United Nations

The Blue Book lists the names, addresses and phone numbers of all representatives to the United Nations. This publication is written in conjunction with the United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service.

Cette série vise à présenter une analyse équilibrée des questions qui peuvent se poser dans le contexte des travaux internationaux sur la définition de règles en matière d’investissement et sur leur incidence sur le développement. Elle a pour but de contribuer à une meilleure intelligence de questions techniques délicates et de leur interaction, et d’idées novatrices qui pourraient aider à renforcer la dimension développement des accords internationaux sur l’investissement.

This publication presents key debates that took place during the 2010 high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), during which was organized the second biennial Development Cooperation Forum. The discussions also focused on the theme of the 2010 Annual Ministerial Review, ""implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to gender equality and the impowerment of women"". It contains keynote speeches, issue papers, roundtable summaries, National Voluntary Presentations, transcriptions of other dialogues and discussions, including a video of the United Nations television debate “Face-to to Face”.

This book examines how developing countries were affected by the global economic and financial crisis. It reflects on lessons learnt and on the policy agenda necessary for supporting such countries. Contributions fall into three categories: 1) general issues on the causes of the crisis and its transmission to the developing world, 2) country and regional case studies, and 3) policy recommendations. It is found that there is widespread awareness of a growing wedge between financial to sector growth and the real economy in many countries, which call for a rethinking of approaches to financial liberalisation. Also, in the same way as the roles of business and the state need to be rebalanced at the national level, economic globalisation requires enhanced global governance. Finally, the macroeconomic strategies of developing countries may need redirecting towards greater emphasis on employment creation and active domestic demand management.

This UNCTAD paper, the sequel to the 1999 Pink Series paper on Scope and Definition, considers how the concepts of ""investment"" and ""investor"" have been defined in existing international investment agreements (IIAs), and how different definitions have been interpreted by arbitral tribunals, moving beyond a merely descriptive role and considers how to respond to arbitral awards. It offers policy options for IIA negotiators that better take into account the development needs of host countries and enhance the stability and predictability of the legal system. This paper concludes with a section on policy options for IIA negotiators. It argues that adding a development policy dimension to the technical definition of investment would help bring developmental concerns to the centre of the agreements' objectives and to the fore of tribunals' considerations (i.e. even before going into a substantive assessment of contested host country measures).

This new report concludes that ""market access begins at home"". It argues that further reducing barriers to trade between developing countries needs to be an essential part of the way forward. The report is the first of an annual series on market access issues and focuses on reducing global poverty by improving market entry and trade transparency for developing countries. In this report, a new methodology was applied, offering more accurate estimates of global poverty distribution and the impact of export growth on poverty.

The Demographic Yearbook 2008 is the sixtieth in a series published by the United nations since 1948. It contains general tables including a world summary of selected demographic statistics, statistics on the size, distribution and trends in national populations, fertility, foetal mortality, infant and maternal mortality, general mortality, nuptiality and divorce. Data are shown by urban/rural residence, as available. In addition, the volume provides Technical Notes, a synoptic table, a historical index and a listing of the issues of the Yearbook published to date.

The document presents the Report of the Joint Inspection Unit for 2010 and Programme of Work for 2011.

The document presents the Report on the Sixth Session (18-22 October 2010) of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters Issues.

This handbook was conceived as a practical tool to be used by decision-makers and practitioners in both the tourism sector and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). It provides a kind of ""two to way"" scheme allowing for the integration of tourism strategic planning into the wider process of ICZM on one hand and, on the other, for the application of the ICZM approach in tourism development. The handbook has two main parts. Its main body tackles all important issues related to coastal tourism and its positive and negative impacts on natural environment and society, as well as various planning and management schemes for tourism, with particular reference-ICZM. Individual steps of the proposed process of strategic planning for coastal tourism, based on the concept of Carrying Capacity Assessment, are presented in an Annex with all the details indicating when, how and by whom to undertake these steps.

With its comprehensive coverage of political and security matters, human rights issues, economic and social questions, legal issues, and institutional, administrative and budgetary matters, this publication is the most authoritative reference work available on the activities and concerns of the organisation. Fully indexed, the Yearbook includes the texts of all major General Assembly, Security Council and Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions. This latest volume, the sixty-first, highlights the attention given by the United Nations in 2007 to conflicts in Afghanistan, Central Africa and in the Darfur region, as well as instability in the Middle East, along with the challenges posed by poverty, gender inequality, uneven development, climate change and terrorism.

The report contains an analysis of the drug control situation worldwide so that Governments are kept aware of existing and potential situations that may endanger the objectives of the international drug control treaties. Divided into four parts, it covers the following topics: drugs and corruption, functioning of the international drug control system, analysis of the world situation and finally, a set of recommendations to Governments, the United Nations and other relevant international and regional organisations. A set of Annexes follow as well.

The International Narcotics Control Board was invited by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March 2010 to include in its Report for 2010 information on the availability of internationally controlled substances for medical requirements. In recognition of its importance, the Board decided to devote a supplement to its annual Report to this subject. This format allows the Board to provide adequate information on the present situation, globally and regionally, to highlight major impediments and to formulate recommendations to improve the availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. A detailed analysis is contained in the Board's technical publications on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

This publication contains the official records of the negotiations for the elaboration of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 58/4 of 31 Octo ber 2003. It provides a comprehensive picture of the background to the Convention and gives the reader an understanding of the issues confronted by the Ad Hoc Committee and the solutions it found.

To prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals for use in the illicit manufacture of drugs, governments must have adequate legislation in line with the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances as well as effective working mechanisms and procedures for information feedback between the authorities involved in the control of precursor chemicals. The International Narcotics Control Board in its annual report examines actions taken recently and highlights both successful results and shortcomings. The 2010 precursors report of the Board presents the latest developments in global precursor chemical control.

Issued three times a year, the Bulletin provides cogent and timely information on issues related to the Convention on the Law of the Sea - 'the constitution for the ocean' and contains the most recent legal materials relevant to the law of the sea. It includes national legislation, bilateral agreements and multilateral treaties, as well as, information on decisions of the International Court of Justice, arbitral tribunals and other dispute settlement procedures.