February 2005 from weitzenegger.de

 

This monthly Newsletter brings you news for international co-operation professionals on economic and social development. Free of charge if you recommend it to other colleagues. Edited by Karsten Karsten Weitzenegger Consulting, http://www.weitzenegger.de


CONTENT
  1. G7 Finance Ministers conclusions on development
  2. Action plan for trade and development in 2005: the EU, the WTO, the G8
  3. Building the capacity of ACP countries in trade
  4. EU launches new export help service for developing countries
  5. ADB Setting Up a $600 Million Asian Tsunami Trust Fund
  6. Development Gateway launches new software tool for relief efforts
  7. Business information networks in Asia
  8. Donor approaches to improving the business environment for small enterprises
  9. New SME definition in the EC
  10. EIB opens three regional offices in Africa in 2005
  11. Publications
  12. Training and Events
  13. Websites

1. G7 Finance Ministers conclusions on development

In a G7 statement on 5th February 2005 the Finance Ministers of the group reaffirm their commitment to helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. They added, ''In order to make progress on social and economic development, we believe it is essential that developing countries put in place the policies for sustainable development. Sound, accountable and transparent institutions and policies are the basis for sustained economic growth and poverty reduction.'' http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/otherhmtsites/g7/news/g7_statement_conclusions050205.cfm


2. Action plan for trade and development in 2005: the EU, the WTO, the G8

In a speech at the London School of Economics on 4 February 2005 the European Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson set out a plan of concrete actions for the EU, the WTO and the G8 that could put trade policy at the service of development in 2005. See his speech at http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/39&format=HT\ML&aged=0&language=en&guiLanguage=en


3. Building the capacity of ACP countries in trade

The European Commission, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Agence intergouvernementale de la Francophonie (AIF) with the support of the ACP Secretariat have concluded a joint initiative on the Trade Policy Formulation, Negotiations and Implementation (Hub and Spoke) Project to address the trade capacity challenges faced by ACP member countries. An information meeting was held at the ACP House last Friday 11th February 2005. The 4 year project will focus on capacity building for ministries and organisations responsible for trade policy formulation and negotiations; strengthening national and regional institutions; provision of technical advice on trade issues. http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/bilateral/acp/index_en.htm


4. EU launches new export help service for developing countries

The EU launched an improved and multilingual version of its on-line Expanding Exports Helpdesk, intended to help developing country producers seeking to export to EU markets. The new Expanding Exports Helpdesk service includes new on-line features and key services are now available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. There is a new 'Market Place' service to facilitate deals between traders and an enlarged database of trade statistics. Work on the second phase of the system, which will widen the range of information to cover product specific import requirements and internal taxation in the Member States is continuing, and should be completed during the first half of 2005. http://export-help.cec.eu.int


5. ADB Setting up a $600 Million Asian Tsunami Trust Fund

The Asian Development Bank has announced its plan to allocate $600 million to a new Asian Tsunami Trust Fund to provide rapid reconstruction and technical assistance to Tsunami-affected countries. This amount exceeds ADB's initial pledge of $500 million made at the ASEAN Leaders Summit in Jakarta on 6 January. An additional $175 million from existing ADB-funded projects will also be reprogrammed to support the Tsunami recovery efforts (see below). Other bilateral and multilateral donors are welcome to use the Asian Tsunami Trust Fund as a vehicle for their assistance. Contact person: Graham Dwyer, +63 2 632 5253, gdwyer @ adb.org. http://www.adb.org/Documents/News/2005/nr2005017.asp


6. Development Gateway launches new software tool for relief efforts

A new open source software tool that organizations can use to coordinate international relief and development efforts has been launched. Called the Local Projects Database (LPD), this tool can be downloaded from the web. The LPD, developed with the Romania Development Gateway and World Resources Institute, consolidates project, organization, and contact data to share among development organizations at work in a particular country or region, enabling communications among these organizations through a web interface. The LPD was publicly released in the wake of the South Asian tsunami, to respond to the need for coordination of efforts there, while also being available for use worldwide. Other Development Gateway tools available for use in the South Asian reconstruction include dgMarket, a platform for public procurement tenders. To download the LPD, go to: http://lpd.sourceforge.net


