2005
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
- Europe raises development aid targets
- Alliance 2015' compares aid of EU Member States and the EC
- Action Aid claims only one third of G7 official aid is 'real'
- A new strategy for development by Stern, Dethier, and Rogers
- Perspectives on the EPAs
- ILO: 12.3 million people trapped in forced labour globally
- Training and events
- Publications
- Websites
At a meeting of development ministers in Brussels, the EU's 15 wealthiest countries agreed a target of spending 0.51% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on world development aid by 2010, making 2005 a key year for fighting world poverty. The declaration also stated that aid should reach the UN target of a minimum 0.7% of GDP by 2015. The 10 new member states pledged they would strive to contribute at least 0.17 percent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2010, rising to 0.33 in 2015. By signing this deal, the member states are thus stepping up public development aid to the tune of 20 billion euros over the next five years, reinforcing Europe's role as a leading development donor and bringing EU aid from 46 billion euros in 2006 to 66 billion euros in 2010.
Nearly half of the EU's contribution will go to the African continent. In an ambitious strategy aimed at coping with the global challenges of the next decades, the EU proposes to back up the growth of Sub-Saharan Africa, which remains at the rear of the race for development. However, the African continent has shown its motivation and will to take charge of its own sociological, economical, political growth. Many countries have already started their transition towards democracy. Many parts of the continent have come to peace agreements accelerating the improvement of their own finances, mainly through renewed trade bonds with neighbouring countries. The emerging African Union and the NEPAD have triggered a process of liberation and democratisation of Sub-Saharan political life, and the EU's role will be to act as a motor for such initiatives in order to improve the continent's governance and promote peace and security. http://www.europaworld.org/week225/europeraises27505.htm
Alliance 2015 (http://www.alliance2015.org) second report, launched last week, provides a comparative assessment of progresses made by Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Czech Republic towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is published alongside the release of the European Commission report on MDGs. The report contains six country chapters and one chapter exclusively dedicated to the EC aid programme. 2015- Watch methodology is based on the quality of donors? development aid and their policy processes.
2015-Watch main findings go beyond ranking levels of aid and which countries are performing better. On EU legal framework, it highlights that poverty eradication is identified as a primary objective for the Union's development co-operation in the Constitutional Treaty. It also identifies which and how the 6 countries have framed the MDGs into their development policies, how this impacts their ODA budget allocation and the criteria being used to monitor its effectiveness. Alliance2015 is a partnership of six like-minded non-government organizations working in the field of development cooperation. The Alliance members are Cesvi from Italy, Concern from Ireland, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe from Germany, Hivos from the Netherlands, Ibis from Denmark and, since November 2003, People in Need from the Czech Republic. (CTA) Full report: http://brussels.cta.int/files/news414/file1.pdf
Official aid figures make the world's richest countries appear three times as generous as they really are, ActionAid claim in their new report ''Real Aid: An Agenda For Making Aid Work''. The report calls for sweeping reform of the international aid system, arguing that the G7 countries exaggerate the real value of their aid by including extravagant spending on such items as technical assistance and administration, and by double-counting debt relief.
ActionAid calculates that only one third of G7 official aid in 2003 was 'real' aid. The rest was 'phantom' aid which may have achieved other goals, but did not help to fight poverty. The least generous countries also have the least enlightened aid policies. The report is very critical on the use of Consultants. Only 10 cents of every dollar of US aid is 'real' aid. The UK, with 71% 'real' aid, is the G7's best performer. But Luxembourg, Norway and Denmark, none of them G7 members, give far more aid relative to their wealth, and a high proportion of it - 81% in Luxembourg's case - is 'real'.
