DOCSLIB.ORG

Review of ECONOMIC CONDITIONS in AFRICA REVIEW of ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Review of ECONOMIC CONDITIONS in AFRICA REVIEW of ECONOMIC CONDITIONS Supplement to WORLD ECONOMIC REPORT, 1949-18 UN IT ED NAT I O ,NS • Review of ECONOMIC CONDITIONS in AFRICA REVIEW OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN AFRICA Supplement to World Economic Report, 1949-50 UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS New York, March 1951 E/191O/Add.lIRev.1 ST/ECA/9/ Add.1 Apri11951 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS Sales No.: 1951.II.C.2 FOREWORD The Secretariat of the United Nations has prepared the present Review of Economic Conditions in Africa in response to resolution 266 (X) of the Economic and Social Council, which requests the Secretary-General "to include in the world economic report, to be prepared for the twelfth session of the Council, a special section relating to economic conditions in Africa, using material readily available and such further information as may be provided by the Governments concerned". This report, and its companion volume, the Review of Economic Conditions in the Middle East, are issued as separate sections of the World Economic Report, 1949-50; these volumes are intended to complement the regional surveys prepared annually by the secretariats of the United Nations economic commissions for Europe, for Asia and the Far East and for Latin America. The reports, in pre­ liminary form, were made available in February 1951 to the twelfth session of the Economic and Social Council. The Division of Economic Stability and Development of the Department of Economic Affairs, which is primarily responsible for the preparation of the present Review, wishes to acknowledge the assistance it has received from the Department of Trusteeship and Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories, from the Statistical Office of the United Nations and, in connexion with the statement on demographic matters, from the Population Division of the Department of Social Affairs. The following symbols and abbreviations have been used in the report: Two dots (..) Not available Dash (-) Nil or negligible Full stop (.) Indicates decimals Comma (,) Distinguishes thousands and millions Slash (I) Crop year, e.g., 1949/50 Hyphen (-) Annual average, e.g., 1934-38 "To" between certain years indicates the full period, e.g., 1947 to 1949 means 1947 to 1949, inclusive Minus sign (-) Deficit, e.g., in balance of payments tables. A blank space in a table indicates that the item is not applicable. References to "dollars" indicate United States dollars unless otherwise specified. Details and percentages in tables do not necessarily add to totals because of rounding. "Pre-war" usually refers to 1934-38 or to 1937. Unless otherwise specified, Egypt is not included in the totals for Africa~ .Readers will find information concerning rates of exchange in issues of the United Nations Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS IntroauctioD. Chapter Page 1. BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN ECONOMY ..' .... ,., ... , .. 0••••••••••• 3 Area and population ... 0 •••••••••••• 0 0 ••••• ' ••• , •••••••• ,•, ••••••••• 0 3 Levels of production and income 0 •••• , .' •••••• , " •••••• 0 •••• 0 • • • • • 4- Share in world trade and production 0 • , 0 ••••• 0 .' ••• 0 • " •••• ,••••••••••••• 7 Environmental factors 0 •• ' •••••• 0 ••••• 0 •••••• 0 •••••••••• , •••••••• , ••••• 7 Dual nature of economy. , .. 0 ••• 0 0 '••••••• •• • •• ,.,.,....... 9 Labour and land utilization .. ,', .. ",.,",, ,........ 11 Production and investment problems 0 , •• , , ••• ,•,••••• •• •••• 15 Summary .,........................................................ 16 Recent Economic Trends 2. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION 21 General features ...... , .0 ., , .. , .•.• , ", , , •.''• , .. " ., •••.••..•••• , ••...• 21 Pre-war and post-war production of selected commodities., .•..... , ..... , ... , 24- Grains: bread grains and coarse grains - rice " ... ....... .. .......... 25 Fats and oils , "...... 27 Sugar ., " ., .. ' .' '' , .. , o. ••••••• • ••• 28 Beverages: cacao - coffee - tea - wine ,, ,, ..• ',.. 30 Citrus fruits ..... , ... , . 0 " •• , •••••• , •• ,.' •••• ,', •••• ' ••••' ••• ,, •• ,•• 33 Fibres: cotton - wool- sisal .. , , '." , '" , , .' .. .. ... 33 Tobacco " , ' 0., ••• 0 •• 0 ••• ' •• , ,'" •• 36 Rubber ,' .' .. , " 0·· •,•" 0 ' ••• '.' '" , •••••• ,,• 36 Forestry and forest products 0 •• , 0 •• " .' .0 ••• 0 , 0 •••••• , •• , •• ,•••• 37 Livestock ., 0 • , ••••••••••••• 0· • 0 • , ," '. , ••••••••• 0 , 39 Consumption of agricultural requisites . 0 '0 ,•,, ... ,, •• ' , • 0 • , , .' 0 •••••••• , ', 39 3. MINING AND THE MINERAL AND METAL INDUSTRIES Attraction of external capital . 0 ••• 0 , , ., ,•" ••• ", ••••• ,•,,,, •••• ,," ••••• 41 Position in world production " .. , 0 •• ', .' •• 0 • ,. , ' , •• ' •••• , •••• , 41 Localization of production 0 • 0 , ••• ,,•, ' •••• '•• 41 Role in export trade and national income , " .. , '" , ',' "., .. ,.,.".,, 42 Pre-war and post-war production trends ,"."". ',' , , 43 Precious minerals: gold - diamonds .. ",,,".,, .. ,,.. 