Naren Prasad | International Labour Organization (original) (raw)
Papers by Naren Prasad
This essay is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the human suffering associated with toxic and... more This essay is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the human suffering associated with toxic and hazardous electronic wastes in developing countries.
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2008
both at UNRISD Social Policy in a Development Context is a new series which places social policy ... more both at UNRISD Social Policy in a Development Context is a new series which places social policy at the centre of research while maintaining the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)'s unified approach to social development. The series provides a new and exciting contribution to the literature in economic development and social policy. In economic development, social policy has been recognized as an integral part of development, but the literature often falls short of elaborating social policy for a unified approach to economic and social development. In social policy, analysis has concentrated mainly on European and North American countries, and studies on developing countries often lack comparative rigour. The bridge between economic development and social policy will not only contribute to the academic research but also inform the policy debate at the international and national levels.
Oxford University Press eBooks, May 22, 2023
Being small is often considered to be synonymous with being powerless and vulnerable. Indeed, sma... more Being small is often considered to be synonymous with being powerless and vulnerable. Indeed, small jurisdictions generally have no choice but to be exposed to the vagaries of globalisation. However, sound socioeconomic and governance policies can offset what are often construed as structural and inherent handicaps. Thus, while small states are more economically vulnerable, they often adopt policies to compensate for this. This chapter will discuss the relationship between social cohesion, governance and social development. The focus is on social cohesion which, it is hypothesised, is a major contributing factor to economic resilience building.
Using time series data, the paper analyses the economic structure of island countries. The result... more Using time series data, the paper analyses the economic structure of island countries. The results are illustrated using five case studies. It is demonstrated that countries pursuing strategies based on service industries or exports of light manufactures have been more successful in attaining development objectives. This success has been translated into improved welfare for the populations of these countries. In contrast, a promotion of agriculture and remittances has tended to have a negative effect on development and on levels of welfare of the relevant island countries. Development economists have been mainly preoccupied with trying to explain why large countries with abundant resources (natural, economic, human, diplomatic) nevertheless remain poor. Meanwhile, some researchers have drawn attention to how several small, island States with very limited resources are pursuing their development. It has been seen that a number of small island countries have somehow succeeded in achie...
The report explains in detail how the underlying political economy factors driving the rise and f... more The report explains in detail how the underlying political economy factors driving the rise and fall of the Arab middle class might best explain why a region, abundant in human and natural resources and unsurpassed in its heritage, cultural endowments and diversity, is seemingly unable to confront ethno-religious threats. The fate of the Arab middle class, inferred from rigorous socioeconomic analyses, sheds light on this question. This report concludes that the empowerment of the Arab middle class could carve a way out of the current development and governance debacle.
The Diplomacies of Small States, 2009
ABSTRACT The article investigates how small states behave in the global system
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2008
... units; and social security, social assistance benefits and employer social benefits in cash a... more ... units; and social security, social assistance benefits and employer social benefits in cash and in kind. ... It is now acknowledged that high taxes do not promote effective distribution of wealth. ... efficiency, the changing structure of the tax base, and other political and economic factors. ...
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 2006
International Journal of Social Economics, 2008
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the social development situation in the Pacific Is... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the social development situation in the Pacific Island countries (PICs). It also aims to present the various social and economic policies that are directly linked to improving social indicators.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on the theoretical framework provided by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, which defines social policy as involving redistribution, production, reproduction and protection. The paper presents data on these four components.FindingsThe paper shows that many PICs have managed to increase some of their social development indicators especially those relating to education. Yet they are also lagging behind on many fronts, such as health, water and sanitation, social protection, and inequality.Research limitations/implicationsIssues of state capacity and governance linked to policy formulation and implementation are not addressed in this paper. More in‐depth and empirical research cou...
Global Social Policy, 2010
This article investigates the link between social security spending and financial crises. In doin... more This article investigates the link between social security spending and financial crises. In doing so, the article answers two questions: what are the trends in social security spending in the aftermath of a financial crisis, and what factors can possibly explain these changes? The article shows that social security regimes have often been born out of crisis. In addition, on average, social security spending increases over the course of a crisis; however, there is wide regional variation, with advanced countries exhibiting the most countercyclical spending. This article lends support to the idea that crises can be used as an occasion to improve and strengthen social security; in doing so, countries not only mitigate the worst effects of the crisis, but also create better social policy and improve long-term crisis preparedness.
