This week, from June 28-30, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Segment "Resources Mobilization and Enabling Environment for Poverty Eradication in the Context of the Implementation of the Programme for Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010," is being held in the ECOSOC Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York.
The draft World Economic and Social Survey, 2004, released in advance of the June meeting, indicates that "prospects for growth of the world economy, after a sub-par performance for about three consecutive years, have improved conspicuously in 2004." Further, the report indicates that "extended rapid economic growth of the two most populous economies in the world, China and India, is reshaping the global economy in various respects...China is in direct competition with other developing economies in its exports to third markets, while India's success in IT and business outsourcing means that it is increasingly competing with skilled labour in developed economies." The addendum to the report of the Secretary-General on regional cooperation in the economic, social and related fields, notes, however, that lack of access to trade financing and information and communication technology (ICT) was a major constraint for African entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises." One of the Issue Papers for the ECOSOC High-Level Segment is entitled "Unleashing Entrepreneurship: the Role of Partnerships in Mobilizing Resources for LDC's." The paper explores the potential of bringing the informal business sector into the legal and economic mainstream in an effort to empower the poor, fully four billion people in the world who earn less than U.S. $1,500 a year. More information about ECOSOC and the High-Level Segment is available at http://www.un.org/esa/coordination/ecosoc. Andrea L. Taylor Vice President & Director EDC Center for Media & Community [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://cmc.edc.org
