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KEY PUBLICATIONS AND ONLINE
RESOURCES
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
This page was updated
on: 01/12/10
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON WORLD DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
This report (E/CN.9/2005/8) provides an
overview of world demographic trends, including trends in population
size and growth, urbanization, population ageing, fertility and
contraception, mortality and international migration. The report also
addresses population policies, summarizing the concerns and responses of
governments with respect to major population trends. The report
highlights that world population reached 6.5 billion in 2005, that the 7
billion mark could be reached in 2012, and that world population could
stabilize at about 9 billion people in the long-term. It notes the
diversity in expected population growth among regions and countries,
with population in African and Asian countries expected to increase
greatly in the coming decades, and population in some developed
countries to significantly decline. The report notes that half the
world's population is expected to live in urban areas by 2007, and that
the proportion of elderly people is expected to continue rising
throughout this century.
WORLD POPULATION MONITORING 2003: POPULATION, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(UNDESA Population Division, 2004) This
report underscores the interlinkages between education and population,
and their effect on national development. The report examines a range of
topics, including: population trends; education and entry into
reproductive life; the interrelationships between education and
fertility; education, health and mortality; education and international
migration; and monitoring progress in meeting international goals.
WORLD EMPLOYMENT
REPORT 2004-05
(ILO, December 2004) Prepared by the International Labour Organisation,
this report underscores the linkages between employment, productivity
and poverty reduction, urging economic policies targeted at creating
decent and productive employment opportunities and a fairer
globalization for poverty reduction. The report presents global trends
in employment, productivity and poverty, addresses the relationship
between productivity and employment growth, and calls for greater focus
on increasing productivity and earnings in the agriculture sector. The
report also discusses the importance of employment stability for
increasing productivity, and outlines policy recommendations to improve
the integration of small-scale enterprises into the broader economy. The
report.
WORLD POPULATION IN 2300
(DESA Population Division, November 2004)
This report projects that the world's population will stabilize at 9
billion in 2300 if fertility levels continue their decline. However if
current rates remain steady, global population could reach 1.3 trillion
people by 2300. These long-range population projections cover twice as
long a period compared to previous UN forecasts, and provide projections
for all countries in the world. The
report.
REALITY OF AID 2004 REPORT: FOCUS ON
GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
(Reality of Aid, April 2004) This NGO
report explores the theme of governance and human rights in development
cooperation and illustrates how governance conditionality can be used as
a tool to "open up markets and impose policies that entrench inequitable
distribution of power and resources." The report begins with a political
overview and continues with chapters focusing on aid trends in different
regions. It highlights: the risk that aid is being diverted from the
overriding necessity of eliminating poverty for the many to the
promoting security for the few; the continued domination of global
political and economic mechanisms by OECD countries, especially G8
donors and very particularly, the United States; and the interpretation
of governance and human rights by OECD donors to mean whatever they want
them to mean. This
publication
was first launched in April 2004 and is now being made available
online.
STATE OF THE WORLD'S CITIES 2004/2005
– GLOBALIZATION AND URBAN CULTURE
(UN-HABITAT,
September 2004) Launched at the second World Urban Forum in Barcelona,
this flagship UN-HABITAT report charts the trends, progress and
challenges faced in our rapidly urbanizing world. The report forecasts
that 60 percent of the world's population will be living in cities by
2030 and that almost of this growth will be absorbed by the world's
least developed regions. It tackles issues such as migration,
multiculturalism, globalization and the feminization of poverty to name
a few. First published in 2001, the SOWC report is now released every
two years. The
report.
STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2004 REPORT:
CAIRO CONSENSUS AT TEN: POPULATION, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND THE GLOBAL
EFFORT TO END POVERTY
(UNFPA, September 2004) This UNFPA
flagship report examines the progress that countries have made in
implementing the agenda adopted at the 1994 Cairo International
Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The eleven chapters of
this report address issues relating to: population and poverty;
population and the environment; migration and urbanization; gender
equality and women's empowerment; reproductive health and family
planning; maternal health; HIV/AIDS prevention; adolescents and youth;
and reproductive health for communities in crisis. The final chapter
discusses the role of partnership in promoting better reproductive
health and efforts to achieve the goals of ICPD and the MDGs, and
outlines priority actions. The report finds that while significant gains
have been achieved since the Cairo Conference in the areas of protecting
the rights of girls and women, integrating reproductive health services
into primary healthcare, adopting national HIV/AIDS strategies and
addressing gender issues, many challenges still remain, particularly
regarding the significant gap between the rich and poor in access to
health services. The report highlights how that lack of resources is
impeding further progress, noting that donor response has not met the
increasing reproductive health needs of developing countries. The report
is available at:
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/index.htm
GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT TRENDS FOR YOUTH
2004
(International Labour Organization,
August 2004) This ILO report highlights labor market trends for youth,
including trends in: the youth labor force, youth employment; youth
unemployment; and discrimination within the youth unemployed population.
