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Started by Karsten Weitzenegger
Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:50
[weitzenegger.de] October 2010
Author: Karsten Weitzenegger
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:50
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:50
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This Newsletter guides you to content relevant for international co- operation and economic development. Reposted from sources linked below. Feel free to circulate it to your network. Edited by Karsten Weitzenegger <editor@weitzenegger.de> Get a daily newsletter service at http://tinyurl.com/newsboxx Follow me on Twitter http://twitter.com/kweitzenegger. CONTENT 1. Global Hunger Index: World is nowhere near achieving MDG 1 2. EC launches public consultation to improve budget support 3. WTO: Trade likely to grow by 13.5 per cent in 2010 4. Poor transparency and accountability in government spending 5. New data shows an increase in tax revenues in Africa 6. Free Trade Area for East and Southern Africa making progress 7. Publications 8. Training and Events 9. Websites of the Month More News: http://www.weitzenegger.de/en/newsroom.php _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Global Hunger Index: World is ''nowhere near'' achieving MDG 1 The latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) shows that the number of hungry people in the world grew to one billion last year, as the global economic recession compounded the effects of the 2007-8 food crisis. The first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) â to halve the proportion of hungry people between 1990 and 2015 â is therefore worryingly off- track. The latest GHI report notes that most policies tackling child hunger have targeted children under five years old; however, research shows that the effects of malnutrition after the age of two are largely irreversible. It therefore recommends concentrating resources on eliminating malnutrition during the crucial first two years of a childâs life. Source: The GHI is a multidimensional measure of global hunger published jointly by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Concern Worldwide, and Welthungerhilfe. Eurostep Weekly. http://www.ifpri.org/publication/2010-global-hunger-index _____________________________________________________________________ 2. EC launches public consultation to improve budget support to developing countries Over the past decade, the European Commission has increasingly used general and sector budget support to ACP countries as preferred aid modalities. This choice was motivated by the commitment of donors to make aid more effective. But despite the potential of the new generation of budget support and the so-called ''sector wide approach'', budget support has come under pressure within donors and partner countries for a variety of reasons. Therefore, the European Commission has launched a public consultation (http://ec.europa.eu/ development/how/consultation/?action=viewcons&id=5221) to solicit the views of stakeholders. It seeks to find out and socialise what has and hasnât worked with a view to improving the ECâs approach to budget support. The basis of the consultation is an EC green paper (http:// ec.europa.eu/development/how/consultation/?action=viewcons&id=5221) which focuses on: i) political governance and the role of political dialogue; ii) the role of policy dialogue and conditionality and links to performance and results; iii) domestic and mutual accountability; iv) programming of budget support and its coherence with other instruments; v) strengthening risk assessment and dealing with fraud and corruption; vi) budget support in situations of fragility; and vii) growth, fiscal policy and mobilisation of domestic revenues. ECDPM is working primarily on the dimension of domestic accountability in relation to budget support and sector wide approaches. Source: ECDPM. http://tinyurl.com/39va6ka _____________________________________________________________________ 3. WTO: Trade likely to grow by 13.5 per cent in 2010 Following faster than expected recovery in global trade flows so far in 2010, WTO economists have revised their projection for world trade growth in 2010 upwards to 13.5 per cent. The WTO's March forecast was a 10 per cent expansion in trade volumes. This would be the fastest year-on-year expansion of trade ever recorded in a data series going back to 1950. But such a large growth rate should be understood in the context of a severely depressed level of trade in 2009, when world exports plunged by 12.2 per cent. http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres10_e/pr616_e.htm _____________________________________________________________________ 4. Global report reveals poor transparency and accountability in government spending The International Budget Partnershipâs Open Budget Survey 2010 is the only independent, comparative, regular measure of budget transparency and accountability around the world. Produced every two years, the report reveals that 74 of the 94 countries assessed fail to meet basic standards of transparency and accountability with national budgets. This opens the door to abuse and inappropriate and inefficient use of public money according to the report. http://internationalbudget.org/what-we-do/open-budget-survey/ _____________________________________________________________________ 5. New data shows an increase in tax revenues in Africa African countries, across all income levels, have gradually increased their level of collected fiscal revenues over the past two decades. However, the crisis is expected to impact negatively on the fiscal revenue performance of African countries in 2009. A complete database of public revenue flows for 50 African governments from 1996 to 2008 is now publicly available