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Special Focus on International Women's Day: "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All" - UNDP Administrator Helen Clark's Message on Women's Day

Right now, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is gathering in New York to review progress towards gender equality since the groundbreaking Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. That landmark conference recognized the barriers women face in achieving full equality, and an internationally agreed plan to address the problem, titled the Beijing Platform for Action, was adopted. In the fifteen years since 1995, despite genuine progress on many fronts, overall advancement toward gender equality and women's empowerment has been uneven and slow. Women's political participation is rising too slowly, women remain more vulnerable on the job front, and maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high in many regions.

While more and more women are holding political office, women legislators comprise only eighteen percent of legislators globally, far from the target of thirty percent set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. At the present rate it would take another forty years to reach gender parity. And more women than ever before are participating in the work force, almost two-thirds of women in the developing world work in vulnerable jobs as either self-employed persons or as unpaid family workers in the informal economy. In developing countries, women consistently lag behind men in formal labour force participation and entrepreneurship, earn less than men for similar work, and have less access to credit as well as lower inheritance and ownership rights than men do.

Women's health, particularly reproductive health, remains a serious issue. More than half a million women die every year - or one woman every minute - from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. In 2008, Security Council Resolution 1820, became the first resolution to recognise conflict-related sexual violence as a matter of international peace and security. This important step must be followed by action to ensure that perpetrators of sexual and gender based violence are prosecuted and brought to justice. The recent appointment of Margot Wallstrom as the first United Nations Under-Secretary-General on Sexual Violence and Conflict will ensure that these issues continue to be a high priority for the UN.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are struggling where the needs and status of women are given low priority. If women's status is lifted, the goals are more likely to be achieved, with benefits for women, men, and children. Reducing maternal mortality, for example, would also have positive effects on the goals of improving children's health and access to education, and of reducing poverty and hunger. Providing girls with education will, in time, be positive for reducing child mortality and improving child nutrition and health for future generations. Tackling the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence not only addresses a basic human right, but also helps reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Many countries have advanced gender parity through the successful promotion of girls' education, but significant disparities persist in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and Western Asia. Sadly, at the current rate of progress, the Millennium Development Goals of eliminating gender disparity in all levels of education no later than 2015 remains far from being achieved. The MDGs Summit at the United Nations this September is a major opportunity to show how meeting the needs of women can transform development progress To achieve true equality for women, we must continue working towards women's political, economic, and social empowerment. The proposed new gender entity to be established by the UN will provide a powerful voice for women and girls in these areas, and we look forward to it making a real difference for the world's women in the years to come.

In the Secretary-General's words, we must in 2010 "empower women like never before". On this International Women's Day, our commitment that 'progress for women is progress for all' is stronger than ever. With solid partnerships, dedicated resources, and unwavering political leadership, we can build inclusive and equitable societies where it is widely understood that a win for women is a win for all.

From http://www.scoop.co.nz 03/02/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Gender Equality Instrumental for Achieving Internationally Agreed Development Goals

"The EU said on Monday that gender equality and women's empowerment are instrumental toward the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, and called on the UN to address remaining challenges for the advancement of women... Spanish Equality Minister Bibiana Aido reaffirmed the EU's support in the Beijing Platform for Action, which identified 12 critical areas of concern for women, allowing governments to incorporate gender equality perspectives in their institutions..." [Xinhua/Factiva]

AP adds that "...UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said Monday that while many countries have made progress in improving education for girls and adopting national laws and programs to promote women's rights, gender equality remains a distant goal. 'While we have seen advances in the past 15 years [since the Beijing Platform for Action], we have not seen enough,' Migiro told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women. 'We need to move from commitment to action.'..." [Associated Press/Factiva] AFP reports that "...the UN came under strong pressure to quickly establish a powerful super-agency to tackle women's issues. 'We have spoken long enough about this. It's time to act,' said European Commissioner for Gender Equality Viviane Reding... 'Either this (the UN) is an action-bound organization or this is a talking club. Women would like it to be an action organization.'..." [Agence France Presse/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 02/03/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: U.N. Meeting Examines Progress, Challenges in Achieving Women's Empowerment

Despite gains in women's rights in the 15 years since the Beijing Declaration, U.N. Female Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro on Monday during the opening of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting acknowledged more action is needed to help countries advance gender equality and women's empowerment, VOA News reports. At the launch of the two-week gathering of world leaders and women's advocates, "Migiro credited women's organizations on the global, national and local level with international gains in several areas, including education and the development of national laws, policies and programs," the news organization writes (Besheer, 3/1).

"More and more people now understand that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is not just a goal in itself, but a key to sustainable development, economic growth, and peace and security," Migiro told delegates, according to U.N. News Centre.During this year's CSW, the leaders in women's rights will discuss the progress made since the "adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action... which remains the most comprehensive global policy framework to achieve the goals of gender equality, development and peace. The Platform called for action on 12 key issues: poverty, education and training, health, violence against women, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and girls," the U.N. News Centre writes. The meeting will also address challenges to achieving these goals (3/1).

Such challenges include the fact "[w]omen still outnumber men among the world's poor, account for two-thirds of illiterate adults and are more likely to work at low paying jobs without social protection," the Associated Press/Winnipeg Free Press reports. "Migiro said women continued to be plagued by sexual violence and the maternal mortality rate remains 'unacceptably high,' while political representation remains too low" (Lederer, 3/1).Sha Zukang, the U.N. under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, pointed to discrepancies in how some countries are tackling issues related to gender equality, Xinhua/CRIENGLISH reports. "The challenge, therefore, is not that there is no progress; the real challenge lies in the fact that progress is uneven across regions and within countries," Sha said during the meeting on Monday. "Such a re-orientation is crucial at a time when we continue to tackle the multiple crises of food insecurity, climate change and the fall-out of the global financial and economic crisis" (3/2).

The VOA News article examines recent efforts by the U.N. to promote women's rights, including the creation of a U.N. envoy post "to combat sexual violence against women in conflict" and the agreement by the U.N. General Assembly last September to create a new agency for women (3/1).Agence France-Press/Asia One examines the "strong pressure to quickly establish a powerful super-agency to tackle women's issues." Several world leaders addressed the need for the agency during the opening day of CSW, according to AFP/Asia One."Now is an important moment... to seize the opportunity to take a great step forward by establishing our new U.N. women's agency," Harriet Harman, Britain's minister for women and equality, said. The article examines the need for the agency and speculates on who might assume the leadership role of such an agency (3/2).This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

From http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ 03/03/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Asia-Pacific Region Has One of the World's Worst Gender Gaps

While Asia and the Pacific can take pride in the region's vibrant economic transformation in recent decades, this has not translated into progress on gender equality. Discrimination and neglect are threatening women's very survival in the Asia-Pacific region, where women suffer from some of the world's lowest rates of political representation, employment and property ownership. Their lack of participation is also depressing economic growth. Those were some of the findings of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-sponsored 2010 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report launched today. "Empowering women is vital for achieving development goals overall, and for boosting economic growth and sustainable development," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, in presenting the Report: Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific, here today. "Policy needs to advance gender equality, so that women as well as men can benefit from job creation and investments in social infrastructure."