The report indicates that about half of the world's jobless are young
people between the ages of 15 and 24, and underscores the significant
role of tackling youth unemployment in contributing to the global
economy and achieving the MDGs. The report if available at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/global.htm
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2004:
CULTURAL LIBERTY IN TODAY'S DIVERSE WORLD
(UNDP, July 2004) This year's edition of the UNDP Human Development
Report underscores the need to mainstream issues of culture into
development thinking and practice and to foster multicultural policies
that recognize and support ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity.
The report urges multiethnic or religious countries to establish
"asymmetric" federalist structures that would allow different groups to
maintain their own identity and foster a sense of belonging to the
nation. It challenges conventional beliefs surrounding diversity and
unity, discrediting myths that trade-offs need to made between promoting
cultural diversity and ensuring state unity, peace, other human
development priorities, development or democracy. A section on
globalization highlights the threat that globalization poses to
diversity and traditional cultures, but also recognizes that it provides
opportunities for disadvantaged groups to tap into global markets. The
Human Development Indicators section provides country specific data for
various development indicators, including: water, sanitation and
nutritional status; public spending on health and education; literacy
and enrolment rates; technology diffusion and creation; debt relief and
trade; flows of aid, private capital and debt; energy and the
environment; and gender- and labor-related data. This edition also
includes special contributions by Shirin Ebadi, Nelson Mandela, Hamid
Karzai, John Hume and Ole Henrik Magga. The report can be downloaded
from:
http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2004/
2004 REPORT ON THE GLOBAL AIDS
EPIDEMIC
(UNAIDS) This 235+ page report
presents a global overview of the AIDS epidemic. It indicates that
infection rate in 2003 was the highest ever, with an estimated 4.8
million people newly infected with HIV. Some 38 million people are now
living with AIDS, with 25 million residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Half
of all new HIV infections are now found in the 15 to 24 year-old age
group, with over 6,000 youth contracting the virus every day. The report
also looks at the impacts of AIDS on people and societies, and outlines
means of scaling up HIV prevention, particularly for youth. It also
focuses on treatment, care and support for people living with HIV, and
addresses financing issues and national responses. Annexes contain
country-specific HIV/AIDS estimates and data. The book can be downloaded
at:
http://www.unaids.org/bangkok2004/report.html
BATTLING HIV/AIDS: A DECISION-MAKER'S
GUIDE TO THE PROCUREMENT OF MEDICINES AND RELATED SUPPLIES
(World Bank, July 2004) This
publication provides a practical, step-by-step procurement guide to
assist developing countries in expanding the access of AIDS patients to
anti-retroviral medicines. The book opens with a chapter on the
challenges in scaling up treatment of HIV/AIDS, and presents a guide to:
intellectual property rights; managing the supply cycle; product
selection, quantification and quality assurance; procurement; and
pricing. The book is available at:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPROCUREMENT
/Resources/Technical-Guide-Procure-HIV-AIDS-Meds.pdf
ASIA PACIFIC'S OPPORTUNITY: INVESTING
TO AVERT AN HIV/AIDS CRISIS
(UNAIDS and ADB, July 2004)
This publication argues that Asia Pacific countries are at a
"make-or-break point with HIV/AIDS." While infection is much lower than
those of sub-Saharan Africa, the course of the epidemic in the region,
which houses over half the world's people, will determine the magnitude
and toll of the HIV/AIDS pandemic over the next decade. This study
stresses the need for Asia-Pacific leaders to tackle the massive
shortfall in the finances needed to establish comprehensive prevention,
care and treatment responses in every country, in order for them to
succeed in controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. The
publication concludes with five actions that national governments must
take to prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic from spreading. The report is
available at:
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/Asia-Pacific/APO-HIV.pdf
HIV/AIDS AND WORK: GLOBAL ESTIMATES,
