1. Reducing Poverty and Sustaining Growth
Global Learning Process
and Shanghai Conference
On Scaling up Poverty-Reduction

2. Progress in poverty reduction since 1970s
Improvement in the basics for long-term development:
Nation-building
Democratization
GDP per capita growth
Urbanization
Social indicators—Education & Health

3. GDP per capita, PPP (current international $)
GDP growth
GDP per capita, PPP (current international $)
GDP per capita in SSA has doubled since 1975; in South Asia it has grown by sixfold; in MNA almost threefold; LAC more than threefold; EAP by 13.
WB 2003

4. Reaching the Millennium Development Goals
Worldwide the number and proportion of people living in extreme poverty declined slightly through the 1990s
Need to accelerate the rate of poverty reduction and improvement in other areas of welfare if the Millennium Development Goals are to be reached
Poverty level down since 1990, but progress is uneven: There were at least 137 million fewer people living in extreme poverty at the decade’s end than at its beginning. And if projected growth remains on track, global poverty rates will fall to 13 percent – less than half the 1990 level – and 366 million more people will avert extreme poverty. But rapid progress in Asia and a return to pre-transition poverty levels in Europe and Central Asia will do nothing to alleviate the crushing burden of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 360 million people will continue to live on less than $1 a day.

5. More is needed: Millennium Development Goals
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development

6. Learning from Successful Experiences
Sustained growth and poverty-reduction results in some countries provides hope that progress in other countries is possible
CHALLENGE: learn from what works and what does not across the world: This is the main purpose of the Shanghai learning process
Results in countries such as China, pockets of success in India, elsewhere in Asia, and in other countries of the world provide hope that scaling up is possible

7. Global Learning Process and Conference in Shanghai
Learn from successful and failed efforts in poverty-reduction:
Case Studies (70+)
Share experiences and insights into the process of scaling up
Global Dialogues (video and online – 20+)
Field Visits (Indonesia, Uganda, Yemen, Brazil, Turkey, India, Bangladesh and China)
Draw out common elements of programs that have allowed successful poverty reduction:
Conference in Shanghai

8. Purpose of today’s Dialogue
Discuss the experiences of Chile and Poland in the 1990s:
Remarkable results in growth, income per capita increases and poverty-reduction
They achieved these results in a democratic framework
And sustained these reform efforts over time

9. Case studies – Chile
Between 1990 and 2000, poverty was reduced from 40% to 20% of the population

10. Case studies – Poland
Strong poverty reduction in the 90s

11. Main Questions
What were the key elements of success in these two reform programs?
External catalysts
Government leadership
Institutional underpinnings
Key policies for success
What allowed their sustainability over time?
What lessons can be drawn from these case studies?

12. Shanghai Conference Website