The report argues that donors are not meeting 'real' aid targets because they are not held accountable for the quality or quantity of their aid. ActionAid recommends a new international aid agreement to ensure a fairer balance of power between donors and recipients and to hold both sides to account for using aid to benefit the poor. Full report: http://www.actionaid.org.uk/wps/content/documents/real_aid.pdf
A new book, ''Growth and Empowerment: Making Development Happen'', proposes a strategy for development based on two interrelated approaches - building a climate that encourages investment and growth, and empowering poor people to participate in that growth. Based on a set of lectures delivered by Nicholas Stern, former World Bank chief economist, at Ludwig-Maximilian University in 2002, and enriched by the experience of World Bank economists Jean-Jacques Dethier and F. Halsey Rogers, the book points out that ''we have a special opportunity in the next few years to make major breakthroughs in the fight against poverty, but we will have to act effectively on a large scale'' and that actions must be based on sound lessons about what works and what does not. Lecture I presents evidence on progress in developing countries over the last fifty years, Lecture II presents the two-pillar strategy proposed by the authors, Lectures III and IV provide a sense of direction for research based on this strategy, and an action plan. (The MIT Press) Table of contents, endorsements, and online orders: http//www.mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?sid=9522A8E3-8EDC-436E-8B6C-330CA2B9A39E&ttype=2&tid=10501
Recent EU trade debates revolve around the extent to which the EPAs will promote development in the ACP countries, given the European Commission's view that they should be a platform for reciprocal EU-ACP trading relations. Britain's recent call for a more flexible, pro-poor approach to the EPAs has met with opposition from the EC. We've selected two papers which highlight different sides of the debate, plus a selection of recent media commentary. A Christian Aid report focuses on the dangers of stifling economic growth in the ACP because of EU-flooded markets. An article by Chris Stevens and Jane Kennan of IDS argues that the claim that EPAs will necessarily result in ACP markets being thrown open to EU imports appears to be overstated. However, evidence suggests that they may well cause serious problems for regional integration and for government revenue. (ELDIS) http://community.eldis.org/webx?14 @ @ .ee9593d!discloc=.eeb73bc
ILO has produced a study of global trends and developments in forced labour, including an emphasis on the effects of and interactions with: law and enforcement; the state; poverty and discrimination; and migration and human trafficking. Amongst the findings are that nearly 10 million people are exploited through forced labour in the private economy, a minimum of 2.4 million are victims of human trafficking, and an average profit of 13,000 USD is made from every single trafficked forced labourer each year. More on ELDIS at http://www.eldis.org/globalisation
Free Online Training Course on Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA)
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC18512
A new e-learning course on Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) has been launched by the World Bank. PSIA implies an analysis of the distributional impact of policy reforms on the well-being of the poor and vulnerable and aims to promote evidence-based policy choices and fosters debate on policy reform options. The course can be accessed for free on their website.
International Seminar on Financial Services Liberalisation
Unlimited Expansions? http://www.weed-online.org
22.-23. June 2005, Gustav-Stresemann-Institute, Bonn
What are the developmental impacts of financial services liberalisation? Should developing countries abolish all regulations which stand in the way of big banks and insurance companies? What is the content of the requests on financial services, the EU has delivered in the Doha Round - and how should these requests be judged from a civil society point of view? What experiences have been made in different regions (Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa) with the liberalisation of financial services in general and the activities of foreign banks in particular? The two-day expert workshop, organised by World Economy, Ecology & Development will try to find some answers to these questions, raise awareness for the development impact of the ongoing WTO negotiations on (financial) services and help develop strategies to counter the growing power of the financial services lobby. Conference language: English. Registration required until 15 June: Suleika.Reiners @ weed-online.org
Beyond clusters: current practices & future strategies
http://www.cric.com.au/cric_cluster/index.php
Regional Conference in Ballarat, Australia, June 31 - July 1
Toolkit on how to run Business Development Services (BDS)
http://www.bds-ethiopia.net/documents.html
Contents: Definition of BDS; Introduction on how to make a demand-oriented needs assessment; Six-month action planning for BDS implementation; How to link to different service providers; 10 success stories with micro and small enterprises; Program of BDS training workshop for BDS facilitators; How to implement an action-oriented BDS intervention.
