> From: "Bharati & Sunder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: more news, etc > Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 20:41:11 +0530 > > dear all, > more news on various development projects worldwide, upcoming, = > conferences, etc. > > rgds, > sunder, c8, india > _________________________________________________________________ > ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK NEWS > =20 > Development Partners Commend Cook Islands on Reform-Driven Economic = > Recovery and Commitment to Equitable and Sustainable Growth, MANILA, = > PHILIPPINES (25 June 2001) - Cook Islands Prime Minister, Honourable Dr. = > Terepai Maoate, reviewed the country's impressive economic recovery = > during the Third Consultative Group Meeting for the Cook Islands at = > Rarotonga on 22 June 2001. He also updated the Cook Islands' development = > partners on the comprehensive implementation of economic reforms that = > have enabled the country to respond successfully to the dire financial = > and economic crisis that faced the nation in 1995-1996. The meeting was = > hosted by the Cook Islands Government and co-chaired by the Asian = > Development Bank's Director of Pacific Operations, Mr. Basudev Dahal. = > Participants at the meeting included representatives from Australia, the = > People's Republic of China, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. = > Also represented were the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Economic and = > Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the European Commission, the = > Food and Agriculture Organization, the Pacific Financial Technical = > Assistance Centre, the Pacific Islands Development Program, the Pacific = > Islands Forum Secretariat, the South Pacific Regional Environment = > Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World = > Health Organization. Representatives of the Cook Islands private sector = > and non-government organizations also participated. > =20 > The Prime Minister's statement clearly outlined the Government's = > continued commitment to a process of economic reform and strengthening = > of the private sector. The Government also indicated that there were = > areas where the reform process may have gone too far. This applied in = > particular to the downsizing of government where shortages of qualified = > staff are apparent and require corrective action. The development = > partners offered technical assistance and training support to assist the = > Government in these areas. Specific mention was made that the success of = > the Cook Island reforms- in restoring macroeconomic stability and = > returning the country to its long-term growth path - would be = > encouraging to other Pacific developing nations. A private sector = > representative from the Cook Islands confirmed that the economic reform = > process, which includes significant public-private dialogue, has had = > positive long-term benefits for the economy. > =20 > The government was encouraged to complete the devolution of appropriate = > authority and responsibilities to outer island local governments. The = > Government expressed its intentions to complete the process in tandem = > with institutional strengthening that will be required to ensure = > accountability and effective management of resources. The government was = > also encouraged in its announced efforts to strengthen health, education = > and human resource development. The donors focused considerable = > attention on outer islands development and pledged targeted support to = > the Government's initiatives to redress disparities of services, = > infrastructure and economic opportunities within the Cook Islands. ADB = > announced its intention to support an Outer Islands Trust Fund, while = > the European Commission indicated that their new assistance programme = > may be directed toward outer islands development in general and in = > particular may include a direct contribution to the proposed Outer = > Islands Trust Fund. > =20 > Development partners assured the Prime Minister of continued support for = > economic and sustainable development. There was also support for the = > Government's announced policy initiative to seek membership in the = > International Monetary Fund for the express purpose of gaining access to = > the professional economic monitoring and advice that the Fund provides = > to member countries. Similarly, the Cook Islands will seek membership in = > the World Bank to gain access to regionally based technical resources. > =20 > The need for continued coordination of development partner policies and = > programs was re-emphasized. The development partners and the Cook = > Islands agreed that the Consultative Group process, of which this = > meeting was the third since 1996, has proven valuable as a means to = > mobilize and coordinate effectively the development partners' assistance = > to the Cook Islands and it should continue on a periodic basis. > ----------------- > =20 > ADB Launches A$500 Million Public Bond Issue, MANILA, PHILIPPINES (22 = > June 2001) - The Asian Development Bank launched a A$500 million public = > bond issue in the Australian domestic bond market today through a = > syndicate headed by Commonwealth Bank of Australia and UBS Warburg. The = > syndicate group consists of Deutsche