The Report focuses on three key areas -economic power, political decision-making and legal rights? to analyse what holds women back, and how policies and attitudes can be changed to foster a climb toward gender equality. Asia, the Report asserts, is standing at a cross-road and by putting the right policies in place now, countries in the region can achieve positive change. Lack of women's participation in the workforce costs the region billions of dollars every year. In countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia conservative estimates show that GDP would increase by up to 2-4 percent annually if women's employment rates were raised to 70 percent, closer to the rate of many developed countries. Fewer women than men are in paid work in every country in the region, with striking contrasts between South Asia and East Asia. Nearly 70 percent of East Asian women are in paid work, well above the global average of 53 percent, in countries such as Cambodia, China, and Viet Nam, for example. In South Asian countries like India and Pakistan fewer than 35 percent of women do paid work. These contrasts in women's paid work between East and South Asia co-exist in parallel with the higher long-term growth trend of the former.

Despite laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, women in this region still earn considerably less than men, with the pay gap ranging from 54 to 90 percent. Women "consistently end up with some of the worst, most poorly-paid jobs -often the ones that men don't want to do, or that are assumed to be "naturally" suited to women," the Report found. South Asia often comes in second worst in the world in gender equality measures, just above sub-Saharan Africa, while East Asia often fares better in health, education, and employment. Asia-Pacific women hold only a handful of legislative seats, fewer than anywhere else in the world except in the Arab region. Women in Asia-Pacific rarely make it to elective office. The Pacific sub-region accounts for four of the world's six countries without any women lawmakers. Development level doesn't necessarily correlate with high political participation for women, either; women in Japan and the Republic of Korea, for example, hold just 10 percent of legislative seats.

Interestingly, countries emerging from conflict appear to offer better political opportunities for women: 33 percent of Nepal's parliamentarians are women, and nearly 30 percent of Timor-Leste's. The problem of "missing girls" ?in which more boys are born than girls, as girl fetuses are presumably aborted, and women die from health and nutrition neglect- is actually growing. Birth gender disparity is greatest in East Asia, where 119 boys are born for every 100 girls. China and India together account more than 85 million of the nearly 100 million "missing" women estimated to have died from discriminatory treatment in health care, nutrition access or pure neglect ?or because they were never born in the first place, the report found. A tenth of women here report being assaulted by their partners, and a majority of women who do work -up to 85 percent of South Asia's working women? are engaged in unstable low-end work in the informal economy.

Few women hold property. Although women predominate in agriculture, they head only 7 percent of farms, compared to 20 percent in most other regions of the world. "Pervasive gender inequality remains a barrier to progress, justice and social stability, and deprives the region of a significant source of human potential," the Report concluded. Laws aren't helping much. The region is far behind where it could be on basic issues, such as protecting women from violence, upholding entitlements to property -even allowing people to divorce in an informed and reasonable way. Few countries have adopted or implemented laws prohibiting violence against women, despite widespread evidence of discrimination and assault. Nearly half of the countries in South Asia, and more than 60 percent of those in the Pacific, have no laws against domestic violence. Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in workplaces, though 30 to 40 percent of working women report experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse.

"Too often, customs or religious beliefs have become a rationale for laws and legal systems to ignore or soft-peddle or even, in the worst cases, justify issues such as discriminatory inheritance practices and the multiple forms of violence that specifically target women," Anuradha Rajivan, leader of the multinational team that prepared the Report, said. Many women are also prevented from accessing justice if it involves challenging their husbands, other family members or the broader status quo, the report concluded.he report has recommended the following steps for redressing the gender imbalance. They are as follows: .Removing barriers to women's ownership of assets, such as land; expanding paid employment; making migration safe and investing in high-quality education and health are some of the main solutions recommended for addressing these problems.

Reforming constitutions, training judicial and law enforcement personnel in gender-sensitive practices and progressively Interpreting religious principles ?which recognize the equal value of all human beings. Political quotas to increase women's political participation, with sanctions for non-compliance, could be necessary. More women should also be enfranchised into party politics; and relied upon as brokers of peace in times of emergency. (ANI)

From http://www.calcuttanews.net/ 03/08/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: East Asia Does Well in Gender Equality, South Asia Does Poorly - UN Report

A United Nations report said on Monday that among Asia and the Pacific countries, East Asian countries are doing very well in realizing gender equality, while South Asian countries are doing poorly. Releasing the report on the International Women's Day, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said in its 2010 Asia- Pacific Human Development Report that discrimination and neglect are threatening women's very survival in some countries of the Asia-Pacific region, especially South Asia and in some Southeast Asian countries. In some countries of the region, women still suffer from some of the world's lowest rates of political representation, employment and property ownership, while their lack of participation is also depressing economic growth, said the UNDP report.

"Empowering women is vital for achieving development goals overall, and for boosting economic growth and sustainable development," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark here when presenting the Report: Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific. "Policy needs to advance gender equality, so that women as well as men can benefit from job creation and investments in social infrastructure," she said. In countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia conservative estimates show that GDP would increase by up to 2 percent to 4 percent annually if women's employment rates were raised to 70 percent, closer to that of developed countries, said the report. The report said there exists sharp contrast in women's status between South Asia and East Asia. Nearly 70 percent of women are in paid work in some countries in the region, such as China, Cambodia and Vietnam, well above the global average of 53 percent, said the report.

In South Asian countries like India and Pakistan, fewer than 35 percent of women do paid work, said the report. South Asia often comes in second worst in the world in gender equality measures, just above sub-Saharan Africa, while East Asia often fares better in health, education, and employment, said the report. Almost half the adult women in South Asia are illiterate, which is the world's worst performance, while East Asian and Pacific women's literacy rates are above the global average, it said. South Asian women can expect to die five years earlier than their men. And more women die in childbirth there with 500 for every 100,000 live births there, more than in any other part of the world except sub-Saharan Africa, said the report.

