Karsten Karsten Weitzenegger Consulting December 2002

Global Economic Prospects 2003 - Investing to Unclock Global Opportunities

The World Bank annual report "Global Economic Prospects and the Developing Countries 2003: Investing to Unlock Global Opportunities" was released. The report concludes with a discussion of ways the international community might help developing countries establish competitive investment environments and the potential for new international agreements on investment and competition, such as proposed in the World Trade Organization. Link: http://www.worldbank.org/prospects/gep2003 Source: World Bank

2. Trade and Poverty: Background Briefing

The main findings of a new DFID paper are that trade liberalisation can have a positive impact on poverty only if developing and developed countries agree in adopting domestic and international trade policies based on best practices and tailored to individual circumstances. Finally, it concludes with some recommendations: Both developing and developed governments should attempt to achieve a WTO mandate that is developmental and pro-poor; and development assistance should help countries to build their capacity to trade and take part effectively in the WTO. Link: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Pubs/files/bg_briefing_tradeandpoverty.pdf Source: Eldis

3. TRACE - Transparent Agents and Contracting Entities

Corrupt transactions cost the global economy billions of dollars annually. That makes corruption a major development issue. Due diligence is the best business tool for rooting out corruption before it can get a stranglehold on a project or program. TRACE, an international organization with headquarters in Washington D.C. and London, was created to provide business intermediaries - sales agents, consultants, suppliers and subcontractors - with an opportunity to commit to an anti-corruption policy and to submit voluntarily to an independent due diligence review. On December 10, the new "TRACE Standard for Doing Business with Intermediaries Internationally," was launched. Based on the due diligence best practices of more than 30 multinational corporations, the Standard will help companies identify overseas business intermediaries (sales agents, consultants, suppliers, distributors, resellers, subcontractors, franchisees and joint venture partners) that share their commitment to transparent, ethical business practices. Link: http://www.traceinternational.org Source: Global Development Briefing

4. Guidelines for Stakeholder Participation in Sector Reform

D. Dietvorst prepared tentative guidelines based on field experience from sub-saharan africa fpr GZT in 2001. This paper is looks at how different actors can be supported to playtheir part in the development of a sector by making optimum use of the available opportunities of sector-wide reform. It looks at stakeholder participation from a practical, result-oriented angle and presents key experiences with stakeholder participation (largely drawn from the findings of seminars and workshops in the sub-Saharan). It analyses this information along a series of Crosscutting concerns, summarised in a number of tentative guidelines. A policmaker-focused (http://www.sti.ch/pdfs/swap192.pdf) summary version of the report is also available. Link: http://www.sti.ch/pdfs/swap191.pdf Source: Eldis

5. A Handbook on corporate responsibility by Nautilus Institute

The authors S. Buffett and R. Brams produced a handbook on corporate responsibility for human rights and the environment at the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainable Development. This handbook aims to provide an introduction to the key issues driving efforts to promote corporate social responsibility and accountability worldwide. It focuses especially on the links between the environment, labor rights, and human rights in the context of globalisation. The central theme of this handbook is that the institutions and regulatory frameworks now governing the global economy have not adequately protected human rights, the environment, and labor rights. The handbook suggests that businesses and civil society groups must refine and redouble their efforts to change, and that any effort to create global standards must be a collaboration among all stakeholders. Public education at all levels - high school, university, adult school, and popular education - is at the center of winning hearts and minds. Young people have an especially important role to play. Link: http://www.nautilus.org/cap/reports/CapHandbook.pdf Source: Eldis

6. A Guide to Gender-Sensitive Microfinance

The Sustainable Development Department of FAO produced a guide hat aims to provide some of the lessons learned in microfinance when applying either a 'women only' or a gender approach and the specific issues women face with respect to financial services. There is ample evidence that microfinance programmes should be highly targeted to the specific context and group of people they are operating with. Link: http://www.fao.org/sd/2002/PE0401a_en.htm Source: Eldis

7. Porto Alegre > Beyond

The World Social Forum 2003 will once again take place in Porto Alegre and will be preceded and followed by several regional and thematic social forums at various locations across the globe. WSF 2004 will be held in a different country, most likely India. "Porto Alegre > Beyond" is a new report produced by the Interhemispheric Resource Center (IRC). In this report, U.S. activists talk about their experiences at the World Social Forum in January 2002. Excerpted below is part of the report's introduction, written by the IRC's John Gershman. Link: http://www.americaspolicy.org/reports/2002/0211wsf.html Source: Progressive Response

8. Sourcebook for Poverty Reduction Strategies

This two-volume set is intended to help low-income countries with the development and strengthening of their poverty reduction strategies. It is designed as a resource for analysis and discourse on poverty reduction policies and programs at the country level. Each chapter has a summary of issues, a detailed guide with approaches to analysis and policy development, supporting materials and case studies, technical notes, and recommendations for further reading. Link Source: World Bank

