This Country Data Report summarizes the data from the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project for Cuba. The WGI report six aggregate governance indicators for over 200 countries and territories over the period 1996-2014, covering: i) voice and accountability, ii) political stability and absence of violence, terrorism, iii) government effectiveness, iv) regulatory quality, v) rule of law, and vi) control of corruption.
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The US authorities announced in December 2014 an intention to normalize relations with Cuba, including measures to ease economic sanctions and the ban on US citizens’ travel to Cuba.
... See More + The impact of the easing of US travel restrictions against Cuba on the tourism sector of the OECS countries is potentially positive. The analysis was conducted in two steps. The Bank team first estimated the level of restrictiveness caused by the US travel restrictions on Cuban tourism performances; second, the team simulated, through a global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the impact of the removal of restrictions on Cuban tourism. The results show that all the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries would experience a reduction in arrivals from the United States, while the overall effect of the removal of the travel restrictions would not be negative. In fact, those that have many non-US tourists, will see a surge in these, as they are driven away from Cuba by the rising cost of tourism to Cuba by the rising tide of new American arrivals to that destination. The OECS, considered as a whole, would enjoy a modest increase in tourist arrivals following the removal of the US restrictions. Except for St. Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla, the overall effect is either negligible or significantly positive for the OECS countries that depend more on Canadian and other Caribbean countries for their tourism.
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At the request of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) council, the GEF evaluation office conducts a number of CPEs every year. In fiscal year 12, in addition to the CPE in Cuba, the GEF Evaluation Office has been conducting CPEs in Brazil, India and Sri Lanka.
... See More + Furthermore, a Country Portfolio Study (CPSs) has been conducted in coordination with UNDPs Evaluation Office in Timor-Leste. CPEs aim at providing the GEF Council and the national government with an assessment of the results and performance of the GEF supported activities at country level and of how the GEF supported activities fit into the national strategies and priorities as well as within the global environmental mandate of the GEF. As stated in Cubas CPE Terms of Reference (TORs), Cuba was selected primarily based on its large and mature portfolio including several completed projects in all GEF focal areas with significant emphasis on biodiversity. Based on the overall purpose of the GEF CPEs and their standard TORs, the evaluation of GEF support to Cuba had the following specific objectives: a) to evaluate independently the relevance and efficiency of the GEF support to Cuba from several points of view: national environmental frameworks and decision-making processes; b) the GEF mandate and the achievement of global environmental benefits; and GEF policies and procedures; c) to assess the effectiveness and results of completed projects aggregated at the focal area; d) to provide additional evaluative evidence to other evaluations conducted or sponsored by the GEF evaluation office; and e) to provide feedback and knowledge sharing to: (1) the GEF council in its decision making process to allocate resources and to develop policies and strategies; (2) Cuba on its participation in, or collaboration with the GEF; and (3) the different agencies and organizations involved in the preparation and implementation of GEF funded projects and activities.
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At the request of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) council, the GEF evaluation office conducts a number of CPEs every year. In fiscal year 12, in addition to the CPE in Cuba, the GEF Evaluation Office has been conducting CPEs in Brazil, India and Sri Lanka.
... See More + Furthermore, a Country Portfolio Study (CPSs) has been conducted in coordination with UNDPs Evaluation Office in Timor-Leste. CPEs aim at providing the GEF Council and the national government with an assessment of the results and performance of the GEF supported activities at country level and of how the GEF supported activities fit into the national strategies and priorities as well as within the global environmental mandate of the GEF. As stated in Cubas CPE Terms of Reference (TORs), Cuba was selected primarily based on its large and mature portfolio including several completed projects in all GEF focal areas with significant emphasis on biodiversity. Based on the overall purpose of the GEF CPEs and their standard TORs, the evaluation of GEF support to Cuba had the following specific objectives: a) to evaluate independently the relevance and efficiency of the GEF support to Cuba from several points of view: national environmental frameworks and decision-making processes; b) the GEF mandate and the achievement of global environmental benefits; and GEF policies and procedures; c) to assess the effectiveness and results of completed projects aggregated at the focal area; d) to provide additional evaluative evidence to other evaluations conducted or sponsored by the GEF evaluation office; and e) to provide feedback and knowledge sharing to: (1) the GEF council in its decision making process to allocate resources and to develop policies and strategies; (2) Cuba on its participation in, or collaboration with the GEF; and (3) the different agencies and organizations involved in the preparation and implementation of GEF funded projects and activities.
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The 14 indicators describe a country's macro-fiscal environment to identify constraints or opportunities for health systems financing.
