The report forecasts global economic growth to 2.6% in 2024, barely above the 2.5% threshold commonly associated with a recessionary phase. The report says the prevailing focus on inflation overshadows urgent issues like trade disruptions, climate change and rising inequalities. It advocates for structural reforms and coordinated global efforts, proposing …
According to a common position paper adopted by 16 UN organisations, India has the largest number of child workers in the world. The paper was launched by the UN resident co-ordinator of India, Brenda Gael McSweeney and her counterpart at the International Labour Organisation, L P Passun. However, they recognised …
Pakistan will hold talks with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on taxes slapped by the European Union (EU) on unbleached cotton exports. Pakistan's exports of cotton fabrics have decreased sharply with the imposition of anti-dumping duty. But Pakistan has little hope that the WTO will go against the EU, which …
Programmes providing small loans are not effective for reducing poverty, stated a report published by the United Nations Department for Economics and Social Affairs. The micro credit concept has gained a lot of popularity during the last 10 years. But according to the report, the programmes had many limitations when …
INTERNATIONAL trade in unwanted hazardous chemicals and pesticides is now a serious global concern, especially in developing countries that lack resources to monitor their safe application, storage facilities, and adequate training for their applications. To deal with this, 61 countries have signed a new convention to prevent trade in hazardous …
The devaluation of Indonesian currency in the international market has come as a boom to the farmers. Due to the devaluation of the rupiah, the US dollar based exports have become more valuable. Traditional crops like coffee, black pepper, rice and sugar are all selling from three to 10 times …
TACHILEK bustles with activity. A busy tourist market, its streets are thronged by buyers, who have travelled many miles to get here. In smuggling circuits, Tachilek is known for selling everything from US-made Marlboros to Chinese fabric. However, buyers flock to this town, not for American cigarettes or cheap Chinese …
The US Trade Representative (USTR) has filed a formal notice of appeal of a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling that held the US import restrictions on shrimp as inconsistent with the country's WTO obligations. The WTO report, issued in April 1998, restricts the import of shrimps harvested with equipment that …
illegal experiments on medicinal plants and flowers are leading to the extinction of several indigenous varieties of biodiversity in Darjeeling. The rich biodiversity is endangered due to the apathy of the forest authorities. Floriculture in Darjeeling hills
Shoppers the world over are confronted by a bewildering array of "green' claims by manufacturers. It is almost impossible for consumers to know what exactly is being claimed and whether the product really is greener than the others. A number of countries have developed schemes in which a product that …
There is colour everywhere but little substance, as bureaucrats and businesspersons meet at a three-star hotel, to plan a tree-planting drive. A private company has planted trees along the road, on behalf of multinationals, with a logo on the tree-guard, and has been paid Rs 50,000 per km. Benetton marketed …
Indian consumers are yet to become environment-conscious. In the West, consumer groups conducting comparative tests for products voluntarily took up the task of assigning environment benefits as a parameter for evaluation. This led to awareness among consumers, who then made demands on manufacturers. The awareness in the West is tremendous. …
The line is very thin, perhaps permeable. You could be genuinely concerned about the environment and desiring to do the right thing to save the planet. Or, you could just be looking for that "green' edge
south African dealers are negotiating import of Tata vehicles in s move that can give the Indian transport industry new inroads into Africa. South African dealers have shown particular interest in the new addition to the Tata range of vehicles
thomas alva edison would have cause to smile. Lighting is one crucial area which touches our everyday lives. Yet, ever since the electric lamp was invented, there has been very little change in the technology employed. A few techniques can save a great deal of lighting energy cost effectively, enabling …
considering the growing dependence of urban populations on motor vehicles and given the bleak scenario of fast depleting and increasingly expensive oil, the world is desperate for less fuel consuming, more efficient and less polluting cars. From 1973 to 1986, the average American car became twice as efficient, from consuming …
there are several hurdles in the way of the efficiency revolution. Individuals are not easily convinced and governments even less so. The Factor Four concept may also attract many critics. The world of business is governed by the profit motive. These examples may, at face value, run counter to market …
The ancient Anasazis in Southwest America used an ingenious method to irrigate their crops in a water-starved region. They would bury an unglazed earthenware pot up to its neck in the ground, fill it with water, place a lid on it and plant maize and beans around it. Fed by …
The ABC of cost-cutting Better lighting, heating and refrigeration systems can raise output and lower costs by up to four times visualise a farm in the Rockies in western Colorado, where temperatures above the snow line drop to 44
electronic commerce is the ultimate entrepreneurial vehicle, used by individuals the worldover, from artists in New Mexico to rug weavers in Morocco to basket makers in Botswana. Moreover, the Internet has created new avenues of communication for those who have encountered high entry barriers in traditional media. One of the …
at a a recently held workshop at the Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai, a consensus was reached to adopt an eco-label scheme for Indian leather in accordance with international standards. The workshop was sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's ( unido 's) regional programme for pollution control in …
