The report tracks the progress made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Asia and the Pacific. It also analyses the barriers the region faces in making sustainable progress towards achieving the MDGs and the reasons for large-scale intra-country and inter-country disparities in their achievement. It also presents a number of strategies for removing such barriers, including a range of action and policy options at the national and regional levels.

The objectives of the study are to map and analyse existing trade agreements in the region and their product coverage, particularly agricultural products, as well as associated tariff and non-tariff barriers and to derive implications and recommendations and guidelines for trade policy negotiations. It contains both quantitative and qualitative analyses of liberalization efforts in the area of agricultural trade, which took place in parallel to negotiations on agricultural trade liberalization in the context of Doha Development Agenda. It provides an up-to-date, reliable account of preferential trade in Asia with respect to agriculture. The Study also contains a review of agricultural reform in China.

Issued three times a year, the Asia-Pacific Population Journal is an invaluable resource containing opinions and analysis by experts on important issues related to population. It provides a medium for the international exchange of knowledge, experience, ideas, technical information and data on all aspects of population.

The Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Review is a biannual, peer-reviewed journal for the dissemination of timely information and research analysis on the new, emerging issues of trade, investment and enterprise development in Asia and the Pacific. Primarily aimed at government policymakers, researchers and representatives of the private sector, the Review imparts information on the latest trends in trade and investment policy issues facing the region.

The importance of agricultural growth to poverty reduction is well known, but the specific channels through which the poor can take advantage of growth require further research. Beyond Food Production takes on this challenge, investigating four important channels: rural labor markets, farm incomes, food prices, and linkages to other economic sectors.

Effective management of business information is critically important for modern organizations. The Business Information Systems Library (BiSL) is a generic framework which provides an effective solution for business information management. BiSL is a public domain standard which is consistent with ITIL and ASL.

This management guide describes the best way to manage and execute business information management in day-to-day practice, and how BiSL can be of use with this. To illustrate the implementation of BiSL, a separate case history is being evolved throughout the text.

The persistently high incidence of poverty, poor institutional capacity, inadequate human resources, low levels of economic and export diversification and inadequate infrastructure, melded with significant external debt burdens and decreased inflows of official development assistance, have coerced the least developed countries in the Asian and Pacific region into a position in which they generally have become the weakest segment of the international community. The present publication is a collection of papers presented at the meeting on governance and trade-related issues in least developed countries of the region which aimed to address the socio-economic challenges faced by these countries.

This CD-ROM of the Land and Water Digital Meida Series contains detailed information and literature about conservation agriculture to improve the knowledge base of those interested in this concept of sustainable agriculture. It will also provide technical staff and policy-makers with information and arguments that will help to support, promote and introduce it.

[System requirements: Pentium PC processor with Windows 9x/ME/2000 or NT, at least 32Mb RAM and 15" or larger color monitor with a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and a color palette of 65 536 colors]

Each country in the Asia - Pacific region faces specific challenges in its quest to achieve the health-related United Nations Millennium Development Goals. According to this publication, these challenges can only be met by adopting a comprehensive health systems approach to deliver universal coverage of a minimum package of health services and by addressing the determinants of health that lie beyond the direct purview of the health sector

This publication attempts to promote the development of e-business services for SMEs by providing policymakers and enterprise support agencies with background information on the status of ICT use by SMEs, sharing experience on the development of strategic framework for the development of e-business services for SMEs, and sharing the results of the evaluation of the four pilot projects implemented.

These reports examine various aspects of growth and development within the European communities from a macroeconomic perspective, with the aim of shedding light on the interaction of certain trends with others macroeconomic developments in a certain time frame. It presents in a comprehensive way the main findings related to recent trends and prospects on both.

This publication series appears six times a year, and contains important reports and communications from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the economic situation and developments.

This is the first time that the whole public health and health care experience from an Olympic Games has been incorporated into one comprehensive publication. The book contains strategic, technical and scientific information about epidemiological surveillance, environmental management, emergency and hospital care, preparedness for the potential deliberate use of explosives, biological and chemical agents or radionuclear material, disease prevention as well as coordination and unified command. It also highlights that mass sports gatherings such as the Olympics can be powerful platforms for promoting health messages, especially physical activity and active living, healthy nutrition and avoidance of smoking. Finally, it synthesizes the conclusions and lessons learned and offers insights and strategic points for future organizers of mass gatherings.