43 Iron ore. ,., ." .. ,,.,,, .. ,,'" '" 45 Principal non-ferrous metals: copper - tin -lead and zinc, ', .. ,,,, 47 Other metallic minerals: antimony - bauxite - chrome ore - cobalt - manganese ore - platinum-group metals - vanadium - tungsten·- uranium , ,.......................................... 50 Non~metallic minerals: asbestos - phosphate rock, .,,,, .. , .. , .... , ... ,,. 53 Chapter Page 4. FUEL AND POWER, IRON AND STEEL AND SECONDARY INDUSTRIES Fuel and power ' : ..... 55 Coal 55 Electric power 56 Oil 57 Iron and steel industry "......................... 58 Secondary industries 59 Union of South Africa ............................................ 60 Southern Rhodesia .................... .. ......................... 60 Belgian Congo 61 French Morocco ,......................... 61 5. TRANSPORTATION 63 Railway transportation ......... .. 63 Road transportation .................................................. 66 Maritime transportation ............................................... 69 Air transportation ,......................... 71 6. LABOUR Supply of labour .......................... .. ......................... 73 Skilled and unskilled labour 74 Migrant labour ........................... .. ......................... 74 Potential labour supply 76 Wages. ...................................................... 77 7. FOREIGN TRADE 84 Composition of exports and imports. .......... .. ......................... 87 Direction of trade ,......................... 93 Intra-African trade ,......................... 97 Balance of payments Union of South Africa ,......................... 97 Other countries 100 8. NOTE ON DEMOGRAPHIC ASPECTS ,....................... .. 102 Size, density and growth of population ........ .. ....................... .. 102 Age composition of the population. .......... .. ....................... .. 104 Growth of population by region .............. .. ....................... .. 104 Plans for Economic Development 9. GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES Government-sponsored development plans 109 Inter-governmental co-operation .............. .. ....................... .. 116 General considerations .............................................. .. 117 vi List of Tables Page 1. Agricultural productivity, by continents and for the world, pre-war and 1947/48. 5 2. Average African and world yield of certain agricultural products, 1934-38 and 1947 or 1948 ........................... .. ......................... 6 3. Per capita supplies of major foodstuffs in certain countries ................... 22 4. Share of Africa in world agricultural output, pre-war and 1948 . .. ............ 24 5. Production of selected agricultural commodities, pre-war and 1947 to 1949. ..... 25 6. Export or import (-) surplus of visible fats and oils, pre-war, 1946, 1948 and 1949 27 7. Production of ground-nuts, 1934-38, 1947 and 1948 ................... 29 8. Production and exports of olive oil, French North Africa, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949 29 9. Production of sugar, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. ........................... 29 10. Production of cacao, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. ......................... 31 11. Exports of coffee, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. .... 31 12. Production of tea, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. .. ........................ 32 13. Production of wine, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. .. ............ 32 14. Production of citrus fruits, 1934-38 and 1946 to 1948 ..................... 33 15. Production of cotton (ginned), 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. .................. 33 16. Consumption of cotton, 1938/39, 1948/49 and 1949/50. .................. 34 17. Production, exports and consumption of wool, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. .... 35 18. Production of sisal, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949. .. ......................... 35 19. Production of tobacco, 1934-38 and 1947 to 1949 ......................... 36 20. Imports of tractors and agricultural machinery from eight principal exporting countries, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. .... .. .......... .. .................... 40 21. Share of Africa in world production of selected minerals, by weight, 1937 and 1948 42 22. Share of mineral exports in total exports of selected countries, by value, 1937 and 1948 43 23. Production of selected minerals and metals, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. ............ 44 24. Production of gold, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. ... .. ......................... 45 25. Production of diamonds, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. ......................... 46 26. Production and iron content of iron ore, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. .. ............ 46 27. Production of copper ore, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. ....................... 47 28. Production of tin in concentrates, 1937 and 1947 to 1949. .................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • GUESS? Who's Seeing Success with Tablet Retailing?