From http://english.people.com.cn/ 09/03/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Unequal Health Care, Neglect, and Sex-Selective Infanticide, Abortion Lead to Large Gender Gap in Asia, Report Finds

"Nearly 100 million women across Asia have 'disappeared' because of a huge and growing gender gap that has fatally deprived them of access to health care and food and has led to widespread abortions of female fetuses, according to a U.N. report released Monday," the Associated Press reports. The U.N. Development Program (UNDP) report, released on International Women's Day, points to the Asia-Pacific region as "lag[ging" behind much of the world on nearly all aspects of gender equality because of deeply entrenched traditions favoring men and poor government efforts to counteract them," the news service writes (Naqvi, 3/8).According to the report, East Asia has the highest ratio of male infants born to female infants due to selective abortion of female fetuses, with 119 boys born for every 100 girls, "far exceed[ing" the global world average of 107 boys for every 100 girls," Agence France-Presse reports (3/8).

According to the report, "Females cannot take survival for granted: Asia has the highest male-female sex ratio at birth in the world, with sex-selective abortion and infanticide leaving approximately 96 million missing women in seven countries" (UNDP, 3/10). AFP notes, "The regional figure was skewed by enormous birth gender disparities in China and India, which each accounted for about 42.6 million of the report's 'missing' figure" (3/8).The Economist also examines the birth gender disparities in China and India, documenting how rising incomes and advances in fetal-imaging technology have contributed to the trend. The article outlines social consequences of "the skewed sex ratio," noting "many of the problems associated with sex selection will get worse. Meanwhile, the practice of sex selection itself may spread because fertility rates are continuing to fall and ultrasound scanners reach throughout the developing world."

The article also highlights data from South Korea, "the first country to report exceptionally high sex ratios," which has now become "the first [country] to cut them" (3/4). In addition to lagging behind men in health indicators, many women in the Asia-Pacific region face discrimination in education and jobs, political representation and legal rights, Reuters reports. "The key message (of the report) is that to meet any development goals that a society sets, you need the full participation and involvement of women," UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said. "Human development cannot be achieved if 50 percent of the population is excluded" (Bhalla, 3/8)."Advancing gender equality is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] agreed upon by the heads of world governments who met at a summit in 2000 where they pledged significant improvement in the conditions of women along with targets for poverty reduction and development," the Wall Street Journal writes. "The U.N. says that despite some achievements in the increased enrollment of girls in schools in developing countries, gender inequality remain[s] entrenched in most of the world and tackling it is one of the most difficult goals," the newspaper writes.

The article details a proposed bill in India that, if passed, would create more parliamentary seats for women, and examines the economic impact of discrimination against women from the paid workforce in Asia-Pacific countries. "According to a 2007 study by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, gender disparity in the workforce cost the region an estimated $89 billion every year," the newspaper writes (Pokharel, 3/8).International Women's Day In related news, several news outlets explored how groups around the world marked International Women's Day.VOA News reports on efforts in Afghanistan to improve conditions for women, including projects to tackle maternal mortality. The government is working to educate the public about contraception, increase the number of trained midwives and launch a mortality study to help highlight ways to improve women's health, the country's acting Public Health Minister Suraya Dalil said (Maroney, 3/7).

BBC examines how several advocacy groups are calling for "more action" to reduce maternal mortality. "For every 100,000 live births in developing countries, 450 women die during pregnancy or labour," the news service writes. The piece highlights the efforts of Nepal and Rwanda in progress toward improving women's health and several measures that would help reduce the rates of maternal mortality (Dreaper, 3/8).Marking International Women's Day, U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-Moon "said that more women should be given a bigger role in peacekeeping efforts, stressing that Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would be more easily attained if more emphasis would be given to women empowerment," Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation reports (Sabater, 3/7).This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

From http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ 09/03/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Unequal Rules for Women Entrepreneurs and Workers Across the World

Washington, D.C. - Only 20 of 128 economies have equal legal rights for men and women in several important areas for entrepreneurs and workers, according to a new World Bank Group report, Women, Business and the Law 2010. Inequality occurs across all regions and income levels. But many economies have been legislating to reduce these inequalities. The new report looks at legal equity in such areas as a woman's ability to register a business, own and use property, and go to court on her own account. It also looks at differential tax treatment of women and at constraints on women's ability to work in different industries and during different times of the day.
 
"Increasing women's economic opportunities improves the well-being of families and communities, reduces poverty, and stimulates economic growth," said Rita Ramalho, lead author of the report. "Many factors shape women's opportunities to run successful businesses and get good jobs. Equitable business regulations are one piece of the puzzle." Women, Business and the Law 2010 analyzes differences in formal laws and institutions affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across six topics - accessing institutions, using property, getting a job, dealing with taxes, building credit, and going to court. The report is the first to measure the gender gap in policy variables using quantitative and objective data. It does not measure all aspects that matter for women's economic opportunities. For example, it does not measure access to childcare, education, or personal security.
 
"Gender differentiation in law sometimes arises out of a desire to protect women, but it may inadvertently limit their opportunities," said Penelope Brook, Director of the Global Indicators and Analysis Department of the World Bank Group. "We hope that by setting out objective data on legal inequality we can stimulate debate and research on which provisions help, and which constrain, women in their lives as workers and as businesswomen."

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 03/20/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: China Launches Law Inspection to Protect Women's Rights

The Chinese government is to conduct a inspection of how law enforcement agencies protect women's rights in six regions. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) agreed at a meeting Wednesday that teams would be dispatched to Tianjin Municipality, and the provinces of Jilin, Shandong, Anhui, Guangxi and Shaanxi from March to April. "It is an important task to protect women's legal rights and implement the basic state policy of equality of men and women in order to build a harmonious society," said Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, in a statement. Wu said the inspection should focus on the interests and requests of women from different social classes and resolve outstanding issues that hinder women's development.

From Xinhua News Agency 03/18/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Japan - DPJ-led Ruling Bloc Gets Key Child Benefits Law Enacted

The Democratic Party of Japan-led ruling bloc got a law enacted Friday to offer monthly benefits to families with children, one of the party's key campaign promises for last year's House of Representatives election. ''Child-rearing budget allocations had often been left on the back burner,'' Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma told reporters. ''This would be one step toward changing the trend of a declining birthrate,'' Under the law, the government will provide 13,000 yen a month or 156,000 yen a year per child in fiscal 2010 from April 1 until the child graduates from junior high school, with no limit being set for household income. The provision of the benefits is expected to cost about 2.3 trillion yen, part of which is covered by local governments. The first installment of allowances will be paid in June, ahead of an election likely to be held the following month. The law also enables foreign residents to receive the benefits for their children even if they are outside Japan, fanning concerns that there may arise cases of falsified applications to take advantage of the subsidies.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 03/27/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Sri Lanka - First Political Manifesto for Women