VIII Inter-American Forum on Microenterprise
http://www.iadb.org/sds/FOROMIC/
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, October 5-7, 2005
Every year more than 1000 practitioners from all over Latin America and the Caribbean meet at the Inter-American Forum on Microenterprise to discuss the latest best practices for the development of the microenterprise sector. The event will provide practitioners with information through technical sessions that are grouped in 4 different categories: Microfinance, Enterprise Development, Business Environment, and Social Entrepreneurship.
Enabling Environment, Seminar in Manila
http://www.smedsep.ph
A seminar on Shaping an Enabling Business and Investment Climate will be organized by SMEDSEP in Manila from July 25-28, 2005. The Asian-wide seminar will be attended by international and regional experts focusing on how to make investment reforms work. Registration of participants is ongoing until June 15, 2005.
Gender Equity & Micro Enterprise Development
http://www.aidmat.com
8th International Workshop, 18 July - 23 July, 2005 at Goa, India
The program is designed to cater the current need of helping women to overcome the blockades and draw maximum participation from them to set up micro enterprises, which will help them, achieve self reliance and place them at par with their male counterparts in the development sector as well as for Profit driven organizations sensitive towards social responsibility. Contact: Program Coordinator, C-8/8007, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070, Telefax: 91-11-26896151/26130635, workshop @ aidmat.com
Fair Trade Conference
http://www.trialog.or.at/docs/fairtradeconference_draft_programmeen.doc
The PES Group (European Socialists) is organising a Conference on Fair Trade in the European Parliament building in Brussels on 22 and 23 June 2005. Around 300 participants are expected to attend the Conference. The conference aims to show how Fair trade is a successful levy for development and poverty eradication in the South and how it can contribute to redesigning the rules of the global trade agenda. Both Commissioners Mandelson (Trade) and Michel (Development) have confirmed their participation and will present their views on the role the EU has to play in promoting Fair Trade. Read more on SERRV International, http://www.serrv.org/producers/index.php?category_id=1252&subcategory_id=1028
devtrain online: A new tool for career planning
http://www.eadi.org/devtrain
EADI's online development studies database links students with institutes offering all kinds of studies and courses related to development studies. Details are provided on the respective programme's objectives and themes, its location and costs, plus full contact details and links to the associated organisation.
Australian Aid Resource & Training Guide AARTG
http://www.dev-zone.org/downloads/MayAARTG2005.pdf
The May (Australian Aid Resource & Training Guide) is now out. This contains useful information about seeking overseas development work, listings of key Australian and overseas/international agencies involved in aid, and a summary of known Australian Aid-related training courses.
Discussion Paper criticizing the ''Full Commercial BDS Approach''
http://www.bds-ethiopia.net/documents.html
This discussion paper based on the mixed BDS approach of collaboration of public and private, commercial BDS providers and facilitating agencies criticizes the ''full commercial BDS approach'' focussing exclusively on commercial BDS providers with fully paid services for BDS market development. In the first part of the discussion paper also the ''voucher scheme'' approach that means to introduce a subsidy system for business development services, is criticized.
Guidelines for Assessing the Impact of Enabling Environment Programmes
http://www.enterprise-impact.org.uk/BEEnvironments/DFIDdocs/BEEGuidelinesandHandbook.shtml
A very comprehensive Handbook to accompany this important document are now up on the June 2005 EDIAIS site.
Manual on communication methods for policy researchers
http://www.eldis.org/manuals
A new manual from IFPRI aims to help researchers enhance their communication skills and encourages them to think about the potential audiences for and beneficiaries of their research at the inception of every project. The manual highlights principles and procedures that have proven successful in presenting research results to peers, colleagues, the media, policymakers, and interest groups. It includes guidelines for targeting and reaching selected audiences as well as exercises for applying those guidelines
Poverty in the Arab region: a selective review
http://www.arab-api.org/wps0402.pdf
The paper provides a review of the current knowledge on poverty in six Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, representing middle income countries; and Yemen and Sudan, representing low income countries. (GRADE)
Christian Aid report on ACP-EU EPA negotiations
http://www.epawatch.net/documents/doc284_1.pdf
Entitled 'For richer or poorer' (April 2005)
Poverty Monitoring Systems in Uganda
http://www.odi.org.uk/publications/working_papers/wp246.pdf
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI) has produced a new report which describes and analyses institutional arrangements for poverty monitoring in Uganda. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of what works and what doesn't in designing PRS (Poverty Reduction Strategy) monitoring systems, as well as recommending the way forward for poverty monitoring in Uganda. Lesson learnt address three key aspects of the poverty reduction strategy process (PRSP) namely improving country ownership, increasing results orientation and promoting partnership.
