May 2006 from weitzenegger.de

 

May 2006

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 Weitzenegger, Karsten Weitzenegger Consulting, http://www.weitzenegger.de


CONTENT

  1. Economic prospects for the world 2006
  2. EU-Latin America/Caribbean Summit in Vienna
  3. European Commissioner Louis Michel puts forward ideas on restructuring the United Nations
  4. SADC-EU Trade Negotiations
  5. Discussion: Employment Generation and Decent Work for All
  6. U.N. adopts code of conduct for investments
  7. Trade and Environment Review 2006 released by UNCTAD
  8. Training and Events
  9. Publications
  10. Websites of the Month

 

1. Economic prospects for the world 2006

According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP), the world economy is expected to continue to grow at a rate of 3 per cent during 2006. The United States economy remains the main engine of global economic growth, but the growth of China, India and a few other large developing economies is becoming increasingly important. On average, developing economies are expected to expand at a rate of 5.6 per cent and the economies in transition at 5.9 per cent, despite the fact that these economies may face larger challenges during 2006. The employment situation worldwide remains unsatisfactory. The slowdown in growth partly explains this. More importantly, though, employment creation is falling short of the increment in labour supply in the majority of countries. Driven by higher oil prices, inflation rates have edged up worldwide. Core inflation rates, which exclude the prices of energy and food, have been more stable, indicating that the pass-through of higher oil prices to overall inflation is limited.
http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wesp2006files/es_2006_english.pdf


 

2. EU-Latin America/Caribbean Summit in Vienna

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/world/lac-vienna/
Following the EU-Cariforum summit which took place on 12 May 2006 in the framework of the IV EU-Latin America Summit in Vienna, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso announced a ‘‘substantial increase’‘ of EU funding for the 10th EDF programme. He also promised an increase in direct EU assistance for the Caribbean and easier access to the existing funds. This is to be used above all to finance sustainable development of the region. Further information on the EU's relations with Latin America at http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/la/index.htm and on the EC external assistance to Latin America at http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/amlat/index_fr.htm


 

3. European Commissioner Louis Michel puts forward ideas on restructuring the United Nations

Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid appointed to put forward proposals for UN reforms in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment. At the Panel meetings called by the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Mr Michel outlined the following ideas: ‘‘The organisation’s legitimacy must be reinforced through the introduction of more transparent forms of political accountability. The UN’s many agencies tend to give it a disjointed and bureaucratic image. Failing moves to streamline or consolidate them, a first step should at least be the organisation of the agencies around thematic pillars. These pillars could operate under the auspices of Deputy Secretaries-General, who would be directly accountable to the Secretary General, the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC. ” ECOSOC should be granted more extensive powers, said Mr Michel. ‘‘As long as ECOSOC’s powers are as limited as they are today, we will always lack a political instrument to bring globalisation under control and humanise it”, he stated. In the same vein, he proposed ‘‘closer links between the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations, or even a merger”.
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/


 

4. SADC-EU Trade Negotiations

The challenges of overlapping memberships of regional groupings are coming to the fore as African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries seek a new economic partnership with the European Union (EU). As negotiations for an economic partnership agreement (EPA) swing into gear, regional groupings such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) find themselves having to clear the first hurdle of how to deal with member states that also belong to other regional groupings. The 14-member SADC finds itself having to go into the negotiations as a depleted grouping. About six countries - who are members of both SADC and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) - have broken ranks with SADC for purposes of the negotiations and are discussing with the EU under the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) banner. These are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Only Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and the United Republic of Tanzania are negotiating as SADC. South Africa participates only as an observer after having concluded its own trade agreement with the EU in the late 1990s. The challenges of overlapping membership are likely to weaken negotiating positions of SADC and COMESA. Complicating the situation will be the request by South Africa for the EU to consider having a single SADC trade pact based on its own free trade deal with the Europeans.
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200604210099.html


 