The United Political Front's manifesto for women in Sri Lanka has been applauded by rights activist, as it is the first time a political party in the island nation has presented a comprehensive document on women. However the document fails to say how all its proposals would be brought to fruition. Colombo: Political manifestos are often met with cynicism and even ridicule, but Sri Lanka's first such manifesto for women is proving an exception to the rule as rights activists laud its recent launch. Sri Lankan political party comes out with first political manifesto for women in the country/ Photo credit: World News Put forth by the United National Front (UNF), Sri Lanka's largest opposition group, the manifesto was released on Mar 15, ahead of the April parliamentary poll. It is the first time a political party in this South Asian island nation has presented a comprehensive document on women, and many activists say it is one that promises to restore dignity to a group on whom the country depends on but largely ignores. "This is a huge step forward and what is interesting is that some of the women in the opposition party are those who are active in women's issues and are concerned," said Women & Media Collective (WMC) director Kumudini Samuel. "They have seen and know our demands," Samuel said of the manifesto's creators. "In preparing this document, they have looked closely at these issues, which are in many ways a lot of what the women's movement has been saying over the years." "It is something that can be done and is doable," said Nimalka Fernando, a women's rights campaigner. "These are issues we have been pushing for a while and I'm impressed by the document and the research that has gone into it." At the very least, activists say, the manifesto reflects the depth of contribution women make to Sri Lanka. Noting that more than half of Sri Lanka's 20.5 million people are women, the document goes on to reel off relevant statistics, including the fact that 54% of the country's professionals are female, as are 58% of the university population, and 95% of garment industry workers.

About 65% of Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East are also women, while the tea sector also comprises a majority of women, the document points out. Sri Lanka's economy is dependent largely on garments and tea exports, as well as on remittances from migrant workers. "Women are the backbone of the economy but we are a long way from securing equal rights for them," said Fernando, who is president of the Tokyo-based International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism and the Women's Forum for Peace in Sri Lanka. But changes have been underway, and the manifesto is only one of the results of a seeming rethink going on among political parties regarding women's rights.The manifesto of defeated presidential candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka, for instance, promised equal rights to people of different genders. Commented an activist at Equal Ground, a Colombo-based nongoverment group that respresents lesbians, gays and groups with other sexual preferences: "While the UNF manifesto does have any reference to the rights of minority groups (including lesbians ands gays), in terms of overall women's rights it's a good document. We are willing to work with anyone who furthers our rights." The UNF women's manifesto promises the setting up of a women's bank with an initial capital of five billion rupees (44 million U.S. dollars) for microcredit, micro insurance and housing. Shelters are to be set up for abused women, and daycare centres built to help working mothers. Some 20% of Sri Lankan households are headed by women, who will have access to livelihood grants, the UNF says. Pregnant women will also be entitled to flexible working hours, while female migrant workers will enjoy social protection. Women workers will be entitled to both equal wage for equal work and equal wage for equal value of work, the manifesto says as well. Rights groups could not help but compare the UNF's move with the attempts of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to address women's rights. Although it has not prepared a separate manifesto on women, the SLFP has a general one that it presented for the January presidential poll, won by incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa. That SLFP document has a section on women that speaks of giving "pride of place to the mother."

Fernando described the SLFP as patriarchal and feudal in its thinking: "This is not good enough. The SLFP has always looked at women in a role of the traditional family where the mother should be venerated. No one talks of sharing the family burden while the UNF focuses on empowering women." She expressed confidence that "the UNF will have more women in parliament. And even if the party loses, it will be actively pushing these issues in the legislature." The UNF and SLFP, along with their respective allies, have ruled the country on separate occasions since 1948. Historically, the UNF has done more for women than SLFP, including establishing the women's bureau and the Ministry of Women's Affairs, as well as pushing for a Women's Charter. "The Women's Charter was an excellent document," said the WMC's Samuel. "But just when legislation through a Women's Rights Bill was being brought in to legalise the structure, the party lost the elections." Samuel, though, said that like the ruling party's section on women in its manifesto, the UNF document on women fails to say how all its proposals would be brought to fruition. "We hope they will find enough sufficient resources to implement these issues," she said. Queried on this, a member of the panel that drafted the UNF women's manifesto said: "While there is some investment, most of it is a re-orientation of policies already there and for which resources have already been allocated. It's a case of some adjustments in focus and resources."

From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 03/26/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: India - Women's Bill to Ensure Women Participation in Political Process

New Delhi: In order to give a fillip to participation of women in the political process, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the Government was moving towards providing one third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. "We hope to give this movement of political participation of women further fillip by increasing the number of seats reserved in Panchayats and City and Town Governments to 50 percent.. . More significantly, we are moving towards providing one third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures," he said, addressing the Women's Leadership Summit here. The Women's Reservation Bill providing for 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies is expected to come up in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Stating that the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments have revolutionised governance at the grassroots and brought rural women into political participation, he pointed out that today, nearly 40 per cent of elected representatives in the village panchayats happen to be women. He said that for economic growth to be meaningful, it must benefit all sections of society, particularly those who are marginalised. "This is the reason why our emphasis has been so much on inclusive, social and economic growth. And women have been, as they must be, a special focus of our efforts at inclusiveness," he said. The Prime Minister also said that the Government was committed to providing equal opportunities and an enabling environment for women as it was crucial for achieving the goal of their empowerment this is reflected in its policies and programmes. Citing figures, he said today nearly half of those who get work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme happen to be women. Out of the 3.5 million Self Help Groups formed under the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, 2.3 million are those of women.

From http://www.newkerala.com/ 03/06/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: Iran - Supreme Leader Tweets About Women's Rights

Here is a tweet by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (yes, he's on Twitter, he joined Twitter long before the Dalai Lama) on his views about women and their role in society. It came on March 9, the day after International Women's Day. The Supreme Leader's View of Women's Role and Rights in Society http://tinyurl.com/womens-role Highlights: "Women's activities in society are completely appropriate and acceptable. They should be active in society by observing Islamic limits."

"The issue of hijab is not intended to isolate women. Those who have such a perception of hijab are mistaken. The purpose of hijab is to prevent men and women from interacting with each other without observing any boundaries. Such an interaction would be detrimental to society and both men and women - particularly women. Hijab helps women reach the lofty moral position they deserve and prevents them from moral deviation."

"In places where women are encouraged to ignore hijab and immodest clothes are encouraged, women's security will be undermined in the first place. Then the security of men and youth will be undermined too. Islam has introduced the issue of hijab to help men and women carry out their duties in society."

"Of course the issue of employment is not of primary importance for women. Although Islam is not opposed to the employment of women - except in specific cases, which may or may not be agreed upon by all Islamic jurisprudents. The main issue regarding women is what has now been completely destroyed in the West, that is, the feeling of peace and security and having an opportunity to show their talents without being oppressed in society, in the family, or by their husbands and fathers."

From http:/http://www.rferl.org/ 03/09/2010

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Special Focus on International Women's Day: PNG Urged to Invest in Opportunities for Women

There are concerns that a boom in Liquified Natural Gas in Papua New Guinea, could mean women become overwhelmed with extra family responsibilities. Marking International Women's Day, an Australian based project is promoting development opportunities in business for women, especially in agriculture.

