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The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2017 (WESP), published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA), was launched in a press conference in New York on 17 January by Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic Development, Lenni Montiel, and Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Dawn Holland.
The report was produced by a team led by the Global Economic Monitoring Unit in the Development Policy and Analysis Division (DPAD) of UN/DESA, with substantive contributions from colleagues in the Financing for Development Office of UN/DESA, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the five United Nations regional commissions and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). As part of this collective effort—and in collaboration with the Department of Public Information—WESP2017 was also launched in various cities across the globe.
The WESP2017 made headlines around the world. It was covered by Associated Press (AP), The New York Times, the Washington Post, BBC World News Asia Business Report, the Daily Mail UK, France 24, New Kerala, El Universal, Economia Hoy, El Periódico de México, the Financial Express New Delhi, The Economic Times India, Sputnik News Service, Le Matin Rabat, among others.
Ramón Padilla Pérez, Chief of ECLAC’s Economic Development Unit presented the regional outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean at the launch in the subregional office in Mexico City on January 17. In the report, the region’s economy is expected to return to positive growth, but a sharper-than-expected slowdown in China and the potential adoption of protectionist measures in the United States are major risk factors.
In a press briefing in Geneva on the same day, Alfredo Calcagno, Head of the Macroeconomic and Development Policies Branch in UNCTAD, and José Palacín of the Economic Cooperation and Integration Division of ECE, highlighted the drivers of economic growth in the European Union, as well as uncertainties stemming from Brexit.
On January 19, Vatcharin Sirimaneetham of the Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division in ESCAP organized a launch in Bangkok. The presentation highlighted the growth prospects in East and South Asia, the fastest among all regions. In addition, ESCAP invited Dr. Amonthep Chawla, Head of Research at CIMB Thai Bank to serve as a discussant, focusing on the Thai/ASEAN economies.
A launch was organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Moscow on January 24, attended not only by the media, but also the academic, business and government sectors. The report was presented by Dr. Alexander Apokin of the Centre of Macro-Economic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting. Dr. Apokin focused on the regional economic outlook for the Commonwealth of Independent States, and in particular, the continued risks surrounding the Russian economy.
Other regional launches were held in Addis Ababa, Beirut, Pretoria and New Delhi.
In addition, radio interviews were granted to UN Radio in English, Spanish (global and regional) and Русский by ASG Lenni Montiel; 汉语 by DPAD Director Pingfan Hong; and in Français and Portuguese by Economic Affairs Officer in DPAD, Sergio Vieira.
