Some developing countries have achieved rapid economic growth and poverty reduction while others have stagnated. This talk will review the determinants of success and the prospects for lagging regions to improve performance and eliminate poverty. Achieving an end-state of "zero" has emerged as an important policy goal for a number of 21st Century challenges. The most prominent example is the "Global Zero" campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons. Yet, in a century of globalization, when the life of every individual is directly affected by a vast network of forces beyond their control, this concept has the power to inspire action on some of the most intractable problems of our time.