Sustainable development goals

World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives

The latest edition of the World Development Report from the World Bank provides a blueprint on how to harness the power of data for development, to ensure no one is left behind.

VoxDev Lit: Mobile Money (literature review) Toolkit

Analyzing impacts and potential of mobile money on (women’s) economic empowerment, financial inclusion and poverty reduction.

Accelerating responsible digital payments for COVID-19 relief

The devastating social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have heightened the need for proven solutions to keep the Sustainable Development Goals within reach

COVID-19 Exclusion Working Group (Gender) – Introduction and Strategic Enablers for Digital Payments Toolkit

COVID-19 is causing unprecedented health, economic and social crises and threatens the poverty and inclusion gains that have been made over the last decade.

Responsible Practices to Address Seven Major Risks in COVID-19 Digital Financial Transfers Toolkit

The Report Responsible Practices to Address Seven Major Risks in COVID-19 Digital Financial Transfers identifies seven heightened risks resulting from the speed and scale of COVID-19 digital transfer responses.

Digitising tax could raise $300bn annually for developing counties, says report

Tax Digitalization in Mexico: Success Factors and Pathways Forward

Mexico has been among the forerunners in tax digitalization, starting in the 1980s when it piloted digital Point of Sale (PoS) registration and invoicing.

Inclusive Growth: The Global Challenges of Social Inequality and Financial Inclusion

The book outlines a journey from enabling models of government and business to strategies for creating both financial and social inclusion and entrepreneurism as mechanisms for sustainable and inclusive growth.

Blockchain for Social Business: Principles and Applications

This paper identifies and discusses principles and applications of Blockchain that enhance trust, transparency, and auditability in Social Business (SB) activities. It outlines the challenges related to creating a native cryptocurrency for SB, and barriers to infrastructure and technology adoption by different SB stakeholders.

Role of digital finance in an aging world

A new Better Than Cash Alliance and World Bank paper outlines factors for the financial exclusion of the elderly and explores how digital financial technology can help governments better prepare for global aging challenges.

How to create a digital ID for inclusive development

This USAID guide aims to: 1) illustrate how investments in ID systems impact individuals and their households; and 2) provide specific how-to guidance to help donors, program managers, and M&E specialists get started in thinking about ID ecosystems.

The Role of Digital Financial Inclusion in Preparing for Older Age and Retirements

This paper, jointly released by the Better Than Cash Alliance and the World Bank, summarizes and analyzes the financial challenges faced by older adults.

Role of DFS in youth employment

What roles do financial services play in enabling youth education and employment? This CGAP working paper, for policy-makers and funders, outlines the existing evidence and highlights important questions about how to deliver comprehensive and broad-reaching interventions at scale.

Distributed Ledger Technology: What Is It and Why Do We Care?

Blockchain Series: Blog 1…

Distributed Ledgers: Looking Past the Hype

Blockchain Series: Blog 2…

Public Financial Management and the Digitalization of Payments

Joint report by the Better Than Cash Alliance, the Center for Global Development, and the Overseas Development Institute, building on work with the International Monetary Fund in 2017.

In the IMF’s Fight Against Corruption, Digital Payments are a Powerful Weapon

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde is to be applauded for her recent leadership in the fight against corruption, and her recognition that there is an increasingly limited role for cash …

A Regulatory Diagnostic Toolkit for Digital Financial Services in Emerging Markets Toolkit

This University of New South Wales paper proposes a framework – a Regulatory Diagnostic Toolkit (RDT) – designed to support financial regulators in emerging markets to advance their regulatory regimes for DFS.

Celebrating Women’s Day!

This International Women’s Day, Marks & Spencer (M&S) is joining our Alliance to help advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

Testing the Waters: Digital Payments for Water and Sanitation

Water providers are shifting to digital payments to reduce expenses and streamline delivery. In this report, CGAP and GSMA share lessons learned from 25 organizations, including the challeng…