International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, better known as The World Bank, is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance. Its main purpose is to help the poorest groups in the population and the poorest countries. The World Bank helps developing countries fight poverty and achieve stable, sustainable and equitable economic growth.

The World Bank was founded in 1945 with the primary mission of helping Western Europe recover from World War II. Following the rebuilding and rebuilding of Europe, the scope of the World Bank's activities shifted to providing support to developing countries. In the 1950s It turned out that poor developing countries cannot afford to borrow the funds necessary for the development of their economies on the terms of the World Bank and need to soften credit conditions. Thus, in 1960, the International Development Association (IDA) was created as part of the World Bank, which provides interest-free loans. IDA funds come from contributions from rich countries, as well as repayments of previously issued loans.

Currently, the World Bank includes 184 states. The headquarters is located in Washington, USA.

Over the years of presence in the global economy and social sphere, the priorities of the World Bank have undergone significant changes. In 1980, 21% of the Bank's loans were invested in the electricity sector. Today this figure is only about 7%. At the same time, the amount of resources directly allocated to support the development of health care, education, pensions and other social services has increased from 5% in 1980 to 22% today. The World Bank, with 184 member countries, has taken a new approach to development by addressing new challenges, including gender development, community-led development, indigenous peoples' issues, and efforts to build life-saving infrastructure for the poor.

Organizational structure of the World Bank

The World Bank Group is made up of five closely related institutions owned by member countries. Each of these institutions plays a specific role in tackling poverty and raising the standard of living of the population. The World Bank conducts its business through Vice Presidential Departments (VPDs) dedicated to specific regions or sectors or to fighting poverty and promoting economic development.

The World Bank is run as a kind of cooperative society, whose shareholders are the member countries of this organization. The number of shares in each of the countries is approximately calculated depending on the size of the economy. The largest shareholder is the United States (16.41 percent of shares), followed by Japan (7.78 percent), Germany (4.49 percent), the United Kingdom (4.31 percent) and France (4.31 percent). The remaining shares are distributed among the remaining Member States.

The member countries of the World Bank are represented by the Board of Governors. Typically, the governors are government officials, such as the Minister of Finance or the Minister of Development. The Board of Governors is the highest policy-making body of the Bank. The Board meets once a year during the Annual Meetings of the Bank. Since these ministers meet only once a year, specific powers are delegated to executive directors based directly at the Bank's headquarters. Each member country of the World Bank Group is represented by an Executive Director. The five Executive Directors are nominated by the five largest shareholding Member States—the United States, Japan, Germany, France and the United Kingdom—and the remaining Member States are represented by 19 Executive Directors.

By tradition, the President of the World Bank is a citizen of the United States, which is the largest shareholder of the Bank. The President is elected for a five-year term and is eligible for re-election, chairs meetings of the Board of Directors, and is responsible for the overall direction of the Bank's business. The current President of the World Bank is Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, who took office in June 2005.

The Bank employs about 10,000 people, including economists, engineers, specialists in education, as well as in such areas as ecology, the financial analysis, anthropology, and many others. The Bank's employees are citizens of 160 countries, and more than 3,000 people work in permanent representations of the Bank in member countries.

Areas of activity of the World Bank

1. The World Bank is the largest international source of funding for education

Since 1963, when education funding was launched, the World Bank has provided about $31 billion in loans and credits and is currently funding 158 education projects in 83 countries. The Bank works closely with national governments, UN agencies, donors, nongovernmental organizations and other partners to help developing countries reach the goal of universal education. The goal is that by 2015, all children, especially girls and children from low-income families, are enrolled in primary school and have the opportunity to complete primary education. A good example of the Bank's education loans is India's Neighborhood School Primary Education Program, which focuses on girls in areas where the female literacy rate is below the national average. To date, the program, with up to $1.3 billion in Bank funding, has reached more than 60 million students in 271 low literacy areas in 18 of India's 29 states. Bank-financed projects in Brazil, El Salvador, and Trinidad and Tobago focus on strengthening the role of local communities in improving the quality of education by enabling local communities to evaluate the performance of local schools and teachers.

2. The World Bank is the largest international source of funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS

Every day, 14,000 people become carriers of the HIV virus; and half of them are people aged 15 to 24 years. HIV/AIDS is rapidly reversing many of the gains made by developing countries over the past 50 years in the social economic development. Working with the United Nations program UNAIDS, which coordinates the global response to the epidemic, the World Bank has committed more than $1.7 billion to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide. The Bank assured countries that no country that developed an effective HIV/AIDS strategy would be left without funding and, together with African governments, developed and launched regional program Combating HIV/AIDS (MAP), which allocates significant amounts of money to civil society organizations and local communities.