IMPACT AND RESPONSE
(ILO, July 2004) This report
presents global projections of the impact of HIV/AIDS on the world's
workforce. Its finding show that about 36.5 million people of working
age have HIV and approximately 28 million workers will be lost to the
world's labor force by next year since the beginning of the epidemic. It
underscores the twofold impact of HIV/AIDS on workers both on those
infected who will have to drop out of the workforce and on others who
will need to shoulder the economic burden and the burden of care of
those who are dying of the epidemic. The study also addresses the
macroeconomic and social impacts of the epidemic and outlines policy
implications and responses to the epidemic in world of work. The report
can be viewed at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/trav/aids/publ/global_est/index.htm
CHILDREN ON
THE BRINK 2004: A JOINT REPORT OF NEW ORPHAN ESTIMATES AND A FRAMEWORK
FOR ACTION
(UNAIDS, UNICEF and USAID,
July 2004) This publication presents the most up-to-date statistics on
historical, current and projected number of children under 18 who have
been orphaned by AIDS. The report also outlines key strategies for a
framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable
children confronted with HIV/AIDS. According to the report, the number
of AIDS orphans increased from 11.5 million to 15 million in the period
2001-2003, with the majority of orphans from Africa. The numbers for
Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean have decreased by about 10%
since 1990. The publication can be downloaded at:
http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_22212.html
SCALING UP TREATMENT FOR THE GLOBAL
HIV PANDEMIC
(National Academies Press,
2004) This publication presents the challenges and opportunities of
scaling up treatment of HIV. The study notes that some six million
individuals currently need antiretroviral therapy, but only 400,000
people in developing nations have access to treatment. Chapters further
address lessons learned, principles of scale-up, managing scaling-up of
anti-retroviral therapy, and recommendations for the way forward,
including through partnerships, technology transfer, and the
mobilization of a Peace Corps-like "HIV/AIDS corps" of technical
specialists. The publication can be downloaded at:
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309092647/html/
ANALYSIS OF AID IN SUPPORT OF HIV/AIDS
CONTROL, 2000-2002
(OECD DAC and UNAIDS, June
2004) This report presents the results of a review of data on aid
allocations to HIV/AIDS control by donor and recipient countries. Key
findings illustrate that DAC members' total official development
assistance (ODA) commitments for HIV/AIDS control in 2000-2002 were $US
2.2 billion per year. The main recipient region was Sub-Saharan Africa
and the top three recipient countries were Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.
The United States was the largest bilateral donor, followed by the
United Kingdom. Larger donors were found to be the main funders of
treatment programmes, which require substantial funding and long-term
commitments, while smaller donors focused more on HIV prevention, but
also supported home-based care and social mitigation activities. The
report is available at:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/60/32159448.pdf
MULTIFUNCTIONAL LANDSCAPES: VOLUMES
I, II & III
(WIT Press, 2003) This three
volume set contain papers originally presented at a conference on
multifunctional landscapes held in Roskilde, Denmark in 2000 that have
since been peer-reviewed and revised. Volume I: Theory, Values and
History stresses the importance of establishing a new framework for
understanding and interpreting landscapes and their various functions
and values in space and time. Volume II: Monitoring, Diversity and
Management focuses on the discussion and research recommendations
relating to three different aspects of future landscape research
concerning planning and management. Volume III - Continuity and
Change contains an overview of case studies carried out throughout
Europe, with a focus on the interactions between land use practices and
the biotic and abiotic environment. More information is available at:
http://www.witpressusa.com/acatalog/9364.html
GLOBAL - CITY FUTURES -
ONLINE SURVEY
Readers
interested in the future and quality of "urban" human habitation on
Earth are invited to participate in a global online survey to express
their "preferred city vision." The purpose of this survey is to research
humanity's preferred vision for human habitation on the Earth in 2100.
