World Bank: Governance has improved

In Costa Rica and Botswana, governance is better than in Italy or Greece. That is the conclusion reached by the World Bank in its 6th report on the quality of governance worldwide, which was published in July. The study analyses advances and setbacks in governance since 1996. According to its findings, the standard of government work and political structures has risen, in particular, in a number of African countries. Kenya, Niger and Sierra Leone are singled out for significant progress on democratisation, Algeria and Libya get marks for rule of law. The research results show that better living conditions are a consequence of better governance, and not vice versa, the report says. Places where setbacks have occurred in recent years include Côte d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Belarus and Venezuela. The World Bank study encompasses 212 countries and territories and is based on 33 data sources.