Professor Barbara Chambers from the University of Canberra leads a collaborative pilot project aimed at improving the livelihoods of Papua New Guinean women in agriculture by improving their business skills. Professor Chambers says it's vital to invest in those who play such a major role in feeding, educating and securing families.

"The Papua New Guinea government has now made its strategic objectives very clear that every aid and development and research programme must build in gender objectives," she said."We have the wonderful PNG Women In Agriculture organisation in Lae that has its own strategic plan and we'll be asking aid and development and research agencies to plug into their plan."

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/08/2010

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Doha Woes Could Aid Asia-Pacific Regional Economic Integration Bid

HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) While Japan chairs the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum for the year and presses for freer trade, 2010 may be an unforgettable year, impacting trade the opposite way if the Doha global trade liberalization talks under the World Trade Organization falter. There are fears the collapse of the eight-year-old talks, which face a self-imposed deadline this year, would seriously hurt international resolve to fight protectionism. At the same time, though, some experts and officials say the demise could help boost efforts by the 21-member APEC for further economic integration. The 153-member WTO seeks to successfully conclude the Doha Round talks this year, having missed deadline after deadline. However, no breakthrough has been seen, with key players refusing to make concessions on such issues as tariff cuts and reductions in export subsides.

The Doha negotiations, launched in 2001 to help poor nations by enhancing trade, were originally intended to be concluded in 2005. The Japanese government has committed to supporting multilateral trade principles under the WTO. While it is said an outline agreement must be reached by summer to meet the yearend deadline, Minister of Economy Trade and Industry Masayuki Naoshima recently admitted that the Doha Round is in a "make-or-break phase." As APEC chair, Japan aims to boost the forum's efforts to create a regionwide free-trade zone while having to lead the way in assessing how successfully the group's developed members have freed up trade and investment in their areas. It is unlikely Japan's chairmanship will survive unscathed if the WTO fails and the global momentum to seek freer trade is slowed.

"We have to expect some backlash," a Japanese official said on condition of anonymity, but added Tokyo will "seek a chance to enhance relationships within APEC in that case." Analysts back such a view, saying that if the WTO system proves less productive than hoped, APEC may emerge as a more reliable foundation to enhance trade between Pacific Rim economies. Junichi Sugawara, an analyst at the Mizuho Research Institute, said Japan as APEC chair wouldn't be immune to negative fallout from a Doha failure, but that the impact would be limited. "The current confusion in the Doha talks is due largely to some key players, including the United States and India, which have failed to make sufficient concessions to clinch a deal," Sugawara said.

"Although Japan is known for being reluctant to open up its farm product market, it is unlikely that Japan will have to bear the brunt of all criticism for the collapse. Heavier responsibilities lie with others," he said. APEC has been shifting its focus to creating its own free-trade zone. Senior officials from the member economies gathered Monday for a two-day meeting in Hiroshima, where exploring possible pathways to a Free Trade Area in the Asia Pacific, or FTAAP, is high on the agenda. But the attempt to build a consensus among various members has revealed problems, with some members, especially China, remaining cautious toward the United States establishing a strong foothold in Asia. International trade officials say Beijing hopes instead to push for an economic integration based on the "ASEAN-plus-three" grouping, which involves the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China and South Korea - an idea that would also exclude such APEC members as Australia, a U.S. ally in the Pacific.

The United States last November recommitted itself to negotiating the previously obscure Trans-Pacific Partnership, a comprehensive regional free-trade agreement that currently groups four of the APEC members - Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. Experts say the U.S. move can be seen as a counteraction against the development of ASEAN-plus-three integration. The Trans-Pacific Partnership members are to hold a meeting in March and discuss the expansion of its membership with four other APEC countries - Peru, Vietnam, Australia and the U.S.

From http://search.japantimes.co.jp/ 02/23/2010

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ADB Maps Out New Strategy for Inclusive Economic Growth in Asia

Making Asia's sprawling urban areas more sustainable, competitive and environmentally friendly is the focus of an Asian Development Bank (ADB)-organized conference that begins in Manila Friday. The conference will look at a new approach for urban development by supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs) to flourish around industry clusters, and the vital role played by SMEs for sustainable growth and poverty reduction. Asia's cities have fueled the region's unprecedented economic boom over the past few decades, expanding to form increasingly clustered urban regions. However, growth has come at the cost of environmental stress, overcrowding, and widening income gaps. Without change, these vast urban areas risk become economically uncompetitive and suffering further environmental degradation.

Given the substantial opportunities for SMEs in areas such as manufacturing, services and agriculture, it is critical for governments to come up with effective strategies and practical investment programs to facilitate SME cluster development, said Hafeez Rahman, Director General of ADB's South Asia Department. The City Cluster Economic Development Approach, initiated by KyeongAe Choe, Lead Professional of ADB's South Asia Department, provides a strategy for creating industry clusters which can unleash the potential of SMEs, to contribute to sustainable growth and poverty reduction. SMEs play a key role in employment and income generation in Asia, accounting for an estimated 90 percent of all businesses and 60 percent of the workforce, but they have been hard hit by the global economic crisis, which has seen regional exports slide and access to capital tighten.

Conference participants, including representatives from ADB and the private sector, will look at the cluster development strategy, the role SME clusters in promoting sustainable economic growth and contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in developing Asia.

From Xinhua News Agency 03/26/2010

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APEC Officials to Chart Path Toward Inclusive, Sustainable Regional Growth

Hiroshima - Coming together for their first meeting in 2010, APEC Senior Officials must determine how best to realize their Leaders' instruction to develop growth strategies that are balanced, inclusive and sustainable. Specifically, last November APEC Leaders declared, "We will put in place [in 2010] a comprehensive long-term growth strategy that supports more balanced growth within and across economies, achieves greater inclusiveness in our societies, sustains our environment, and which seeks to raise our growth potential through innovation and a knowledge-based economy. "The first APEC Senior Officials' Meeting will be instrumental in determining the agendas that will shape discussions throughout the year and which will lead to concrete actions in each economy.

