Features

Food crisis: Scarcity amid plenty

The recent spike in food prices has mobilized political efforts at the highest levels worldwide. The rise in prices represents fundamental underlying shifts in the supply and demand for food, rather than a mere transitory fluctuation. Most importantly, rising food prices put at risk the livelihoods and nutrition of people living in poverty, who spend up to 60 percent of their incomes on food alone.

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UN public administration celebrates six decades of achievement

Since the birth of the United Nations, Member States have looked to the organization as a standard setter and substantive resource for public service and public administration. The international civil service was itself modelled on the best practices in public management from around the world, as a beacon to others with the principles of integrity, accountability, transparency and diversity at its core.

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Disabilities convention: An extraordinary accomplishment and profound responsibility

Sha Zukang, DESA Under-Secretary-General, joined Ambassadors Espinosa of Ecuador, Mansour of Tunisia, and Al-Allaf of Jordan on 4 April to mark the twentieth ratification of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The treaty is deeply rooted in the UN vision of “a just and peaceful world,” noted Sha, with better standards of life in larger freedom for all. The Convention enters into force on 3 May.

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Publications and websites

World Population Policies 2007

This report delineates Governments’ views and policies concerning population and development for 195 countries. In particular, it itemizes policies in the areas of population size and growth, population age structure, fertility and family planning, health and mortality, spatial distribution and internal migration, and international migration.

Indicators of Sustainable Development: Guidelines and Methodologies

The third revised set of sustainable development indicators contains 96 indicators, including a subset of 50 core indicators with detailed methodologies. The indicator set builds on the previous two editions, which have been improved and extensively tested by a group of experts from developing and developed countries.

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Comings and goings

Comings

The following staff members were promoted in April:

Ms. Akiko Ito, Senior Social Affairs Officer, Division for Social Policy and Development

Ms. Seok-Ran Kim, Governance and Public Administration Officer, Division for Public Administration and Development Management

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