Nobel laureate Stiglitz leads expert discussions on restoring country as rice bowl of Asia
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Government of the Union of Myanmar today held a wide-ranging dialogue aimed at boosting the countrys agricultural sector and to help it reclaim its status as the rice bowl of Asia.
At the invitation of ESCAP, Nobel Prize-winning economist Prof. Joseph Stiglitz and other eminent experts discussed strategies for Myanmar to cut poverty in light of Asias regional and subregional experiences.
It is my hope these ideas and analysis will open a new space for policy discussion and a further deepening of our development partnership, UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer said at the event held in Myanmars capital, Naypyitaw.
These development objectives can only be achieved through the successful engagement of local experts and people who know what is happening on the ground. This development partnership, requested by the Government of Myanmar, provides a unique platform for eminent international scholars and local researchers to exchange experiences and ideas with government agencies and civil society, Dr. Heyzer added.
This is the second in a series of events launched by Dr. Heyzer during her visit in July to Myanmar, and was organized by ESCAP with the countrys Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development.
In his presentation, Towards a more productive agrarian economy for Myanmar, Professor Stiglitz noted that Myanmar was well-positioned to learn from other countries in the region that have developed on the back of gains in agriculture. There are large opportunities for improvement. Myanmar should take a comprehensive approach, he said.
He urged the Government of Myanmar to: promote access to appropriate agricultural financing; take measures to boost access to seeds and fertilizers; dramatically boost spending on health and education; and create well-paid jobs in construction of rural infrastructure in order to stimulate development and raise incomes and spending.
Professor Stiglitz also noted that well-functioning institutions were critical to success, and that Myanmar could learn from the mistakes made by other resource-rich countries. Revenues from oil and gas can open up a new era, if used well. If not, then valuable opportunities will be squandered, he said.
Economics and politics can not be separated, Professor Stiglitz added. For Myanmar to take a role on the world stage and to achieve true stability and security there must be widespread participation and inclusive processes. This is the only way forward for Myanmar.
Maj. Gen. U Htay Oo, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Myanmar, noted that climate change has had significant effects on the countrys agriculture and livelihood, particularly in the dry zone. To mitigate such pressure we are implementing short-term and longer term measures, such as promoting access to irrigation water to increase productivity, and developing resource-based as well as knowledge-based sustainable agriculture and livelihoods built on existing infrastructures, he said.
We are adopting a holistic approach informed by the human development perspective to address the needs of the most vulnerable, he added. We cannot afford to be complacent thus the tasks for agriculture and rural development must be implemented through mass movement.
The Minister also welcomed and supported the continued close cooperation and collaboration of ESCAP in the development partnership series. I look forward to the joint activities to come in 2010, in particular the regional development programme for sustainable agriculture towards inclusive rural economy development, he said.
Col. Thurin Zaw, Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, delivered a presentation on Myanmars National development plans and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The meeting was organized into two segments: The morning roundtable was devoted to expert discussions and included presentations on Recent socio-economic development, by Daw Khin Ma Ma Swe of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, and on Approaches for agriculture and rural development, by Daw Dolly Kyaw of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.
There were also presentations on Establishing the virtuous cycle of food security, sustainable agriculture and rural economy development, by U Tin Htut Oo and U Tin Maung Shwe of the Academy of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fisheries Sciences, and on Enhancing Myanmars rural economy, by Ikuko Okamoto of the Institute of Developing Economies-JETRO.
The afternoon high-level development forum covered, Economic policies for growth and poverty reduction: lessons from the region and beyond.
On 21 December in Singapore, Professor Stiglitz and Dr Heyzer will hold a press conference about the forum at the Singapore Foreign Correspondents Association. The press conference will take place at the Singapore Management University, Administration Building, from 9am-10am.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
ESCAP and Russian Federation to Sign Cooperative Development Agreement
Signing ceremony Thursday 11:30, 17 December at ESCAP Building
The Economic and Social Commission in Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) – the regional arm of the United Nations - and the Russian Federation will sign an agreement this Thursday to strengthen cooperation, with a view to promoting inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific.