The book is a comprehensive collection of writings and personal insights on the current state of play and future directions of European Crisis Response. Divided into six sections, it brings together experts from EU Institutions, European think tanks and universities, as well as high-ranking officials from the EU Military Staff and experienced practitioners from non-governmental organisations. Pictures from renowned photojournalists complement the texts throughout. Faster and more united? The debate about Europe's crisis response capacity is one of the first comprehensive accounts of European policy in this field.

Fire management is an essential part of sustainable forest management. This publication complements the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005 (FRA 2005) as an in-depth thematic study on the incidence, impact and management of forest fires in different regions of the world.

The meeting was organized as a result of a process, comprising an external evaluation of the Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ) and its Networks, in 2004, and the endorsement by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) at its thirtieth session (January 2006) of a meeting of experts to identify the needs for a GFCM subsidiary body of CAQ which would deal with the socio-economic and technical aspects of aquaculture in the Mediterranean. The experts defined the terms of reference, priorities and modus operandi of such a subsidiary body.

It provides consolidated, comprehensive, up-to-date and accessible list of terms and acronyms used regularly in biotechnology and its application to food and agriculture. The Multilingual Glossary provides a convenient reference source for researchers, students, technicians and translators and it can also be of value in discussions at intergovernmental level. The CD-ROM is equiped with user friendly searching facilities which allow easy cross reference among the four languages.

World tables allow users to examine the structure and relative magnitude of government operation. These tables can be used to do international comparisons of the following: major components as percentages of total expenditure and lending minus repayment; types of revenue as percentages of total revenue; expenditures by function as percentages of total expenditure; and expenditures by economic type as percentages of total expenditure and lending minus repayments.

Country tables furnish data on central government revenue, grants, expenditure, lending minus repayments, financing, and debt, while the international tables list major units of general government and contain notes on data coverage for country tables.

The aim of this paper is to facilitate the planning and design of land drainage systems for sound land and water management for engineers and other professionals. The text of this publication provides guidelines for the appropriate identification of drainage problems, for the planning and design of field drainage systems (surface and subsurface) and the main drainage and disposal systems. The annexes provide more detailed information with technical background, appropriate equations, some cross-references for finding appropriate methodologies, and computer programs for calculation of extreme values, of permeability and some land drainage system parameters. The paper considers the integration of technical, socio-economic and environmental factors and the need for system users' participation in the planning, design, operation and maintenance processes.

Long distance road transport workers are vulnerable to an array of health risks, including HIV/ AIDS. This report gives a detailed overview of the Health without Borders project, which aims to improve the health of long-distance transport workers by strengthening understanding of the health concerns of the target group., implementing interventions and advancing relevant policy framework.

This report has two objectives. It assesses the nature and the extent of vulnerability among rural households in Tanzania with a particular focus on smallholder cash crop growers though exploring all risks, including the decline in commodity prices. It further explores the potential role for market based insurance schemes such as commodity price and weather based insurance to mitigate household vulnerability. The empirical analysis is based on two rounds of specifically designed representative surveys of farm households in Kilimanjaro and Ruvuma, two cash crop growing regions in the United Republic of Tanzania in 2003 and 2004. The contrasting experiences of a richer (Kilimanjaro) and a poorer (Ruvuma) region substantially enriches the policy guidance emerging from the report. The report applies descriptive, econometric and contingent valuation techniques to achieve its objectives.

Increasing Access to Rural Finance in Bangladesh examines the legal, regulatory, and institutional constraints faced by state-owned agricultural banks, private banks, and microfinance institutions in providing financial services to the missing middle in Bangladesh. It also analyzes the constraints that traditional, multiperil crop inssurance schemes face when serving marginal, small, and medium-size farmers. Finally, the book offers suggestions to improve rural financial access with innovations and reforms in the banking, microfinance, and insurance sectors, among others.