5. Discussion: Employment Generation and Decent Work for All

The ILO’s International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) invites experts to participate in the E-forum on ‘‘Employment Generation and Decent Work for All’‘. The E-forum is meant to engage experts, civil society representatives and academia in informal discussions on this topic, in order to enrich the ECOSOC deliberations in July with the insights of a broader group of stakeholders. A summary of the e-Forum will be circulated among participants to the high-level segment, to be held in Geneva from 03 to 05 July 2006. The Forum is scheduled from 18 May to 02 June 2006. To join the discussions, please send a blank email to employment-forum-subscribe @ unicttaskforce.org. For more information, background reading and issues notes on the forum, please visit the website- http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/meetings/2006/hls2006/e-forum/


 

6. U.N. adopts code of conduct for investments

In April 2006 the United Nations has quietly adopted a code of conduct for businesses worldwide to promote socially responsible investing. The ‘‘Principles for Responsible Investment’‘ provide a framework for avoiding investments in companies with poor records on pollution, labor relations or corporate governance. The voluntary guidelines encourage investors to seek disclosures from companies about whether their policies encourage socially responsible behavior among employees and management. Corporations also are asked to report on their progress in complying with the principles, which were developed in the past year by a group of international financiers organized by the UN.
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20060510-110203-4458r


 

7. Trade and Environment Review 2006 released by UNCTAD

UNCTAD highlights the increasing impact of environmental requirements on exports of developing countries and states that developing countries could turn environmental requirements in export markets from trade barriers into trade opportunities. Stringent environmental, health, and safety standards for everything from electronics to food are making it harder for the world’s poorer nations to export products to lucrative markets in North America, Europe and developed Asia -- but the right approach could turn these barriers into trade opportunities, reports UNCTAD.
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=6895&intItemID=1397&lang=1


 

8. Training and Events

The European Union and Africa: A New Strategy – a New Policy?
http://www.bonnerimpulse.de/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=133&Itemid=116
Bonn, Tuesday, 30 May 2006, 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
Deutsche Welle – Gremiensaal, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 3, 53113 Bonn, Germany
‘‘The EU and Africa: Towards a Strategic Partnership”. This is the ambitious title of a new strategy for Africa that the EU adopted last December. It is aimed at promoting sustainable development in Africa, based on a ‘‘strong political dialogue between equal partners”, as Louis Michel, the EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, recently explained. One prominent feature of the Africa strategy is an attempt to improve co-ordination between the Commission’s various Africa strategies and policies and the EU Member States. Organized by EADI, VENRO and the German Development Institute (DIE).

2006 Private Sector Development Forum
http://psdforum.worldbank.org
The theme of the 2006 Private Sector Development Forum was ‘‘Markets and Growth: What, Where, When and How?’‘ The three day event was held in Washington, D.C. April 4-6 and discussed issues such as: how much does informality matter, can the private sector help overcome conflict, where do we stand on privatization, how can we evaluate the effectiveness of our aid programs, what will be the impact of increased South-South investment, how can we improve the governance of state-owned enterprises, how can we increase access to finance and legal protection, what will be China's impact on Latin America, how can Africa's export potential be tapped, what surprises do China and India have in store for us, how can the private sector help fight the costs of corruption, and much more. Forum presentations, pictures and video are now available online.

2006 Business Seminar: Capital Markets and Financial Instruments for Development
http://www.iadb.org/biz/
Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C.
Business Seminar on Capital Markets and Financial Instruments for Development at the Bank's Washington, D.C. headquarters on Thursday, June 8, 2006.

Training Course on SME-Export Consortia
http://www.itcilo.org/consortia
26- 30 June 2006, ILO ITC Turin, Italy, Language: English
One week training course on how to create and run SME Export consortia. This course is offered in a collaborative effort of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Training Center of the International Labour Organization (ILO ITC) and the Italian Federation of Export Consortia (Federexport). Total fees: 2575 US$, partial fellowships available.

