On 25 October in Managua, DPAD met with high level representatives of the Government of Nicaragua and of the UNDP country office to brief officials on the ongoing training efforts, and to ensure close coordination with the project organizers and the country stakeholders. The meetings were attended by Mr. Alberto Guevara (President of the Central Bank), Mr. Ovidio Reyes (Chief of Research, Ministry of Finance), Mr. Francisco Abea (Chief Tax Official, Minister of Finance), Mr. Pablo Mandeville (UNDP Resident Representative), and Mr. Benigno Rodríguez (UNDP Deputy Resident Representative).

Four years after the eruption of the global financial crisis, the world economy is still in a precarious situation. Growth has weakened considerably during 2012 and the prospects for the next two years continue to be challenging, fraught with a number of uncertainties and risks slanted towards the downside. Read the full report of the LINK Global Economic Outlook 2012-2013.

On 23-26 October 2012 in Managua, DPAD provided practical training for government experts on the use of modelling tools needed to evaluate policies and strategies to attain the Millennium Development Goals. The training workshop was followed by technical coordination meetings with counterparts in the Nicaraguan government. The activities were jointly organized by DPAD, the UNDP Office in Nicaragua, and the Government of Nicaragua.

"The global economy is still in a very precarious situation and the outlook is most sobering". Robert Vos, Director of the Development Policy and Analysis Division of UN/DESA, presented the Global Economic Outlook at a special joint Second Committee and ECOSOC meeting in New York today and outlined three key messages on the current global economic situation:

The new interactive platform compiles and catalogues information about LDC-specific international support measures provided by development partners. It allows users to learn about what the measures are, who the main suppliers are, and how they can access to these resources. Users can also participate in discussions, make comments, present views, ask questions and highlight their own experience.

DPAD launched a capacity development project in the Philippines on 2-3 October 2012 in Manila. During the inception workshop, DPAD's technical team discussed the objectives of the project with government officials and described the integrated macro-micro modelling framework to workshop participants. The activities were jointly organized by DPAD and the Philippines Government.

"Do not place the burden of fiscal austerity on the backs of the poor," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community, as he launched the MDG Gap Task Force Report 2012 in New York today . The Report gives specific, concrete recommendations on how to strengthen MDG 8, the Global Partnership for Development, which has experienced significant backsliding in various areas including official development assistance, trade protectionism and debt sustainability.

On 11-14 September 2012 in Kampala, DPAD provided intensive practical training for government experts on the use of an integrated macro-micro modelling framework to assess and maximize the use of support measures and human development strategies. The activities were jointly organized by DPAD, the UNDP Office in Uganda, and the Government of Uganda.

The Secretary-General will launch the MDG Gap Task Force Report 2012 : The Global Partnership for Development—Making Rhetoric a Reality on 20 September 2012 at 11:30 am at the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium. This year's report depicts a more somber picture of the global partnership for development, which has suffered backsliding in various areas such as official development assistance, trade protectionism and debt sustainability.

On 28-30 August 2012 in Quito, DPAD conducted training to introduce government officials to modelling tools needed to evaluate human development strategies and how these can be influenced by economic shocks. It was followed by two days of technical coordination meetings.