Global value chains (GVCs) now account for almost half of all international trade. In this age of global value chains, learn how GVCs can become more sustainable and inclusive. Explore the ways in which countries can work together to create deeper reforms and predictable policies that encourage shared and sustained GVC participation. Based on the World Bank Group 2020 World Development Report (WDR), participants will learn from Bank economists about trading for development. Especially at a time when the world economy and supply chains are challenged by the COVID-19 crisis, GVCs and their significance in international trade and economic growth across the world are more important than ever.

The Program

1. Week 1 — GVCs— What are they and what drives country participation?
2. Week 2 — What are the effects of GVCs?
3. Week 3 — How do GVCs interact with the environment and what are the implications of technology for GVCs?
4. Week 4 — What domestic policies facilitate fruitful participation in GVCs?
5. Week 5 — How can international cooperation help GVCs?

What you’ll learn

•  Evaluates the degree to which GVCs have contributed to economic growth, jobs, and reduced poverty—as well as inequality and environmental degradation.
• Examines how national policies can create deeper reforms and predictable policies, advancing GVCs as a force for development rather than divergence, and reviving economic growth and world trade.
• Identifies inadequacies in the international trade system that have fomented disagreements among nations and provides a road map to resolving them through greater international cooperation.