The Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics brings together the worldÂ’s leading development policy scholars and practitioners to discuss state-of-the art thinking on vital issues facing developing and industrial countries and to revisit matters of long-standing concern. The conference is dedicated to the principle that economic science and the promotion of research, dissemination, and dialogue in economics and related fields can improve the prospects for growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. By providing a forum for discussing and disseminating cutting-edge research, the conference contributes to the global debate on development and offers an opportunity to examine lessons of experience for policy. To advance these goals, conference participations come form a broad range of academic disciplines and policy making institutions in both developing and industrial countries.