Comments

Hi Ashlee, Thanks for your encouraging words and insights. Indeed, more mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) will be integral to breaking cycles of violence the world over. It's why, we believe, any work in the areas of conflict and violence need to ensure MHPSS support is a foundational aspect of any response. It's more than just a health issue, but an issue that impacts the very core of social life for all, amongst its influences in so many other areas of individual, family and community life. Ali

Hi Stephen, I think J&T is the best available evidence because, they run a comprehensive range of regression models, including IV models, and time series analysis. And the also run a good range of robustness tests. In addition to this they use aid data data to disaggregate different types of aid flows. This seems to me more sophisticated than some approaches to date (some which have been simply theoretical, others--dubious--single case studies such as that of Somaliland, and others which have involved regression analysis but less comprehensively). That said, I'm still aware of the limitations of the type of analysis that J&T undertake. And perhaps their findings will be refuted in further work. (Hence, 'best available', rather than 'definitive'.) However, in between the J&T findings and some other pretty good work on the relationship between aid and democratisation and the like (see below) my reading of the evidence is that, overall, available evidence shows positive aid/governance relationship. And that it certainly doesn't show the negative one so central to Deaton's arguments. Maybe this body of evidence is wrong, but, if it is, the burden of proof ought to fall on those who believe it is wrong to show that it's wrong, before making claims about a negative aid/governance relationship. Also, it's worth noting that J&T aren't outliers with respect to their findings. Some other related papers with similar (or otherwise interesting) results: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.11.009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007123413000264 http://www.personal.psu.edu/jgw12/blogs/josephwright/Dietrich%20Wright%20OUP%20Ch3.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2010.00501.x http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0020818304582073 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.05.014 cheers Terence

The National Court still retains a total independence void of any political and/or bearucratic influence. So its decisions on such matter of critical importance to national significance was firm and final. Thanks for an update well presented.

Hi Ron, 4 years ago i visited Siem Reap as a tourist.I was asked on the street if I could donate a bag of rice to an orphanage.. I visited the Heart and Love Center,At the time 25 children lived full time with a christian Pastor and his family.. The conditions were terrible!! Now I sponsor this center,,,I live in Cambodia for 6 months every year,have rented a house for staff and 43 children..They go to school. learn English,have access to medical and dental. I pay the rent, food, electricty, wages and anything else that I consider necessary. I have fund raised and purchased a new motor bike and tuk tuk....I have a few people who help me and many people who have visited the center and helped us ....Every cent of a donation goes to improving the lives of staff (all live at the center with their own children) and the children I pay all my own expenses....I will be in Siem Reap from november 27th... Helen McLean,,,proud to be sponsor of the Heart and Live Center

Great public service. But do want to query the description of Jones and Tarp as the best available evidence on aid-governance. Better than all the other cross-country regressions on this very subject which give such contradictory results? The Sacks survey-based article looks much more promising.

Thanks Hayley, Megan and Alison -- a really important issue, and good to hear some of the steps that are being taken. It's also important to recognise the links between mental health and other development challenges -- for example, we see high rates of gender violence in many post-conflict areas in our region, and studies show the intergenerational consequences of exposure to violence or abuse in childhood (i.e. <a href="https://devpolicy.org/in-brief/violence-in-south-pacific-has-intergenerational-impact-unicef-report-20150521/" rel="nofollow">high numbers</a> of adult perpetrators and survivors of violence have been exposed to it as children). As we work to target these issues, we need to recognise the importance of mental health interventions for survivors and perpetrators of violence as part of wider efforts to break the cycle.

What rise in sea levels has already occurred and what is predicted for the next 50 or even a 100 years?

At one level the interconnectedness of the SDGs may present a challenge, given the silos most government ministries and ministers operate in, and which DPs generally work through. On the other hand, they may present an opportunity to leverage greater cooperation within Cabinet, across the turf boundaries of ministries, and among DPs. The recent joint meeting and declaration of forum health ministers and finance ministers regarding the NCD crisis shows it is possible to bridge these divides, even with politicians. But of course the World Bank, DFAT and other DPs had to work very hard with member governments to get this to happen.

A fair bit more money wouldn't go astray either Kris given that global official development assistance for health averages only around US$7.50 per person for people in LIC and LMIC countries.

I guess that the results could of been better. But considering that this is a new tool added to their economy, we can consider it as a promising start. I am sure taht once they get more experience, they will get better results. Does anyone share the same opinion? I would be nice if we could have similar recent situations to compare to.

Thanks for your comments Paul. I particularly like your idea that costs associated with gender-based violence could be considered in the World Bank's Doing Business indicators. (Although, as you point out, these focus on the regulatory environment). I agree that more studies and more hard data will be helpful. Hopefully it was eye-opening for the three firms involved in the study.

Very good post. The analysis of the Mongolia experience has high relevance for Papua New Guinea. My understanding is that your analysis clearly shows the limits of the 'resources to cash policy' and particularly the need to pay more attention to building national institutions for the longer-term, I agree with this. I would add however that it is vital to get the balance right during this phase of a country's development between institution strengthening/building and practical ways in which the majority of citizens, especially the most vulnerable, can begin to feel the practical value of this strategy through improvements in their well-being. This is important for generating and maintaining political support for the policy.