This study brings readers up to date on the complicated and
controversial subject of debt relief for the poorest countries of the
world. What has actually been achieved? Has debt relief provided truly
additional resources to fight poverty? How will the design and timing of
the "enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative" affect
the development prospects of the world's poorest countries and their
people? The study then moves on to address several broader policy
questions: Is debt relief a step toward more efficient and equitable
government spending, building better institutions, and attracting
productive private investment in the poorest countries? Who pays for
debt relief? Is there a case for further relief? Most important, how can
the case for debt relief be sustained in a broader effort to combat
poverty in the poorest countries?