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2. Development
- Author:
- David M. Malone and Rohinton P. Medhora
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Notions of development have varied over time, and so an account of the international organizations concerned with its advancement must be accordingly elastic. The roots of international organizations concerned with development lie in two aspects of global inter-connectedness. The first is the propagation and management of a nascent technology for the global good. Thus were born the International Telegraph Union (ITU, now the International Telecommunication Union) in 1865 and the General Postal Union (GPU, now the Universal Postal Union) in 1874.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Emerging Markets, International Cooperation, International Organization, and Post Colonialism
3. The UN Security Council and Iraq
- Author:
- David M. Malone and Poorvi Chitalkar
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- The UN Security Council, largely handicapped by the Cold War until the late 1980s, has become considerably more proactive over the last twenty-five years. The results are mixed. One constant for the Council since 1980 is that it has been at grips with conflicts involving Iraq — conflicts with Iraq's neighbours and also internal strife prior to and particularly since 2003. Every instrument at the Council's disposal, including all the coercive ones, have been invoked at one time or another against authorities in Iraq or to assist them. After a promising beginning in helping to end the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), and in mandating the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait, which Baghdad had sought to annex in 1990, the Council's silent tolerance of intrusive international humanitarian activities in Iraq's Kurdish provinces as of 1991 was ground-breaking. Nevertheless, the Council's post-war strategy for Iraq outlined in Resolution 687 of 1991 wound up over-reaching, involved serious unintended consequences arising from an overzealous sanctions regime (and a related humanitarian program the UN did not possess the administrative machinery to oversee effectively), and eventually sundered relations among the Permanent Five (P-5) members of the Council through a series of fractious episodes from 1988 to 2003. This working paper outlines a three-decade span of Security Council resolutions, actions and impasses on Iraq, investigating closely the period of diplomatic confrontation in 2002–2003 culminating in unilateral military action to remove Saddam Hussein from power by the US, the UK and a very few others without a mandate from the Council to do so. The UN was subsequently mostly side-lined in and on Iraq. The paper considers damage to perceptions of the Council legitimacy stemming from the events of 2002–2003 and assesses its evolving approach to international security in Iraq and beyond since then.
- Topic:
- Security, Cold War, Humanitarian Aid, and United Nations
- Political Geography:
- Iraq
4. Growth, Inequality, and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries
- Author:
- Augustin Kwasi Fosu
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- The study presents recent global evidence on the transformation of economic growth to poverty reduction in developing countries, with emphasis on the role of income inequality. The focus is on the period since the early/mid-1990s when growth in these countries as a group has been relatively strong, surpassing that of the advanced economies. Both regional and country-specific data are analysed for the US$1.25 andUS$2.50 level poverty headcount ratios using the most recent World Bank data. The study finds that on average income growth has been the major driving force behind both the declines and increases in poverty. The study, however, documents substantial regional and country differences that are masked by this 'average' dominant growth story. While in the majority of countries growth was the major factor behind falling...