Japan, the host economy for APEC 2010 has asserted three priority areas: 1. Devising a new growth strategy; 2. Promoting regional economic integration; and 3. Enhancing human security. Topics likely to be discussed throughout the year include: the possibility of a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific; services and investment liberalization; increasing trade and investment in environmental goods and services; building the capacity of small and medium enterprises to engage in international trade; food security; supply chain connectivity; and others. To learn more about the APEC 2010 Japan agenda, go to:http://www.apec.org/apec/news___media/apec_at_work/20100127_apec2010japan.html

From http://www.apec.org/ 02/22/2010

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ADB, AFD Work to Promote Growth, Reduce Poverty and Protect Environment

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Agence Francaise de Développement (AFD) have pledged to continue working closely together and jointly mobilize their resources to promote sustainable growth, fight poverty, and protect the environment in the Asia and Pacific region. Providing stronger assistance for development projects through cofinancing and stronger linkages with the private sector will be among the key thrusts of the ADB-AFD Partnership Framework Agreement for 2010 - 2016, alongside with new research and knowledge-based activities. ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda and AFD Chief Executive Officer Jean-Michel Severino today signed the partnership framework agreement at a high-level retreat involving ADB and AFD senior officials at ADB headquarters in Manila. The new agreement builds on the previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) between ADB and AFD, which was signed in 2003. ADB President Kuroda pointed out that the close partnership forged by ADB and AFD has grown in strength and expanded into new areas since the two institutions first collaborated on rural development and educational projects in Viet Nam in 1997.

"We have jointly co-financed a total of 39 operations, 31 in the public sector and eight in the private sector, with total cofinancing commitments of around $2.3 billion by ADB and around $900 million by AFD," said Mr. Kuroda. "The opportunities for furthering our partnership are substantial, both in terms of scope and areas for collaboration, and we look forward to exploring them together," added Mr. Kuroda. In welcoming the partnership framework agreement, AFD Chief Executive Officer Mr. Severino said, "this renewed partnership framework agreement lifts our partnership to a higher level of ambition and gives it a new strategic direction, by focusing on new challenges both ADB and AFD are facing. Concentrating on key issues of common concern for Asia, such as climate change and inclusive growth, it expresses a strong commitment by both institutions to be more performance and results oriented". The partnership framework agreement sets the principles of collaboration between ADB and AFD for the next six years, within the overarching strategic framework of each organization.Collaboration will encompass both sovereign and non-sovereign, including private sector, operations.

Areas of common interest that will be given priority attention include climate change and infrastructure development. Another focus area in the agreement will be the protection of public goods, including preservation of biodiversity, promotion of social and environmental responsibility, and emergency assistance to countries affected by war and disaster, as need may arise. Paris-based AFD operates in more than 60 developing countries including Afghanistan Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

From http://www.adb.org/ 03/10/2010

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OECD, WTO and UNCTAD Renew Calls to G20 to Resist Protectionism

The OECD, World Trade Organization and the UN's Conference on Trade and Development have called on the leaders of the G20 countries to resist protectionism or the prospects for economic recovery may be wiped out. In their second combined report on G20 Trade and Investment Measures, the three organisations find that most G20 members are holding to their commitments to open trade and investment in the wake of the global economic crisis. However, they say protectionist pressures may continue to gather force in the face of job losses and high unemployment.

The OECD, co-author with UNCTAD of the report's chapter on investment, says there was no open discrimination against foreign investors in the six months to mid-February 2010, but warns that discretion in the application of the many state support and rescue programmes for troubled firms may be used to favour domestic companies and disguise protectionism. OECD also contributed analysis of the economic and trade effects of the different measures taken in response to the crisis. This provides insights into how crisis measures might be designed to be both pro-growth and pro-trade. An optimal sequencing of exit strategies is put forward beginning with border protection, than discriminating provisions in domestic measures, followed by sectoral measures, and finally general consumption incentives. The report cautions that the holdings acquired by governments as a response to the crisis may jeopardise governments' impartiality in policy making and law enforcement. Government ownership and rescue of firms may also distort and protract restructuring of economic sectors. It also notes that recent G20 investment measures have continued to point towards greater openness and clarity for foreign investors. The OECD's own investment instruments strengthen countries' resistance to protectionism.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said: "Openness to international investment is a precondition for strong global economy, job creation, and innovation. The OECD will continue to monitor investment policy developments closely." The leaders of the G20, which comprises the world's largest economies, committed to resist protectionism and promote global trade and investment at summits in November 2008, in April 2009 and again in September 2009. They mandated WTO, OECD and UNCTAD - the leading international organisations in the area of international trade and investment policies - to monitor policy developments and report publicly on these commitments. This second report to G20 leaders covers measures taken or announced by G20 members between 1 September 2009 and mid-February 2010. The previous report was issued ahead of the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh in September 2009.

From http://www.oecd.org/ 03/08/2010

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New ITU Standards Enhance Satellite Communications for Emergencies

Geneva - New ITU radio communication standards for satellite services have been approved to facilitate early warning, rapid response and relief operations in the event of natural disasters. Recommendation ITU-R S.1001-2 provides information on the range of radio-frequencies that can be used by fixed-satellite service (FSS) systems for emergency and disaster relief operations. Recommendation ITU-R M.1854 provides information on the range of radio-frequencies for mobile-satellite service (MSS) in order to enable a variety of functions such as voice and data communication; field reporting; data collection; position information; and image transmission.

In the event of natural disasters, such as the recent earthquakes which spread devastation in Haiti and Chile, there is an urgent need for a reliable telecommunication link for use in relief operations. ITU joined international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Haiti, Chile and other disaster-hit areas and deployed satellite terminals and earth stations to re-establish basic communication links. ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré noted that in the event of a natural disaster, satellite communications are the most appropriate means to quickly set up a telecommunication link with remote facilities. "Establishing communications in the aftermath of a disaster is vital to facilitate rapid and effective rescue and rehabilitation efforts," said Dr Touré. "The new ITU radio communication standards for satellite communication in emergencies will greatly improve our capacity to save lives. I call upon all stakeholders, including administrations, satellite operators and service providers to support the development of robust, comprehensive, early warning and relief systems to mitigate emergencies and disasters at the national, regional and international levels."

Fixed-satellite service (FSS) Satellite transmissions using small aperture earth stations, such as fixed VSATs, vehicle-mounted earth stations (VMES) and transportable earth stations, are one of the most viable solutions to provide emergency telecommunication services for relief operations. These FSS systems are extremely effective in providing emergency telecommunication services for relief operations. As they are inherently suitable for data delivery, FSS can also be effectively utilized for early warning operations, including earthquakes and storms. In the interest of efficiency, FSS capabilities for emergencies and disaster relief operations should be pre-planned between administrations and FSS operators/service providers to ensure prompt availability of FSS services in the event of a disaster.

Mobile-satellite service (MSS)Owing to its ease of deployment, wide-area coverage, and independence from the local telecommunications infrastructure (which may be lost during a disaster), mobile satellite terminals and ancillary equipment are very effective means of providing emergency telecommunication services for relief operations. In order to strengthen disaster preparedness, MSS systems should be deployed ubiquitously, especially in disaster-prone regions. Space services frequency database for use in emergency situations In accordance with Resolution 647 of the World Radio communication Conference 2007, the ITU Radio communication Bureau has recently created an online database (at: www.itu.int/ITU-R/space/res647/) containing the frequencies/frequency bands provided by administrations that are now available for use by satellite systems in emergency situations.