Deutsche Börse Training Center has training courses on numerous capital market subjects
https://trainingscenter.deutsche-boerse.com/index.php?lang=en
The Trainingscenter of Deutsche Börse Group, one of the most successful exchange organizations worldwide, opens the door for you via its Learning Portal to courses on all aspects of the capital market, and exchange systems. At the Learning Portal, you can browse, or book directly the course of your choice:

European Capacity-Building Programme for International Development Cooperation 2006
http://www.agrar.hu-berlin.de/sle/
SLE's European Capacity-Building Programme in Berlin, Germany is designed to meet the needs of young professionals for short-term training in the area of development cooperation. The training offered will allow them to face the increasing complexity of development assistance, which requires up-to date knowledge and practical skills. SLE is well integrated in the development cooperation network. Participants of the programme will have various opportunities to make connections with stakeholders in development cooperation. The Programme is directed at professionals working in the field of development cooperation in governmental and non-governmental organisations, and in academia. By selecting participants from different countries with various professional and cultural backgrounds, the programme follows the intercultural and interdisciplinary approach vital for development cooperation. Info: Sabine.Doerr @ agrar.hu-berlin.de

International Poverty Centre Conference: The Many Dimensions of Poverty
http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/md%2Dpoverty/
Brasilia, 29-31 August 2005
Organised by the UNDP's International Poverty Centre, this conference will gather more than 50 well-known specialists in poverty and inequality, as well as policy practitioners and development stakeholders to discuss analytical, theoretical and empirical issues. During three days, the conference will have more than 10 sessions discussing: the relevant dimensions of poverty; the various measurement perspectives of a multidimensional approach to poverty; the different ways of quantifying multidimensional poverty; the empirical case studies of multidimensional poverty; the policy implications of a multidimensional poverty analysis; the relevance of a multidimensional approach to poverty in national consensus building.

Eschborn Dialogue: Knowledge Powers Development
http://www.gtz.de/en/13459.htm
5+6 September 2006, Eschborn, GTZ HQ
Knowledge Powers Development – Sharing experience, shaping the future Knowledge is the key to mastering the challenges of the future in international cooperation. It is a topic of fascinating complexity that affects all areas of life. All development is based on knowledge. That is why GTZ is devoting this year’s Eschborn Dialogue to the theme Knowledge Powers Development – Sharing experience, shaping the future. Knowledge as a factor of production is becoming increasingly important, because economic growth depends primarily on a growth in knowledge. Conversely, the lack of access to knowledge is always an obstacle to development. GTZ is a company that concerns itself with knowledge and learning in a variety of ways. As a learning organisation, GTZ lives from the experience and knowledge it gains in projects and programmes in partner countries. It mainstreams the knowledge of its staff members and GTZ-specific experience within the company. At this year's Eschborn Dialogue, GTZ will thus be inviting representatives of politics, business, academia and civil society to discuss the manifold aspects of knowledge with development experts. Concrete work experience and new theoretical approaches show ways of facing the challenges of the future. A varied programme of side-events will allow participants to experience the topic at first hand. And finally, the Eschborn Dialogue offers a forum for the face-to-face discussions and exchanges of views without which the dissemination of knowledge would be unthinkable.


 

9. Publications

New World Bank reading list: Measuring the cost of corruption
http://rru.worldbank.org/PapersLinks/Measuring-the-Cost-of-Corruption
Corruption - the theft of public resources for private gain – imposes large costs on businesses and society. The first type of costs is redistributive. Redistribution costs are incurred whenever businesses or individuals with more financial or political power abuse their privileged position to gain contracts or services (including regulatory services) at the expense of their competitors. The second type is a welfare cost to the overall economy where inefficiencies make everyone worse off. Research has only recently started to quantify the various ways in which corruption retards private sector development. Some of these attempts have been gathered in this new reading list.

