Features

Developing countries take a hit

The global financial crisis has markedly intensified. Equity prices have fallen sharply worldwide, a number of major financial institutions have collapsed, while liquidity has evaporated in financial markets. These financial strains are exerting tremendous downward pressure on economic activity worldwide. A large number of developed economies are already in recession, and growth in many developing countries is decelerating significantly.

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The connected city

Information and communications technologies have become all pervasive in today’s world. The cost of voice transmission circuits has dropped dramatically over the last three decades. Computing power per dollar invested has risen dramatically during the same period. But the ICT revolution is far from complete, as electronic commerce continues to grow exponentially.  

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Finance: The stakes are too high for half-measures and quick fixes

General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann told an interactive panel on the global financial crisis that the international community had the responsibility and the opportunity to identify longer-term measures beyond protecting banks, stabilizing credit markets and reassuring big investors. The stakes were too high for half-measures and quick fixes put together behind closed doors. “The world faces setbacks that are already causing untold suffering. For some, the consequences are fatal.”

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Publications and websites

National Development Strategies Policy Notes

This set of national development strategy notes, developed by DESA in cooperation with UNDP, has just been released as a print publication. The notes offer practical guidance on employment-generating macroeconomic policy, inclusive finance for development; public enterprise reform and alternatives to privatization, pro-poor trade policies, investment and industrial technology policies, and social policies.

Demographic Yearbook, 2006

As in the past, the 2006 edition of the Demographic Yearbook provides statistics on population size and composition, fertility, mortality, infant and foetal mortality, marriages and divorces, the primary sources of which are national population and housing censuses, population-related statistics from national administrative recording systems and population and household surveys reported by national statistical authorities.

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Comings and goings

Comings

The following staff members were promoted in October:

Ms. Vladimira Kantorova, Population Affairs Officer, Population Division

Mr. Mattias Kempf, Economic Affairs Officer, Development Policy and Analysis Division

Ms. Maria Stella Simpas, Administrative Assistant, Division for Public Administration and Development Management

Mr. Deniz Susar, Governance and Public Administration Officer, Division for Public Administration and Development Management

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