Publications | Economic Analysis and Policy Division

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01 November 2022

UN DESA Policy Brief No. 140: A World of 8 Billion

Global population growth continues but is slowing down On 15 November 2022, the world?s population is projected to reach 8?billion people, having grown by 1?billion since 2010. This is a remarkable milestone given that the human population numbered under 1?billion for millennia until around 1800, and that it took more than 100 years to grow from 1 to 2 billion. By comparison, the increase of the world?s population over the last century has been quite rapid. Despite a gradual slowing in the pace of growth, the global population is projected to surpass 9?billion around 2037 and 10?billion around 2058 (figure 1). This rapid growth of the human population is a testament to achievements in… UN DESA Policy Brief No. 140: A World of 8 Billion

24 October 2022

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Promise of a Transformative Agenda

CDP Policy Review No. 11 By Sakiko Fukuda-Parr The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 represents a landmark achievement that redefined development to integrate environmental, social and economic objectives and as a universal challenge. It was not only the culmination of the work of determined norm entrepreneurs across decades, many of whom are from the Global South, but also a global consensus on the radical action needed to save the future of humanity. It has been embraced by stakeholders worldwide and generated a multitude of initiatives to respond to the challenge. Nonetheless, the road to implementing the… Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Promise of a Transformative Agenda

06 October 2022

UN DESA Policy Brief No. 139: Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience for Climate Action through Risk-informed Governance

Global Trends in Disasters and its Consequences on Societies Emerging trends globally show that there is a stark upsurge in the number of disasters in this century compared to the previous one. Over the past two decades, climate-related disasters have nearly doubled compared to the preceding twenty years, affecting more than 4 billion people. According to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Human Cost of Disaster Report 2020, ?In the period 2000 to 2019, there were 7,348 major recorded disaster events claiming 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people, and resulting in approximately US$2.97 trillion in global economic losses? This trend is expected to continue as carbon… UN DESA Policy Brief No. 139: Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience for Climate Action through Risk-informed Governance

03 October 2022

World Economic Situation and Prospects: October 2022 Briefing, No. 165

What does a strong U.S. dollar mean for developing countries? In recent months, the U.S. dollar has reached historic high levels in two decades, as the United States Federal Reserve increased its interest rates aggressively since March 2022, amid stubbornly high inflation. Higher interest rates and the relative stability of the United States? economy have boosted the dollar?s appeal and triggered the ?flight to safety? in the international capital market. The impact of the Ukraine conflict on energy prices has deteriorated the economic outlook in Europe, while COVID-19 shutdowns continue to undermine China?s near-term growth prospects. For the developing countries, rising interest rates in… World Economic Situation and Prospects: October 2022 Briefing, No. 165

28 September 2022

2022 Reports of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly

Towards a New International Economic Order (A/77/214)
عربي, 中文, English, Français, Русский, Español

01 September 2022

World Economic Situation and Prospects: September 2022 Briefing, No. 164

A bleak outlook for the global economy: Slowing growth, high and persistent inflation, and elevated uncertainties cloud global economic outlook The global outlook has deteriorated markedly throughout 2022 amid high inflation, aggressive monetary tightening, and uncertainties from both the war in Ukraine and the lingering pandemic. Soaring food and energy prices are eroding real incomes, triggering a global cost-of-living crisis, particularly for the most vulnerable groups. Growth in the world?s three largest economies?the United States, China, and the European Union?is weakening, with significant spillovers to other countries. At the same time, rising government borrowing costs and large… World Economic Situation and Prospects: September 2022 Briefing, No. 164

01 August 2022

World Economic Situation and Prospects: August 2022 Briefing, No. 163

Prospects and challenges of introducing a central bank digital currency During the last decade, an increasing number of central banks launched research and carried out several pilot programs on developing and introducing a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a digital payment instrument, which is a direct liability of the central bank. To a large extent, CBDC will replicate the functions of paper money ? such as store of value, unit of account, and medium of exchange, and have the same basic characteristics as durability, portability, divisibility, uniformity, limited supply and acceptability. Those activities and associated policy dilemmas and challenges are becoming particularly… World Economic Situation and Prospects: August 2022 Briefing, No. 163

22 July 2022

What are the Voluntary National Reviews (still) not telling us?

CDP Background Paper No. 54 By CDP Subgroup on voluntary national reviews This paper is the fifth in a series of annual analyses of voluntary national reviews (VNRs) conducted by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) and examines the VNR reports presented at the 2021 High Level Political Forum (HLPF). It consists of an introductory chapter with general conclusions and recommendations for consideration by governments and other stakeholders participating in future VNRs; and follows with a short series of authored thematic chapters. The document revisits issues addressed in the previous editions, such as the pledge to leave no one behind, inequalities, gender equality, COVID-19 and… What are the Voluntary National Reviews (still) not telling us?

21 July 2022

UN DESA Policy Brief No. 138: Improving the criteria to access aid for countries that need it the most

The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in significant output contractions, deteriorating social conditions and worsened debt sustainability. Some countries that had previously attained higher income status and deemed no longer to need grants and concessional finance in the form of Official Development Assistance (ODA) are once again in need of heightened international support. This includes countries that slid back to a lower income category as well as higher income vulnerable countries, such as numerous small island developing States (SIDS), who have found it difficult to respond and recover from the pandemic without support. Access to ODA, including through concessional finance windows at… UN DESA Policy Brief No. 138: Improving the criteria to access aid for countries that need it the most

15 July 2022

Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly - 2022 Report