Bank and RBC Dominion Securities as = > co-managers. The bond issue, with a coupon rate of 6.25 percent per = > annum payable semiannually and a maturity date of 15 June 2011, was = > priced at 99.411 percent to yield 47 basis points over the 5.75 percent = > Commonwealth Government Bond which was due 15 June 2001. The transaction = > is the ADB's third borrowing in the Australian dollar domestic bond = > market. The bonds will be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and = > settled through the domestic clearing system "Austraclear". > =20 > At 10 years, this is the longest maturity deal launched thus far by a = > supranational entity. The issue marks another step towards ADB's = > long-term objective of building its yield curve in the Australian dollar = > bond market. In total, ADB plans to borrow $3.4 billion equivalent in = > 2001/2002. The entire principal amount of A$500 million has been swapped = > into US dollar floating rate liability under related currency liability = > swap transactions, the proceeds of which will be included in the = > ordinary capital resources of the ADB and used in its non-concessional = > operations.=20 > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= > =3D > WORLD BANK NEWS > =20 > The following projects have been approved by the=20 > =20 > WASHINGTON, June 28, 2001 The following projects were approved today by = > the World Bank's Board.=20 > =20 > BOLIVIA SECOND PHASE OF HEALTH SECTOR REFORM PROGRAM (APL2)=20 > CREDIT AMOUNT: IDA US$35 million=20 > TERMS: Grace period =3D 10 years; Maturity =3D 40 years=20 > PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This second phase of the Health Sector Reform = > adaptable program loan (APL2) continues a successful, results-driven = > approach to investing in the reduction of infant mortality in Bolivia, = > particularly among the most disadvantaged communities. APL2 has the same = > objectives as the project's first phase (APL1): i) increase coverage and = > quality of health services and related programs that would improve the = > health of the population, and to empower communities to improve their = > health status, and ii) to strengthen local capacity to respond to health = > needs.=20 > =20 > BULGARIA AGRICULTURE SECTOR ADJUSTMENT LOAN II (ASAL II)=20 > LOAN AMOUNT: IBRD US$50 million=20 > TERMS: Grace period=3D5 years; maturity=3D20 years=20 > PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project will support further rapid development = > of a more efficient and responsive agricultural sector, the principles = > of which are enunciated in the government's medium-term program. The = > loan will support further comprehensive reform of agricultural sector = > policies. Reforms will occur in the areas of land markets, cereals = > markets, agriculture enterprise privatization, irrigation institutions = > and legislation, agricultural subsidies and finance, trade and = > regulations and forest policy. The reforms will enhance market = > development and increase enterprise competitiveness. This will improve = > income earning opportunities for rural producers, contribute to rural = > employment generation, and help raise rural living standards.=20 > =20 > CARIBBEAN REGION MULTI-COUNTRY HIV/AIDS PREVENTION AND CONTROL PROJECT=20 > ADAPTABLE PROGRAM LENDING COMMITTED: US$155 million=20 > FIRST PHASE: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC and BARBADOS=20 > DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:=20 > LOAN AMOUNT: IBRD US$25 million=20 > TERMS: Grace period =3D 5 years; Maturity =3D 17 years=20 > BARBADOS:=20 > LOAN AMOUNT: IBRD US$15.5 million=20 > TERMS: Grace period =3D 3 years; Maturity =3D 10.5 years=20 > PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Caribbean program aims to assist countries = > seeking to contain the spread of HIV/AIDS by reducing transmission among = > high risk groups and educating the general population; to help people = > living with HIV/AIDS receive care that is effective, affordable and = > equitable within the context of the government's health policy; and to = > strengthen the institutional capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS in a = > sustainable way. In the Dominican Republic and in Barbados the World = > Bank loans will finance activities largely grouped in three components: = > 1) Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS transmission; 2) Diagnosis, basic = > care, and support of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS; and, 3) = > Management and institutional strengthening. > =20 > GEORGIA IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT=20 > CREDIT AMOUNT: IDA US$27 million equivalent=20 > TERMS (IDA): Grace period =3D 10 years; Maturity =3D 40 years=20 > PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project will revitalize the irrigation and = > drainage infrastructures on an area of about 110,000 hectares in = > Georgia. The resulting growth in agricultural production will raise the = > income and secure food supplies for about 80,000 farmers families, = > representing about 400,000 people. The project is designed as Adaptable = > Program Credit (APC) for a community development project in support of = > the first phase of the country's Irrigation and Drainage Revitalization = > Program. A key element of this 12-year program is to develop farmers' = > participation in the operation and maintenance of the infrastructures = > through Amelioration Associations (i.e. community-based organizations = > for water management) > =20 > **************************** > CONFERENCES > =20 > Development Conference on Debt Relief, Helsinki, 17-18 August 2001 - The = > WIDER conference will review what is presently known about the = > relationship between debt, development, and poverty reduction, and will = > assess the state of progress on debt relief, and its implications for = > the relationship between aid donors and recipient countries. Papers on = > any aspect of the debt relief issue will be considered, including = > cross-country studies and country studies.