    SUCCESS STORY: GUESS? www.manh.com GUESS? Who’s Seeing Success with Tablet Retailing? CUSTOMER PROFILE: 2012 marks American clothing retailer Guess’s 30 year anniversary. In those 30 years, Guess has built an impressive portfolio of brands, including GuessHeritage, Marciano by Guess, and most recently G by Guess. Each brand boasts a distinctive line of clothing, footwear and accessories. With almost 1,400 stores in 87 countries, Guess is rapidly growing its already solid brand into a global empire. In the last 3 years alone, the number of Guess stores outside of North America has doubled. Technology is a big part of the success equation and Guess management is embracing new and emerging technologies to stay ahead of the competition and increase profitability. That is where Manhattan’s Tablet Retailing solution comes in. The tablet app offers Guess significant flexibility to rapidly configure and deploy multiple tablet apps for a variety of uses across its entire retail organization – sales associate to wholesale reps. Once known primarily for its denim, Guess designs, markets, distributes and licenses a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, accessories, footwear and other consumer products. Its products are distributed through Guess stores, larger retail department stores, and specialty stores around the world. BUSINESS FOCUS: Guess is committed to being a worldwide leader in the fashion industry. It delivers products and services of uncompromising quality and integrity consistent with its brand and image. Keeping all systems on AWS meant there was no need to invest in new network infrastructure and it allowed the ecommerce business to retain the benefits derived from working with AWS, including excellent reliability, affordability and constant upgrades.
    [Show full text]
  • France À Fric: the CFA Zone in Africa and Neocolonialism
    France à fric: the CFA zone in Africa and neocolonialism Ian Taylor Date of deposit 18 04 2019 Document version Author’s accepted manuscript Access rights Copyright © Global South Ltd. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. Citation for Taylor, I. C. (2019). France à fric: the CFA Zone in Africa and published version neocolonialism. Third World Quarterly, Latest Articles. Link to published https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2019.1585183 version Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ FRANCE À FRIC: THE CFA ZONE IN AFRICA AND NEOCOLONIALISM Over fifty years after 1960’s “Year of Africa,” most of Francophone Africa continues to be embedded in a set of associations that fit very well with Kwame Nkrumah’s description of neocolonialism, where postcolonial states are de jure independent but in reality constrained through their economic systems so that policy is directed from outside. This article scrutinizes the functioning of the CFA, considering the role the currency has in persistent underdevelopment in most of Francophone Africa. In doing so, the article identifies the CFA as the most blatant example of functioning neocolonialism in Africa today and a critical device that promotes dependency in large parts of the continent. Mainstream analyses of the technical aspects of the CFA have generally focused on the exchange rate and other related matters. However, while important, the real importance of the CFA franc should not be seen as purely economic, but also political.