Development Policy Review, 2006
Privatisation of public infrastructure has been the mantra of many development agencies since the... more Privatisation of public infrastructure has been the mantra of many development agencies since the late 1980s. Water supply is no exception, and various forms of private sector participation (PSP) have been tried in the water and sanitation sector. This article examines the results of these experiments. It suggests that PSP has had mixed results and that in several important respects the private sector seems to be no more efficient in delivering services than the public sector. Despite growing evidence of failures and increasing public pressure against it, privatisation in water and sanitation is still alive, however. Increasingly, it is being repackaged in new forms such as that of public-private partnership.
Development in Practice, 2009
This is not a formal UNRISD publication. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed stud... more This is not a formal UNRISD publication. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed studies rests solely with their author(s), and availability on the UNRISD Web site (http://www.unrisd.org) does not constitute an endorsement by UNRISD of the opinions expressed in them. No publication or distribution of these papers is permitted without the prior authorization of the author(s), except for personal use.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007
UNRISD welcomes such applications. The designations employed in UNRISD publications, which are in... more UNRISD welcomes such applications. The designations employed in UNRISD publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNRISD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for opinions expressed rests solely with the author(s), and publication does not constitute endorsement by UNRISD.
"Enabling small commodity producers in developing countries to reach global markets&... more "Enabling small commodity producers in developing countries to reach global markets" Organized by UNCTAD Commodities Branch
This essay is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the human suffering associated with toxic and... more This essay is dedicated to the cause of alleviating the human suffering associated with toxic and hazardous electronic wastes in developing countries.
Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2008
both at UNRISD Social Policy in a Development Context is a new series which places social policy ... more both at UNRISD Social Policy in a Development Context is a new series which places social policy at the centre of research while maintaining the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)'s unified approach to social development. The series provides a new and exciting contribution to the literature in economic development and social policy. In economic development, social policy has been recognized as an integral part of development, but the literature often falls short of elaborating social policy for a unified approach to economic and social development. In social policy, analysis has concentrated mainly on European and North American countries, and studies on developing countries often lack comparative rigour. The bridge between economic development and social policy will not only contribute to the academic research but also inform the policy debate at the international and national levels.
Oxford University Press eBooks, May 22, 2023
Being small is often considered to be synonymous with being powerless and vulnerable. Indeed, sma... more Being small is often considered to be synonymous with being powerless and vulnerable. Indeed, small jurisdictions generally have no choice but to be exposed to the vagaries of globalisation. However, sound socioeconomic and governance policies can offset what are often construed as structural and inherent handicaps. Thus, while small states are more economically vulnerable, they often adopt policies to compensate for this. This chapter will discuss the relationship between social cohesion, governance and social development. The focus is on social cohesion which, it is hypothesised, is a major contributing factor to economic resilience building.
Using time series data, the paper analyses the economic structure of island countries. The result... more Using time series data, the paper analyses the economic structure of island countries. The results are illustrated using five case studies. It is demonstrated that countries pursuing strategies based on service industries or exports of light manufactures have been more successful in attaining development objectives. This success has been translated into improved welfare for the populations of these countries. In contrast, a promotion of agriculture and remittances has tended to have a negative effect on development and on levels of welfare of the relevant island countries. Development economists have been mainly preoccupied with trying to explain why large countries with abundant resources (natural, economic, human, diplomatic) nevertheless remain poor. Meanwhile, some researchers have drawn attention to how several small, island States with very limited resources are pursuing their development. It has been seen that a number of small island countries have somehow succeeded in achie...