Many countries have developed qualitatively new approaches to combating the spread of HIV/AIDS, which are now being adopted by other countries and adapted to local conditions. In 2002, MAP provided African countries with $1 billion to help scale up national prevention, treatment and care programs. In addition, the Bank has committed $155 million to the Caribbean for HIV/AIDS and continues to support programs in this area in other regions.

3. The World Bank is one of the largest international sources of funding for health programs

Providing basic health care and nutrition to the poor is critical to reducing poverty and promoting economic growth. Despite significant progress made by many countries over the past few decades, challenges remain. Of the 11 million children who die each year in developing countries, about 70 percent die from infectious diseases (such as pneumonia, malaria, diarrhoea, measles and HIV/AIDS) and malnutrition. The World Bank disburses an average of $1 billion annually in new loans to fund projects in developing countries related to health, nutrition, and population. Bank funding is helping fight malaria in 46 countries and tuberculosis in 30 countries. In China, the Bank has helped provide more than 90 percent of families with iodized salt, which has contributed to a significant reduction in miscarriages and stillbirths, physical deformities and mental retardation, problems resulting from iodine deficiency. In addition, in Senegal, the Bank helps mothers prevent and address child malnutrition and promotes integrated preventive and curative measures.

4. The World Bank strongly supports debt relief

In 1996, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, the first comprehensive approach to debt relief for the world's poorest countries with most indebted. Currently, 26 countries are receiving debt relief assistance, and this assistance is projected to reach $40 billion over time. Combined with other debt relief mechanisms, the HIPC Initiative will reduce the external debt of these countries by two-thirds, to levels well below the average for all developing countries. As part of this initiative, countries are trying to refocus their budgetary priorities on the critical areas of social development and human resource development. For example, Rwanda has set targets for increasing the number of children enrolled in primary school and for the recruitment of teachers. Honduras plans to provide maternal and child health and basic health care to at least 100,000 people in poor communities. In Cameroon, resources are being used to improve the effectiveness of the fight against HIV/AIDS, in particular by educating populations at risk high risk, the importance of using condoms.

5. The World Bank is one of the largest international sources of funding for biodiversity conservation programs

Since 1988, the Bank has become one of the largest international sources of funding for biodiversity conservation projects. While the loss of biodiversity is a global problem, it is the population that suffers first rural areas in developing countries, because it is most dependent on the environment for food, shelter, medicine, livelihood, work, and the cultural identity of the local population. That is why the World Bank is partnering with Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the MacArthur Foundation and the Government of Japan to create a fund that will help better protect biodiversity hotspots in developing countries. These most threatened regions, which cover only 1.4 percent of the earth's surface, are home to about 60 percent of all terrestrial species. Addressing environmental issues is an integral part of the Bank's strategy to reduce poverty. In addition to assessing potential environmental impacts and taking precautionary measures, the new strategy focuses on climate change, the conservation of forest and water resources and biodiversity. The World Bank's portfolio of projects with environmental targets currently stands at $14 billion.

6. The World Bank is more engaged than ever with its partners

Over the past six years, the World Bank has been working with a wide range of partners in the fight against global poverty, such as the World Wildlife Fund to conserve forests, and the public and private sectors to create a Prototype Carbon Fund that will help mitigate the effects of global warming. In addition, the Bank partners with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to sponsor the highly acclaimed Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, which uses the latest science to fight malnutrition and reduce poverty, improve nutrition and the state of public health and environmental protection.

Through the Advisory Group on Assistance to the Poorest (CGAP), the World Bank works with donors and international financial institutions to empower microfinance institutions to provide financial services to the poorest people. Thanks to the efforts of the partnership to fight onchocerciasis (“river blindness”), more than 600,000 cases of the disease have been prevented, 25 million hectares of land have been freed up for cultivation, and more than 22 million people are cured of the disease every year.

7. The World Bank plays a leading role in the fight against corruption globally

Corruption is one of the problems hindering development: it further worsens the situation of the poor, depriving public resources of those groups of the population who need them most. Since 1996, the Bank has implemented 600 anti-corruption programs and governance initiatives in nearly 100 client countries. These initiatives range from government officials filling out declarations showing their income, property and origin, to upgrading the skills of judges and training journalists in investigative journalism. At present, almost one-quarter of all new projects include components related to public spending and financial reform. More importantly, the Bank's commitment to eradicating corruption has spurred a truly global fight against corruption. The World Bank is committed to fully integrating efforts to improve governance and fight corruption into planning and operations. In addition, the Bank is committed to making efforts to eliminate any opportunity for corruption in the projects it finances. Over the past four years, the Bank has established strict procurement rules and procedures, anti-corruption principles and opened an anonymous “ hotline”, which can be used to report facts of corruption. As of July 2002, 77 firms and individuals were declared by the Bank ineligible to enter into contracts for Bank-financed projects.