Under the agreement, the Russian Federation provides a voluntary
contribution of US$ 1.2 million annually during the period 2009-2010 to support key programme activities of ESCAP.
ESCAP will be hosting a signing ceremony where Mr. Gennady Gatilov of the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP will formalize the agreement.
In response to the regional development priorities, the Russian contribution will be used for technical cooperation projects to develop capacities and improve development in key areas such as environment, energy, regional transport connectivity, disaster risk reduction, statistics and migration.
The ceremony will take place Thursday 17 December 2009, 11:30 on the 15th floor of the ESCAP Secretariat building. Media are welcome to cover the ceremony. Please register in advance for building access at unisbkk.unescap@un.org.
The Economic and Social Commission in Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) – the regional arm of the United Nations - and the Russian Federation will sign an agreement this Thursday to strengthen cooperation, with a view to promoting inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific.
Under the agreement, the Russian Federation provides a voluntary
contribution of US$ 1.2 million annually during the period 2009-2010 to support key programme activities of ESCAP.
ESCAP will be hosting a signing ceremony where Mr. Gennady Gatilov of the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP will formalize the agreement.
In response to the regional development priorities, the Russian contribution will be used for technical cooperation projects to develop capacities and improve development in key areas such as environment, energy, regional transport connectivity, disaster risk reduction, statistics and migration.
The ceremony will take place Thursday 17 December 2009, 11:30 on the 15th floor of the ESCAP Secretariat building. Media are welcome to cover the ceremony. Please register in advance for building access at unisbkk.unescap@un.org.
MALARIA PROGRESS REPORT SHOWS THAT DEVELOPMENT AID FOR HEALTH IS WORKING
Significant progress has been made in delivering life saving malaria nets and treatments over the past few years, but the coverage of malaria programmes needs to be stepped up drastically in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The World Malaria Report 2009 found that the increase in international funding commitments (US$ 1.7 billion in 2009 compared to US$ 730 million in 2006) had allowed a dramatic scale up of malaria control interventions in several countries, along with measurable reductions in malaria burden. However, the amounts available still fall short of the US$ 5 billion required annually to ensure high coverage and maximal impact worldwide.
The WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, described the findings in the report as cause for cautious optimism and said "While much remains to be done, the data presented here clearly suggest that the tremendous increase in funding for malaria control is resulting in the rapid scale up of today's control tools. This, in turn, is having a profound effect on health - especially the health of children in sub-Saharan Africa. In a nutshell, development aid for health is working."
The report found that more life-saving malaria nets and treatments were delivered in 2007 and 2008 compared to 2006.
More African households (31%) own at least one insecticide-treated net (ITN), and more children under 5 years of age used an ITN in 2008 (24%) compared to previous years. These averages are affected by low ITN ownership in several large African countries for which resources for scale-up are only now being made available. Household ITN ownership reached more than 50% in 13 of the 35 highest burden African countries.
Use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) is increasing but remains low in most African countries with fewer than 15% of children with fever receiving an ACT.
More than one-third of the 108 malarious countries (9 African countries and 29 outside of Africa) documented reductions in malaria cases of more than 50% in 2008 compared to 2000.
Where scale-up of proven interventions has occurred, and surveillance systems are functioning, remarkable impact has been documented:
In countries and areas that have achieved high coverage with bed nets and treatment programmes (e.g. Eritrea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia and Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanzania) recorded cases and deaths due to malaria have fallen by 50% (target set by World Health Assembly for 2010) suggesting that MDG target for malaria can be achieved if there is adequate coverage of key interventions.
Large decreases in malaria cases and deaths have been mirrored by steep declines in all-cause deaths among children less than 5 years of age suggesting that intensive efforts at malaria control could help many African countries to reach, by 2015, a two-thirds reduction in child mortality as set forth in the MDGs.