Does foreign direct investment promote development?
http://www.cgdev.org/Publications/index.cfm?PubID=219
Edited by Theodore H. Moran, Edward M. Graham and Magnus Blomström. Institute for International Economics, May 2005.
This book gathers together new research on foreign direct investment and host country economic performance and presents critiques of current and past inquiries. It probes the limits of what can be determined from available evidence and from innovative investigative techniques. In addition, the book offers an analysis of the implications of foreign direct investment for contemporary policy debates. Available for purchase from the Center of Global Development.
IPAs Mandates and Governing Structures
http://www.fdipromotion.com/toolkit/Documents/1/IPAs_Mandates_.pdf
A solid and focused mandate lies at the core of every successful Invetment Promotion Agency (IPA). Knowing how eager IPAs are to look at the mandates and reporting structures of their peers, we have posted in the FDI Promotion Center an overview of four IPAs with a solid record of FDI attraction. You will find these tools and a lot more reading on alternative IPA structures, roles for your advisory board, sample organization charts, funding practices, and much more in the Toolkit
Evaluation of World Bank's Contribution to Poverty Reduction
http://www.worldbank.org/oed/arde/2004/?intcmp=5101836
2004 Annual Review of Development Effectiveness (ARDE). The 2004 Annual Review of Development Effectiveness: The Bank's Contributions to Poverty Reduction, looks at the recent growth and poverty reduction experience of client countries.
DFID helps Ghana's private sector to ripen
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/casestudies/files/africa/ghana/ghana-pineapples.asp
Pineapples are one of Ghana's champion new export - if you've ever bought chopped fresh pineapple from a supermarket in the UK, there's a chance that it was produced in Ghana. DFID's work plans to help improve the business climate for this industry and others - find out how.
Insurance for the poor?
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC18347
This paper by the International Development Centre (Oxford) discusses the scope for extending insurance to the poor in Latin America and Caribbean countries. It highlights the need to reduce risk and its consequences, as current systems do not provide sufficient protection. On this basis, it argues that insurance provision to the poor has a role to play within a comprehensive system of protection against risk. In response to this, the authors suggest that insurance provision is best promoted via a partner-agent model, in which a local finance institution with links to poor communities teams up with an established insurer to deliver low cost, tailored products, that could cover life, health, property and weather insurance. (ELDIS)
2005 Asian Development Outlook: Continuing Strong Growth for Developing Asia Though Risks Loom
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2005/ADO2005Highlights-Presentation.pdf
Despite high oil prices, global imbalances and the tsunami disaster, developing Asia will experience robust growth in 2005 and continue a healthy expansion in 2006-2007, ADB says in its flagship annual publication, Asian Development Outlook (ADO).
African Economic Outlook 2004/2005
http://www.oecd.org/document/11/0,2340,en_2649_201185_34808779_1_1_1_1,00.html
This annual OECD report reviews the recent economic situation and the short-term evolutions of African countries. It includes an overview of the continent, 29 country notes, a statistical annex and a focus on small and medium enterprises' issues in Africa.
Financing SMEs in Africa
http://www.oecd.org/department/0,2688,en_2649_15162846_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
Limited access to finance is a major obstacle to development of SMEs in Africa as their inherent higher perceived risk makes financial institutions reluctant to lend to them and adequate financial instruments lack.