    [Show full text]
  • E/2020/17 Economic and Social Council
    United Nations E/2020/17 Economic and Social Council Distr.: General 5 May 2020 Original: English 2020 session 22 July 2019–25 July 2020 Agenda item 15 Regional cooperation Summary of the work of the Economic Commission for Africa, 2019–2020 Note by the Secretary-General The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit herewith a summary of the work of the Economic Commission for Africa for the period 2019–2020. 20-06383 (E) 010720 *2006383* E/2020/17 Summary of the work of the Economic Commission for Africa, 2019–2020 [Original: Arabic, English and French] Summary In the period from April 2019 to March 2020, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) achieved a number of significant milestones in support of member States’ development priorities and in line with the Commission’s new strategic directions to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered, inclusive and transformed Africa in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want of the African Union. The present report summarizes notable achievements from that period that demonstrate the Commission’s three core functions in action, including interventions in support of regional and subregional priorities; policy advisory services at the national, subregional and regional level; and assistance provided upon the request of member States for technical and capacity development. Information is also included on the instrumental role of ECA platforms for policy dialogue and consensus-building in advancing the capacities of African public officials in policy formulation and implementation. 2/18 20-06383 E/2020/17 I. Introduction 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Form 8-K Abercrombie & Fitch
    UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 20, 2017 ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 1-12107 31-1469076 (State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer of incorporation) Identification No.) 6301 Fitch Path, New Albany, Ohio 43054 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) (614) 283-6500 (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) Not Applicable (Former name or former address, if changed since last report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions: o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b‑2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b‑2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company o If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
    [Show full text]
  • MELKI in CONTEXT: ALGERIA and EUROPEAN LEGAL INTEGRATION Daniela Caruso Joanna Geneve
    MELKI IN CONTEXT: ALGERIA AND EUROPEAN LEGAL INTEGRATION Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2016 Boston University School of Law Public Law & Legal Theory Research Paper No. 15-23 June 15, 2015 Daniela Caruso Boston University School of Law Joanna Geneve Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP This paper can be downloaded without charge at: http://www.bu.edu/law/faculty/scholarship/workingpapers/2015.html 1 Daniela Caruso† and Joanna Geneve‡ MELKI IN CONTEXT: ALGERIA AND EUROPEAN LEGAL INTEGRATION in BILL DAVIES AND FERNANDA NICOLA EDS, EU LAW STORIES: CONTEXTUAL AND CRITICAL HISTORIES OF EUROPEAN JURISPRUDENCE Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2016 I. INTRODUCTION It all happened quickly in spring 2010. On Monday March 22, at 2:15 pm, three policemen on patrol duty spotted a Citroën C4 coming from Saint-Aybert – a pre-Schengen frontier post between France and Belgium – and heading south-west towards Valenciennes.1 Nothing seemed wrong with the vehicle itself or the way it was driven, but somehow its passengers – five adult males of northern African origin – caught the attention of the officers, who turned on their lights and sirens and ordered that the vehicle stop. The driver obliged and the officers proceeded to question everyone in the car. No weapons were found and there was no resistance to interrogation or physical inspection, but the contrôle revealed that two of the passengers – Aziz Melki, aged 26, and Selim Abdeli, aged 19 – had no documents authorizing their entry into France.2 Within ten minutes the two Algerians found themselves arrested, and then unwittingly at the center of a judicial saga that is now well known in EU Law circles.
    [Show full text]
  • The Columbian Exchange: a History of Disease, Food, and Ideas
    Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 24, Number 2—Spring 2010—Pages 163–188 The Columbian Exchange: A History of Disease, Food, and Ideas Nathan Nunn and Nancy Qian hhee CColumbianolumbian ExchangeExchange refersrefers toto thethe exchangeexchange ofof diseases,diseases, ideas,ideas, foodfood ccrops,rops, aandnd populationspopulations betweenbetween thethe NewNew WorldWorld andand thethe OldOld WWorldorld T ffollowingollowing thethe voyagevoyage ttoo tthehe AAmericasmericas bbyy ChristoChristo ppherher CColumbusolumbus inin 1492.1492. TThehe OldOld WWorld—byorld—by wwhichhich wwee mmeanean nnotot jjustust EEurope,urope, bbutut tthehe eentirentire EEasternastern HHemisphere—gainedemisphere—gained fromfrom tthehe CColumbianolumbian EExchangexchange iinn a nnumberumber ooff wways.ays. DDiscov-iscov- eeriesries ooff nnewew ssuppliesupplies ofof metalsmetals areare perhapsperhaps thethe bestbest kknown.nown. BButut thethe OldOld WWorldorld aalsolso ggainedained newnew staplestaple ccrops,rops, ssuchuch asas potatoes,potatoes, sweetsweet potatoes,potatoes, maize,maize, andand cassava.cassava. LessLess ccalorie-intensivealorie-intensive ffoods,oods, suchsuch asas tomatoes,tomatoes, chilichili peppers,peppers, cacao,cacao, peanuts,peanuts, andand pineap-pineap- pplesles wwereere aalsolso iintroduced,ntroduced, andand areare nownow culinaryculinary centerpiecescenterpieces inin manymany OldOld WorldWorld ccountries,ountries, namelynamely IItaly,taly, GGreece,reece, andand otherother MediterraneanMediterranean countriescountries (tomatoes),(tomatoes),