Programming in trade-related capacity building: a resource tool for practitioners
http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21689
In addressing the limitations many developing countries face in terms of reaping the benefits of market and trade liberalisation, donors have been increasingly active in supporting trade-related capacity building (TRCB). This North-South Institute resource tool draws lessons from the existing knowledge and evaluations of TRCB and provides examples of projects that illustrate good practice.

A recipe for disaster: will the Doha Round fail to deliver for development?
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/issues/trade/downloads/bp87_recipe.pdf
As another deadline (July 2006) approaches in the Doha Round of trade negotiations, this timely Oxfam report argues that, unless the current offers from those involved in the Doha negotiating process change, developing countries would be better off missing the current deadline and waiting longer for a new set of rules. In this way, developing countries could hold out for the reforms that they were promised, and avoid sacrificing future economic development.

Do we need a Monopoly for Private Sector Development Strategies?
http://www.bds-ethiopia.net/newsletter/newsletter13.htm
Article by Dieter Gagel in the Ethiopian BDS Newsletter. All about Theory and Practice of Business Development Services (BDS) and revised paradigms. n contrast to the initial rigid ‘‘full-commercial BDS approach’‘ of 1998/2002 focussing exclusively on commercial BDS providers and considered as a binding law by many donor agencies, you will find our new revised 2003-2006 experience of mixed private sector development interventions including commercial BDS providers as well as self-help business associations and chambers of commerce, NGOs and public support institutions.

An Inventory of BDS Market Assessment Methods for Programs Targeting Microenterprises
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/
Practitioner Learning Program in BDS Market Assessment, The SEEP Network, Technical Note no. 4. This technical note describes the market assessment methods used by 10 organizations in the Practitioner Learning Program (PLP) in Business Development Services (BDS) Market Assessment (MA). The note does not give a complete overview of all methods that could be adapted and applied in BDS MA for microenterprises. Instead, it focuses on those methods which the PLP organizations actually used and found to be particularly well suited to investigating markets that include microenterprises. For each method, the technical note provides an appraisal of the advantages, disadvantages, and knowledge and skills required for the method as well as tips for using the method, based on examples from the PLP and other programs

Recommendations on Donor Guidelines to Support Microfinance Associations
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/microfinance/
The SEEP Network, Network Development Services Technical Note #2. Also available in French and Spanish.

Knowledge, Technology and Cluster-Based Growth in Africa
http://web.worldbank.org
In Africa, there are pockets of vitalities, especially demonstrated in the form of enterprise clusters, scattered in various countries and industries. Knowledge for Development Program conducted a study of eleven enterprise clusters in five low-income and two middle-income countries in Africa.

The End of Poverty: An Interview with Jeffrey Sachs
http://www.motherjones.com/news/qa/2005/05/jeffrey_sachs.html
Interview with Jeffrey Sachs, one of the world's top economists, who offers a blueprint for transforming the developing world. In order to figure out how to reach the MDGs, Annan organized a panel of over 250 development experts to lay out practical strategies for promoting rapid development. Headed by economist Jeffrey Sachs, the panel published their final report in January of 2005. Shortly after the release of the UN report came the publication of Sachs' book, The End of Poverty, in which he laid out his own strategies for eradicating poverty by 2025.

Economic Growth in the 1990s: Learning from a Decade of Reform
http://www1.worldbank.org/prem/lessons1990s/
The World Bank's Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Network has prepared this study on development lessons of the 1990s. The report reviews the growth impact of the main policy and institutional reforms introduced in the 1990s, presents a broad perspective on the events, country experiences, academic research and controversies of the decade, and reflects on how they alter our thinking about economic growth. It complements a series of lectures by leading development practitioners such as Larry Summers, President of Harvard University and Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Former President and Former Minister of Finance of Brazil, discussed their experience as policy makers at the forefront of policy implementation in the 1990s.