... See More + For each indicator two aspects are important: level and trend. A country with a 10 percent unemployment rate that has fallen from 15 percent may be in better shape than one with an 8 percent unemployment rate that has risen from 4 percent. It is also important to benchmark to group averages of countries in the same Word Bank (WB) region (EAS, ECS, LCN, MEA, NAC, SAS, or SSF) and income group (HIC, upper MIC, lower MIC, or LIC).
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The independent evaluation office of the global environment facility (GEF) conducted a country portfolio evaluation of GEF support to Cuba for the period 1992-2011.
... See More + Cuba was selected based on its large and mature portfolio including several completed projects in all GEF focal areas with an emphasis on biodiversity. Results of GEF support to Cuba built on lessons from previous projects thanks to a continuity of policies, institutions, staff, and people involved in implementation. The sustainability of results in Cuba is ensured through the government’s programmatic approach to support subsequent projects funded by it, the GEF, and other donors.
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This country level trade brief summarizes insights from the world trade indicators database as well as analyzes national impacts and responses to the food crisis and global recession.
... See More + The trade at a glance tables for Cuba provide a snapshot of key aspects of trade policy and performance.
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This country level trade brief summarizes insights from the world trade indicators database as well as analyzes national impacts and responses to the food crisis and global recession.
... See More + The trade at a glance tables for Cuba provide a snapshot of key aspects of trade policy and performance.
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In 1958, Cuba ranked in the top four Latin American countries in indicators of social well-being, but it suffered severe inequalities and limitations in the access to social services, particularly among the rural and urban-marginal populations where the poor were concentrated.
... See More + The revolution of 1959 brought radical socioeconomic reform that significantly improved the availability and quality of social services. By 1989, the country was among the top socialist and Latin American and Caribbean countries in achieving access to social services, despite its relatively low gross domestic product per capita. The collapse of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, however, combined with errors in Cuba's economic policy, led to a severe crisis in 1990.93 that reduced the availability and quality of social services, prompting an adjustment program and some market-oriented reform. Though modest compared to reforms undertaken in other former and current socialist countries, the Cuban reforms did halt the economic decline and generated an oscillating recovery. But the reforms virtually halted in 1996, and there was an economic slowdown in 2001.02. As a result, Cuba still now lags behind the former and current socialist countries in GDP, economic growth, and social performance, though it is ahead of other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in this regard.
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Cuba has become internationally recognized for its achievements in the areas of education and health, with social service delivery outcomes that surpass most countries in the developing world and in some areas match first-world standards.
... See More + Since the Cuban revolution in 1959, and the subsequent establishment of a communist one-party government, the country has created a social service system that guarantees universal access to education and health care provided by the state. This model has enabled Cuba to achieve near universal literacy, the eradication of certain diseases, widespread access to potable water and basic sanitation, and among the lowest infant mortality rates and longest life expectancies in the region.
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Good transition needs friendly investment climate - some lessons of experience; by Guy Pfeffermann. Foreign investment slumps in Cuba. Labor policy dilemmas preceding EU enlargement - Labor markets of the accession countries : fit to join?
... See More + ; by Michelle Riboud, Carolina Sanchez-Paramo, and Carlos Silva-Jauregui. Trade Union strength in six CEE accession countries. Creating more jobs in Central and Eastern Europe. EU labor policies need urgent reform - prominent European economists warn of enlargement's consequences; by T. Boeri, H. Brucker, F. Coricelli, J. Dolado, J. Fitzgerald, A. de la Fuente, P. Garibaldi, G. Hanson, J. Jimeno, R. Portes, G. Saint-Paul, and A. Spilimbergo. Ireland's crucial voting on Nice - opponents play the immigration card; by Dan O'Brien. Russian accountancy adopts international standards; by Adolf J. H. Enthoven. US corporate capitalism on trial : What direction should cleanup efforts take?; by Adolf J. H. Enthoven. Digital divide or digital diffusion?; by Richard Rosa. Europe's E-readiness is closing in on the United States. Occupational health hazards facing China's workers and possible remedies; by Su Zhi, Wang Shang, and Steven P. Levine. Overcoming textbook misery in Uzbekistan; by Tony Reed. High priced - low priced : global city rankings by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Small businesses harassed in Russia despite new deregulation - results of a business survey; by Oleg Zamulin. Russia's WTO accession : scholars see positive effects; by Ksenia Yudaeva. Russia's WTO entry in perspective; by Robert M. Stern. Transition meets development - Economists debate convergence during Riga (Latvia) Conference; by Romans Pancs. The hazards of transplanting education reform - a view from the classrooms of post-communist schools; by Johanna Crighton. Decentralizing education in Central and Eastern Europe - Does it make a difference?; by Kenneth Davey. Reforms in Russian primary and secondary education : losses and gains; by Natalia Bartasheva. Private education in the EU; by David Hayhurst. Growth in transition: what we know, what we don't know, and what we should know; by Nauro F. Campos and Fabrizio Coricelli. Effects of ownership and financial status on corporate environmental performance; by Dietrich Earnhart and Lubomir Lizal. Transition policy network : a regional network of independent think tanks; by Claire Romanik. Fiscal situation of Baltic municipalities; by Viktor Trasberg.Dismal state of Russia's heavy machinery industries; by Pertti Naulappa. Role of foreign direct investment in the Russian banking sector; by Ilkka Salonen.
