DESA News

Volume 17, No.06 - June 2013

Publications and websites


Technical reports

 

World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2013

 

Global economic activity is projected to slowly gain momentum, but growth will continue to be below potential and employment gains will remain weak, says the UN report. The mid-year update notes that since late 2012, new policy initiatives in major developed economies have reduced systemic risks and helped stabilize consumer, business and investor confidence, but with very limited improvement on economic growth.

“The main priority for policy makers worldwide should be to support a robust and balanced global recovery, with a focus on promoting job creation,” said Shamshad Akhtar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development.

Global growth has been revised slightly downward from the forecasts presented in the WESP in December 2012.

Growth of world gross product (WGP) is now projected at 2.3 per cent in 2013, the same pace as in 2012, before gradually strengthening to 3.1 per cent in 2014, supported by an expected pickup in activity in the United States.

For more information: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/policy/wesp-2013-midyearupdate.html

To download: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wesp/wesp2013/wesp13update.pdf

Statistical compilations

 

Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and MBS Online

 

The Monthly Bulletin of Statistics presents current economic and social statistics for more than 200 countries and territories of the world.  It contains over 50 tables of monthly and/or bimonthly, quarterly and annual data on a variety of subjects illustrating important economic trends and developments, including population, prices, employment and earnings, energy, manufacturing, transport, construction, international merchandise trade and finance.

Vol. LXVII – No. 4, April 2013

 

In addition to the regular recurrent monthly tables, this issue includes the quarterly and bimonthly tables: Retail price indices relating to living expenditures of United Nations officials; Total exports and imports by countries or areas: volume, unit value, terms of trade and purchasing power of exports, in US dollars.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs

Population and Vital Statistics Report 2013

 

The United Nations Statistics Division issued the Population and Vital Statistics report in hard copy. This report, in this format, is published once a year, while the electronic version is updated every two weeks at the UNSD website. The report presents data on total, female and male population counts from the most recent population census, population estimates and number and rates of vital events – births, deaths and infant deaths – for all the countries of the world. These data are presented as reported by national statistical authorities to the United Nations Demographic Yearbook.

Outreach material

 

DESA NGO News 

The May issue is now available online highlighting among others the High Level Meeting of the General Assembly on human trafficking. The monthly newsletter is published by DESA’s NGO Branch, providing the most up-to-date information on news and upcoming events of interest to civil society at UN headquarters in New York, Geneva and elsewhere.

Read full issue: http://csonet.org/content/documents/may13.html

Sustainable Development in Action – Issue 5, Volume 1 

The latest issue is now available featuring the Third Interactive Dialogue of the General Assembly on Harmony with Nature that took place at UN Headquarters on Monday 22 April. Published by DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development, the newsletter aims to highlight the work carried out by Member States, the UN, Major Groups and other relevant stakeholders in implementing sustainable development and leading the way to the Future We Want.

Read full issue: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1631

Enable Newsletter 

Prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) within DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, the April issue is now available. The newsletter features input from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, and civil society.

Read full issue: http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/newsletter/april2013.doc

Discussion papers

 

Monthly Briefing on the World Economic Situation and Prospects No. 54 

Published by DESA’s Development Policy and Analysis Division, the May issue states that the global economy continued to expand at a subdued pace in the first quarter of 2013. The euro area is still in a recession and the recovery has been feeble in most other developed countries. In addition, many emerging economies, including Brazil, China, India and the Russian Federation, are growing below pre-crisis levels and exhibiting major difficulties. The weak global demand is affecting the performance of trade and the evolution of world market prices for primary commodities.

Read full issue: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/wesp/wesp_mb/wesp_mb54.pdf