WTO discussion paper on the 'The changing landscape of regional trade agreements' (WTO secretariat discussion paper No. 8)
http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/booksp_e/discussion_papers8_e.pdf
Are cooperatives a better way to solve Latin America's waste problems?
http://www.iadb.org/idbamerica/index.cfm?thisid=3497
Bolivia's experience offers an alternative for expanding service in low-income countries.
ReliefWeb
http://www.reliefweb.int
Recently-launched new site, designed to help the international aid community improve the speed and effectiveness of relief efforts by making it easier for decision makers to access critically-needed information on global emergencies and natural disasters on a 24/7 basis. It is updated by a team of 16 staff spread across the globe.
Millennium Development Goals Website Updated with the Latest Data
http://ddp-ext.worldbank.org/ext/MDG/home.do
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) website maintained by the World Bank's Development Data Group (in association withnumerous partners) has been updated with recent data from the World Development Indicators 2005 published in April this year,and new charting to compare and track progress. The MDGs set targets for reductions in poverty, improvements in health and education and protection of the environment. This website contains information about the goals themselves, collection of data, statistical capacity building, Bank research and country studies relevant to the MDGs, and perspectives from the various developing regions.
The First Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index
http://www.nationbrandindex.com/
The Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index is the first analytical ranking of the brand i
mages of nations - a highly revealing and innovative way of looking at national competitiveness in today's world. Each quarter, the Index led by nation brands expert, Simon Anholt.
Investment Climate Surveys database
http://rru.worldbank.org/InvestmentClimate/
Investment climate data for four new countries are now available: Bhutan, Mozambique, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. You can easily generate informative ''snapshot'' reports on the investment climate of these countries, and manipulate the data to draw comparisons between and within countries. The database also allows analysis of investment climate issues by firm characteristics, such as size, sector, ownership (domestic or foreign), exporter/non-exporter.
World Bank Data and Statistics
http://www.worldbank.org/data/countryclass/classgroups.htm
The World Bank is an organization that collects economic data about countries, and its Data and Statistics page groups countries according to their level of income and indebtedness, with categories from low to high income, and severely indebted to less indebted. It's a great way to get a snapshot of a country's economy. There are links on this page to more useful information (Quick Reference, Maps, etc.), some of which is free, and some fee-based.
ICT Development Digital Library (ICT DevLibrary)
http://www.ictdevlibrary.org
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization's ICT Development Digital Library (ICT DevLibrary) provides a unique collection of ICT-for-development reports and documents for policy-makers and practitioners in developing countries.
EC launches five-year strategy to boost the digital economy
http://europa.eu.int/i2010
The European Commission adopted the initiative -i2010: European Information Society 2010- to foster growth and jobs in the information society and media industries. i2010 is a comprehensive strategy for modernising and deploying all EU policy instruments to encourage the development of the digital economy: regulatory instruments, research and partnerships with industry. The Commission will in particular promote high-speed and secure broadband networks offering rich and diverse content in Europe.
WBI Evaluation Toolkit
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/WBI/0,,contentMDK:20270021~menuPK:591801~pagePK:209023~piPK:335094~theSitePK:213799,00.html
This online toolkit provides a set of tools for Measuring Learning in a Course. It is provided by the World Bank Institute.
Lanzamiento del portal Microfinanzas en Costa Rica
http://www.microfinanzascr.com
Como parte del proyecto de la Red de Portales de Microfinanzas en América Latina, se realizó el lanzamiento del Portal de ''Microfinanzas en Costa Rica'', con información relevante de las afiliadas de la Red Costarricense de Microfinanzas REDCOM. En este portal Web Usted podrá encontrar información actualizada acerca de las afiliadas a REDCOM. Además cuenta con apartados de noticias, eventos, publicaciones en el campo de las microfinanzas de Costa Rica.
ADB Institute starts a new E-Mail Notification Service
http://www.adbi.org/email.notification/register.php
The ADB Institute, ADB's Tokyo-based research and capacity building arm, has started an E-Mail Notification Service for its publications. Notification is possible for ADBI's daily e-newsline, which provides development-related news from Asia, as well as analysis and research publications.
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