World Economic and Social Survey 2002

Part I. State of the World Economy

In the second half of 2002, the world economy stands at a delicate juncture. After the weakest performance in a decade for the year as a whole, global economic recovery is under way. However, neither the strength, nor the breadth, nor the durability of the recovery is assured.Part one of World Economic and Social Survey 2002 investigates the causes of the pervasive slowdown in 2001, as well as the driving forces behind and threats to the recovery.

Part II. Private-Public Interaction in Achieving Society's Goals

Part two of World Economic and Social Survey 2002 examines selected aspects of the changing nature of the interaction between the public and private sectors in producing some of the goods and services that societies as a whole may desire as part of their overall development. In all countries, the State has a number of essential tasks, such as providing external defence, maintaining domestic law and order, ensuring the rights of future generations (for example, with respect to the environment), pursuing agreed redistributional goals (notably addressing poverty) and addressing market failures. Previously, there was widespread belief that the State itself should produce or provide directly a number of goods and services that contributed to these or other goals. However, it is increasingly recognized that, in many different ways, the involvement of the private sector in such production and distribution can result in these goods and services' being provided more efficiently and effectively than if the public sector operates alone.

Sales No. E.02.II.C.1
ISBN 92-1-109140-3

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