The Social and Economic Policy Program Area focuses on public policies that can help to reduce poverty and enhance social equity in developing countries.  It works to strengthen long-term research capacities, to support policy-relevant research on issues of immediate policy concern, and to facilitate public accountability by helping researchers and civil society organizations participate effectively in policy debates at the local, national, and international levels.

• Peace, Conflict, and Development

The Peace, Conflict, and Development (PCD) Program Initiative supports research to understand the causes and consequences of violent conflict, and to strengthen transitions from conflict to lasting peace.

 

PCD also works in close collaboration with the Middle East Unit, which facilitates the Middle East peace process by supporting research on refugee issues, and on broader issues of “good governance” in the region. 

• Globalization, Growth, and Poverty

The Micro Impacts of Macroeconomic and Adjustment Policies (MIMAP) Program Initiative supports poverty monitoring, measurement, and analysis in developing countries, with a particular focus on the links between economic policies and poverty.

 

The Trade, Employment, and Competitiveness (TEC) Program Initiative assists developing countries in their efforts to participate more effectively in the global economy. 

 

The Secretariat for Institutional Support for Economic Research in Africa (SISERA) supports the networking of partners, and provides funding for economics research in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Equitable Access to Health and Social Services

The Governance, Equity, and Health (GEH) Program Initiative works to ensure equitable provision of health and health care services, especially to marginalized and underserved populations.  GEH also supports follow-up to the Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project (TEHIP), a now-completed project that demonstrates the potential to improve the delivery of health services using simple, low-cost solutions.

 

Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC) is working to minimize the threats posed by tobacco consumption and production in developing countries.

• Women’s Rights and Citizenship

The Gender Unit supports research geared to understanding – and eliminating – the barriers to women’s exercise of their rights as citizens.

• Environmental Economics

SEP collaborates with IDRC’s Environment and Natural Resource Management (ENRM) Program Area to support research on environmental and resource economics, through the Environment and Economy Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) and related programs.