent paper on what technological advance might mean for the informal sector.
Canadian Senator Ratna Omidvar on how the Frozen Assets Repurposing Act would work, what it could mean for Canada, and why it resonates with her personally.
In this episode of Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Bright Simons, founder of the mPedigree Network and VP at the IMANI Center for Policy and Education, about the problems with the “leapfrogging” narrative of innovation in frontier markets, especially in Africa.
CGD's Ian Mitchell on why looking beyond aid is important for development, how the Commitment to Development Index measures and weighs various development factors, and what’s ahead for the Index.
Gyude Moore, former Minister of Public Works in Liberia and current visiting fellow at CGD, on aid branding, what China does differently, and what innovation could help developing countries save big on infrastructure.
In this episode of Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Tom Standage, Deputy Editor of the Economist, about the potential upsides of AI and automation as well as the "lump of labor" fallacy as applied to robots.
In this episode of Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Shahid Yusuf, who argues that the old path to rapid growth—manufacturing export goods—is less and less of an option for poorer countries, and there isn’t a clear new path to replace it.
Yuen Yuen Ang on how to make your data more meaningful, the dangers of big data in cases of oppression, and whether political freedom is really a requirement for technological development.
Economist Stephany Griffith-Jones on the role development banks can play in innovation, how they should interact with private actors and governments, and what new institutions can learn from their predecessors.
In this episode of CGD podcast miniseries Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Susan Liautaud about the ethical responsibilities of technology firms in an age of algorithmic control, the weaponization of social media, and the responsibilities of technology-using firms towards workers whose jobs evolve or disappear in the face of AI and robotics.
CGD senior fellow Scott Morris on how the International Development Finance Club institutions could increase their development impact, and, in light of the passage of the BUILD act earlier this year, how the new US Development Finance Corporation can get off to a good start.
In this episode of new CGD podcast miniseries Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Lant Pritchett about the role of knowledge and technology in economic growth and the problems developing countries face.
In this first episode of new CGD podcast miniseries Sounds Robotic, host Charles Kenny talks with Cambridge University’s Diane Coyle about fears of job loss and inequality from advances in robotics and automation, as well as the regional impact of past technological change and what it might imply on a global scale.
Anit Mukherjee on why ID is so important for development, what needs to happen to keep people’s data safe, and what developing countries who are considering implementing new ID systems need to know.
Martin Chrisney, Director of the International Development Assistance Services Institute at KPMG, on why private sector investment is critical to financing the SDGs, how development finance institutions can “blend” together public and private finance, and what governments can do to kickstart economic growth
Todd Moss, CGD senior fellow and executive director of the recently-launched Energy for Growth Hub, on why the Hub was created, how big the energy gap is, and why the tradeoff between residential and industrial energy isn’t really a tradeoff at all.
Sarah Bermeo, political economist and author of Targeted Development: Industrialized Country Strategy in a Globalizing World, on how rich countries’ motivations for development have evolved, what they mean for developing countries, and where we are now.
Former president of Malawi Joyce Banda on how leaders are made, the challenges she faced as Malawi's first women president, and how the development community can help African girls reach their full potential.
Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on the state of US immigration policy, the case for refugee resettlement, and national identity.
Louise Arbour, Special Representative for International Migration at the United Nations, on why we need to do better on migration, how international cooperation enhances national sovereignty, and what’s at stake in the ongoing negotiations for the Global Compact for Migration.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female president, on the impact of private sector investment, the urgency of action on climate change, and the resilience of developing countries.
King's College London lecturer Alice Evans on how social change happens, the consequences of male bias for developing countries, and the larger takeaways of the "#sausagefest" incident for development experts.
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim on robots in the workplace, multilateral cooperation, and the development potential of blockchain.
Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canadian Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on Canada's new feminist international assistance policy, the need for psychosocial support for refugees, and the links between family planning and development.
DFID's new chief economist Rachel Glennerster on her goals for the organization, how to help girls stay in school, and why even low price barriers can pose big problems for takeup of health interventions.
What's going to happen in the world of development in 2018? Will we finally understand how to deal equitably with refugees and migrants? Or how technological progress can work for developing countries? Or what the impact of year two of the Trump Administration will be? Today’s podcast, our final episode of 2017, raises these questions and many more as a multitude of CGD scholars share their insights and hopes for the year ahead.