on AEO.org, the online gateway to African economies provided by the OECD Development Centre, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the UN Development programme (UNDP). The database was used in its original form for the African Economic Outlook (AEO) 2010 study on Public Resource Mobilisation and Aid, which covered the 1996-2007 period. http://tinyurl.com/2wtgheb _____________________________________________________________________ 6. COMESA, EAC and SADC: Free Trade Area for East and Southern Africa making progress Significant progress has been made by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to establish an enlarged Free Trade Area encompassing 26 countries in East and Southern Africa by 2012. A report presented to recent summits of COMESA and SADC said the three regional economic communities are committed towards deepening integration through the harmonisation of their trading arrangements. Chairperson of the Tripartite Taskforce, which is spearheading the implementation process, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, said a draft plan of action on the Free Trade Area has been approved by the three secretariats for adoption at the forthcoming Tripartite Summit of the Heads of State and Government expected in early 2011. Source: AllAfrica. http://allafrica.com/stories/201009141128.html _____________________________________________________________________ 7. Publications 10 key issues for international development http://tinyurl.com/2uukj4g Alex Evans gave this presentation on global challenges to development for the new UK International Development Select Committee. ADB Assistance for Public-Private Partnerships in Infrastructure Development http://www.adb.org/Documents/SES/REG/SES-OTH-2009-31/default.asp This first evaluation study on ADB assistance to public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure development covers two decades (1988-2008) of related ADB operations. It intends to provide inputs to formulating strategies and business plans for implementing further ADB support to PPP operations in developing member countries. An Approach to Impact-Oriented Programming, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation http://tinyurl.com/37vv8lk The objectives of this CONCORD Discussion Paper are to generate a common understanding among European humanitarian and development CSOs of the concept of impact; to provide pointers for European CSOs to enhance their approaches and systems for impact-oriented programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, including by providing recommendations for CSOs and EU donors; to provide recommendations to the European Commission (EC) and the member states of the European Union (EU); and to feed into the international debate on how to improve aid for enhanced development impact. Beyond Institutions http://tinyurl.com/2wzyj4d Institutions and organizations in the politics and economics of poverty reduction â a thematic synthesis of research evidence. Published by the DFID-funded Research Programme Consortium on Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (IPPG), September 2010. China and India â The New Growth Engines of the Global Economy? http://tinyurl.com/2c2abh3 While the leading industrial nations are still recovering from the consequences of the global financial crisis, China and India are already boasting very high growth rates again. In the third quarter of 2009 Chinaâs economic growth was 10.7 percent; Indiaâs was 7.9 percent. Both countries are again being portrayed as the growth engines of the global economy. GIGA Focus International Edition (4/2010). Deeper Integration: What Effects On Trade? http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~fjohann/paper/DB204.pdf Ibero-Amerika Institut fĂźr Wirtschaftsforschung, Georg-August- Universität GĂśttingen, Diskussionsbeitrag 204, Authors: Martin Clever and Inmaculada MartĂnez-Zarzoso. Economic diversification in Africa - A review of selected countries. http://tinyurl.com/2vb8bxq New Partnership for Africa's Deveopment (NEPAD), OECD and UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) paper, October 2010. Effective state-business relations, industrial policy and economic growth. http://tinyurl.com/3x9xqns Improving Institutions for Pro-Poor Growth (IPPG) briefing paper, by Dirk Willem te Velde et al., September 2010. Global Poverty and the new Bottom Billion: Three-Quarters of the Worldâs Poor Live in Middle-Income Countries http://tinyurl.com/33fjh7u This paper argues that the global poverty problem has changed because most of the world's poor no longer live in poor countries meaning low- income countries (LICs). Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Working Paper, Author: Andy Sumner. Governments, Non-State Actors and Trade Policy-Making: Negotiating Preferentially or Multilaterally? http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/publications_e/gov_2010_e.htm This new book from the WTO analyses the approaches and impact of domestic non-state actors (NSAs) in eight developing countries on national governmentâs decisions on whether to conduct international trade cooperation via preferential trade agreements or at the WTO. The book provides information on the role of NSAs in national policy formulation and the âoptimumâ modes of cooperation with governments. It also analyses what these findings says about the drivers of multilateralism and regionalism/preferentialism in terms of domestic political and economic interests. GTZ Reference Guide for Local/Regional Economic Development (LRED) practitioners http://www2.gtz.de/wbf/lred/news1.asp With approx. 