7. Business information networks in Asia

The German Agency for Technical cooperation (GTZ) has developed a support package for establishing networks of Business Information Services in Asia. It shall meet the rising demand of small and medium enterprises for relevant information about markets, innovative technology and investment opportunities. The GTZ-support package provides guidance in planning, implementation and performance measurement of BIS-networks. The common core business of all BIS-Centers is to buy, add value, and provide business related information at a price to their clients. http://www.bis-asia.net


8. Donor approaches to improving the business environment for small enterprises

This new report presents the findings of an investigation into the concepts, approaches, and practices donor agencies apply in their efforts to improve the business environment in which small enterprises operate. Available on the Committee of Donor Agencies for Small Enterprise Development website: http://www.sedonors.org/html/events.html


9. New SME definition in the EC

The European Commission adopted a new definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, investment and growth, facilitating access to venture capital, cutting administrative burdens and increasing legal certainty. The new definition will be used as of 1 January 2005. The new definition was shaped by two rounds of extensive public consultation. It maintains the different staff thresholds which define the categories of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. However, it provides for a substantial increase of the financial ceilings (turnover or balance sheet total). This modernisation of the SME definition will have an impact on promoting growth, entrepreneurship, investments and innovation. It will favour co-operation and clustering of independent enterprises. This Recommendation concerns all Community policies applied within the European Economic Area in favour of SMEs and is addressed to the Member States, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund. http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/enterprise_policy/sme_definition/index_en.htm


10. EIB opens three regional offices in Africa in 2005

Three regional EIB representative offices will be opened shortly by the European Investment Bank in sub-Saharan Africa to support its development financing on the continent, especially within the framework of the Investment Facility set up under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the ACP - African, Caribbean and Pacific -states. The three offices will be in: Dakar, Senegal, for Western Africa; Nairobi, Kenya, for East and Central Africa; Pretoria, South Africa, for the Southern Africa region and Indian Ocean. http://www.eib.org/news/press/press.asp?press=2887


11. Publications

World Employment Report 2004-05: Employment, Productivity, and Poverty Reduction
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/wer2004.htm
Last December the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Employment Report 2004-05. The report focuses on the importance of decent employment to reaching the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, particularly in halving the share of those in extreme poverty in the total population by 2015. The report shows that, in spite of the record levels of global unemployment, the reality for most of the world's poor is that they must work - often for long hours, in poor working conditions and without basic rights and representation - at work that is not productive enough to enable them to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. While it is clearly the case that employment is central to poverty reduction, it is ''decent and productive'' employment that matters, not employment alone.

Worldwatch State of the World 2005
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/sow/2005/toc/
In this year's annual report, Worldwatch researchers explore underlying sources of global insecurity including poverty, infectious disease, environmental degradation, and rising competition over oil, water, and other resources. ''We must recognize these shameful global disparities and begin to address them seriously. I believe that today the world faces three interrelated challenges: the challenge of security, including the risks associated with weapons of mass destruction and terrorism; the challenge of poverty and underdevelopment; and the challenge of environmental sustainability. We need a Global Glasnost-openness, transparency, and public dialogue-on the part of nations, governments, and citizens today to build consensus around these challenges'', said Mikhail S. Gorbachev in his foreword.

Damage and Reconstruction Needs Assessment Toolkit
http://vle.worldbank.org/gdln/dm/start.htm
The consequences of natural disasters on human welfare, economic activities, property, and natural resources are devastating. As a result of disasters, scarce resources earmarked for development are diverted to relief and reconstruction. To achieve sustainable development, reconstruction should reduce vulnerabilities to future calamities. Our aim with this Toolkit is to contribute to this effort. The Toolkit incorporates the materials of the World Bank Institute program in Disaster Risk Management.