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Poverty, and Third World
- Political Geography:
- United States
5. Thailand's Development Strategy and Growth Performance
- Author:
- Peter Warr
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Thailand's development strategy has been strongly market-oriented and open to trade and investment flows with the rest of the world. Since the late 1950s, its growth performance has been outstanding. Poverty incidence has declined dramatically, but economic inequality has increased. Economic progress has been reflected in very significant improvement in non-economic indicators of well-being such as life expectancy, infant and maternal morality, and literacy. Nevertheless, the performance of the education system is chronically poor. Environmental problems and institutional failures in resource management are ongoing. Reform is needed in several areas, including political and corporate governance, regulation of industry, and in the education and health systems.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Education, Emerging Markets, Poverty, and Foreign Direct Investment
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Southeast Asia
6. Sensitivity of Loan Size to Lending Rates
- Author:
- Samuel Kobina Annim
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- This paper examines the combined effect of interest rates and poverty levels of microfinance clients on loan size. Cross section data on 2,691 clients and non-clients households from Ghana is used to test the hypothesis of loan price inelasticity. Quantile regression and variants of least squares methods that explore endogeneity are employed. We find the expected inverse relationship only for the 20th to 40th quantile range. The semi-elasticity of loan amount responsiveness to a unit change in interest rate is more than proportionate and significant for the poorest group only. Market segmentation based on poverty level is suggested in targeting and sustaining microfinance clients.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Markets, Poverty, and Foreign Aid
- Political Geography:
- Africa
7. Aid Supplies Over Time: Accounting for Heterogeneity, Trends, and Dynamics
- Author:
- Sam Jones
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- The recent financial crisis has rekindled interest in the foreign aid supply behaviour of bilateral donors. Using the latest data covering the period 1960-2009, this paper examines how such behaviour is related to domestic factors. Based on a simple empirical model, a distinction is made between long-run supply trends and short-run dynamics, which motivates use of error correction methods. Panel econometric techniques are employed that are consistent in the presence of parameter heterogeneity and cross-section dependence. Results support the error correction framework, but point to very substantial heterogeneity between countries. There is also good evidence that donor behaviour continues to evolve over time. As such, past trends in aid supplies are unlikely to provide a good guide to those of the future.
- Topic:
- Development, Bilateral Relations, Foreign Aid, and Financial Crisis
8. Latin American Urban Development into the 21st Century
- Author:
- Ravi Kanbur, Dennis Rodgers, and Jo Beall
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- This paper argues for a more systemic engagement with Latin American cities, contending it is necessary to reconsider their unity in order to nuance the 'fractured cities' perspective that has widely come to epitomise the contemporary urban moment in the region. It begins by offering an overview of regional urban development trends, before exploring how the underlying imaginary of the city has critically shifted over the past half century. Focusing in particular on the way that slums and shantytowns have been conceived, it traces how the predominant conception of the Latin American city moved from a notion of unity to a perception of fragmentation, highlighting how this had critically negative ramifications for urban development agendas, and concludes with a call for a renewed vision of Latin American urban life.
- Topic:
- Development, Poverty, and Urbanization
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
9. The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Developing Countries' Terms of Trade
- Author:
- Konstantin M. Wacker
- Publication Date:
- 01-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- This paper first shows that important economic arguments in favor of the Prebisch- Singer hypothesis of falling terms of trade of developing countries have implicitly relied on the role of multinational corporations and foreign direct investment. As of yet, the relationship between the latter and terms of trade has not been empirically investigated. In order to start closing this gap in research, data on 111 developing countries between 1980 and 2008 is analyzed using panel data methods. The empirical results suggest that there is no reason to believe multinationals' activities were responsible for a possible decrease of the developing countries' net barter terms of trade. On the contrary, foreign direct investment seems to play a positive role for developing countries' terms of trade.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, International Trade and Finance, and Foreign Direct Investment
10. Are Electoral Coalitions Harmful for Democratic Consolidation in Africa?
- Author:
- Danielle Resnick
- Publication Date:
- 02-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- United Nations University
- Abstract:
- Electoral coalitions are becoming increasingly popular among opposition parties in Africa because they offer many advantages with respect to reducing party fragmentation and increasing incumbent turnovers. At the same time, however, they are often comprised of parties that are defined predominantly by their leaders' personalities and exhibit little differentiation in terms of their policy orientation. Based on a dataset spanning all opposition coalitions since 2000 in Africa's electoral democracies, this paper demonstrates not only that coalitions rarely defeat incumbents but also that they are only competitive when major opposition parties are involved. More significantly, the paper highlights that in many countries, a sizeable share of total electoral volatility is due to fluctuations in voting for opposition parties that have belonged to coalitions. The paper argues that such volatility reflects the inability of coalition members to build loyal constituency bases over time, which is critical for party development and broader consolidation.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Development, and Politics
- Political Geography:
- Africa