In the current international environment characterized by globalization and regionalization, transport and logistics system integration is a perquisite for countries to maintain competitiveness and has become a key factor for sustained employment creation and economic growth. The present study summarizes the major findings of a project that aims to assist the countries in North-East Asia in promoting an integrated approach to international transport and logistics planning and policy formulation.

This IT Governance Management Guide is the result of a project that involved many experts from all over the world. It started out as a compact reference to one framework, but it grew into an original document on IT Governance.

It is provided for two purposes. First, it is a quick-reference guide to IT governance for people that are not acquainted with this field of work. Second, it is a high-level introduction to ISACA's open standard COBIT 4.1 that will encourage further study. This guide follows the process structure of COBIT 4.1, but adds new information to the structure.

Global value chains and international production networks are creating an international economy increasingly characterized by fragmented and specialized production dispersed across borders. This study provides an overview of their development and the implications for small and medium sized enterprises. The study proposes actions to support the participation of enterprises from the Greater Mekong Sub-region in global value chains.

This training manual provides an overview of the key management principles necessary to optimise the services of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and brings together useful lessons from numerous MFIs worldwide to help managers strengthen the performance of their unit, branch or institution. Either used alone, or as part of a management training course, this publication offers various tools and advice.

UNICEF and UNODC have developed a set of fifteen indicators of core importance to juvenile justice, in consultation with NGOs and individual experts. The fifteen indicators have been refined through field-testing in a number of countries and are endorsed by the Interagency Juvenile Justice Panel. This manual explains how to use the indicators in practice.

WHO has developed a Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package to help implement the policy recommendations of the World Health Report 2001- Mental health: New Understanding, New Hope. The package consists of a series of interrelated user-friendly modules designed to address the wide variety of needs and priorities in policy development and service planning. Each module addresses a core aspect of mental health.

This Model Scheme is addressed to all State, fishing entities and regional fisheries management organizations. Its purpose is to facilitate the implementation of effective action by port States to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The publication includes a CD-ROM on port State measures.

A comprehensive profile of public and government affairs programs, features listings for over 1,700 major U.S. corporations and the 13,000 influential people who run them. This edition includes: Washington DC area and headquarters office information, corporate foundations and giving programs, corporate PACs, federal lobbyists, and FEC finance data. Conveniently indexed by both subject and geographic area for easy searching.

This official introduction is your gateway to ITIL. It explains the basic concept of IT service management and the place of ITIL, introducing the new lifecycle model, which puts into context all the familiar ITIL processes from the earlier books. It also serves to illuminate the background of the new ITIL structure. This title introduces ITSM and ITIL, explains why the service lifecycle approach is best practice in today's ITSM, and makes a persuasive case for change.

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, the region’s oil production and refining infrastructure was devastated and world energy markets were disrupted. The International Energy Agency decided in a matter of days to bring 60 million barrels of additional oil to the market. The emergency response system worked – the collective action helped to stabilise global markets. This book describes the oil emergency response systems of IEA countries and assesses how well prepared the IEA is to deal with an oil supply disruption.

Pentagon 9/11 is the story of both the terrible damage and harm inflicted on the building and its occupants on that day, and the enduring strength that in the days and weeks that followed restored the structure, salvaged lives, maintained operations, and affirmed American purpose and resolve for friends and foes alike. Beginning with the circumstances and immediate impact of the attack, Pentagon 9/11 records in compelling and unprecedented detail the destructive path of American Airlines Flight 77 as it crashed through the building, then relates the epic struggle of on-scene survivors and rescuers as they led colleagues to safety, and the actions of first responders to fight the fire, insure security, and furnish care to the dying and injured.

Five authors, working from more than 1,300 oral history interviews, have collaborated to produce an evocative and authoritative narrative, weaving information gleaned from technical after-action reports with the firsthand accounts of participants and observers. The large cast of contributors includes surviving victims, medical attendants, FBI agents, search and rescue personnel, building engineers, forensic specialists, state and local authorities, DoD family assistance staff, and hundreds of other agency employees, volunteers, and eyewitnesses From the smoke and chaos of the event emerge vivid scenes of the physical wreckage and human toll but also countless acts of courage, grace, and heroism among military and civilians suddenly functioning side by side in an unconventional theater of war. Pentagon 9/11 chronicles the full sweep of this complex experience, heretofore depicted only in fragments, and offers important and reassuring lessons learned for future emergencies.