InfoResources Focus on PPP
http://www.inforesources.ch/pdf/focus_1_05_e.pdf
The latest issue of InfoResources Focus is entitled ''Rural Development through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)?''. InfoResources Focus provides a general overview of pertinent and topical subjects to guide its reader through the information jungle.

Deloitte Business Guides
http://www.deloittewebguides.com
This dynamic repository contains valuable information about regulatory, tax and business matters, including the investment climate, labour relations and work force considerations, business regulations, foreign investment and tax rates for major trading nations. The insights are meant to provide business investors, human resource, tax and financial executives, and international assignees alike with an enhanced understanding of operating conditions, regulations and issues in key countries around the world. Unit, NA, Inc.

Microfinance Matters
http://www.uncdf.org/english//microfinance/newsletter/pages/jan_2005/index.php
The Eighth Issue of Microfinance Matters, an on-line publication of UNCDF. Ringing in the Year of Microcredit, By UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown Featured Guest: Fatimata Lonfo, New York City Microentrepreneur and Global Microentrepreneurship Award Winner Finding a Role for Public Donors in the Privatized World of Microfinance, by Marc Jacquand Microfinance in Brazil: Unibanco's Experience, By Mauricio Jose Serpa Barros de Moura Microinsurance and Risk Mitigation for MFI clients, By Michael J. McCord Eradicating Poverty through Profit - Making Business Work for the Poor An International Conference on the Private-sector Approaches to Development Fazle Hasan Abed receives UNDP Human Development Award Call for Letters to the Editor - The Role of Microfinance in Rebuilding after the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

The Emerging Role of Microfinance Programs in Mitigating the Impact of Natural Disasters
http://www.seepnetwork.org/files/2082_PN_4_Sept_2004.pdf
This SEEP Progress Note reviews key findings of a case study about WISDOM, the World Vision microfinance affiliate in Ethiopia. The study assessed the impact of WISDOM on the socioeconomic and nutritional well-being of its members within the context of the 2002-2003 Ethiopian drought.

Evaluating the World Bank's Approach to Global Programs
http://www.worldbank.org/oed/gppp
This is the first evaluation of global development programs undertaken by the World Bank, involving a portfolio review of some 70 programs and case studies of 26 programs. Released by the Operations Evaluation Department (OED) on January 24, 2005, it has been a highly consultative evaluation involving interviews with well over 700 people in partner agencies and developing countries. The evaluation suggests new methodological approaches to the evaluation of global partnerships.

Ten steps to a Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation System - A Handbook for Development Practitioners
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000160016_20040827154900
This World Bank Handbook provides a comprehensive ten-step model that will help guide development practitioners through the process of designing and building a results-based monitoring and evaluation system.

Poverty, income and working poor
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/analysis/poverty.htm
''The concept of working poor in the developing world adds a new dimension to the study of labour markets: it integrates employment into poverty. In fact, the majority of the poor of working age are not idle, but work. For policy, the emergence of the concept of working poor has some important consequences. In particular it must be questioned if the jobs that the working poor actually hold -many of them in the area of self-employment-, might be a good starting point for the development of decent jobs.'' This page links to a series of publications on poverty and employment.

Foreign Investment and Development: Who gains?
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/special/foreigninvestment?goo=1001&intcmp=907&intcmp=907&intcmp=907
This Development Gateway Special Report provides multi-sectoral coverage on foreign investment and development through interviews with three experts who provide unique viewpoints from the corporate, civil society, and policymaker perspectives. Following the interviews are three feature collections addressing practical issues pertaining to foreign investment in developing countries: What are promising business models and investment opportunities in developing countries? How to balance interests of foreign investors and domestic enterprises? Who should be accountable for what?

