After a sharp and synchronized global downturn, United Nations economists expect the world economy to bounce back with a mild 2.4 per cent growth in 2010. The rebound is due to the massive and to some extent concerted policy actions taken by the major economies, which effectively arrested a further erosion of confidence worldwide. But a double-dip recession cannot be excluded. A WDEV summary
The cutbacks in industrial production that characterized early stages of the recession have now been reversed. But the recovery is fragile. Firms have mainly begun to restock inventories, rather than respond to stronger consumer or investment demand. In a pre-release of its annual report, the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2010(WESP), the United Nations says an increasing number of economies showed positive growth in the second quarter of 2009 and the recovery momentum continued to build in the third quarter ... ... this article comes up in WDEV 6/Nov-Dec 2009 is for subscribers only. For direct log in >>> click here.If you have no subscription >>> pick your option or >>>
The Superiority of the Financial Transaction Tax + Global Unemployment on Record Levels + New Beginning in European Development Policy? + Clean Development for the South
Global Economic Prospects for 2010 + Does Copenhagen Really Matter? + Quo Vadis, German Development Cooperation? + Mapping Social Protection in South Asia
The ITUC's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights has documented a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered in 2009, with 101 killings - an increase of 30% over the previous year. The new Survey also reveals growing pressure on fundamental workers' rights around the world as the impact of the global economic crisis on employment deepened.
Barely in office, German development minister Dirk Niebel unambiguously mapped out the road: he wants to ensure that development cooperation once again focuses on German interests. This position provoked-probably intentionally-protest from the greater part of the German development community.
Latvia and Estonia show us what Greece may look forward to if it follows the advice it gets from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union. As noted previously, Latvia has experienced the worst two-year economic downturn on record, losing more than 25% of GDP, a recent study shows.
A group of economists has written an open letter to European policymakers criticising their collective failure to address the Greek crisis as a European crisis. It sets out the various causes of the Greek crisis, of which poor fiscal management by that country is only one, and points out the European dimension of the problems. It calls for decisive and coordinated policies by European and national actors to stem the crisis.
The evaluation of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank's support for gender issues between 2002 and 2008 is of significant relevance in the light of the Beijing+15 review and the launching of gender mainstreaming as crucial strategy for all institutions and organizations.