=20 > =20 > IN THE RED: THE UK's FIRST CONFERENCE ON ECOLOGICAL DEBT AND CLIMATE = > CHANGE, TUESDAY 10 JULY 7/6/2001 - It is one year before we mark the = > 10th anniversary of the Earth Summit and a year before the international = > community, led by the United Nations, asks how the world can finance = > development and put an end to poverty. But global warming caused by = > industrialised countries now threatens an end to 'development' for = > others. IN THE RED takes place the week before the next crucial = > international talks on climate change, and two weeks before rich = > countries meet once again at the G7 summit to discuss ending Third World = > Debt.=20 > =20 > International Conference on Globalization of research and Development: = > Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries, Italy, 11-13 = > September 2001 - One of the key features influencing the use of new = > technologies in developing countries is the changing character of = > research and development (R&D), especially in the industrialized = > countries. To better understand this process, Harvard University's = > Center for International Development and Belfer Center for Science and = > International Affairs is co-organizing with the Third World Academy of = > Sciences a three-day conference on Globalization of Research and = > Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries. The = > conference will bring together participants from developed and = > developing countries drawn from academia, industry, government, civil = > society and international organizations acting in their personal = > capacities. The Conference is organized under the auspices of the = > "Biotechnology and Globalization" Project funded by the Rockefeller = > Foundation. > =20 > Corporate Social Responsibility, London, 9th July 2001 - A major = > conference on corporate social responsibility is to be held by The = > Guardian & The Observer on 9 July 2001 in London. The one day event, = > supported by Lattice Group and Business in the Community, will look at = > what the CSR boundaries should be between business, government and = > stakeholders. Among other things, it will ask whether companies should = > be expected to take on more responsibility for social and environmental = > issues at a time when governments have retreated from areas which used = > to be regarded as the natural domain of the state. > =20 > International Conference on NGO Poverty Reduction in China, Beijing, = > October 28-30, 2001 - Organised by the China Foundation for Poverty = > Alleviation, the International Conference on NGO Poverty Reduction in = > China will be convened between October 28-30 2001 in Beijing. The = > participants include include NGO representatives and specialists and = > scholars in poverty reduction from both China and abroad. Co-sponsors = > are the Asian Development Bank, Ford Foundation, United Nations = > Development Program and the World Bank > =20 > International Youth Conference - International Youth Coordination = > Council -Nepal is going to organize the International Youth Conference = > on 4th - 6th,November,2001 at Tigertops,Chitwan,Nepal on = > Youth,Leadership and Devevelopment :Challenges and opportunities in the = > 21st Century.=20 > =20 > International Young Professionals Summit, being held 2 - 6 October 2001 = > at the ANA Hotel, Gold Coast, Australia - The Summit has been designed = > to bring together young professionals aged 18 - 35 years to develop = > workable solutions and implement development activities related to its = > four themes poverty, sustainability, social capital and environment. The = > Summit organising committee believes that the recent emergence of = > youth-driven and innovative ways of thinking about these issues sets the = > scene for greater (and necessary) international co-operation to = > eliminate poverty and enhance social capital, reduce environmental = > destruction and embrace sustainable practices. The International Young = > Professionals Summit seeks to develop these themes into solutions which = > will be presented to the 2001 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting = > (CHOGM) as recommendations for adoption by governments and corporations = > to support the broader implementation of action plans developed by = > delegates. > =20 > --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mulai langganan: kirim e-mail ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] Stop langganan: kirim e-mail ke [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive ada di http://www.mail-archive.com/envorum@ypb.or.id