140 webpages, nearly 50 charts and pictures, 190 documents and quite a number of hyperlinked tools, case studies and podcasts it is already a vivid knowledge compilation on LRED. This LRED-Reference Guide is a living document, subject to changes and supplements. Feedback, hints and materials to improve this website are always welcome! The use of the LRED-Reference Guide is free of charge. However, registration is necessary. How post-conflict countries can attract and benefit from FDI http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/diaepcb200915_en.pdf Lessons from Croatia and Mozambique. It focuses on the successful experiences of Croatia and Mozambique in attracting FDI and using it to enhance economic growth and stability. The two nations' investment performances have helped entrench peace since the countries emerged from their respective conflicts in the early 1990s. Integrating poverty and social analysis into Aid for Trade programmes http://tinyurl.com/39hbk7u Trade facilitation and trade-related infrastructure. Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Tips and Tools for Aid for Trade, inclusive growth and poverty reduction brief 3, by Kate Higgins and Liz Turner. Making the most of agricultural investment http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/12566IIED.pdf A survey of business models that provide opportunities for smallholders Migration Industry and Markets for Managing Migration http://tinyurl.com/38j6och Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS); New Research Network. OECD: Innovation and the Development Agenda http://tinyurl.com/3748xxx Innovation drives long-term economic growth. It has a crucial role to play as global economies recover from the current financial crisis. This book examines the role of innovation in developing countries, with a focus on Africa. On the Economics of Regional Powers: Comparing China, India, Brazil, and South Africa http://www.giga-hamburg.de/dl/download.php?d=/content/publikationen/pdf/wp145_kappel.pdf German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), GIGA Working Paper no. 145, Author: Robert Kappel. Rebalancing Local Economies: Widening economic opportunities for people in deprived communities http://www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports/publication.asp?id=779 A major new study by ippr north, working with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and The Northern Way, shows 57 per cent of the poorest neighbourhoods in the North of England had above-average improvement to employment prior to the recession. Rethinking the (European) Foundations of Sub-Saharan African Regional Economic Integration http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/18/59/46013902.pdf Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Author: Peter Draper. SME-Development, Business and Investment Climate, Entrepreneurship, Industrial Policy, Innovation and Technology http://browse.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/pdfs/browseit/8510021E.PDF This OECD book explores how government policy can boost innovation by improving the environment for entrepreneurship and small firm development and increasing the innovative capacities of enterprises. Policy findings and recommendations are presented in three key areas: embedding firms in knowledge flows; developing entrepreneurship skills; and social entrepreneurship. In addition, country notes present statistics and policy data on SMEs, entrepreneurship and innovation for 40 economies. The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): Towards a new era for Caribbean trade. http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/Caribbean_Paper%2010.pdf The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) caribbean paper no. 10, by D. Thorburn, J. Rapley, D. King and C. Campbell, September 2010. The Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on the Budgets of Low-Income Countries http://tinyurl.com/39hbk7u Oxfam research report, by Katerina Kyrili and Matthew Martin, July 2010. The Millennium Declaration, The MDGs and the ILO Decent Work Agenda http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/pardev/download/mdg/2010/overview2010.pdf International Labour Organization (ILO), Publication. The New Bottom Billion and the MDGs â A Plan of Action http://tinyurl.com/23qztxb Popular understandings of global poverty are based on the false premise that poor people all live in poor countries. In fact, new estimates by the Institute of Development Studies place three-quarters of the world's 1.3bn or so poor people in middle-income countries (MICs) such as India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and Indonesia, and only a quarter live in low-income countries (LICs), largely in Africa. This is a dramatic change from just two decades ago when 93 per cent of poor people lived in low-income countries. This change has major implications for both the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and global strategies for poverty reduction beyond 2015. IDS In Focus Policy Briefing 16. Too Many Resources or Too Few? What Drives International Conflicts? http://tinyurl.com/2wwex36 GIGA Working Paper No 147 by Georg StrĂźver. The findings, although preliminary, suggest that resource scarcity may play a less prominent role in the aggression of belligerent countries than is often assumed and that the existence of large oil deposits and high resource-rent incomes are better predictors of conflict involvement. Values, Ethics and Morality in Development http://www.iss.nl/News/Values-ethics-and-morality-in-Development Special Virtual Issue of Journal of International Development, Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands (ISS). What is the role of donors in budgetary execution? http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/55/46184537.pdf?contentId=46184572 Budget execution is an important element of infrastructure development and in non-OECD countries, external resources, including donor funding, remain critical. This presentation by Laura Recuero Virto and Sara Fyson, economists at the OECD, gives us some tips on the sustainability of the resources used to finance development. Why is it important to consider governance issues in sector operations and how should aid practitioners go about this? http://tinyurl.com/262abec Dominique Dellicour of EuropeAidâs Governance, Security, Justice, Human Rights and Gender unit introduces the EC policy document âAnalysing and Addressing Governance in Sector Operationsâ in a video interview http://tinyurl.com/233csgp. ââDemocratic governance is more and more at the centre stage of sector operationsâ she says adding that ââThere was more and more realisation that although technical and economic aspects are important in defining a sector operation, the sector governance set up and the related politics do matter substantially.