Features

Race to the bottom in taxation

Taxation is a clear area where international norms can facilitate investment, growth and development at the country level. Yet, developing countries compete intensely with each other, indeed racing to the bottom, to lower tax rates to attract foreign investment. Obscure though it may seem, international tax cooperation can provide a significant boost to public financial management and merits greater attention from policy-makers.

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Social equity gets a boost

Poverty and social impact assessments – the latest tool in the development handbook – are one way of forcing a rethink of the human dimensions of economic policy, and boosting social equity in the process. For example, poverty is widespread around the world in part because economic rights are routinely violated. A deeper, social, analysis may be needed to untie the knots.

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Time to inject new energy into global partnership for development – Ban

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a gathering of world leaders and top figures from the private sector, foundations and civil society that it is time to inject new energy into the global partnership to meet the Millennium Development Goals if countries are to slash poverty, illiteracy and other socio-economic ills by the target date of 2015.

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Publications and websites

Resource Kit on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues

The new Resource Kit on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues is intended for UN country teams, and other development agents, providing them with guidance as to how to engage indigenous peoples and include their perspectives in development processes. Published by DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, in cooperation with ILO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and SCBD.

Statistical Yearbook, 51^stedition

The United Nations Statistical Yearbook is an annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics for over 200 countries and areas of the world, compiled from sources including UN agencies and other international, national and specialized organizations.

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Comings and goings

Goings

Mr. Jacinto De Vera, Acting Chief of the Socio-Economic Governance and Management Branch in DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management, retired on 30 September following some thirty-seven years of dedicated service to the United Nations.

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