The International Economic Development Group aims to influence events in the international arena that impact on development. It achieves this by undertaking high quality innovative research in areas relevant to contemporary policy debates, and making the results accessible to opinion formers and policy makers. Research ranges from short ‘policy-oriented’ studies to major multi-year, multi-country project. It builds on the work of other ODI programmes (especially to illuminate the ‘domestic’ dimensions of international controversies) and relates closely to work undertaken in Universities and research centres in Europe (for example through EADI) and elsewhere (such as AERC).
Each member of the research team brings to this task a tool kit derived from their underlying academic discipline. Most of the issues addressed have an economic dimension, which needs to be taken into account in all of our research, but insights can be obtained from other social science disciplines and law just as much as from economics.
IEDG’s mandate means that research priorities vary over time as the international debate evolves. In the most recent past we have worked particularly on the WTO round of trade negotiations launched in Doha, on the Economic Partnership Agreements being negotiated by the European Union and the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Group, and the international governance of finance and debt. New topics will emerge during 2007. IEDG also lead a crisis task force during the last Global finacial crisis and currently leads the 2012 European Report on Development (ERD). The common thread is that many of these contemporary topics are manifestations of underlying – and continuing – imbalances (of power and resources) in the global community.
Our research extends beyond economic analysis to include policy advice to developing countries and to the UK Department for International Development, the European Commission and Parliament, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. The team works with other economists in Europe and in developing countries. Projects range from multi-year multi-country comparative analysis to studies to answer immediate policy questions.