ITU initiatives Emergency telecommunications has been one of the key activities of ITU since its inception. The new ITU standards were developed in accordance with resolutions adopted at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2006, the ITU Radio communication Assembly and the World Radio communication Conference in 2007.The ITU Secretary-General appointed a High-Level Panel for Emergency Telecommunications, which has become a platform for a number of bilateral partnership agreements to ensure rapid rehabilitation of communication links in the event of a disaster. In partnership with ITU, several MSS operators have provided equipment and satellite air-time as valuable assistance in disaster relief and management.

From http://www.itu.int/ 03/10/2010

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Tax Transparency: Global Forum Launches Country-by-Country Reviews

The international fight against cross-border tax evasion has entered a new phase with the launch by countries participating in the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information of a peer review process covering a first group of 18 jurisdictions: Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Cayman Islands, Denmark, Germany, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Jersey, Mauritius, Monaco, Norway, Panama, Qatar, Trinidad & Tobago.

The reviews are a first step in a three-year process approved in February by the Global Forum in response to the call by G20 leaders at their Pittsburgh Summit in September 2009 for improved tax transparency and exchange of information. In addition to a complete schedule of forthcoming reviews, the Global Forum also published three other key documents:- the Terms of Reference explaining the information exchange standard countries must meet;- the Methodology for the conduct of the reviews;- the Assessment criteria explaining how countries will be rated. Welcoming this new step forward for the international tax compliance agenda, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said: "The Global Forum has been quick to respond to the G20 call for a robust peer review mechanism aimed at ensuring rapid implementation of the OECD standard on information exchange. This is the most comprehensive peer review process in the world, and it is based on decades of experience at the OECD of conducting reviews of this kind in many other areas of policy making. I look forward to seeing the first results later this year".

The Global Forum brings together 91 countries and territories, including both OECD and non-OECD countries. At a meeting in Mexico in September 2009, participants agreed that all members as well as identified non members will undergo reviews on their implementation of the standard. These reviews will be carried out in two phases: assessment of the legislative and regulatory framework (phase 1) and assessment of the effective implementation in practice (phase 2).The review reports will be published once they have been adopted by the Global Forum, whose next meeting will take place in Singapore at the end of September 2010.

Mike Rawstron, chair of the Global Forum, stated: "This is the most comprehensive, in-depth review on international tax co-operation ever. There has been a lot of progress over the past 18 months, but with these reviews we are putting international tax co-operation under a magnifying glass. The peer review process will identify jurisdictions that are not implementing the standards. These will be provided with guidance on the changes required and a deadline to report back on the improvements they have made".

From http://www.oecd.org/ 03/20/2010

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CHINA: Lending Regulations Strengthened, Focusing on Credit Risk Control

China's banking regulator has issued two regulations that aim to tighten banks' lending and risk management controls. Banks must set a lending quota after "prudent calculation" of borrowers' "actual demand" and must not lend excessively, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said in a statement on its website on Saturday. Banks are also required to improve risk control after granting loans and to be aware of factors that might influence the repaying capabilities of borrowers through inspections and monitoring, the statement said. For personal lending, CBRC asked banks to be more sophisticated in the management of the lending process, especially on the use of the loans, according to the regulation. Borrowers will not be able to obtain loans without declaration of a specific use, and they should meet bank representatives in person to avoid false claims, according to CBRC. The regulations took effect on Feb.12 and aim to achieve systematic management of credit risk and avoidance of loan appropriation, the statement said. China's banking regulator asked lenders to keep 2010 credit growth at a reasonable pace last month and vowed to tighten supervision of property loans amid increased concern about an asset bubble. Liu Mingkang, the CBRC chairman, said on Jan. 27 the Chinese government is aiming to restrict credit supply to 7.5 trillion yuan (about 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2010. China has raised the deposit reserve requirement ratio (RRR) twice this year, after holding it steady for over a year, to handle the "comparatively loose liquidity" while keeping the "moderately easy" monetary policy unchanged, according to the central bank. China's yuan-denominated lending in 2009 hit a record 9.59 trillion yuan, almost double that of the previous year. New yuan-denominated lending in January stood at 1.39 trillion yuan, down 14.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the People's Bank of China, the central bank.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/21/2010

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China Mulls Amendment to State Secrets Law

The Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) on Wednesday deliberated a draft amendment to the state secrets law. The draft was submitted for its second reading during the NPC Standing Committee's bimonthly session that started Wednesday. The first reading was done last June. The draft specifies a definition for state secrets: information that concerns state security and interests and, if leaked, would damage state security and interests in the areas of politics, economy and national defense, among others. NPC Law Committee Vice Chairman Sun Anmin, who briefed lawmakers on the draft amendment, said secrets basically have three classifications: state, work and commercial. The existing law on guarding state secrets, which took effect in May 1989, stipulated information concerning major state policies and decisions, armed forces and diplomatic events, national economic and social development, science and technology, and acts safeguarding national security and criminal investigation, among other items, were state secrets. According to the NPC, the amendment aims to boost citizens' awareness of the importance of safeguarding state secrets, with the original stipulation of the range of state secrets being too wide and vague.

The draft makes clear that state secrets should be protected by law and "any act threatening the security of a state secret must be punished by law." It also defines secrecy levels and authority limits in the definition, and makes clear time limits for different levels of confidentiality and conditions for declassification. "The time limits for keeping state secrets should be decided in line with its nature and the need to safeguard national security and interests," it says. The time limit for keeping top-level secrets should be no more than 30 years, no more than 20 years for low-level state secrets, and less than 10 years for ordinary state secrets, the draft says. It says public entities and companies whose work concerns state secrets, such as armaments research and manufacture, should be subject to security scrutiny. Enterprises and public entities entrusted to work with state secrets should sign confidentiality agreements, it says. The police and state security departments should play their role in handling cases concerning state secrets. Lawmakers will also review the draft law on mobilization for national defense for the third time at the three-day legislative session. Amendments to the Administrative Supervision Law and the Copyright Law, which were submitted for first reading, will also be deliberated during the session. The legislative session will also make final preparations for the 11th NPC annual session which is scheduled to begin March 5.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/24/2010

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NPC Amends Law to Strengthen Supervision on Civil Servants