Information will be collected until the end of August 2004 and the
research will be completed by December 2004. More information is
available at:
http://www.maroochy.qld.gov.au/global_cities_survey.cfm
GUIDELINES ON DEVELOPING CONSUMER INFORMATION ON PROPER USE OF
TRADITIONAL, COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES
(WHO,
January 2004) Prepared by the World Health Organization, these technical
guidelines seek to assist Member States in developing context-specific
and reliable consumer information concerning the proper use of
traditional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine. WHO
recognizes the long-term goal of maximizing the benefits and minimizing
the risks in the use of such medicines by empowering consumers to make
informed choices and become active participants in healthcare. WHO also
underscores that efforts to promote the proper use of such medicines
through consumer education/training must also be supported by other
measures such as: the establishment of national laws and regulations to
control herbal medicines products; efforts to ensure the qualified
practice of traditional and alternative therapies; and, where
appropriate, measures to control information about such approaches used
in advertisements. As follow-up to the development of these guidelines,
WHO plans to organize a series of inter-regional, regional and national
workshops for national health authorities and relevant NGOs on
developing consumer information regarding the proper use of alternative
and traditional medicines, and on organizing education/training
programmes at a national level. The guidelines can be found at:
http://www.who.int/medicines/library/trm/Consumer.pdf
INVESTING IN PEOPLE: NATIONAL PROGRESS
IN IMPLEMENTING THE ICPD PROGRAMME OF ACTION 1994-2004
(UNFPA, June 2004) This
publication reflects the findings of a global survey of steps undertaken
by 169 countries to implement the Programme of Action that was produced
at the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD), including measures related to population and development, gender
equality, women's empowerment, reproductive rights and health and
HIV/AIDS. Seventy-nine percent of reporting countries indicated that
they had adopted multiple measures to integrate population concerns into
development strategies and half of the countries reported taking strong
action to address the issue of population and environment. The report
finds that over 90 percent of countries have integrated family planning
and safe motherhood into their primary healthcare systems, and that
almost all countries reported that they have adopted measures to protect
the rights of women and girls. A lack of financial resources was
identified as the greatest impediment to progress with the survey
indicating that current financial commitments by donor countries are
inadequate to meeting the Cairo commitments. Several donor countries
reported that they are using the MDGs as a basis for the development of
programmes and policies that promote the ICPD agenda. The report is
available at:
http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/284_filename_globalsurvey.pdf
WSIS 2003 SOUVENIR BOOK: CONNECTING
THE WORLD - HELPING THE WORLD COMMUNICATE
(ITU, 2004)
The International Telecommunication Union has published a commemorative
book on the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)
that took place in Geneva in December 2003. The publication contains:
statements from the opening session of the Summit; WSIS documents,
including the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action endorsed
by 175 countries; a concise background of the WSIS process; and a
picture gallery of the Summit and its preparatory process. An electronic
version is available at:
http://www.itu.int/wsis/docs/promotional/wsis-book.pdf
TOWARDS A FAIR DEAL FOR MIGRANT
WORKERS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
(ILO, May 2004) Prepared in
advance of the International Labour Conference, this report calls for a
multilateral approach to address the issue of migration, urging
delegates to the annual labor conference to consider the adoption of a
comprehensive action programme to improve the conditions of migrant
workers and to promote more orderly forms of migration. Currently almost
half of all migrants and refugees or about 86 million adults are
economically active, employed or engaged in remunerative activity, and
the number of migrants in search of jobs and human security is expected
to rise rapidly in the next few decades due to the failure of
globalization to provide employment and economic opportunities. The
report highlights that the economic effects of immigration on receiving
countries are primarily beneficial and that migrants provide significant
flows of remittances to their countries of origin, amounting to the
second largest source of external funding for developing countries
according to the World Bank. The report also notes that many migrants
are subjected to poor working conditions, with rampant abuse and
exploitation, denial of human rights, discrimination and xenophobia. The
issue of migration is receiving high-level attention, with the recent
World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization report
prioritizing the issue, and the 2006 UN General Assembly High-level
Dialogue focusing on migration and development. The report is available
at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc92/pdf/rep-vi.pdf
WORKING FROM WITHIN: CULTURALLY
SENSITIVE APPROACHES IN UNFPA PROGRAMMING
(UNFPA, May 2004) Prepared by
the UN Population Fund, this brief report presents strategies,
approaches and partnerships in culturally sensitive initiatives with
local individuals and organizations in nine countries. Drawing from
experiences in Brazil, Cambodia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Iran, Malawi,
Uganda and Yemen, the report finds that fostering local alliances
provides aid workers with a greater likelihood of succeeding in their
development efforts, particularly with regards to culturally sensitive
issues such as gender equality, HIV/AIDS, female circumcision, violence
against women, maternal health and family planning. The nine case
studies presented are taken from a longer report entitled, "Culture
Matters: Working with Communities and Faith-based Organizations." More
information is available at:
http://www.unfpa.org/publications/index.cfm?ID=173%20
CITIES TRANSFORMED: DEMOGRAPHIC AND
ITS IMPLICATIONS IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD
(Earthscan, April 2004) Edited by Holly Reed, Barney Cohen, Mark
Montgomery and Richard Stren, this book brings together works from 16
scholars on urban population and development. It analyzes the changes
taking place in cities and their implications and impacts, particularly
in light of recent trends toward decentralization, where programmes in
poverty alleviation, health, education and public services are
increasingly being devolved to municipal and regional governments. The
book identifies a "new class of policymakers" emerging to take up the
growing responsibilities, and explores the changing the nature of urban
management and governance, focusing on population dynamics, social and
economic differentiation, fertility and reproductive health, mortality
and morbidity, labor force and urban governance. The book is available
at:
http://www.earthscan.co.uk/asp/bookdetails.asp?key=4057
WORLD URBANIZATION PROSPECTS: THE 2003
REVISION
(UN DESA Population Division, 2004)
Prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affair's Population
Division, this report presents estimates and projections of urban and
rural populations for major areas, regions and countries for the period
1950-2030. The report notes that most of the projected population growth
over the next 30 years will take place in urban areas, particularly in
smaller urban settlements (those with less than 500,000 inhabitants) of
less developed regions. The world's urban population is projected to
exceed its rural population for the first time in the near future.