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The Cuban educational system has long enjoyed a reputation for high quality. This paper highlights ways in which the Cuban educational system, despite the dismal economic picture of the past decade, adopted features that research has identified as characterizing a high-quality education system.
... See More + The papers sees what has allowed Cuba's education system to perform so well is the continuity its education strategies, sustained high levels of investments in education, and a comprehensive and carefully structured system, characterized by: 1) quality basic education and universal access to primary and secondary school; 2)comprehensive early childhood education and student health programs; 3) complementary educational programs for those outside school; 4) mechanisms to foster community participation in school management; 5) great attention to teachers; 6) low-cost instructional materials of high quality; 7) teacher and student initiative in adapting the national curriculum locally; 8) carefully structured competition; 9) explicit strategies to reach rural students; 10) strategies to link school and work; and 11) an emphasis on education for social cohesion and values education.
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Working Paper (Numbered Series) 21752 JUL 31, 2000
This book deals with the perceptions of the author, Shahid Javed Burki, on world economies and the World Bank's work with them. It is complied from various speeches and discourses given by the author during his time in the Bank especially during his term as Regional Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
... See More + The first section includes an overview of his evolving thinking; initiatives taken by the author in the pursuance of his duties including advisory groups, annual conferences, regional studies programs, and opening a dialogue with nongovernmental organizations; and a discussion on the move towards regional trade areas. The second section deals with poverty, both the facts of it and what the Bank can and has done to attempt to alleviate it. The third section consists of a number of speeches concerning globalization. The final section presents case studies of countries in crises, including Pakistan and Mexico, as well as analysis of such areas as the relevance of China's model to Cuba's situation, globalization and localization, and the integration of small states into the global economy.
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The Cuban educational system has long enjoyed a reputation for high quality. This paper highlights ways in which the Cuban educational system, despite the dismal economic picture of the past decade, adopted features that research has identified as characterizing a high-quality education system.
... See More + The papers sees what has allowed Cuba's education system to perform so well is the continuity its education strategies, sustained high levels of investments in education, and a comprehensive and carefully structured system, characterized by: 1) quality basic education and universal access to primary and secondary school; 2) comprehensive early childhood education and student health programs; 3) complementary educational programs for those outside school; 4) mechanisms to foster community participation in school management; 5) great attention to teachers; 6) low-cost instructional materials of high quality; 7) teacher and student initiative in adapting the national curriculum locally; 8) carefully structured competition; 9) explicit strategies to reach rural students; 10) strategies to link school and work; and 11) an emphasis on education for social cohesion and values education.
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LAC Human & Social Development Group Paper Series 20966 JAN 31, 2000
Economic consequences of the Kosovo crisis. Supporting economics education in transition economies - a World Bank-initiated partnership: interview with Boris Pleskovic, by Joseph Stiglitz.
... See More + An assessment of higher education in transition economies. Brain drain reverse - repatriating Russian academics, by Oleg Glebov. The benefits of open trade and a realistic exchange rate: World Bank experts' useful insights in Kazakhstan, by David Tarr. Overvaluation hurts - learning from others' mistakes. Kazakhstan devalues the tenge and prevents a trade war, by Oxford Analytica. China's rural reform - the "rights" direction, by Wang Jingxin. EU accession process - how long will it last? View from a conference, by Wladimir Andreff. New DHL customs report brings mixed results - red tape curtain partially raised, by Red Consultancy. The DHL story in Eastern Europe. Monetary policy in transition: can inflation targeting work? By Josef C. Brada and Ali M. Kutan. Cuba's economy: twilight of an era, by Carmelo Mesa-Lago and Jorge Perez-Lopez. Readers' forum: who is to blame for Russia's economic woes? By Ivan Szegvari. "Why are Russian Enterprises not restructuring?" by Lucja Swiatkowski Cannon.