Supplementing the wide-ranging narrative are charts, diagrams, and extensive photographs and illustrations that provide graphic testimony to the scale and force of the attack as well as the reconstruction and recovery. At once chilling and inspirational, Pentagon 9/11’s words and pictures dramatically remind us of terrorism’s long arm and the powerful message brave individuals and indomitable if not invincible institutions send to our adversaries in triumphing over tragedy.

Domestic animal diversity is being lost at an alarming rate. Worldwide, local livestock breed are being crossed or replaced with higher-yielding animals. In collaboration with livestock communities, research centres, universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations, FAO identified and documented 13 case studies, presented in this publication, on how communities manage their local animal genetic resources. These cases studies demonstrate that local knowledge is crucial in preserving the equilibrium between farmers, their animals and the environment. However, livestock keepers' role in maintaining this balance and conserving biodiversity is under a great deal of pressure from training land tenure policies to the benefit of the private sector and the expansion of natural reserves. Formal government involvement could significantly reduce farmer's exposure to these risks. This study aims to raise awareness and subsequently encourage decision-makers to include conservation and development of animal genetic resources in legal, regulatory and institutional planning.

Presnts the full data set underlying PISA 2006 Volume 1: Analysis. Includes data on student performance in science, student engagement in science, quality and equity in schools, school and system characteristics, and student performance in reading and mathematics.

Since 2004, the Progress for Children has published important data and analyses on global progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals. This edition contains data on these and other child-specific targets that were set by world leaders at the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children held in 2002. It also includes comprehensive data on indicators such as birth registration, child labour, female genital mutilation/cutting, child marriage and children affected by war, which offer a snapshot of the state of child protection.

Quality Systems and Standards have a significant impact on market access, export growth, productivity, industrial upgrading, diffusion of innovation, and other central ingredients for reducing poverty and enhancing country competitiveness. This book provides a comprehensive evaluation and blueprint for implementing quality systems for private sector development and trade and competition initiatives. By thoroughly analyzing the diversity of institutions, linkages, and arrangements involved in quality systems and by identifying success factors in country quality strategies, this book provides a clear methodology on how to implement effective demand-driven national quality systems. It describes the necessary institutions and jurisdictions, the structure of required services and appropriate programs, the procedures and processes to be followed, the financing requirements and responsibilities, the incentive structure, and the relative roles of the public and private sector. With rich examples and case studies drawing best practices and lessons from around the world, this book will be invaluable to policy makers and development, trade, and competitiveness practitioners confronted with the challenge of building trade competitiveness in the new global economy.

The Manual of Tests and Criteria contains criteria, test methods and procedures to be used for classification of dangerous goods according to the provisions of part 2 and 3 of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations, as well as of chemicals presenting physical hazards according to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The amendments listed in this publication were adopted by the Committee at its third session, on 14 December 2006.

This publication is intended to provide policy options and practical guidance to Member States in developing and sustaining health workforces that enhance health systems performance and service quality and improve health outcomes. Although this Strategy can serve as a user guide, it is not intended to replace the need for country-based and country-specific health workforce strategies.

The Expert Consultation was convened by the Director-General of FAO to review and assess technical, legal and institutional aspects concerning the use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and satellites in monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) with the goal of facilitating the wider use of this type of technology and promoting and strengthening international cooperation among States for its use.

The objective of the workshop was to develop national capacity and promote regional coordination so that countries will be better placed to strengthen and harmonize port State measures and, as a result, meet the requirements of relevant Regional Fishery Management Organizations and implement the relevant tools of the 2001 FAO International Plan of Action on IUU Fishing and the 2005 FAO Model Scheme on port State measures to combat IUU fishing (FAO Model Scheme).

The twenty-fourth session of the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) was held in concomitance with a Symposium on Hydropower, Flood Control and Water Abstraction: Implications for Fish and Fisheries. The session reviewed EIFAC's activities since 2004 in the fields of fishery biology and management, aquaculture, protection of the aquatic environment, and social and economic issues. EIFAC revised and decided its future programme of work, in particular the activities which should be carried out until the next session of the Commission in 2008. The twenty-fifth session will be preceded by a Symposium that focuses on interactions between socio-economic and ecological objectives of inland fisheries, commercial and recreational, and aquaculture.

