In the last century there has been a significant economic development, however, has not extended to all countries. Large areas of Latin America, Africa and Asia are still with income levels below the poverty line, and with a life expectancy which in some cases is less than forty years.
Efforts by the UN for measuring levels of development show strong disparities between countries. This problem has led to the emergence of international organizations whose priority is the promotion of economic development and international cooperation.
The range of organisms is very wide: from international (UN, OECD, FAO, ECLAC, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank or IMF) until the rise of development cooperation organizations (NGOs or cooperation agencies) in the more developed countries.
What has generated a demand for development professionals experts to work in the professional field or for research in this area.