October 2011

UN launches Year of Cooperatives with spotlight on development

UN News Centre, 31 October, 2011
The United Nations launched the International Year of Cooperatives with the General Assembly President underlining their role as catalysts of socially-inclusive development and capacity to empower communities through jobs and income generation.
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A vision for a better, richer world in 2030

The Economic Times, 31 October, 2011
There are many international dimensions for the causes of and solutions for global challenges. Hence, working for solutions is a collective responsibility of the global community.
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WTO G-20 report: Weak growth and imbalances “testing” government resolve against protectionism

WTO News, 28 October 2011
The WTO’s report on G-20 trade measures, issued on 26 October 2011, said that “disappointingly weak growth in some G-20 countries and continuing macroeconomic imbalances globally are testing the political resolve of many governments to abide by the G-20 commitment to resist protectionism”. It said that “the situation is not yet alarming, but it is clearly adding to the downside risks to the global economy”.
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Can humanity handle the unprecedented rise in population?

The Economic Times, 25 October 2011
One week from today, the United Nations estimates, the world’s population will reach 7 billion. Can the earth support 7 billion now, and the 3 billion people who are expected to be added by the end of this century?
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Debt crisis in affluent States threatens developing economies, UN

UN News Centre, 24 October 2011
Two top United Nations economic bodies held their first ever joint meeting today to discuss the serious risks to developing countries and economies in transition stemming from the sovereign debt crisis currently affecting some developed countries.
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Govt announces highest ever food-grain production in Kharif

IndiaInfoline, 20 October, 2011
Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Minister, Sharad Pawar, expressed the hope that with record production in kharif and rabi seasons this year, food production will exceed the target in 2011-12.
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Govt plans to launch new Urban development mission during 12th Plan

FirstPost, 20 October, 2011
The Plan panel said that the government is working on a new Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) during the 12th Plan, aiming to fast track infrastructure development in cities.
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Rising inflation, poor industrial growth, areas of concern: Rangarajan

The Pioneer, 20 October, 2011
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) unveiled its economic outlook for Asia-Pacific region in Manila, lowering its growth projection for Asia to 6.3%. Expressing concern over the growing economic inequality in the region, the IMF said economic growth in Asia should be more inclusive.
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Ethiopia’s Imperfect Growth Miracle

Carnegie Endowment Bulletin, 20 October, 2011
Ethiopia was one of the world’s five fastest-growing economies in 2010. Despite the country’s remarkable growth performance in recent years, however, its record in promoting socio-economic development is mixed.
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Gap between rich and poor widening: IMF

ABS-CBN News, 18 October, 2011
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) unveiled its economic outlook for Asia-Pacific region in Manila, lowering its growth projection for Asia to 6.3%. Expressing concern over the growing economic inequality in the region, the IMF said economic growth in Asia should be more inclusive.
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UN official: Beijing can help fight poverty

China Daily, 18 October, 2011
Helen Clark, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Administrator said that China can play a rebalancing role in the current global financial crisis to combat future global poverty.
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ADB’s role in infrastructure building lauded

The Hindu, 17 October, 2011
Addressing delegates at the ADB-India partnership silver jubilee function, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee highlighted the role that the ADB had played in infrastructure building by way of valuable technical assistance in public-private partnership for development of the sector.
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Housing finance as a tool for economic development

Vanguard, 17 October, 2011
Housing provision is an important measure of social welfare and economic development in any nation. History reveals that governments of developed countries at every level have at different times played active roles in housing and economic development.
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FAO: Rising food prices hindering poverty reduction

Guardian, 15 October, 2011
As food prices continue to exhibit volatility and with food prices driving inflation, it is likely that the millennium development goal (MDG) of reducing poverty and hunger by 2015 would not be achieved.
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Aid that threatens developing economies

Ghana Web, 15 October, 2011
The region that receives more aid is today the poorest continent in the world despite the valuable natural resources at its disposal. Even with increased foreign aid, about 51 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than 1.25 dollars per day.
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New development goals based on national targets can help eradicate poverty

PR Web, 14 October, 2011
A conference report based on joint project between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and The Centre for International Governance Innovation argues for 12 new post-2015 development goals that call for country-specific targets and minimum benchmarks.
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Power can challenge poverty

The Guardian, 14 October, 2011
Access to modern energy sources transforms lives and is critical to development and moving people out of poverty.
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Africa’s Middle Class to Boom

The Wall Street Journal, 13 October, 2011
Africa’s middle class will triple to more than one billion people in the next half-century, but that still won’t suffice to close the gap between the continent and Asia’s new economic powers, a report from the African Development Bank says.
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A nutrition crisis amid prosperity

Hindustan Times, 13 October, 2011
Despite three decades of economic growth averaging around 6%, India still has the highest number of malnourished children in the world. Nearly half of the world’s underweight children are Indians.
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$48 Billion Needed to End Energy Poverty

Commodities Reporter, 12 October, 2011
A $48 billion investment is needed to end energy poverty, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Ending energy poverty would give more than one billion in poor countries worldwide access to electricity.
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FAO warns of high, volatile food price effects

Business Line, 10 October, 2011
The UN food agency has warned of high and volatile food prices putting poor families and small farmers at risk. ‘Price volatility makes both smallholder farmers and poor consumers increasingly vulnerable to poverty,’ the Food and Agriculture Organisation stated in the annual report.
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Clean energy revolution crucial to ensure growth in poorer countries

UN News Centre, 10 October, 2011
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for a clean energy revolution to help the estimated three billion people that lack modern power and urged countries to recognize the impact that energy security has on all aspects of development.
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Thorat for faster growth of poor

The Times of India, 09 October, 2011
Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) chairman Sukhdeo Thorat has said that there has been a decline in poverty from 70% to 27% in the last three decades owing to increase in the national income but poverty of social groups like Dalits, tribals, Muslims and women has not declined proportionately.
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Non-Farm Economy Saves Rural Africa

Fortune, 09 October, 2011
Given past failures in promoting agricultural development, some African policy makers and donors are looking to the rural non-farm economy as an easier option for sparking a successful rural transformation.
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