Diaspora, Migration and Development in the Caribbean
http://www.focal.ca/pdf/migration_caribbean.pdf
This paper by Keith Nurse examines the developmental impact of the growth of the diasporic economy on Caribbean territories like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Anglophone Caribbean. It focuses on issues like remittances, diasporic exports, brain drain, as well as the new health and security risks associated with migration and mobile populations. The key areas of benefit and cost are evaluated and an assessment is given of emerging challenges and opportunities. The paper concludes that the policy dialogue should move beyond the remittances issue to take into account wider developmental concerns.

Collection of Development Reports
http://www.eldis.org/finance/big_reports_feature.htm
ELDIS features a selection from this years important macro-economic 'State of the World' surveys and analysis.


12. Training and Events

Small Enterprise Development Training Courses 2005
http://www.intercooperation.ch/sed/training/
The Swiss SDC-SED has updated its compilation of international training courses for 2005. The purpose of this list is to provide a source of information for interested parties when selecting training programs. It lists 20 different courses on Small Enterprise Development and Business Development Services.

Eradicating Poverty through Profit
http://povertyprofit.wri.org
Making Business Work for the Poor Private-sector Approaches to Development (Follow-up-event) October 31, 2005 / Frankfurt, Germany

Reports of the annual BDS seminar available
http://learning.itcilo.org/entdev/BDSSEMINAR/pub/archivio/corsi.aspx?p=13&f=-1
The annual BDS seminar organised by the ILO has been convened in Thailand this year and followed by a study tour in Bangladesh. The thematic focus was: developping commercial markets for BDS - pioneering systemic approaches. The reports of these 2 events are available now

Conference: ''Evaluation for Development - Beyond Aid''
http://www.ideasconference.org/
April 12-14, 2005 in New Delhi, India. Formed to respond to the new challenges facing the development evaluation community, the Conference seeks to further underscore the crucial role of evaluation in poverty reduction, promoting human security and in advancing the sustainable development agenda.

Conference on Economic Inequality
http://www.uib.es/congres/ecopub/ecineq/general.htm
The Society for the Study of Economic Inequality (ECINEQ) will hold its first meeting at the Universitat de les Illes Baleares, Spain, Palma de Mallorca, 20-22 July 2005

VIII Inter-American Forum on Microenterprise
http://www.iadb.org/foromic/
Bolivia, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, October 5, 6 and 7, 2005 Expanding the Frontiers of Microenterprise -- The Commitment to Reach Everyone


13. Websites

Millennium Campaign website
http://www.millenniumcampaign.org
This website, initiated by the United Nations, supports citizens' efforts to hold their government to account for the Millennium promise. The site outlines the Millenium Development Goals and provides information on how to campaign in the different fields of relevance.

Database on OECD Committees and Groups
http://webnet3.oecd.org/OECDgroups/
This site lists all committees and working groups of the organization and describes their membership and mandates.

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)
http://www.gemconsortium.org
The report, based on research carried out in 34 countries, looks at levels of entrepreneurial activity and the factors which lead people to become entrepreneurs. The results are used as key benchmarking indicators by policy-makers around the world.

Investment Climate Surveys: Survey results from more than 27,000 firms
http://rru.worldbank.org/InvestmentClimate/
Did you know that companies in Guatemala lose 9 percent of annual sales to crimes such as theft and arson? Or that firms in Uzbekistan face 20 percent in annual sales losses due to interruptions in the water supply? These facts come from the new online database, which captures information on the investment climate of 51 developing countries, based on extensive surveys of more than 27,000 firms. Indicators covered by the database include: electrical and telephone service outages, water service failures, business costs of providing security for workers, time spent to claim imports from customs, workforce unionization, production time lost due to strikes, and much more. The database allows you to generate data reports.

FODAD: Forum on Debt and Development
http://www.fondad.org
FONDAD is an independent policy research centre and a forum for international discussion established in the Netherlands. Supported by a worldwide network of experts, we provide policy-oriented research on North-South issues in a globalising world, in particular international financial issues for developing countries.


 

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