The overall business environment in an economy depends on many factors, ranging from market size, macroeconomic conditions, and business regulations. A number of international benchmarks and surveys identify key constraints to a country’s competitiveness and private sector development. While such benchmarks only give an indication of the overall enabling environment for
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In honor of International Women's Day 2021, we are delighted to announce our seventh webinar on the issue empowerment of Iraqi women. We are aware of the barriers challenging women's full participation in all facets of life, particularly in the economy, taking into account the devastating setbacks experienced by Iraqi women in the last decades. Thus, we are honored to present y
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Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, at his home in the holy city of Najaf, receives Pope Francis on March 6, 2021. Photo: AFP/Ayatollah Sistani's Media Office By any historical measure, it was a game-changer: the first meeting since the 7th century between a Roman Catholic Pope and a Shiite spiritual leader regarded as a “source of emulation.” I
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Abstract In late September 2020, the World Bank published a report entitled ‘Breaking out of fragility: a country economic memorandum for diversification and growth in Iraq’ (henceforth WB 2020). [i] In October 2020, the Iraqi government published its ‘White Paper for Economic Reforms: Vision and Key Objectives.’ This was followed in January 2021 by a draft ‘White Paper for
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