Currently, 48 percent of the world lives in urban areas; this proportion
is expected to surpass that of rural populations for the first time in
history by 2007, and reach 61 percent in 2030. The world's rural
population is projected to decrease slightly from 3.3 billion in 2003 to
3.2 billion in 2030, while the world's urban population, currently
estimated at 3 billion, is expected to increase to 4 billion in 2017 and
5 billion by 2030. The report is available at:
http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wup2003/2003WUPHighlights.pdf
GLOBAL POPULATION PROFILE: 2002
(US Census Bureau, 2004) The report,
prepared by the United States Census Bureau, presents a summary of the
current key trends in global population. The report considers four
themes: global population growth, global population composition,
contraceptive prevalence in the developing world, and the AIDS pandemic
in the 21st century. On population growth, it highlights the current
decline in population growth, noting that this is due to declining
fertility. On composition, it projects among other things that over the
next 25 years the elderly population will grow in both in numbers and
proportion. On contraceptives, the report notes that the levels and
trends of contraceptive use, especially in developing countries, have
important implications for global population change and reproductive
health. It states that over 100 million women in developing countries
would like to space or limit their pregnancies but are not using
contraception and represent an "unmet need" for family planning. On the
AIDS pandemic, the report highlights the impact of HIV in the developing
world, which is causing negative population growth from AIDS mortality
in some countries. It also highlights success stories in stemming the
AIDS epidemic through education programmes. The report is available at:
http://www.census.gov//ipc/www/wp02.html
INNOCENTI DIGEST 11: ENSURING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN
(UNICEF
IRC, February 2004) Produced by UNICEF's Innocenti Research Centre, this
report reveals that indigenous children are among the most marginalized
groups in the global community. The report states that indigenous
children face greater threats to survival, including higher mortality
rates and lower rates of school enrolment, than other children, and
greater risk of human trafficking, sexual or labor exploitation, loss of
land and lower self-esteem due to difficulty in integrating into the
dominant culture. UNICEF estimates a global population of 300 million
indigenous adults and children, most of whom live in Asia and Latin
America. The rights of children are protected under the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child (1989), and States are responsible for promoting
and protecting these rights. The report recommends that practical
initiatives focus on the following four areas: health and nutrition,
education, protection and support, birth registration and participation
in decision-making. The publication is available in English and Spanish
at:
http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publications/
FAIR GLOBALIZATION: CREATING
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
(ILO, February 2004) A product
of two year's work by the World Commission on the Social Dimension of
Globalization, this report states that globalization can and must change
and identifies the establishment of a "fair and inclusive globalization"
as a global priority. While recognizing the many potential benefits of
globalization, the report also highlights the "deep-seated and
persistent imbalances" in the way the global economy operates, and
cautions against the direction in which globalization is currently
taking. Stating that global governance is currently in crisis, the
report proposes a series of measures to improve governance and
accountability at national and international levels. The report is
organized into four sections that address: globalization for people;
globalization and its impact; governance of globalization; and
mobilizing action for change. An independent body co-chaired by the
Presidents of Finland and Tanzania, the Commission was initiated to
respond to the needs of people as they cope with the changes brought
about by globalization. The report together with more information is
available at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/index.htm
If you
would like to submit details of
recently published documents and online resources,
send a message to
Diego Noguera, IISD
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