The world economy continued to improve in the first half of 2010, leading to a slight upward revision in the United Nations outlook for global growth. The pace of the recovery is too weak, however, to close the global output gap left by the crisis. The recovery is also uneven across countries. While growth prospects for some developing countries are encouraging, economic activity is lacklustre in developed economies and below potential elsewhere in the developing world. Read more

The global economy is set to rebound in 2010 but the risk of a “double-dip” recession is clear and present, according to the latest World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) Report. The report, released by DESA’s Development Policy and Analysis Division in January, found that the global economy will bounce back this year with a predicted 2.4 per cent growth rate. Director of the Development Policy and Analysis Division Rob Vos said… Read more

The MDG Gap Task Force Report 2009 argues that further progress has been made towards fulfilling the promises embodied in MDG 8 – Developing the Global Partnership for Development. However, MDG 8 has suffered important setbacks, most of which have arisen from the current state of the world economy which is experiencing its severest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. In the countdown to 2015, urgent responses are needed to bridge… Read more

The World Economic and Social Survey 2009 argues that the separation in practice of climate change and development agendas has distorted the global debate on the two biggest policy challenges facing the international community. According to the Survey, an integrated approach based on the concept of sustainable development is urgently needed. It proposes that mitigation and adaptation… Read more

This World Economic Situation and Prospects Update 2009 comes in the midst of the global financial crisis. Faced with the worst recession since World War II, the United Nations baseline forecast for world economic growth has been revised downwards compared with the pessimistic scenario of the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2009 published in January. The report finds that the world economy is expected to shrink by 2.6 per cent in 2009… Read more