High levels of external assistance were shown to be linked to decreases in malaria incidence. However, many external funds are concentrated on smaller countries with lower disease burdens. More attention needs to be given to ensuring success in large countries that account for most malaria cases and deaths.
Parasite resistance to anti-malarial medicines and mosquito resistance to insecticides are major threats to achieving global malaria control. Confirmation of artemisinin resistance was reported in 2009, and WHO is leading a major resistance containment effort in South East Asia. Key elements in the global strategy to prevent the spread of drug resistance include: 1) Rapidly reducing the spread of malaria using malaria preventive tools 2) ensuring that all malaria infections are correctly diagnosed, effectively treated and followed-up to ensure that they do not spread the disease to others 3) halting the marketing and use of oral artemisinin monotherapies and importantly, 4) carefully monitoring the efficacy of medicines to detect early evidence of resistance.
The report noted that there was urgent need for the global community to completely fund the Global Malaria Action Plan in order to sustain early success and achieve the 2015 MDGs. The African Region had the largest increase in funding of all regions, led by investments by the Global Fund, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, and other agencies.
The success of malaria control efforts will be in reducing the burden of malaria and improving child survival. Investing in malaria control is not only helping the world to reach the MDGs, but is also helping to build health systems that will ensure that these development gains are sustained.
The World Malaria Report 2009 found that the increase in international funding commitments (US$ 1.7 billion in 2009 compared to US$ 730 million in 2006) had allowed a dramatic scale up of malaria control interventions in several countries, along with measurable reductions in malaria burden. However, the amounts available still fall short of the US$ 5 billion required annually to ensure high coverage and maximal impact worldwide.
The WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, described the findings in the report as cause for cautious optimism and said "While much remains to be done, the data presented here clearly suggest that the tremendous increase in funding for malaria control is resulting in the rapid scale up of today's control tools. This, in turn, is having a profound effect on health - especially the health of children in sub-Saharan Africa. In a nutshell, development aid for health is working."
The report found that more life-saving malaria nets and treatments were delivered in 2007 and 2008 compared to 2006.
More African households (31%) own at least one insecticide-treated net (ITN), and more children under 5 years of age used an ITN in 2008 (24%) compared to previous years. These averages are affected by low ITN ownership in several large African countries for which resources for scale-up are only now being made available. Household ITN ownership reached more than 50% in 13 of the 35 highest burden African countries.
Use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) is increasing but remains low in most African countries with fewer than 15% of children with fever receiving an ACT.
More than one-third of the 108 malarious countries (9 African countries and 29 outside of Africa) documented reductions in malaria cases of more than 50% in 2008 compared to 2000.
Where scale-up of proven interventions has occurred, and surveillance systems are functioning, remarkable impact has been documented:
In countries and areas that have achieved high coverage with bed nets and treatment programmes (e.g. Eritrea, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia and Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanzania) recorded cases and deaths due to malaria have fallen by 50% (target set by World Health Assembly for 2010) suggesting that MDG target for malaria can be achieved if there is adequate coverage of key interventions.
Large decreases in malaria cases and deaths have been mirrored by steep declines in all-cause deaths among children less than 5 years of age suggesting that intensive efforts at malaria control could help many African countries to reach, by 2015, a two-thirds reduction in child mortality as set forth in the MDGs.
High levels of external assistance were shown to be linked to decreases in malaria incidence. However, many external funds are concentrated on smaller countries with lower disease burdens. More attention needs to be given to ensuring success in large countries that account for most malaria cases and deaths.
Parasite resistance to anti-malarial medicines and mosquito resistance to insecticides are major threats to achieving global malaria control. Confirmation of artemisinin resistance was reported in 2009, and WHO is leading a major resistance containment effort in South East Asia. Key elements in the global strategy to prevent the spread of drug resistance include: 1) Rapidly reducing the spread of malaria using malaria preventive tools 2) ensuring that all malaria infections are correctly diagnosed, effectively treated and followed-up to ensure that they do not spread the disease to others 3) halting the marketing and use of oral artemisinin monotherapies and importantly, 4) carefully monitoring the efficacy of medicines to detect early evidence of resistance.