Update: Interactive Knowledge Economy Benchmarking Tool – Knowledge Assessment Methodology 2006
http://web.worldbank.org
March 2006 update. The KAM uses more then 80 structural and qualitative variables for a group of 128 countries to generate a range of comparative data tables, charts and diagrams for a simple visual representation of different aspects of countries’ Knowledge Economy readiness. Various modes can display and compare countries’ overall Knowledge (KI) and Knowledge Economy (KEI) indexes and demonstrate performance scores on the four main Knowledge Economy pillars: Economic Incentive and Institutional Regime, Education, Innovation, and Information & Communications Technology (ICT). World Bank Institute.

Business Against Corruption - A Framework for Action
http://www.globalcompact.org/docs/news_events/8.1/bac_fin.pdf
To help companies deal with corruption in every aspect of their operations, the UN Global Compact, the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, and Transparency International have jointly published ‘‘Business Against Corruption - A Framework for Action’‘. It is a first guide for companies preparing themselves to implement the objectives of the tenth principle and to deal with corruption in every aspect of their operations. It provides a road map to sources and tools which will assist in the practical application of policies designed to eliminate corruption.


 

10. Websites of the Month

ReConnectAfrica.com – the new online careers, business and people management resource for Africa.
http://www.ReConnectAfrica.com
Identifying and attracting talent is not an easy proposition for many businesses in Africa today. Finding and keeping talent where infrastructure, technology and financial resources can be limited brings a unique set of challenges. ReConnectAfrica.com is a unique online publication and portal that provides readily accessible information each month. It offers essential services for employers who recruit, manage and develop African human resources and for graduates and professionals in Africa and the Diaspora seeking opportunities in employment and business in Africa.

World Economy & Development in brief
http://www.world-economy-and-development.org
World Economy & Development in brief is an independent platform for civil society organisations (CSOs), North-South and environmental policy initiatives. It is published by the founder of the German NGO WEED and long-standing editor Rainer Falk, Luxembourg, in co-operation with an international network of scientists, on-the-ground specialists and experts. English online edition of the German Informationsbrief Weltwirtschaft & Entwicklung (World Economy & Development – W&E).

Stock Exchange A-Z by Deutsche Börse
http://deutsche-boerse.com/dbag/dispatch/en/kir/gdb_navigation/info_center/40_Know_how/10_Stock_Exchange_A_Z
The stock exchange A –Z is an online glossary with some 700 important terms related to the topics of trading and exchange operations. The entries are formulated in such a manner as to be understood by the general public; the dictionary and its entries are updated regularly.

Finance and Banking Glossary by Institut für Betriebswirtschaftliche Geldwirtschaft, Göttingen University
http://ifbg.wiwi.uni-goettingen.de/links.php
The Database at IFBG-ONLINE provides an extensive collection of web pages with finance and banking related contents. Among a great many more you will find links to most of the stock markets of the World, the most influential central banks, and many providers of financial services.

DevDir- Free directory of 47,500 development organizations
http://www.devdir.org/
The directory of development organizations, listing 47.500 development organizations, has been prepared to facilitate international cooperation and knowledge sharing in development work, both among civil society organizations, research institutions, governments and the private sector. The directory aims to promote interaction and active partnerships among governments, private sector and key development organisations in civil society, including NGOs, trade unions, faith-based organizations, indigenous peoples movements, foundations and research centres.

World Directory of Environmental Organizations Online
http://www.interenvironment.org/general/quick-en.htm
The World Directory Online has over 350 pages and more than 350,000 words of text. Thousands of organizations are listed in it. Although the Web site is carefully structured and cross-referenced, you may well need to invest some effort to find what you need. Take time to understand the structure of the Web site and be prepared to spend time scanning entries and visiting organizations' Web sites, particularly for the larger and more complex groups.

Resources for Economists on the Internet
http://rfe.org/
This guide is sponsored by the American Economic Association. It lists 2,100 resources in 97 sections and sub-sections available on the Internet of interest to academic and practicing economists, and those interested in economics. Almost all resources are also described. In selecting resources for RFE, I exercise some editorial judgment and select items that either offer a substantial amount of information, or are specialized to a given area.

 

 

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