â In a related video, ECDPMâs Jean Bossuyt provides an inform ative and instructive presentation on the practicalities of putting the ECâs sector governance approach into practice and considers that cultural understanding is imperative to making sensible, informed decisions. Source: ECDPM. More Publications: http://www.weitzenegger.de/en/publications.html _____________________________________________________________________ 8. Training and Events Will the âBRICs Decadeâ continue? â Prospects for trade and growth Halle (Saale), Germany, 23-24 June 2011, IAMO Forum 2011 http://forum2011.iamo.de The IAMO Forum 2011 will focus on growth and trade in the worldâs leading emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRICs) and the repercussions on the world economy. EADI Masterclasses open for registration http://www.eadi.org/events/forthcoming-events/eadi-masterclass.html Practical Skills for Conducting Impact Evaluations, 4 - 5 November, Bonn, E-Learning in Education and Training, 11 - 12 November 2010, Bonn, Introduction to European Framework Programme with Focus on Social Sciences and Humanities, 25 - 26 November, Bonn Getting Research in to Practice - How to Write a Communication Strategy, 2 - 3 December, Bonn. European Development Days 2010 http://www.eudevdays.eu Brussels, 6 and 7 December, SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre his year, the 5th edition of the European Development Days (EDD) will take place in Brussels on 6 and 7 December. Organised by the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, EDD is the leading European forum where the questions and issues about international development cooperation are debated. Deadline for registration: 15 November 2010. International Conference on Social Cohesion and Development, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/20/58/45964694.pdf Paris, France 20-21 January 2011, OECD Development Centre 13th EADI General Conference 2011 http://www.eadi.org/gc2011 York, UK, 19 - 22 September 2011 Rethinking Development in an Age of Scarcity and Uncertainty: New Values, Voices and Alliances for Increased Resilience. MSc in African Studies http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/gradschool/taught_masters/a_g/msc_african_studies Taught Masters Programmes at the Centre of African Studies (CAS), UK The Global Master's in Development Practice Programs Network http://mdp.ei.columbia.edu/?id=home The Global Master's in Development Practice (MDP) is a two-year degree providing graduate-level students with the skills and knowledge required to better identify and address the global challenges of sustainability development, such as poverty, population, health, conservation, climate change, and agricultural productivity. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has committed over $15 million to create MDP programs at 20 universities worldwide over the next three years. Following are 22 universities that will offer the MDP degree program this Fall 2010 or 2011. More Training and Events: http://www.weitzenegger.de/en/training.html _____________________________________________________________________ 9. Websites of the Month AidData portal http://www.aiddata.org AidData is an initiative with researchers, practitioners in a number of different disciplines including economics, political science, sociology, development operations, government, and foreign aid. AidData attempts to capture the universe of development finance and foreign aid, increase the value of data by providing more descriptive information about development activities, provide data in an accessible format, and strengthen efforts to improve donor and recipient strategic planning and coordination. capacity4dev.eu - Connecting the Development Community http://capacity4dev.ec.europa.eu Capacity4dev.eu is a growing online community for development practitioners. This interactive platform was set up by EuropeAid to enhance knowledge through the exchange of practices on effective international cooperation. Capacity4dev.eu provides an open forum for all commission staff, partner countries, other donors, researchers and civil society representatives to share ideas and expertise. The platform offers a magazine that keeps subscribers up to date on relevant developments pertaining to the work of EuropeAid and its partners. There is also a knowledge sharing section where topical issues and documents are presented and where public or closed groups can be set up to discuss issues, exchange experiences, or prepare for new initiatives. Chronic Poverty Research Centre http://www.chronicpoverty.org CPRC is an international partnership of universities, research institutes and NGOs established in 2000 with initial funding from the UK's Department for International Development. Many organisations work to address poverty issues, but what distinguishes CPRC is its focus on persistent or chronic poverty. The program is currently on its Phase 3 stage, where important work on thematic research, policy analysis and policy engagement are carried