New
Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2011
The economies of Asia and the Pacific recovered in 2010 from the global economic crises of 2008/09 but they face fresh challenges in 2011. These include the return of food and fuel crises, sluggish recovery in the advanced economies, and a deluge of short-term capital flows that in turn is leading to volatility in capital markets, the build-up of asset bubbles and appreciation of exchange rates. Furthermore, the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan provides another stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters. Policymakers have to meet the challenge of rebalancing the region’s economies in favour of domestic and regional investment and consumption. Deepening regional economic cooperation is critical to sustain dynamism. Some of the areas needing policy attention are enhancement of connectivity between markets and peoples through improved transport linkages, regional institution-building, and progress towards a regional energy framework. The 2011 edition assesses current critical issues, policy challenges and risks and outlines a policy agenda for sustaining dynamism and inclusive development.
Publisher: United Nations Publication Date: May 2011 ISBN: 9789211206227 Pages: 350 Price: $85.00
Economic and Social Studies
New
Men in Families and Family Policy in a Changing World
Despite an increasing worldwide focus on the role of men in families and burgeoning research documenting men’s contribution to gender equality, the importance of their engagement for work-family balance, and the numerous positive paternal contributions to children’s development, policy-makers have been slow to recognize the need for effective public policy that is supportive of men’s involvement in their families. This publication aims to promote the knowledge of trends affecting families and increase awareness of family issues. It aims to stimulate efforts to develop family-oriented policies focusing attention upon the rights and responsibilities of all family members. Promoting knowledge of the economic, social and demographic processes affecting families and their members is indispensable to design appropriate course of action to assist families. This publication addresses the issue of the evolving roles of men in families and the corresponding need to develop social policies supporting these new roles for the benefit of families.
Publisher: United Nations Publication Date: May 2011 ISBN: 9789211303063 Pages: 208 Price: $40.00
New
Poor Poverty
This book offers a critical appraisal of the conventional measures and analysis of poverty as well as of poverty reduction policies. Despite greater efforts in reducing poverty since the early 1980s, poverty remains stubbornly high in many parts of the world. In this publication it is argued that the mainstream perspectives on poverty and deprivation have contributed to considerable distortion and misunderstanding and that is not unrelated to ineffectual policy prescriptions. In particular it questions the World Bank's "dollar-a-day" measure of poverty and exposes the inadequacies of Bretton Woods-inspired poverty reduction programmes.
Publisher: United Nations and Bloomsbury Academic Publication Date: May 2011 ISBN: 9781849666183 Pages: 240 Price: $38.00
New
World E-Parliament Report 2010
The findings presented in this publication are based on the results of the Global Survey of ICT in Parliaments between July and November 2009, to which 134 parliamentary assemblies responded. The rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) is changing not only the economic, social and political landscape around the world, but also the environment within which parliaments operate and it affects how they are perceived by the citizenry. In both developed and developing countries, parliaments are exploring ways to use technology to strengthen democracy and encourage political participation. This report evaluates the progress accomplished by parliaments in their efforts to use modern technologies to strengthen their institutional role. It provides a methodology that can serve as a tool for parliaments to improve their performance.
Publisher: United Nations Publication Date: May 2011 ISBN: 9789211231878 Pages: 262 Price: $45.00
New
Information Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean: Development of Technologies and Technologies for Development
The countries of Latin Amercian and the Caribbean have substantially progressed with largescale application of ICT to varied aspects of economic and social development: the installation of digital infrastructure, modernization of public administration, digitization of processes to enhance productivity and the quality of education and health care, and natural disaster management. The rapid evolution turned ICT into an indispensible tool for the development agenda. In the effort to use ICT efficiently for development, it is important to bear in mind that these technologies are not an end in themselves. Should ICT be the essential element in the approach applied by information societies to development, or should the different aspects of development rather guide the way this technological revolution is harnessed? This book is about "the development of ICT" and "ICT for development". It places these two approaches at the centre of the debate and highlights the need for complementarity between the two processes.
Publisher: United Nations Publication Date: April 2011 ISBN: 9789211217049 Pages: 356 Price: $20.00
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