The report noted that there was urgent need for the global community to completely fund the Global Malaria Action Plan in order to sustain early success and achieve the 2015 MDGs. The African Region had the largest increase in funding of all regions, led by investments by the Global Fund, the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, and other agencies.
The success of malaria control efforts will be in reducing the burden of malaria and improving child survival. Investing in malaria control is not only helping the world to reach the MDGs, but is also helping to build health systems that will ensure that these development gains are sustained.
Six Asian Economies Announce Tariff Reductions and Broader Cooperation
Six Asian Economies Announce Tariff Reductions and Broader Cooperation
Agreement comes at Asia-Pacific Trade Ministers Meeting in Seoul
Trade ministers of six Asian countries – including China, India and the Republic of Korea, three of the region’s largest economies – today announced further tariff reductions at the conclusion of the third Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) ministerial council in Seoul
During the meeting, the accession process for Mongolia to become an APTA member was also formally initiated. Besides China, India and the Republic of Korea, the other current members of APTA are Bangladesh, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka.
APTA is the only regional trade agreement which links East, Southeast and South Asia. It was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
“The total trade volume of APTA members skyrocketed from a mere 140 million Dollars in 1976 to 3.1 trillion Dollars in 2008” underlined Mr. Hur Kyung-Wook, First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Government of the Republic of Korea. “The conclusion of the Fourth Round negotiations will help evolve APTA as a truly significant trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region” he added.
“I am delighted that APTA members have made significant progress in deepening their agreement and are committed to continuing the process of liberalization” said Mr. Shigeru Mochida, Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
The six APTA members furthermore committed to expanding their cooperation into investment and trade facilitation by signing formal framework agreements in those two areas. A framework agreement on trade in services was also finalized and will be signed in early 2010.
In their declaration, the ministers called for further tariff
liberalization and negotiations into additional areas of cooperation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding membership into “a truly pan-Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement.”
The Seoul meeting was hosted by the First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea, Hur Kyung-Wook, and was attended by ministers or vice ministers from the six APTA members, as well as by ESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary Shigeru Mochida.
Agreement comes at Asia-Pacific Trade Ministers Meeting in Seoul
Trade ministers of six Asian countries – including China, India and the Republic of Korea, three of the region’s largest economies – today announced further tariff reductions at the conclusion of the third Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) ministerial council in Seoul
During the meeting, the accession process for Mongolia to become an APTA member was also formally initiated. Besides China, India and the Republic of Korea, the other current members of APTA are Bangladesh, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka.
APTA is the only regional trade agreement which links East, Southeast and South Asia. It was negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
“The total trade volume of APTA members skyrocketed from a mere 140 million Dollars in 1976 to 3.1 trillion Dollars in 2008” underlined Mr. Hur Kyung-Wook, First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Government of the Republic of Korea. “The conclusion of the Fourth Round negotiations will help evolve APTA as a truly significant trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region” he added.
“I am delighted that APTA members have made significant progress in deepening their agreement and are committed to continuing the process of liberalization” said Mr. Shigeru Mochida, Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
The six APTA members furthermore committed to expanding their cooperation into investment and trade facilitation by signing formal framework agreements in those two areas. A framework agreement on trade in services was also finalized and will be signed in early 2010.
In their declaration, the ministers called for further tariff
liberalization and negotiations into additional areas of cooperation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding membership into “a truly pan-Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement.”
The Seoul meeting was hosted by the First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance of the Republic of Korea, Hur Kyung-Wook, and was attended by ministers or vice ministers from the six APTA members, as well as by ESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary Shigeru Mochida.
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