History was made in Zimbabwe this week as Robert Mugabe finally agreed to resign the presidency after almost four decades in power. How the country will be governed by new leadership is still very much unknown—yet it is not too early for the international community to start considering how it can offer help to rebuild Zimbabwe’s economy for the benefit of its people. Todd Moss, CGD senior fellow and longtime Zimbabwe watcher, shares specific things that donor governments and international institutions can do.
India's biometric ID system Aadhaar has provided over a billion people with digital IDs, and changed how the country's government provides services and subsidies. But opponents of the system say that Aadhaar erodes people’s privacy. Nandan Nilekani, the chief architect of the platform, joins the CGD podcast to address these concerns, discuss the platform's progress, and share his vision for future uses of "societal platforms."
More than 65 million people are forcibly displaced, for on average about ten years. That's the scale of the problem facing Mark Lowcock, the new UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs. This is not only a short-term humanitarian problem but a development issue as well. How should the system to respond? Mark Lowcock joins CGD's president Masood Ahmed to discuss.
China has long been the factory of the world. But as wages there rise, manufacturers are looking to other countries and regions. Meanwhile, African countries have a huge and burgeoning population of young people looking for jobs. So now many wonder—could Africa be the next big destination for manufacturers? And if not, then what? CGD senior fellow Vijaya Ramachandran joins the podcast to discuss a new CGD paper on that very question.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in a matter of weeks. The UN has called the situation “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” What can the international community, and especially the US, do about it? Refugees International's Eric Schwartz and CGD's Jeremy Konyndyk have some ideas.
3.5 million children around the world are refugees, many with little or no access to schooling. That means we won’t come anywhere near our targets for the fourth Sustainable Development Goal—quality education for all—unless we can address the refugee crisis. Save the Children International president Helle Thorning-Schmidt joins the CGD podcast to discuss how donor countries can help.
Businesses have unique opportunities to help refugees and improve their bottom line at the same time, says CGD senior policy fellow Cindy Huang. All they need is the right policy framework. Get the highlights from Huang’s latest report, “Global Business and Refugee Crises,” a collaboration with the Tent Foundation.
How well do your country's policies make a positive difference for people in developing nations? That’s the question CGD seeks to answer each year in our Commitment to Development Index (CDI). The team behind the CDI, deputy director of CGD Europe Ian Mitchell and policy analyst Anita Käppeli, join me to discuss why these rankings matter, how countries stack up, and how their scores may be impacted by the shifting political environment.
Recently the UN warned that 20 million people are facing famine in four countries. How can the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) help? Gilbert Houngbo, former Prime Minister of Togo and new IFAD president, joins the CGD podcast to discuss IFAD's impact and unique mandate.
CGD experts Michael Clemens and Gaurav Khanna look at high- and low-skilled workers from three countries across several decades. Different studies, different perspectives—but all pointing at the same thing: immigrants have an overwhelmingly net positive effect on the US economy.
What are the economic, political, and technological risks to future global growth and stability? This complex question was the topic of a recent conversation between IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and CGD's president Masood Ahmed. This week's podcast is an edited version of their conversation.
At a recent conference, donors promised generous funding for family planning services in developing countries. At the same time, however, future support from the US is in doubt, and progress towards the FP2020 family planning goals has been extremely limited. Just how much progress have we made, and how far do we have to go? What difference will the new pledges make, and how should they be used? Rachel Silverman, CGD’s assistant director of global health policy, responds to these questions in this week’s podcast.
The US agricultural sector is critical to global food security, but many of the policies that currently govern it negatively impact people around the world. In a new book, CGD visiting fellow Kim Elliott argues for practical policy reforms in three areas that are particularly damaging to developing countries: food aid, biofuel subsidies, and antibiotic resistance in livestock. As the US Congress works through a major new farm bill, Elliott joins the CGD Podcast to discuss how the US can reform agricultural policy to achieve better outcomes.
What impact does corruption have on development, and what’s the best way to stamp it out? In a new book called "Results, Not Receipts," CGD senior fellow Charles Kenny offers a way to strengthen the case for aid and reduce corruption at the same time: focus on outcomes, rather than inputs.