8. Civil Society Plays an Increasingly Important Role at the World Bank

More than two-thirds of the development projects approved by the Bank last fiscal year are implemented with the active participation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and most of the country assistance strategies were developed by the Bank in consultation with civil society. The Bank's staff currently work in 70 of the organization's offices around the world, interacting with the public and NGOs in areas ranging from education and HIV/AIDS to environmental protection. In South Asia, the Bank is consulting with civil society on gender development strategies, in Eastern Europe, civil society organizations are being consulted on assistance to address the effects of armed conflict and improve governance, and in Latin America, opportunities are being discussed through reform , and the social consequences of the reform. One notable example of civil society involvement in Bank projects is Timor Leste, where the Community Empowerment and Local Governance Project supports democratically elected local village councils that include young people, women, religious and farmer groups and repairing roads, providing drinking water to the population and reopening economic activities through community-led projects at the local level.

9. The World Bank helps countries emerging from armed conflict

The Bank currently works in 40 countries affected by armed conflict, supporting international efforts to help affected populations, restore peaceful development and prevent new outbreaks of violence. In doing so, the Bank is working on a range of challenges, such as reopening economic activity, investing in war-torn regions, rebuilding war-damaged infrastructure, and targeting programs to focus primarily on the most vulnerable groups such as widows and children. In addition, the Bank supports efforts to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate former members of armed groups into civilian life, as well as initiatives to detect mines and warn the population of their presence. Large-scale and groundbreaking projects financed by the Bank include infrastructure reconstruction and local empowerment in Afghanistan, re-education of street children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local development projects in southern Serbia, training of new civil servants in East Timor, and programs in Haiti , the purpose of which is to achieve public consent and which are implemented with the participation of citizens of the country.

10. The World Bank is responsive to the needs of the poor

Interviews with 60,000 poor people in 60 countries, as well as the experience of our daily work, have taught us that poverty is more than income inequality or low growth rates. community development. Poverty is when the poor do not have the opportunity to express their opinion, being deprived of the right to vote, or the ability to defend their interests, when they are not protected from abuse and corruption. Poverty is the absence of elementary freedoms, such as freedom of action, freedom of choice, lack of opportunity. We believe that a person living in poverty should not be treated as a burden or a liability, but as a productive asset that can contribute more than anyone else to the eradication of poverty. A socio-economic empowerment approach to poverty reduction puts the poor at the center of the development process and creates an environment that empowers poor men and women to take charge of their lives, provide them with access to information, and enable them to engage the poor in development and ensure its active participation in the process, ensuring accountability and capacity building in the field. The Bank currently finances community-driven development projects with more than $2.2 billion in funding. In Indonesia, 15,000 villages and communities are putting together their own proposals for local funding, while in Benin, women are joining forces to protect forests so they can be used as a source of income, not just fuel.

The world's most influential organization is the World Bank. What is it like, who manages it, which countries does it provide financial assistance to and on what terms, and what does the World Bank do in Russia?

The History of the World Bank

An organization with the name International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), just like the IMF, was created by decision of the Bretton Woods Conference to discuss the economic structure of the new world after World War II and held in July 1944 in the United States. We can say that today the World Bank is a global financial and political instrument.

Formally established on December 27, 1945, the IBRD made its first $250 million loan only under a second president named John McCloy, who served from March 17, 1947 to July 1, 1949. The borrower was France, and prerequisite lending - the non-participation of the Communists in the coalition government of the country.

Subsequently, the International Bank actively provided loans to Japan and Western European countries, which were rebuilding their economies after the war under the Marshall Plan. Over time, the World Bank Group was formed from several organizations solving various problems. All organizations are headquartered in Washington DC.

Further milestones in history:

• 1960 - Establishment of the International Development Association;
• 1968-1980 - increase in the volume and expansion of the structure of loans to developing countries;
• 1980-1989 - lending to the economies of the third world, aimed at their development, with a reduction in loans for government social spending;
• since 1989 - further expansion of the range of loans for a variety of purposes

In 2007, the bank provided $23.6 billion in loans and credits to developing countries.

Structure of the World Bank

World Bank Group

The World Bank Group currently consists of 5 structures:

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) - provides financing in the form of loans from middle-income countries and creditworthy member states;

1. International Development Association (IDA) - gives grants and interest-free loans to the governments of the poorest countries;
2. International Finance Corporation (IFC) - lends exclusively to private companies;
3. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) - attracts foreign direct investment in developing countries by providing guarantees to investors and creditors that serve as insurance against political risks;

International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - deals with the resolution of disputes related to foreign investment

At the same time, the concept of "World Bank", unlike the group, refers only to its constituent IBRD and IDA.

