The 2013 Nobel Prize in Economics

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics to three economists in recognition of their work on asset prices and the behavior of markets. The three economists, Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen, and Robert Shiller,…

The Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations

The University of Oxford published a report in October Now for the Long Term that presents the recommendations of The Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations. This Commission, comprised of nineteen distinguished intellectuals, eminent academics, and world thought-leaders in economics…

The United Nations post-2015 Development Agenda

The much-anticipated Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High- Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda was released on May 30. This Panel was established in July 2012 to provide recommendations on advancing the development framework beyond the target date of…

The IMF’s Global Economic Outlook

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) held a joint meeting with the World Bank in Washington in April. This meeting provided the opportunity for the IMF to announce its views on global economic prospects. The IMF noted that the global economic…

Assessment of Income and Wealth Inequality

There is an old adage that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. Recent media reports have focused on the disproportionate wealth held by the top one percent of the population. Middle class individuals are being squeezed by…

United Nations Commission on Trade and Development

The United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) issued its 2012 Annual Report in September. The report presents a detailed analysis of current global economic, trade, and development conditions, together with recommendations for future global action and coordination to…

IMF Warning on Global Financial Stability

This edition of Commentary is devoted to presenting a summary of the highlights of the International Monetary Fund’s September 2011 Global Financial Stability Report. This 54-page report contains several warnings about the future prospects for preserving Global Financial Stability and the…