As we mark World Refugee Day, it is increasingly clear that there is a desperate need to fill the gap between short-term humanitarian response and long-term development need. Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury and CGD senior policy fellow Cindy Huang join the CGD podcast to discuss an innovative solution: refugee compacts.
President Trump’s recent decision to pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement—what does it mean for the agreement? For the climate? And for the US? CGD senior fellows Scott Morris, director of CGD’s US Development Policy Initiative, and Jonah Busch, coauthor of the recent book on climate change “Why Forests? Why Now?”, join this week’s podcast to discuss.
The location for this year's G7 Summit, in the Sicilian coastal city of Taormina, is a reminder that Italy's shores are a frontline for refugees making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean from North Africa and the Middle East. For the summit dignitaries who will attend, IRC's David Miliband has some advice on how to address the refugee crisis, which he shares in this edition of the CGD Podcast.
Consider this statement: Science knows how to deal with a pandemic outbreak, but policy gets in the way. That was how we framed a recent event at CGD with key people who led the US government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Drawing from that event, this podcast brings you some ideas of how to improve the global system of response and increase our preparedness for the next inevitable outbreak. Speakers include Jeremy Konyndyk, Amy Pope, David Smith, Rebecca Martin, and Amanda Glassman.
The African Development Bank recently turned 50. In that time it's made more than 4,000 grants and loans, totaling more than $71 billion. So what might its next half-century look like? Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina joins me on this week's podcast to share his vision for Africa's future.
Last year more than 83 million people in low- and middle-income countries were affected by natural disasters. We may not know when or where the next disaster will strike, but we know it will. So why do we still treat disasters like surprises? A new CGD report urges a different approach: make disasters predictable, using the principles and practices of insurance. Hear from four members of the working group in this week's podcast.
The Indian Ministry of Finance’s 2017 Economic Survey considers—though does not commit to—the idea of a large-scale experiment in UBI, or universal basic income. How would it work? What effects would it have? Arvind Subramanian—lead author of the Survey, chief economic adviser to the government of India, and a CGD senior fellow on leave—joins me to discuss the big ideas currently shaping India’s economy.
Just ahead of the annual World Bank/IMF spring meetings, the Bank’s new CEO, Kristalina Georgieva, spoke with me about a new way of thinking at the 72-year-old institution. The Bank has renewed ambition, she told me, to be a catalyst for massive transformative investment in development. She went on to lay out how the Bank plans to do that in this edition of the CGD Podcast.
How do you make the case for US foreign aid to an Administration that has proposed slashing it? In this week's CGD podcast, Mark Suzman, Chief Strategy Officer and president of Global Policy and Advocacy for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, gives us two very different versions of the fight against global poverty and disease—the perception and the reality. At an event called Financing the Future, he joined CGD experts Masood Ahmed, Amanda Glassman, and Antoinette Sayeh to discuss ways the development community can better convey their results.
The headline figure revealed in the "skinny budget" was 28.4 percent cuts to the State Department, USAID, and international programs. When other areas of spending directly relevant to development are considered, the actual level of cuts is over 30 percent. What do these cuts mean for the people most affected and for America’s role as a global development leader? CGD’s Scott Morris and Amanda Glassman weigh in.
Big cuts are likely coming to the State Department and USAID. So how can the US make the best use of fewer foreign assistance dollars in future? That was the subject of a heated debate at CGD earlier this week. CGD’s Scott Morris, the director of our US Development Policy Initiative, joined leading thinkers from across the political spectrum—Danielle Pletka from the American Enterprise Institute, Jim Roberts from the Heritage Foundation, and John Norris from the Center for American Progress—to discuss the best way to move forward with limited resources.
In India, 94% of women in the labor force are in the unorganized sector. Their work is generally unrecognized and they often receive no regular salary or workplace benefits. Reema Nanavaty, Secretary General of India’s largest women's trade union SEWA, discusses why officially recognizing these women as workers could benefit not only their families but India as a whole.
Viral videos, crowdsourced donations, digital cash transfers for refugees—what opportunities do digital technologies present for development, and how can those of us working on policy innovation make better use of them? Mobile phones were a good start, Devex's Raj Kumar says, but we could be doing a lot more.
The Trump administration's signature policy proposal to control immigration more tightly has been the most contentious issue of the early days of this presidency. In this podcast we seek to add some facts to the debate. Joining me are two CGD experts who have written recently about the Trump immigration order from slightly different perspectives.