IBRD management

The supreme governing body is the Board of Governors, which meets once a year as part of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The Board of Governors is composed of one representative each from 189 participating countries. The number of votes of each of them depends on the share in the capital of the bank. The following hierarchical structure is the Coordinating Committee:

The current activities are managed by the Board of Directors located at the headquarters, 20 of whose members represent groups of member countries, 5 are the largest shareholders:

1. USA (16.4% of shares);

2. Japan (7.9% of shares);

3. Germany (4.5% of shares);

4. Great Britain (4.3% of shares);

5. France (4.3% stake)

The president chairs the meetings of the Board of Directors and heads the general management of the bank, who is elected for a 5-year term by the Board of Governors. Since 2012, the presidency has been occupied by Jim Yong Kim, re-elected in 2017 - like all predecessors, a US citizen. The total number of employees of the International Bank is almost 12,000 people, about 60% work in the USA.

Organization membership

The condition for membership in the IBRD is the entry of the participating country into the IMF. In turn, to become a member of any other organization of the World Bank Group, the country must first enter the IBRD.

Today, 189 states are members of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and 173 of the International Development Association.

Goals and functions of the IBRD

The main directions of the World Bank:

• financing of state programs for development and reconstruction;
• helping the poorest countries, fighting hunger and poverty;
• encouraging and supporting global partnerships;
• mat. promotion of sustainable development of the environment;
• improving maternal and child health, combating HIV/AIDS and mass infectious diseases

IBRD and IDA finance projects in a wide variety of areas in the form of:

• low interest loans;
• long-term interest-free loans;
• grants

The bank's funds consist of capital accumulated over many years and replenished by contributions from member countries, as well as proceeds from the sale of bank bonds.

Last year, 2017, according to annual accounts Bank, IBRD provided $17,861 million, and IDA - $12,668 million. As for the regions, funds were distributed fairly evenly: 23% of funds were sent to Africa (although $6,623 million was allocated from IDA, and only 427 from IBRD), in South Asia - 18%, East Asia and the Pacific - 17%.

In fiscal 2017, IBRD raised the equivalent of $56 billion by issuing bonds in 24 currencies. According to Standard & Poor's, bonds have the highest reliability rating. Therefore, such bonds are suitable not only for corporations, but also for traditionally cautious insurance companies and pension funds.

At the same time, IDA is financed to a large extent by contributions from partner countries from among developed countries and middle-income countries. In addition, part of the money comes from the income of the IBRD. Since 2016, IDA has had the highest credit rating.

In addition to funding public and private sector projects, the organization provides advisory and analytical services to developing countries. The official website of the bank worldbank.org publishes data from the World Bank on the state of the economy, education, healthcare and other aspects of the development of the participating countries.

World Bank in Russia

Russia joined four of the five structures of the World Bank Group in 1992. The share of the Russian Federation in the capital of the IBRD today is 2.98%. The head of the Ministry of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin represents the country in the Board of Governors of the World Bank.

In July 2014, due to sanctions imposed on Russia, the country's receipt of new funding was suspended. However, the Program of State External Borrowings of the Russian Federation in the World Bank and at the moment consists of 16 projects for a total of $2 billion.

In addition, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the World Bank in Russia has a portfolio of 6 projects for a total of $435 million in loans.

Criticism of the International Bank

The International Bank is often accused of doing the same as the International Monetary Fund - lending to developing countries, imposing certain restrictions on them and demanding reforms that drive states into credit bondage.

One of the World Bank's VIP critics, Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, who at one time worked in the organization as the chief economist and knows it from the inside, proves that IBRD programs do not ensure the sustainable development of third world countries. The expert notes that while Russia followed the recommendations of the World Bank, the real incomes of citizens in the country fell, and China, ignoring the opinion of the United States, in the meantime achieved economic growth.

Growth was supported by easier access to loans, faster access to electricity, facilitation of international trade, and procedures for registering property. Over the past four years, Russia has risen in the ranking by 65 positions.

“If last year we had a somewhat negative trend, this year we managed to reverse the trend, and the rating for Russia has grown significantly,” Maxim Oreshkin.

In 2016, the compilers of the rating updated the calculation methodology, introducing confusion. In 2015, Russia was ranked 51st in the Doing Business rating, or 36th according to the new methodology, in 2016 it was 40th, down four positions. This time there can be no misunderstandings - a net increase of five positions.

The World Bank's Doing Business Consolidated Ranking includes countries' performance on a number of parameters, the totality of which demonstrates the ease of starting and doing business in each country. The ranking includes 190 states, the position of which depends on indicators of more than a dozen sub-indices: starting a business, obtaining a building permit, connecting to electricity networks, accessing loans, registering property, etc. The ranking helps countries focus on areas where they have identified shortcomings, and investors to determine in which country it will be more profitable to invest their money.