The report explains in detail how the underlying political economy factors driving the rise and f... more The report explains in detail how the underlying political economy factors driving the rise and fall of the Arab middle class might best explain why a region, abundant in human and natural resources and unsurpassed in its heritage, cultural endowments and diversity, is seemingly unable to confront ethno-religious threats. The fate of the Arab middle class, inferred from rigorous socioeconomic analyses, sheds light on this question. This report concludes that the empowerment of the Arab middle class could carve a way out of the current development and governance debacle.
The Diplomacies of Small States, 2009
ABSTRACT The article investigates how small states behave in the global system
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2008
... units; and social security, social assistance benefits and employer social benefits in cash a... more ... units; and social security, social assistance benefits and employer social benefits in cash and in kind. ... It is now acknowledged that high taxes do not promote effective distribution of wealth. ... efficiency, the changing structure of the tax base, and other political and economic factors. ...
Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 2006
International Journal of Social Economics, 2008
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the social development situation in the Pacific Is... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the social development situation in the Pacific Island countries (PICs). It also aims to present the various social and economic policies that are directly linked to improving social indicators.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on the theoretical framework provided by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, which defines social policy as involving redistribution, production, reproduction and protection. The paper presents data on these four components.FindingsThe paper shows that many PICs have managed to increase some of their social development indicators especially those relating to education. Yet they are also lagging behind on many fronts, such as health, water and sanitation, social protection, and inequality.Research limitations/implicationsIssues of state capacity and governance linked to policy formulation and implementation are not addressed in this paper. More in‐depth and empirical research cou...
Global Social Policy, 2010
This article investigates the link between social security spending and financial crises. In doin... more This article investigates the link between social security spending and financial crises. In doing so, the article answers two questions: what are the trends in social security spending in the aftermath of a financial crisis, and what factors can possibly explain these changes? The article shows that social security regimes have often been born out of crisis. In addition, on average, social security spending increases over the course of a crisis; however, there is wide regional variation, with advanced countries exhibiting the most countercyclical spending. This article lends support to the idea that crises can be used as an occasion to improve and strengthen social security; in doing so, countries not only mitigate the worst effects of the crisis, but also create better social policy and improve long-term crisis preparedness.
Development Policy Review, 2006
Privatisation of public infrastructure has been the mantra of many development agencies since the... more Privatisation of public infrastructure has been the mantra of many development agencies since the late 1980s. Water supply is no exception, and various forms of private sector participation (PSP) have been tried in the water and sanitation sector. This article examines the results of these experiments. It suggests that PSP has had mixed results and that in several important respects the private sector seems to be no more efficient in delivering services than the public sector. Despite growing evidence of failures and increasing public pressure against it, privatisation in water and sanitation is still alive, however. Increasingly, it is being repackaged in new forms such as that of public-private partnership.
Development in Practice, 2009
This is not a formal UNRISD publication. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed stud... more This is not a formal UNRISD publication. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed studies rests solely with their author(s), and availability on the UNRISD Web site (http://www.unrisd.org) does not constitute an endorsement by UNRISD of the opinions expressed in them. No publication or distribution of these papers is permitted without the prior authorization of the author(s), except for personal use.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2007
UNRISD welcomes such applications. The designations employed in UNRISD publications, which are in... more UNRISD welcomes such applications. The designations employed in UNRISD publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNRISD concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for opinions expressed rests solely with the author(s), and publication does not constitute endorsement by UNRISD.
"Enabling small commodity producers in developing countries to reach global markets&... more "Enabling small commodity producers in developing countries to reach global markets" Organized by UNCTAD Commodities Branch
Social Policies and Private Sector Participation in Water Supply, 2008
This book aims to contextualize the debate of PSP and then present the research findings. It star... more This book aims to contextualize the debate of PSP and then present
the research findings. It starts by outlining the research objectives and
the framework. It then presents a historical perspective of PSP in the
water supply sector. In the third section, it tries to argue that water is
a different kind of good which merits different the adoption of policy
options. In the fourth section it presents the arguments for PSP,
some statistics and why there was an increase in PSP in the 1990s
and the early years of the twenty-first century. In the fifth section
it discusses why social policies and public provision were historically
important in increasing access to an affordable water supply. The final
section presents the research findings and shows why policy makers
should not forget about social policies when reforming their water
sector.