Meet Masood Ahmed, CGD’s new president. On his first CGD Podcast, Ahmed shares some of the development lessons he's learned in his 35-year career, and suggests ways for the development community to move forward in a new era of nationalism.
The scale of the turnout at the Women’s Marches across the world recently, along with President Trump’s early reinstatement of a ban on US funding for organizations that offer family planning services in foreign countries, seem to suggest an administration already at odds with an entire gender. On this week’s podcast, three CGD senior fellows weigh in on the evidence that engaging and empowering women—both at home and overseas—makes good sense, especially in an America-First strategy.
Kudos to Finland for ascending to the top spot in CGD’s 2016 Commitment to Development Index, our ranking of how a country’s policies help or hinder development. Most of the policies that score well on the index require some sort of international cooperation—so what does the CDI tell us about the apparent retreat of globalism across the political landscape? I discuss the latest rankings, their implications, and the politics that could affect them with Owen Barder, senior fellow and director of CGD Europe, which produces the Index.
OPIC and CDC are among the largest bilateral development finance institutions (DFIs). They are designed to use their funds to attract more private capital into developing markets through, for example, lending or insuring projects against political risk. CEOs Elizabeth Littlefield and Diana Noble discuss why the DFIs' business model is successful and how their institutions can do more.
In our last podcast of the year, we look back at some of the major development conversations of 2016. Tune in to hear from two former presidents, a few major organization heads—and, of course, several CGD experts.
As turbulent 2016 draws to a close and 2017 rolls into view, political thinking in some major economies is turning inward. In her last podcast as CGD President, Nancy Birdsall reflects on what’s changed in development over the past 15 years, and what she hopes development folks will think about in the near future.
Preventing dangerous climate change is critical for promoting global development, and saving tropical forests is essential to doing both. CGD senior fellow Frances Seymour, coauthor of a new CGD book, explains why forests are key not only to meeting the objectives of the Paris climate agreement, but also to making progress on the sustainable development goals.
Today's podcast brings you highlights of an excellent discussion at CGD's offices in London which involved, among others, CGD’s Owen Barder. The discussion was organized and broadcast by BBC Radio and focused on the UK’s aid budget, including attempts to make aid more transparent, ways to tackle corruption, and how to think of international development in a political landscape where major countries seem to be turning inward.
"Private sector" appears 18 times in the outcome document from last year’s UN Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa—exactly the same number of times as "international cooperation." One year into the SDGs, where are those ideas that bring private sector ingenuity and capital into achieving the development goals? In this podcast, we'll introduce you to one of them.
CGD senior fellow Mayra Buvinic discusses what’s changed in the evidence base on women’s economic empowerment, and how the findings could appeal to the incoming Trump administration.
CGD founding president Nancy Birdsall discusses three simple, specific ideas for the next US president on development policy, gender, and health, and explains why development should be a priority for the next administration.
Changing the law is a good start, but real progress requires changing minds. Former President of Malawi Joyce Banda and FGM survivor Kakenya Ntaiya explain why working with existing power structures is the most effective way to protect girls from harmful practices.
The multilateral development banking (MDB) system is regarded as having been remarkably successful—but is the model still fit for purpose? CGD president Nancy Birdsall and senior fellow Scott Morris delve into a new CGD report's recommendations on how to make MDBs more effective.
Lawrence H Summers, former US Treasury Secretary and the CGD Board Chair, explains why the World Bank and the regional multilateral development banks (MDBs) are well-placed to help address some of today’s urgent problems, including climate change, pandemics, and the problems of large-scale forced migration.
CGD's Bill Savedoff and Justin Sandefur (who leads our education research through the RISE project) discuss their contributions to and assessment of the education Commission's Learning Generation report.
The plight, peril, and potential of refugees and displaced people has been near the top of the political agenda around the world for many months, culminating in two large summits of world leaders during the UN General Assembly in New York. CGD experts Michael Clemens and Cindy Huang discuss what they hope comes out of the New York summits.
How can we create an immigration policy that works? That's the subject of a new CGD report called "Shared Border, Shared Future." Former Mexican president and CGD working group co-chair Ernesto Zedillo joins this week's podcast to discuss the need for a cooperative solutions to unlawful migration.