    [Show full text]
  • Africa's Gulf of Guinea Forests: Biodiversity Patterns and Conservation Priorities
    Advances in Applied Biodiversity Science, no. 6 AABSAdvances in Applied Biodiversity Science Number 6 Africa’s Gulf of Guinea Forests: Africa’s Gulf of Guinea Forests:Biodiversity Patterns and Conservation Africa’s Biodiversity Patterns and Conservation Priorities John F. Oates, Richard A. Bergl, and Joshua M. Linder Priorities C Conservation International ONSERVATION 1919 M Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036 TEL: 202-912-1000 FAX: 202-912-0772 I NTERNATIONAL ISBN 1-881173-82-8 WEB: www.conservation.org 9 0 0 0 0> www.biodiversityscience.org 9781881173823 About the Authors John F. Oates is a CABS Research Fellow, Professor of Anthropology at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), and a Senior Conservation Advisor to the Africa program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). He is cur- rently advising WCS on biodiversity conservation projects in eastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. Dr. Oates has conducted research on the ecology of forest primates in Africa and Asia since 1966, and has assisted with the development of rainforest protected areas in South India and West Africa. He has published extensively on primate biology and conservation and, as an active member of the IUCN-SSC Primate Specialist Group, has compiled conservation action plans for African primates. He holds a PhD from the University of London. Richard A. Bergl is a doctoral student in anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center, in the graduate training program of the New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP). He is currently conducting research into the population and habitat viability of the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) in Nigeria and Cameroon.
    [Show full text]
  • Living Under a Fluctuating Climate and a Drying Congo Basin
    sustainability Article Living under a Fluctuating Climate and a Drying Congo Basin Denis Jean Sonwa 1,* , Mfochivé Oumarou Farikou 2, Gapia Martial 3 and Fiyo Losembe Félix 4 1 Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Yaoundé P. O. Box 2008 Messa, Cameroon 2 Department of Earth Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé P. O. Box 812, Cameroon; [email protected] 3 Higher Institute of Rural Development (ISDR of Mbaïki), University of Bangui, Bangui P. O. Box 1450, Central African Republic (CAR); [email protected] 4 Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources Management, University of Kisangani, Kisangani P. O. Box 2012, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 22 December 2019; Accepted: 20 March 2020; Published: 7 April 2020 Abstract: Humid conditions and equatorial forest in the Congo Basin have allowed for the maintenance of significant biodiversity and carbon stock. The ecological services and products of this forest are of high importance, particularly for smallholders living in forest landscapes and watersheds. Unfortunately, in addition to deforestation and forest degradation, climate change/variability are impacting this region, including both forests and populations. We developed three case studies based on field observations in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as information from the literature. Our key findings are: (1) the forest-related water cycle of the Congo Basin is not stable, and is gradually changing; (2) climate change is impacting the water cycle of the basin; and, (3) the slow modification of the water cycle is affecting livelihoods in the Congo Basin.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa and Its Islands Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use
    Biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa and its Islands Conservation, Management and Sustainable Use Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 6 IUCN - The World Conservation Union IUCN Species Survival Commission Role of the SSC The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is IUCN's primary source of the 4. To provide advice, information, and expertise to the Secretariat of the scientific and technical information required for the maintenance of biologi- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna cal diversity through the conservation of endangered and vulnerable species and Flora (CITES) and other international agreements affecting conser- of fauna and flora, whilst recommending and promoting measures for their vation of species or biological diversity. conservation, and for the management of other species of conservation con- cern. Its objective is to mobilize action to prevent the extinction of species, 5. To carry out specific tasks on behalf of the Union, including: sub-species and discrete populations of fauna and flora, thereby not only maintaining biological diversity but improving the status of endangered and • coordination of a programme of activities for the conservation of bio- vulnerable species. logical diversity within the framework of the IUCN Conservation Programme. Objectives of the SSC • promotion of the maintenance of biological diversity by monitoring 1. To participate in the further development, promotion and implementation the status of species and populations of conservation concern. of the World Conservation Strategy; to advise on the development of IUCN's Conservation Programme; to support the implementation of the • development and review of conservation action plans and priorities Programme' and to assist in the development, screening, and monitoring for species and their populations.
