An examination of how the Asian-driven commodity boom has affected the way emerging countries pursue macroeconomic policy.

Paul Collier, an economist and author of The Bottom Billion, discusses five steps to sustainable resource management in Africa.

Michael Greenberger urges quick action regarding energy market manipulations and federal enforcement regimes.

Robert Hormats and Jim O'Neil of Goldman Sachs International write that the next president will need a new set of policies to address a changing global economy. They say the United States must "boost its own competitiveness and further open foreign markets for its goods and services." They also call for the creation of a "more representative global economic policy architecture to reflect the ongoing shifts in financial wealth, commodity power and trade flows."

As emerging economies in Middle East and Asia become bigger foreign investors they are facing a new protectionist trend in many countries across the globe, write David Marchick and Matthew Slaughter.

Maria Otero, Robert Annibale, and Elizabeth Littlefield discuss the changing context of microfinance, a sector in transition.

The international community has hailed the past five years as exceptionally good economic times for Latin America. In this report the Inter-American Development Bank goes beyond initial perceptions to examine whether Latin America's macroeconomic performance and fundamentals are as sound as they appear at first sight. The report's aim is to present an alternative perspective in order to precipitate a useful and necessary debate.

Global cement production grew significantly from 1970 to 2005, with the vast majority of the growth occurring in developing countries. In terms of CO2 emissions, cement production is the most important activity in the non-metallic minerals category. This paper sets out some of the initial data collected for a separate IEA analysis report on the energy demand, CO2 emissions and CO2 emission reduction opportunities in the cement industry.

Hernando De Soto discusses his work with designing and implementing capital formation programs to empower the poor in the developing world. His research within the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD)has given rise to the question: "What's the DNA of market development?" and to the conclusion that national legislation is the reason globalization works for some but not for others.

Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states seek to diversify their economies beyond oil, but the project comes laden with risk.

China’s sovereign wealth fund looks more like a state agency for managing financial sector investments than a diversified global fund manager, says Brad Setser in a piece that first appeared in the May 2008 issue of Emerging Markets.

A roundup of which countries produced and installed the most photovoltaic (PV) or solar cells, which convert the sun's light directly to electricity, in 2008.

The solar energy you haven't heard of is the one best suited to generate clean electricity for generations to come.

The push to get into the solar energy market is having unexpected consequences in China.

Max Boot and Lee Wolosky write that “traveling to the Middle East can be a disconcerting experience. One day you feel as if you're journeying into the future, the next day into the past.”

Yang Guang, director of the Institute of West Asian and African Studies, says that China and the United States “do not have strategic conflicts” in Africa.

Speaker Donald Kohn discusses the role central banks should have in international financial markets.

John W. Bruns, the senior executive based in China for Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, says Chinese ventures to build large commercial aircraft present both opportunities and challenges for established aerospace firms.

Chinese entry into the manufacturing of commercial vehicles and aircraft has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape in two industries still dominated by G8 nations.