Where rushed

A key indicator of growth is the ease of access to loans for entrepreneurs. In this direction, the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) implemented several programs at once during the year. For example, "Six and a half" - a program developed by the Ministry of Economic Development in conjunction with and implemented by the federal corporation for the development of small and medium-sized businesses. The success of the "Six and a Half" is largely the personal merit of the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin.

“Russia has entered the top 10 countries in the world in terms of connecting to networks and in the top 30 in terms of registering property, executing contracts, registering enterprises and lending,” the minister said at a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with members of the government.

Through the Six and a Half program, entrepreneurs can take soft loans at a rate of 10.6 percent per annum (for small businesses) and 9.6 percent for medium businesses. Banks participating in the Six and a Half program get the opportunity to refinance at the Bank of Russia at a rate of 6.5 percent per annum - hence the name of this program. 45 banks participate in Six and a Half, including largest banks countries.

World Bank experts note an improvement in the situation with international trade. In many ways, the growth in this indicator is due to the launch of a new port in the Gulf of Finland, which increased competition in the market and reduced the cost of customs clearance in the Big Port of St. Petersburg.

Photo: Dmitry Azarov / Kommersant

The third important factor is a significant simplification of the property registration process. According to this sub-index, Russia took 12th place out of 190, and the total waiting time for registering property decreased from 52 days in 2004 (it was then that the World Bank included this sub-index in the ranking) to 13 days. (a subordinate body of the Ministry of Economic Development), which formalizes the rights to property, posted on its website a list of documents necessary for registering property, opened a hotline. This allowed to significantly reduce the registration time: for example, in Moscow and St. Petersburg - up to 7 days.

In addition, the Ministry of Economic Development is implementing the project "Improving the Efficiency of Rosreestr": a bonus system is being introduced in the department in order to reduce corruption risks. The Ministry of Economic Development also plans to eliminate legislative obstacles that hinder the work of the department.

Consistently high positions of Russia in the sub-index "access to power grids" - 10th place out of 190 countries. World Bank experts note the reliability of power grids, the transparency of the established tariff and its low cost. “To connect electricity in Russia, you will have to go through only three procedures, compared to five on average in the world,” the report says. It takes 80 days to connect an enterprise to the network, which is the average among countries (OECD).

Russia also has a high result in terms of the “enforcement of contracts” indicator. These are the procedures, the time spent and the costs involved in debt litigation. Russia here took 18th place in the world. WB experts note the speed of making decisions, which is largely determined by the progressive electronic judicial system. According to WB estimates, the average commercial litigation in Russia lasts about 337 days, compared to 578 days in OECD countries. The cost of litigation in Russia is significantly lower than in OECD countries. The average size arbitration claim in Russia is 1.075 million rubles, and the cost of litigation does not exceed 15 percent of the average claim, that is, about 162 thousand rubles, which is one and a half times less than the same indicator among OECD countries.

Photo: Evgeny Pavlenko / Kommersant

Finally, according to the World Bank, you can now start your own business in Russia in just 10 days using four procedures. According to this indicator, Russia ranks 28th in the Doing Business ranking. For comparison, 15 years ago, starting a business in Russia required nine procedures and 43 days. The cost of all these procedures has decreased by 12 times.

Where sank

Difficulties, according to WB analysts, in Russia are still observed with a building permit. As an example, the World Bank cites the need to obtain government approval for the construction of a warehouse - it will take 50 percent more time than the world average, but this is also a big step forward. In six years, the term was reduced by half. To obtain a building permit in Russia, you will need to go through 15 procedures and spend an average of 231 days, compared to 12.5 procedures in 155 days in OECD countries.

“At the same time, there are areas where we still look very bad. For example, obtaining a building permit, here we have 115th place, and international trade, where we occupy the 100th position,” Oreshkin admits.

Photo: Mikhail Voskresensky / RIA Novosti

Indeed, despite a number of successful measures, including the modernization of the customs infrastructure, the introduction of electronic document management, the cost of processing customs documents is still high. The average time to export a product is 72 hours versus 12.7 hours in OECD countries. Export and import costs in Russia are also several times higher than those of the OECD. For example, the customs duty on imports in Russia is $400, while in OECD countries it is $111.6.

Negative dynamics is observed in the "taxation" sub-index. According to this indicator, Russia dropped by seven positions and took 51st place among 190 economies. During the year, an entrepreneur will pay seven types of taxes (versus 11 in OECD countries), but will spend an average of 168 hours on it, compared to 161 hours in the OECD. The share of taxes as a percentage of income in Russia is also higher - 47.6 percent versus 40.1 percent in the OECD.

Neighbors and rating leaders

France, Holland, Switzerland and Japan became new competitors and at the same time neighbors of Russia in the Doing Business ranking. Among major European economies, Russia has overtaken Belgium and Italy. Russia also surpassed all its partners in the unification: Brazil was in 125th place, India took 100th position, China - 78th, South Africa - 82nd.