The Symposium was held from with the purpose of raising general awareness about the potential effectiveness of strengthened and coordinated port State measure and to develop national capacity and promote regional coordination so that countries would be better placed to improve the management of offshore fisheries and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Indian Ocean and, as a result, meet the requirements of relevant RFMOs. The Symposium addressed a broad range of issues fundamental to the implementation of effective port State measures. Issues and initiatives addressed in the Symposium included the international and regional frameworks for port State measures, the legal tools and mechanisms that might be used to implement such measures, the role of information systems, human resource development and stakeholder actions. The convenors of the Symposium and Workshop expected that they would result in improved capacity for countries to strengthen and coordinate their port State measures with the objective of better managing offshore fisheries and deterring IUU fishing.

A significant number of entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could use funds productively if they were available, but are often denied access to financing. This impedes their creation and growth. The "financing gap" was the subject of the OECD Global Conference on "Better Financing for Entrepreneurship & SME Growth", held in Brasilia, Brazil in March 2006. This book presents a synthesis of the Conference discussions on the credit and equity financing gaps, as well as on private equity definitions and measurements. It also offers a selection of papers given by some of the key stakeholders (SMEs, government and financial institutions) confronting these important issues.

This CD-ROM contains the Soil and Terrain Database (SOTERCAF) for three countries in Central Africa. Additional soil, land form and lithological information is also included.

Sustainable management of the world's livestock genetic diversity is of vital importance to agriculture, food production, rural development and the environment. "The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture" is the first global assessment of these resources. Drawing on 169 Country Reports, contributions from a number of international organizations and 12 specially commissioned thematic studies, it presents an analysis of the state of agricultural biodiversity in the livestock sector - origins and development, uses and values, distribution and exchange, risk status and threats - and of capacity to manage these resources - institutions, policies and legal frameworks, structured breeding activities and conservation programmes. Needs and challenges are assessed in the context of the forces driving change in livestock production systems. Tools and methods to enhance the use and development of animal genetic resources are explored in sections on the state of the art in characterization, genetic improvement, economic evaluation and conservation. The main findings of the report are summarized in "The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture - in brief", of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish versions can be found on the attached CD-ROM and are also available separately in printed form. As well providing a technical reference document, the country-based preparation of "The State of the World" has led to a process of policy development and a "Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources", which once adopted, will provide an agenda for action by the international community.

Sustainable management of the world's livestock genetic diversity is of vital importance to agriculture, food production, rural development and the environment. "The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture" (available in English, ISBN 978-92-5-105762-9) draws on 169 Country Reports, contributions from a number of international organizations, 12 specially commissioned thematic studies and wider expert knowledge to provide the first global assessment of these resources and their management. This "in brief"version, intended for use by decision-makers and the wider public, presents a summary of the key findings of the main report. As well as providing a technical reference document, the country-based preparation of "The State of the World" has led to a process of policy development and a "Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources", which once adopted, will provide an agenda for action by the international community.

The purpose of this study is to take stock of the regulatory coordination among the NAFTA economies on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and to identify ways to move forward to advance market integration. The discussions in this study emphasize the need and requirements for harmonizing or making regulatory policy more compatible.

The publication provides an overview of the current state of sustainable infrastructure in Asia with a view to helping policy makers identify the challenges and opportunities for Green Growth in the countries of the region. It provides regional experiences and points out the good practices that have the potential to be implemented in other locales. It also discusses water, waste management, and transport and energy infrastructures. The study aims to provide a basis for future discussions on policy guidelines for incorporating the Green Growth approach and eco-efficiency concept into the infrastructure development system.

The present study was conducted with the aim to increase understanding of the specific trade facilitation issues and conditions in the selected landlocked countries of the Caucasus and Central Asian sub-region. Part One looks at trade facilitation in Asia Pacific region in general and at the problems, challenges and needs of landlocked countries. It also provides policy recommendations to enhance institutional infrastructure of landlocked countries for trade facilitation. Part Two provides country case studies of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.