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Newsletter 19322 APR 30, 1999
Stiglitz, Joseph; Glebov, Oleg; Tarr, David; Wang Jingxin; Andreff, Wladimir; Brada, Josef C.; Kutan, Ali M.; Mesa-Lago, Carmelo; Perez-Lopez, Jorge; Szegvari, Ivan; Cannon, Lucja Swiatkowski
This GEF Project Performance Report presents the results of the 1998 Project Implementation Review (PIR), and draws on additional insights about the performance of GEF's programs from evaluations and other studies.
... See More + This is a broader focus than in previous years. The report provides an assessment of important cross-cutting issues and lessons identified from implementation experience. Although there are exceptions, most project reports submitted for the 1998 PIR did not have satisfactory indicators to measure and monitor achievement of their intended outcomes and impacts. The PIR reports reflect a general lack of clarity in determining linkages between project goals, objectives, and outputs. Project monitoring systems focus more on processes (e.g., procurement) and production of outputs than on results. The need for greater attention to project indicators is a clear message from the 1998 review. The conclusion that stands out most strikingly from the reports and discussions that made up the 1998 PIR is the need for an approach to addressing global environmental problems that is longer term and more flexible than current project instruments.
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Global Environment Facility Working Paper 20814 JAN 01, 1999
This GEF Project Performance Report presents the results of the 1998 Project Implementation Review (PIR), and draws on additional insights about the performance of GEF's programs from evaluations and other studies.
... See More + This is a broader focus than in previous years. The report provides an assessment of important cross-cutting issues and lessons identified from implementation experience. Although there are exceptions, most project reports submitted for the 1998 PIR did not have satisfactory indicators to measure and monitor achievement of their intended outcomes and impacts. The PIR reports reflect a general lack of clarity in determining linkages between project goals, objectives, and outputs. Project monitoring systems focus more on processes (e.g., procurement) and production of outputs than on results. The need for greater attention to project indicators is a clear message from the 1998 review. The conclusion that stands out most strikingly from the reports and discussions that made up the 1998 PIR is the need for an approach to addressing global environmental problems that is longer term and more flexible than current project instruments.
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Global Environment Facility Working Paper 20814 JAN 01, 1999
This GEF Project Performance Report presents the results of the 1998 Project Implementation Review (PIR), and draws on additional insights about the performance of GEF's programs from evaluations and other studies.
... See More + This is a broader focus than in previous years. The report provides an assessment of important cross-cutting issues and lessons identified from implementation experience. Although there are exceptions, most project reports submitted for the 1998 PIR did not have satisfactory indicators to measure and monitor achievement of their intended outcomes and impacts. The PIR reports reflect a general lack of clarity in determining linkages between project goals, objectives, and outputs. Project monitoring systems focus more on processes (e.g., procurement) and production of outputs than on results. The need for greater attention to project indicators is a clear message from the 1998 review. The conclusion that stands out most strikingly from the reports and discussions that made up the 1998 PIR is the need for an approach to addressing global environmental problems that is longer term and more flexible than current project instruments.
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Global Environment Facility Working Paper 20814 JAN 01, 1998
Reform boosts growth and foreign investment. Nations in transit - 1997 Freedom House rankings. Good policies are needed to make aid effective.
... See More + The EBRD increases activity : interview with EBRD's Chief Economist Nicholas Stern. Enterprises divesting social assets - the Belarus story. Battle rages over Russia's natural monopolies. Findings of a survey - leaders and laggers. Czech enterprises seeking true owners. A new approach to privatization : the IPO-PLUS. Economies in transition and the WTO. Cuba's small businesses : taking a wild ride.
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Post-communist parties and the politics of entitlements (Jeffrey Sachs). Privatizing profits of Bulgaria's state enterprises (Zeljko Bogetic and Arye L.
... See More + Hillman). Oxford Analytica reports on red conglomerates in Bulgaria. Fiscal decentralization in transition economies: a long way to go (Richard M. Bird, Robert D. Ebel, and Christine I. Wallich). Castro tries survival strategy (Jorge F. Perez-Lopez). Cuba's economy in 1995 (Oxford Analytica). Siphon off the money that otherwise might improve the government's finances: that's the unwritten law (Ferenc L. Gazso).
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Newsletter 17828 MAR 31, 1995
Sachs, Jeffrey; Bogetic, Zeljko; Hillman, Arye L.; Bird, Richard M.; Ebel, Robert D.; Wallich, Christine I.; Perez-Lopez, Jorge; Fazso, Ferenc L.
