Abortion Policies and Reproductive Health around the World
Produced by UN DESA’s Population Division, the report provides information on changes in legal grounds for abortion between 1996 and 2013. It also includes latest available information on government policies and programmes related to reproductive health.
MDG Gap Task Force Report 2014: The State of the Global Partnership for Development
Targets for the Millennium Development Goals related to the global partnership to improve people’s lives and end poverty show mixed results on providing the poorest developing countries with greater access to aid, trade, debt relief, essential medicines and technologies, according to the MDG Gap Task Force Report 2014 launched on 18 September.
The lives of millions of people worldwide have improved due to concerted efforts – at the global, regional, national and local levels – to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Recent statistics show that with many MDG targets already met – including reducing poverty, increasing access to clean drinking water, improving the lives of slum dwellers, and achieving gender parity in primary school – many more targets are within reach by the end of 2015. However, much unfinished business remains.
The MDG Gap Task Force Report 2014, entitled, “The State of the Global Partnership for Development,” tracks delivery on commitments listed under Millennium Development Goal 8—the global partnership for development. Goal 8 was created as a call to developed countries to extend specific types of support to developing countries to help them achieve the other seven MDGs, which include targets on reducing poverty, hunger and child and maternal mortality, and increasing access to education, and environmental sustainability.
United Nations E-Government Survey 2014 is now available in Chinese
UN DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management officially launched the 2014 edition of the United Nations E-Government Survey in Chinese on 12 August 2014 in Beijing. By introducing the publication, Wu Hongbo, USG of DESA, gave the keynote address to more than 200 senior officials from ministries responsible for e-government and ICT in China, research and academia institutions, industry representatives and major Chinese news agencies. During the launch event, the Chief of e-Government Branch of DPADM Mr. Vincenzo Aquaro made a presentation on the Methodology of the Survey and introduced key findings and ranking of 193 United Nations Member States based on the results of the Survey.
The publication presents a systematic assessment of the use and potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to transform the public sector by enhancing its efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability, as well as access to public services and citizen participation.
The Chinese translation of the Survey was provided by the Chinese Academy of Governance in effort to give more exposure of the Survey and to reach out to target audiences in the region more efficiently.
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. LXVIII – No. 8, August 2014
In addition to the regular recurrent monthly tables, this issue includes quarterly and annual tables: Retail price indices relating to living expenditures of United Nations Officials; Earnings in manufacturing, by sex; Total exports and imports by regions: volume and unit value indices and terms of trade.
2013 International Trade Statistics Yearbook, Volume I Trade by Country
This publication provides an analytical, condensed and integrated view of the international merchandise trade and trade in services up to the year 2013 by means of brief descriptive text, concise data tables and charts. The information presented in the publication gives an insight into the latest trends of trade in goods and services of around 175 countries (or areas) in the world.
In contrast to editions prior to 2013 which featured only merchandise trade, the International Trade Statistics Yearbook Volume I —Trade by Country now includes integrated presentation of international merchandise trade and trade in services.
The publication is aimed at both specialist trade data users and common audience at large. The presented data, charts and analyses will benefit policy makers, government agencies, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, journalists, academics, researchers, students, businesses and anyone who is interested in trade issues. The information and analyses are presented in a way which can be comprehended by non-expert users of statistics.
Outreach material
Youth Flash Newsletter
Published by UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development Focal Point on Youth, the September issue puts the spotlight on the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States. The newsletter is prepared with input from UN offices, agencies, and from youth organizations around the world.
Enable Newsletter
Prepared by the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) within UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, the September issue is now available highlighting that disability rights worldwide have reached a major milestone after the CRPD was ratified by the 150th country. Guyana became the latest state to ratify the Convention, which has been in force since 2008 and has seen one of the fastest rates of ratification of any of the international human rights treaties. The issue features input from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, and civil society.
DESA NGO News
The latest issue provides 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. The newsletter is published by UN DESA’s NGO Branch.
Issue 23: UN Bimonthly Publications Review
Produced by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNWDPAC), every two months this review includes the latest publications produced by United Nations agencies and programmes on issues related to water and sanitation.
Natural Resources Forum, Special section on oceans
Prepared by UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development, this special section provides valuable background information for the ongoing oceans-related processes and discussions. It contains two papers which are devoted to the analysis of the multitude of ecosystem services provided by oceans and their benefits for local communities. In addition, the authors enumerate possible stressors threatening these services as well as possible activities that can be undertaken to deal with these challenges while also strengthening the understanding and management of marine and coastal ecosystems.
The third paper deals with the particular challenges faced by remote, poor, coastal and island communities and elaborates on an innovative approach of using environmentally friendly, non-fuel vessels which could possibly be used to solve difficulties encountered through conventional shipping methods.
Discussion papers
Monthly Briefing on the World Economic Situation and Prospects No. 70
Prepared by UN DESA’s Development Policy and Analysis Division, the September issue examines the reciprocal economic sanctions on both the Russian Federation and the European Union; how setting monetary policy within the US is challenged by the labor market situation, and how Brazil is falling into recession, while India expands faster than expected.
Meetings records
Compendium of Recommendations on Population and Development, Vols. I and II:
- Volume I compares recommendations emanating from the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development with the resolutions from the Commission on Population and Development since 1994. To download
- Volume II provides a compilation of recent outcome documents of five regional conferences on population and development held in preparation for the review of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014. To download