    [Show full text]
  • China's Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Trade, Investment and Finance Landscape
    China's Belt and Road Initiative in the Global Trade, Investment and Finance Landscape │ 3 China’s Belt and Road Initiative in the global trade, investment and finance landscape China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development strategy aims to build connectivity and co-operation across six main economic corridors encompassing China and: Mongolia and Russia; Eurasian countries; Central and West Asia; Pakistan; other countries of the Indian sub-continent; and Indochina. Asia needs USD 26 trillion in infrastructure investment to 2030 (Asian Development Bank, 2017), and China can certainly help to provide some of this. Its investments, by building infrastructure, have positive impacts on countries involved. Mutual benefit is a feature of the BRI which will also help to develop markets for China’s products in the long term and to alleviate industrial excess capacity in the short term. The BRI prioritises hardware (infrastructure) and funding first. This report explores and quantifies parts of the BRI strategy, the impact on other BRI-participating economies and some of the implications for OECD countries. It reproduces Chapter 2 from the 2018 edition of the OECD Business and Financial Outlook. 1. Introduction The world has a large infrastructure gap constraining trade, openness and future prosperity. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) are working hard to help close this gap. Most recently China has commenced a major global effort to bolster this trend, a plan known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China and economies that have signed co-operation agreements with China on the BRI (henceforth BRI-participating economies1) have been rising as a share of the world economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Geography, Demography, and Economic Growth in Africa
    DAVID E. BLOOM Harvard Institute for International Development JEFFREY D. SACHS Harvard Institute for International Development Geography, Demography, and Economic Growth in Africa THE POVERTY of sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most obdurate features of the world economy. Since the industrial revolution, this has been the world's poorest and also its most slowly growing region. The most reliable estimates of world and regional gross domestic products for the period 1820-1992 are those prepared by Angus Maddison.1 Figure 1 shows estimated long-term growth profiles for selected regions. Ac- cording to these estimates, sub-Saharan Africa (hereafter, Africa) began the modern era at approximately one-third of the income level of the richest region at that time, Western Europe. In 1992 it had approxi- mately one-twentieth of the income level of the richest region, Maddi- son's "western offshoots," which includes the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Maddison estimates that Africa's per cap- ita income in 1992 was approximately that of Western Europe in 1820: This paper has benefited from work done under several research programsat the HarvardInstitute for InternationalDevelopment, including those on economic geography and development, populationand reproductivehealth, and African economic develop- ment. We gratefullyacknowledge the contributionsof our colleagues in those programs, in particular,Peter Ashton, Kwesi Botchwey, David Canning,Lisa Cook, John Gallup, Gerald Keusch, Pia Malaney, Richard Marlink, Andrew Mellinger, Marc Mitchell, Steven Radelet, SaraSievers, AndrewSpielman, Andrew Warner, and JeffreyWilliam- son. We also appreciatethe valuable commentsof participantsin the BrookingsPanel meeting, especially our discussants Paul Collier and Chris Udry, and participantsin seminarsat the HarvardSchool of Public Health, the University of Houston, and Rice University.
    [Show full text]
  • Criminal Justice Reform and Human Rights: Recent Trends
    Under the Patronage of his majesty king abdullah ii ibn alhussein Penal Reform International and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights In partnership with the Public Security Directorate / Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers Department International Conference Criminal Justice Reform and Human Rights: Recent Trends November 2014 / - Amman - Jordan 3-4 Criminal Justice Reform and Human Rights: Recent Trends Table of Contents Table of Contents About Penal Reform International ................................................................................2 About Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ........................................3 About Correctional and Rehabilitation Centres Department ........................................4 Agenda ..........................................................................................................................5 Biographies ....................................................................................................................9 1 About PRI Criminal Justice Reform and Human Rights: Recent Trends Penal Reform International (PRI) Penal Reform International, founded in 1989 as an international non-governmental organization working on penal and criminal justice reform worldwide, with headquarters in London, PRI has Consultative Status with the United Nations (ECOSOC) and the Council of Europe, and Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African commission on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Inter-parliamentary
    [Show full text]