At the bottom of the ranking are Somalia, Eritrea, Venezuela, South Sudan and Yemen. The most optimal country for doing business experts of the World Bank is New Zealand. In second place - Singapore, in third - Denmark. In fourth position is South Korea, which managed to bypass Hong Kong. The top ten also includes the USA, Great Britain, Norway, Georgia and Sweden.

New Frontiers

During a meeting with the President of Russia, Maxim Oreshkin stressed that the rating is not an end in itself, it helps countries to realize where they have identified problems and help with their solution. The main task of the Ministry of Economic Development is to create favorable conditions for investment and doing business in Russia, and the department already has a recipe for how to do this.

“The bill that was prepared by our ministry has passed zero reading in the parliament and is being prepared for approval by the government. the main task within the framework of this bill, it is a transition from the principle of punishment to the principle of prevention and the creation of smart risk assessment systems,” the minister said. A paradigm shift in the control and oversight bodies, according to Oreshkin, is the second main goal for the near future.

The Ministry of Economic Development is responsible for the growth of the Russian economy. Maxim Oreshkin headed the department on November 30, 2016. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Minister of Finance. According to the latest forecasts, in 2017 Russian GDP will rise by 2.1 percent.

To improve the business climate in Russia, it is necessary to extrapolate successful cases and practices from federal centers and large cities throughout Russia. In this direction, the MED together with (ASI) continues to work actively, despite the progress already made. As an example, we can cite a program to increase labor productivity, which the Ministry of Economic Development is implementing jointly with. During the meeting, the head of the department said that within the framework of this program, 500 million rubles would be allocated from the budget. The program will be implemented during 2018-2020, six regions are participating in the pilot project.

Finally, according to Oreshkin, it's time for Russia to abandon the tilt towards technical procedures and shift the focus to the development of human capital - the main factor in the competitiveness of the economy in the 21st century.

Russia has come close to the top 10 economies in the world in terms of GDP, according to new data from the World Bank. In terms of GDP, taking into account purchasing power parity (benchmark of the May decree), Russia remains outside the top five

Photo: Vitaly Ankov / RIA Novosti

Russia overtook South Korea and rose from 12th to 11th place in the ranking of economies by GDP in 2017, according to updated data from the World Bank. For the year, Russian GDP in dollar terms in current prices increased by almost $300 billion, from $1.28 trillion to $1.58 trillion. South Korea's GDP rose from $1.41 trillion to $1.53 trillion.

Russia in this list is far ahead of its three BRICS partners - China (2nd), India (6th) and Brazil (8th), Brazil is the closest with a margin of $478 billion.

In the top 10 economies, there were only two changes: India overtook France to sixth place, and Brazil overtook Italy to eighth ( see infographic).

The World Bank relies on official Rosstat data, which includes Crimea and Sevastopol. “Based on these data, the World Bank does not intend to make any judgments regarding the legal or other status of the affected areas,” the institute said. In 2016 (latest available data), the total GRP of Crimea and Sevastopol amounted to approximately 380 billion rubles, or $6 billion at the current exchange rate.

Fight for a place in the top five

More suitable for international comparisons is GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP, equalizes purchasing power currencies different countries). It is by this indicator that Russia should enter the top five countries by 2024, Vladimir Putin. By September 1, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Finance were instructed to develop a plan to fulfill this task.

At the end of 2017, Russia increased its GDP at PPP at current prices from $3.64 trillion to $3.75 trillion, according to the World Bank data, but remained, like a year ago, in sixth place. Fifth is Germany, behind which Russia is $445 billion behind.

The lag behind Germany is 4-5%, the task is to ensure that over the next six years the growth of the Russian economy by 4% exceeds the growth of Germany, in May the Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin. “The German economy is not an economy that is growing at a superfast pace. Therefore, we must, of course, show higher rates of economic development and bypass it in this rating,” the minister said.

According to Rosstat, Russia's GDP grew by 1.5% in 2017. This estimate can be improved by 0.3 p.p. due to the recent revision by Rosstat of the dynamics industrial production per last year, reported the Ministry of Economic Development on July 12. In 2018, GDP growth will be 1.9%, in 2019 - 1.4%, and from the latest macro forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development. The agency updated it, taking into account the April expansion of US anti-Russian sanctions, the tasks set by the May decree, as well as the increase in the VAT rate from 2019, which will lead to an additional increase in prices.

4 indicators for waste,

Use of transport.

A minimum list of basic indicators is offered to countries for testing and preparation of national programs.

An example of the structure of the system of indicators "topic - subtopic - indicator" for Russia is given in section 2.1.5., Table 3.

2.1.2. System of environmental indicators of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The system of environmental indicators of the OECD has received wide recognition in the world. Members of this organization are 30 economically developed states of Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific region (Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Australia, Canada, USA, Mexico, Poland, etc.).

