An allocation to high-quality, developed market government bonds continues to play an important role in reducing the volatility of a well-diversified portfolio. However, there is no getting away from the fact that, despite recent rises, yields in developed country bond markets are low by historical standards and often fail to compensate even for relatively modest projections for inflation. Given the secular forces that have led to the long-term decline in equilibrium real interest rates, this situation is likely to persist. An allocation to Emerging Markets Debt (EMD) can complement traditional fixed income by enhancing long run returns and acting as an important diversifier within global portfolios.