9. Discussion: Winners and Losers from Privatization

The effects of privatization on economic growth and welfare in developing and transition countries have often been assessed positively. But a common perception is that privatization has enriched the few at the expense of many; with large and immediate benefits for private owners but smaller and more uncertain outcomes for consumers and citizens. This Rapid Response site explores privatization in light of economic equality, and solicits case studies or cross-country studies that show its distributional impact. Link: http://rru.worldbank.org/Hot_Topics.asp Source: World Bank

10. Introduction to Gender Audits

Introduction to "Gender Audits," "Gender Budgets," and "Women's Budget Statements", by Barbara Swirski, Adva Center, August 2002. This is an overview of gender auditing, which is a way to "locate" women in the national budget as well as in the economy. The author highlights the importance of a gender audit in ensuring that men and women benefit equally from budget allocations, in raising women's awareness of economic issues in order to stimulate their involvement in the budget-making process, and in promoting a more efficient use of the resources committed to areas relevant to women. The paper draws primarily from the Israeli context, but it also presents brief examples from Australia, Canada, England, France, and South Africa. Link: http://www.adva.org/genderbudgetsenglish.htm Source: IBP

11. International Aid > Trade Europe Conference and Exhibition, 29-30 January 2003

The annual International Aid > Trade Europe Conference and Exhibition (IA > TE2003) will be held at the Geneva Palexpo Conference and Exhibition Centre in this Swiss capital, from January 29-30. Together with a series of Business Seminars on how to do business with the international aid agencies, this 2003 event will focus on the integration of emergency preparedness and response to sustainable development programs. The theme of the conference is 'Aid Trade > Development: Overcoming Conflicts of Interest Towards Sustainable Solutions.' IA > TE2003 will endeavor to quantify and address supposed conflicts of interest facing the aid, development and investment communities, as they strive to provide relief-to-development continuity and sustainable development solutions. Link: http://www.aidandtrade.com/iat/europe/current/aboutIAT.asp Source: Global Development Briefing

12. Water Safety Conference in Berlin, 28-30 April 2003

The international conference Water Safety: Risk Management Strategies for Drinking-water International Conference in Berlin, Germany, 28-30 April 2003 aims to promote the understanding of currently available approaches to risk management, particularly of approaches using elements of HACCP. A further aim is the exchange of current experience with this approach in relation to other quality management systems applied to secure drinking-water safety. Deadline for the early registration fee: 15th Febuary 2003. Link: http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/water-safety Source: GTZ

13. UK Policy Debates on the World Bank and IMF

A new website section of the Bretton Woods Project provides information about UK policy debates on the World Bank and IMF. It sets out who are the UK key ministers and officials, the documents in which they have set out their policies, and what parliamentarians, NGOs and others are calling for. Link: http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/uk/ Source: DevNet

14. Interactive Knowledge Networking (IKON)

The IKON (Interactive Knowledge Networking) website has undergone a major revision and now has more features. It provides extensive information about the IKON software, a sophisticated knowledge management tool consisting of a database and an intelligent search engine. The user-friendly IKON software holds and structures information, ensuring efficient knowledge management. The website contains background information on the technology, potential users, quality management, the offline version, areas of application to date and IKON software partners. Link: http://www.gtz.de/ikon/english Source: GTZ

15. CIDADE electronic library on participatory budgets

This electronic library, organized by CIDADE, or the Centro de Assesoria e Estudos Urbanos ("Urban Studies and Advice Center") based in Porto Alegre, Brazil, offers materials on participatory budgets in Portuguese. Link: http://empresa.portoweb.com.br/ong/cidade/alvoop/op.htm# Source: IBP

16. Consulting to World Bank Borrowers

Guidelines are available for consultants wishing to provide services to projects that are financed in whole or in part by the Bank. Consultants includes a wide variety of private and public entities. Bank Borrowers use these organizations to help in a wide range of activities - such as policy advice, institutional reforms, management, engineering services, construction supervision, financial services, procurement services. social and environmental studies, and more. Link: http://www.worldbank.org/html/opr/consult/contents.html Source: World Bank

17. World Bank Civic Engagement Newsletter

This newsletter, produced by the World Bank's Civil Society Team, highlights Bank policies, programs, and initiatives that may be of interest to civil society organizations. To receive the Newsletter directly, send an e-mail to ngo @ worldbank.org. Past issues of the newsletter can be found on the World Bank Civil Society Engagement site at: Link: http://www.worldbank.org/ngos Source: IBP

18. Free Precis CD-ROM with World Bank evaluation findings

The Precis collection has been consolidated on a mini-CD-ROM. These publications for practitioners offer ready access to key findings and recommendations from World Bank OED's evaluation program. The contents include a catalog of related studies and working papers hyperlinked via live WWW connection to the OED website. If you would like to receive a copy of this CD-ROM, please visit: Link: http://www.worldbank.org/oed/registration Source: World Bank

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