The World’s Women 2010: Trends and Statistics

This publication presents statistics and analysis on the status of women and men in the world, highlighting the current situation and changes over time. It was prepared to coincide with and in observance of the first-ever World Statistics Day, 20.10.2010. The report is the fifth in the series which has been published every five years, as called for in the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. As in the past editions, the presentation is made in a format and language that non-specialists can readily understand.

The World’s Women 2010 reveals that progress towards the goal of gender equality has been made in the last two decades in a number of areas, although uneven and, for the most part, quite modest. In some areas it is clear that there is a long way to go before gender equality is achieved. These are elaborated in the following eight chapters of the report, each representing a broad area of concern: population and families, health, education, work, power and decision-making, violence against women, environment and poverty. A wide selection of the statistics and indicators at the country level are presented in the Statistical Annex of the report.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/Worldswomen/WW2010pub.htm

International Recommendations for Industrial Statistics 2008

This publication provides a comprehensive methodological framework for collection and reporting of industrial statistics in all countries, irrespective of level of development of their statistical systems. Part I of the publication comprises international recommendations on industrial statistics relating to statistical units, characteristics of statistical units, data items and their definitions and the data items for international reporting.

Part II of the publication contains guidance for implementation of the international recommendations and relate to performance indicators, data sources and data compilation methods, data-collection strategy, data quality and metadata, and dissemination of industrial statistics. IRIS 2008 are consistent with System of National Accounts 2008 and also harmonized with recommendation in other fields of economic statistics such as distributive trade, construction, and other related domains of structural and short-term statistics.

It is intended primarily for the producers of industrial statistics; particularly the staff of national statistical offices involved in the collection and compilation of industrial statistics, but may be also useful to researchers and other users interested in better understanding the nature of industrial statistics.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/industry/docs/M90.pdf

The Demographic Yearbook 2008

This edition, now available online, is the sixtieth in a series published by the United Nations since 1948. It contains statistical tables including a world summary of selected demographic statistics, data on the size, distribution and trends in national populations, fertility, foetal mortality, infant and maternal mortality, general mortality, nuptiality and divorce, for all countries and areas of the world, as available.

Population counts of countries, areas and cities, births and deaths counts, as well as respective demographic rates, such as crude birth and death rates, age-specific fertility and mortality rates, infant and maternal mortality rates, life expectancy, crude marriage and divorce rates, etc., are shown as available. In addition, the volume provides technical notes, a synoptic table, a historical index and a listing of the issues of the Yearbook published to date. The latest reference year of the data presented is 2008.

For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dybsets/2008%20DYB.pdf

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 annual and quarterly 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. LXIV – No. 9, September 2010

This month, the following tables, which are featured in the MBS on a quarterly or annual basis, are presented along with the regular recurrent monthly tables: Earnings in non-agricultural activities, by sex; Fuel imports, developed economies: unit value and volume indices, value; Indicators on fuel imports, developed economies; Registration of new motor vehicles; External trade conversion factors; Manufactured goods exports: unit value indices, volume indices and value; Exports by commodity classes and by regions: developed economies; Selected series of world statistics.

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

Meeting records

Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All

Released by the Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the book was edited by William J. Drake and gives a detailed overview of the fourth IGF meeting held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 15-18 November 2009. It also contains a message by Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang and was distributed in hard copy at the fifth Internet Governance Forum meeting, hosted by the Government of Lithuania in Vilnius on 14-17 September 2010. The publication will also be made available as e-book.

To download: http://www.intgovforum.org

Discussion papers

Monthly Briefing, No. 24 on the World Economic Situation and Prospects

The Briefing highlights that trade tensions and risks of competitive devaluations heighten amidst global economic slowdown and increased turmoil in currency markets. In addition, the briefing discusses the return of sovereign debt stress in some European countries and focuses on the United Nations summit on MDGs that secured more than $40 billion for women’s and children’s health.

For more information: http://www.un.org/esa/policy/publications/dpad_wespmbn.html

Working papers

Labour Markets Trends, Financial Globalization and the current crisis in Developing Countries

The current wave of globalization has profound labour market effects, accentuated, in many cases, by the current financial and economic crisis. This paper reviews general labour market trends and country examples, arguing that the current globalization process makes labour’s position more precarious, a trend magnified by the current crisis. This is consistent with the policy reactions to the crisis: governments have (rightly) acted as a banker of last resort to avoid the collapse of the financial system, but, despite stimulus plans and monetary easing and some labour market policies, have not really acted as an employer of last resort.

For more information: http://www.un.org/esa/desa/papers/2010/wp99_2010.pdf

e-Publications

MDG Gap Task Force Report 2010: The Global Partnership for Development at a Critical Juncture

ePub format of the MDG Gap Task Force Report 2010: The Global Partnership for Development at a Critical Juncture is now available for download on various mobile devices and e-readers, in the six official languages.

For more information: http://www.un.org/esa/policy/index.html

The 2010 E-Government Survey is now available on the Apple iBook App

DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) announces the launch of the 2010 United Nations E-Government Survey on the Apple iBook App which makes the survey available to Apple iPad users around the world.

For more information: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/united-nations-e-government/id397771555?mt=11