OECD countries have been developing an environmental indicator program since 1990 based on the following requirements:

Harmonization of terminology and conceptual frameworks common to OECD countries;

Identification and definitions of indicators according to the following criteria.

The criteria for selecting indicators are:

1) relevance to the policy being implemented,

2) measurement of these indicators in most countries,

3) their regular use in analytical reviews and studies on the environment.

Indicators are used for three main purposes: to monitor progress in environmental indicators; better integration of environmental interests into sectoral policies; better integration of environmental interests into economic policy.

The types of OECD indicators and their scope are shown in fig. one.

Rice. 1. Types and scope of indicators of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

It is expected that the OECD indicator system will provide an opportunity to clarify the links between the state of the economy and environmental protection, which will increase public awareness and contribute to the implementation of integrated policies.

The OECD indicators are based on the PDS (pressure-state-response) model. The DSR model (Fig. 2) reveals causal relationships between economic activity and environmental and social conditions and helps decision-makers and the public to see the interrelationships between these areas and develop policies to address emerging issues. Therefore, it is a mechanism for selecting and organizing indicators in a convenient form. However, this does not mean ignoring the more complex relationships in ecosystems, as well as economic-environmental and socio-ecological relationships.

Treatment of natural and waste water" href="/text/category/ochistka_estestvennih_i_stokovih_vod/" rel="bookmark">waste water treatment, changes in agricultural productivity of arable land. Impact indicators also include temporal parameters and indices of impact on aspects of human well-being. Widely known examples are the gross national product (GNP), the human development index (HDI), which is an indicator of the quality of life.

Response indicators reflect the reaction of society to environmental problems. They are associated with collective and individual actions and reactions aimed at mitigating, adapting or preventing the negative impact on the environment caused by human activities, or to preserve nature and natural resources. Examples of indicators of public response are: environmental spending, environmental taxes and subsidies, pricing structure, market share of environmentally friendly goods and services, pollution reduction rate, level of product recycling.

The OECD DSR model has formed the basis of many other indicator systems, in particular Eurostat's European Impact Indicators. OECD environmental indicators are regularly used in environmental reviews and other analytical work; they can be used to monitor the process of integrating economic and environmental decision-making, analyze environmental policy and evaluate environmental performance. In addition, they are used in the wider OECD program on sustainable development indicators.

2.1.3 Indicator system for improving environmental management in Central America.

The system of indicators developed to improve environmental management is built in the same way as in the OECD scheme, (i.e. using the same four types of indicators: pressure, state, impact, response) built in Central America (“Developing indicators. Experience from Central America” The World Bank, UNEP, CIAT 2000). The research was carried out by the World Bank in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Distinctive feature project - the presentation of indicators in the form of geographic information systems, which makes the material more visual and facilitates planning and decision-making. The indicators reflect all spheres of society's functioning: economic, environmental, social, environmental-economic, socio-economic, socio-ecological, and their interaction. To fit the institutional structure, the indicators are organized by major development issues - land use, deforestation, fresh water consumption, infrastructure, natural disasters.

The analysis is carried out in three stages: the use of indices, then basic indicators, and finally additional indicators. In total, 11 indices, 68 basic indicators and 114 additional indicators were identified, which should contribute to the analysis for decision-making. Indexes fix the problem and the need for further analysis.

Land - land use index.

Forests - risk index for forests.

Water - index of vulnerability of water resources.

Biodiversity - the degree of land development.

Marine and coastal resources - risk index for coastal areas.

Atmosphere - an index of greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy is the use of electricity per capita.

Social Development - Human Development Index (HDI).

Economic development - GDP per capita.

Infrastructure - reachability index.

Natural Disasters - Climate Risk Index.

The proposed indexes are used in various studies, in particular, in the annual report of the World Resources Institute (World Resources Institute). The indices are built on a compilation of information on each of the identified problems and objects, such as the HDI, which reflects life expectancy, educational level and income.

The selection of indicators has also been tested for the forestry sector in Central America.

2.1.4 World Bank World Development Indicators

The World Bank can be called the world leader in sustainable development indicators. The World Bank's annual report "The World Development Indicators" makes it possible to evaluate progress towards the goals set by the UN - economic growth and the fight against poverty. The indicators are grouped into 6 sections:

· population,

· environment,

· economy,

· state,

The key characteristics of the general section used to determine the specific indicators in all other sections are population, territory and GDP. All indicators are presented in dynamics since 1980, which makes it possible to analyze long-term world economic trends.

To study and compare the development of the countries of the world, information is analyzed on more than 550 indicators. From the data of the latest report, we can conclude that the beginning of overcoming the global financial crisis 1997 and the lack of progress in reducing poverty in most regions of the world.