out. Digital Development Debates is published by Inwent - Capacity Building International http://www.digital-development-debates.org InWEnt has launched a new online magazine. Each issue focuses on a prevailing topic from the development policy sector. Our authors â all experts from their respective fields â explore different facets of this central topic in their contributions. Digital Development Debates takes a two-tiered approach: We offer short journalistic articles aimed at interested laypeople, and more in-depth technical articles that provide well-founded and detailed information. EADI Research â featuring research findings by EADI members http://www.eadi.org/research This website and information service aims to give researchers an easy access to working papers, policy briefs and publications by EADI members. It also features results from research projects led by EADI and members. Several dossiers and a monthly research monitor provide the visitor with recent research findings on selected development issues. Publications are provided in English, French, Spanish and German. EUFORIC http://www.euforic.org Euforic.org is a non-profit service dedicated to spreading and sharing voices, ideas and information on Europeâs International Cooperation. Euforic.org helps audiences communicate and share their voices. Evaluative Reports Database of ALNAP http://www.alnap.org/resources/erd/erd.htm The Evaluative Reports Database (ERD) is a key tool to facilitate information-sharing and lesson-learning among humanitarian organisations. The ERD is a bibliographic collection of evaluative reports of humanitarian action. Apart from evaluation reports, the database also contains other evaluative reports, such as lessons studies, reviews, synthesis reports and good practice studies. Hosted by the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Aid. IOCE - International Organisation for cooperation in evaluation http://www.ioce.net/ IOCE offers linkages to other evaluation organisations, material on how to develop evaluation associations, forums that network evaluators internationally, news of events and important initiatives, and opportunities to exchange ideas, practices, and insights with evaluation associations, societies and networks throughout the world. Knowledge Brokersâ Forum (KBF) http://www.knowledgebrokersforum.org The Knowledge Brokersâ Forum (KBF) is a collaborative space to promote knowledge sharing and dissemination on knowledge brokering (KB) and the role of intermediaries in international development. Our aim is to foster a global community of peers interested in KB from a diversity of sectors and practices, consolidate information and resources on intermediaries and help promote experiences and refine practices in knowledge brokering and knowledge translation (KT). New Gateway on Social Protection http://south-south.ipc-undp.org/ The new South-South Learning Gateway on Social Protection is an online collaborative tool aiming to create open, independent and critical networks to exchange experiences across regions and countries. The website has been set up as a ââvirtual bookcaseâ with a searchable database of social protection materials from across the world. The collection includes tools, case studies, policy papers and research. Besides the library, there is a section featuring a social protection mapping of developing countries. ODI's Trade Website http://www.odi.org.uk/work/themes/details.asp?id=28&title=trade The work of ODI on trade encompasses a number of key concerns for developing countries. ODI research on trade is led by the Trade Programme, with support and input from other programmes across the Institute. Online Handbook: Corporate diversity management http://www.business-and-biodiversity.de/en/handbuch/welcome.html With this online handbook users can directly access pertinent checklists to analyse a company. It also provides detailed best practice examples and indepth information and links on specific topics. Using an interlinked structure, the online handbook illustrates how business and biodiversity are closely networked and explains the fields of action involved in comprehensive biodiversity management. Partnership for Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) http://www.mfw4a.org This is an initiative to support the efforts of African countries to boost economic growth and fight poverty by encouraging and facilitating financial sector development. The Partnership brings together African governments, development partners and the private sector to unleash the full potential of the financial sector to drive economic development and reduce poverty across the continent. The website is now also available in French. Quality of Official Development Assistance http://www.cgdev.org/section/topics/aid_effectiveness/quoda Brookings Senior Fellow Homi Kharas and Center for Global Development President Nancy Birdsall unveil the Quality of Official Development Assistance (QuODA) assessment, comparing each donor country or aid agency to its peers. By using a comprehensive set of 30 indicators, donors should be able to evaluate their effectiveness and find areas for improvement. UNCTADstat http://unctadstat.unctad.org UNCTAD compiles, validates and processes a wide range of data collected from national and international sources. Through its data dissemination system, UNCTADstat, it provides free access to comprehensive statistical time series and indicators essential for the analysis of world trade, development, and interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and durable development. More Websites: http://www.weitzenegger.de/en/links.html _____________________________________________________________________ Community - Be a friend of weitzenegger.de http://weitzenegger.de/en/community.php
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