Based on the World Development Indicators, since 2000 the World Bank has been issuing a brief "green" reference book ("The Little Green Data Book"). Indicators from the World Bank green guide for Russian Federation for 2000 are given in section 2.1.5.

2.1.5 Systems of indicators of sustainable development for Russia.

The system of indicators "topic - subtopic - indicator" for Russia is shown in Table 2. A total of 42 indicators have been identified, of which the vast majority are calculated on the basis of official statistics and a small part is based on departmental information (Roshydromet) and one-time surveys and assessments.

Table2

Basic indicators of sustainable development

Topic	Subtopic	Indicator
Atmosphere	Changing of the climate	1. СО2 emission from fossil fuel consumption (Roshydromet data)
2. Emission of greenhouse gases
Air quality	3. Concentrations of priority air pollutants in urban areas (Roshydromet data)
4. Emission of harmful substances, total and by hazard class
	Agriculture	5. Agricultural land
	6. Use of mineral fertilizers
	7. Use of pesticides
		8. Forested area, in % of the total land area
	10. Intensity of deforestation (use of AAC)
	Land desertification	11. Lands subjected to desertification ( regional estimates, one-time estimates)
	Urbanization	12. Lands of settlements
	13. Lands of industry, transport and other non-agricultural purposes
	Fishing	14. Annual catch of the most important species in the main basins
Fresh water	Amount of water	15. Annual abstraction of ground and surface water, in % of total available water
16. The volume of recycled and consistently used water as a percentage of the water intake from water sources
Water quality	17. Discharge of polluted wastewater into surface water bodies
18. Discharge of pollutants into surface water bodies
Biodiversity	ecosystems	19. Lands of specially protected natural areas (reserves and national parks)
20. Protected areas, in % of the total area
	21. Availability of major selected species (one-off estimates)
Economic structure	Economic indicators/ results	22. GDP per capita
23. Share of investment in GDP
24. Capital renewal ratio
25. Labor productivity
26. "True savings" (assessment)
Trade	27. Balance of trade in goods and services
Financial position	28. Share of debt in GNP
29. Inflation rate
Consumption and production patterns	Material consumption	30. Intensity of use of materials (material consumption)
	Energy use	31. Annual energy consumption per capita
	32. Share of renewable energy sources
	33. Intensity of energy use (energy intensity)
	Education and waste management	34. Generation of toxic waste (by class)
	35. Use and disposal of toxic waste
	Transport	36. Number of cars per 1000 population
	The level of well-being of the population	Employment
	Income distribution
	39. Population with money income below living wage
		40. Provision of the population with housing
	41. Specific gravity number of families registered for housing
	recreation	42. Children's health institutions

Source:

The World Bank indicators from the quick green guide for the Russian Federation are presented in Table 3.

Table 3

Indicators for the Russian Federation from the World Bank Green Brief, 2006

Russian Federation
Indicator name	Meaning
Population, mln.
Urban population (% of total)
GDP, billion dollars
GDP per capita, Atlas method (USD)
Agriculture
Land area (1000 km2)
Agricultural land (% of total area)
Irrigated land (in % of land under crops)
Use of fertilizers (100 g per 1 ha of arable land)
Population density, rural (persons per km2 of arable land)
Forests and biodiversity
Forest area (in % of total land area)
Annual deforestation (% change)
National protected areas, in % of land area
Mammals, all species
Mammals, endangered species
Birds, all species
Birds, endangered species
GEF Biodiversity Economic Impact Index (0-100)
Energy
GDP per unit of energy used (PPP (2000) per unit equivalent)
Commercial energy supplies per capita (in kg of oil equivalent)
Energy from renewable fuels and waste (% of total)
Net energy imports (in % of commercial use)
Electricity use per capita (kW)
Emissions and pollution
CO2 emissions per unit of GDP (kg per GDP PPP (2000) in USD)
CO2 emissions per capita (megatons)
Suspended particles in large cities (mg/m3)
Passenger cars (per 1 thousand population)
Fresh water reserves per capita (m3)
Fresh water consumption
Total (% of fresh water reserves)
Access to treated water sources (% of total population)
in cities (in % of the urban population)
in rural areas (in % of the rural population)
in cities (in % of the urban population)
Environment and health
The incidence of acute respiratory infections (% of children under 5 years old)
Incidence of diarrhea (% of children under 5)
Mortality of children under 5 years of age (per 1000 births)
Macroeconomic indicators
Gross Domestic Savings (in % of GDP)
Consumption of fixed capital (in % of GDP)
Expenditure on education (in % of GDP)
Depletion of energy resources (in % of GDP)
Depletion of mineral resources (in % of GDP)
Net depletion of forest resources (in % of GDP)
Damage from CO2 emissions (in % of GDP)
True (domestic) savings (in % of GDP)