China's top legislature Wednesday began to deliberate the amendment to the Administrative Supervision Law, aiming to enhance supervision of the country's civil servants. The draft was submitted by the State Council to the three-day bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started Wednesday, for its first reading. Supervision Minister Ma Wen said when briefing lawmakers about the draft amendment that it aimed to improve the supervisory and offence reporting system so as to fight corruption and work inefficiency. The draft states that its targets only people working in government departments, with lawmakers, political advisors and judicial staff excluded. It says supervision bodies should offer advice on removing government officials, suspending officials from duties and improving the anti-corruption mechanism. The current Administrative Supervision Law, which took effect in May 1997, has played an important role in "ensuring government decrees be implemented, safeguarding administrative disciplines, promoting clean governance and boosting governance efficiency," Ma said. The draft also provides details about the offence reporting system. It says supervision departments should apply real-name reporting and should not make public the reporting information so as to protect informants.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/24/2010

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CBRC Beefs up Measures

China's banking regulator is reportedly ordering banks to restrict lending to financing units of local governments as the latest move to tighten credit on worries of rising loan defaults. The China Banking Regulatory Commission told banks to inspect their existing loans to financing companies used by local governments to raise funds and to halt lending to projects that are uncapitalized and backed only by expected fiscal revenues, the Shanghai Securities News reported yesterday, citing sources it didn't name. Banks can continue lending to qualified "good" projects, the report said. Banks must strictly examine existing projects to see consolidated capital and collateral to ensure that their lending is secured. Efforts to contact the CBRC for comment were not successful. Banks in China extended a record 9.59 trillion yuan (US$1.4 trillion) of new loans in 2009 - almost double the 5 trillion yuan target - to shore up economic growth to deflect the impact of the global financial crisis. The easy flow of credit helped China's economy to grow 8.7 percent last year. However, the flood of credit also translated into high-flying asset prices which increased inflationary pressure.

Liu Mingkang, CBRC chairman, said he expected the nation's banks to extend credit totaling 7.5 trillion yuan this year. "China's stimulus measures were more akin to a blunderbuss than a sniper's bullet; everything that could be done, was done," Stephen Green, a Standard Chartered economist in Shanghai, said in a note. He referred to the massive new wave of infrastructure projects that were approved (only partially funded through the budget), a tsunami of bank credit that was allowed to flood into the economy, the stimulus of loans and tax cuts for the property sector, and the Ministry of Finance boosting spending, he said. "Now we see policy moving towards moderation on all these fronts," he said. The People's Bank of China has increased the issuing rates of central bank bills to mop up liquidity and raised the reserve requirement ratios twice in a month this year to freeze more money that would otherwise be used for lending.

From Shanghai Daily 02/25/2010

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China Adopts Law on National Defense Mobilization

China's top legislature approved the law on national defense mobilization Friday, after three readings since 2000. The law was approved at the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee's three-day bimonthly session which ended Friday. Drafting of the law started in September 2000.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/26/2010

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Gov't Issues Detention Center Guideline

China's Ministry of Public Security has issued a guideline on the management and education in detention centers, amid its effort to better protect detainees' lawful rights and reduce second-time crimes through enhanced education. The guideline, issued by the ministry on Monday, banned law enforcement personnel from seizing or confiscating detainees' property, protecting detainees against insult, corporal punishment or maltreatment and their right to call and meet friends or relatives was also ensured. Zhao Chunguang, director of the prison administration bureau under the Ministry, said Thursday that by issuing the guideline, the ministry was promoting a safe and civilized detention center management system that put equal emphasis on punishment and education. "We would make detainees fully feel the solemnity of the socialist rule of law but at the same time treat them humanely," he said. All detention centers in the country are required to implement the guideline before 2011, which advocates civilized and standardized law enforcement, safe and orderly supervision and management, combination of leniency and strictness and forceful protection of detainees' lawful rights and interests. China established its first detention center in 1957.

Defects and deficiencies were found in some detention centers with the passage of time, Zhao said, adding there was room to improve with regard to legislation, inadequate infrastructure and the police force. Zhao said it has been proved through practice that management and education would make detainees realize what mistakes they had made and rectify their misconduct, and reduce the likelihood of them committing crimes again. The guideline also stipulates that education programs targeting detainees should be mapped out on a weekly basis; law enforcement personnel should mete out programs for both mass and individual education, have frequent talks with individual detainees and provide concentrated education programs to detainees who made repeated mistakes. Detention centers are also encouraged to inform detainees verbally or in writing their rights and obligations and to ensure detainees are not subject to forced labor.

Detainees' reports, complaints, accusations as well as requests to leave should be submitted to relevant authorities and dealt with in a timely manner, reads the guideline. In April last year, the ministry and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) began a five-month campaign to ensure proper management of detention centers following the death of a detainee in southwestern Yunnan Province. Li Qiaoming, 24, was beaten to death by three fellow inmates on Feb. 8, 2009 but the detention center at first claimed that he died of playing a game of "hide-and-seek." The Li mishap also has allegedly sped up the process of the revision of the country's compensation law, which requires detention centers, along with the police, procuratorates, courts and prisons having an obligation to compensate people for violating their rights in criminal cases.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/26/2010

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China Sets Guidelines on Bank Bonuses

China's banking regulator has issued guidelines linking bonus pay of bank executives and employees to performance, according to state media. The guideline would require at least 40 percent of executive bonuses to be deferred for at least three years, the Xinhua news agency reported. Banks could then hold back money from the retained bonuses if executives perform poorly. The criteria for bonuses would be based on a range of factors, such as a bank's business performance, social responsibility and risk management, which includes bad loans. The guidelines issued Wednesday would also limit an executive's bonus to no more than three times their annual base salary. For rank-and-file employees, bonuses could not exceed 35 percent of base pay.

From http://www.cnn.com/ 03/11/2010

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China Sets Out New Blueprint for West

China is drawing up a new 10-year development plan for the West, setting off a new round of energizing stimulus for the region's economy and environment, the Beijing New reported. The first 10-year Western Development Strategy will end this year. The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic policy planner, is putting final touches on the new plan, said Wang Jinxiang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The new plan will focus on environmental protection while abandoning the obsession with GDP and transforming the government into a body that offers public services. Industries such as energy, chemical, mineral, machinery, technology, agriculture, animal husbandry and tourism will become pillar industries. Moreover, the West will form several industrial clusters for agriculture and minerals. The State Council has approved construction of the Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone, and a detailed plan is under discussion. More economic zones are in the pipelines. The new plan will still maintain and intensify partial favorable policies that were written into the first plan, such as policies for infrastructure and environmental construction. The government will introduce a pilot compensation program for the environment while continuing the existing compensation programs for Sanjiangyuan, Qinghai Province, and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. When conditions permit, more areas will be integrated into the compensation program. Over the last decade, the West's economy has maintained a growth rate of at least 11 percent, mostly boosted by preferential government policies.

From China.org.cn 03/11/2010

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China's Top Legislature Ends Annual Session, Endorses Electoral Law Amendment

The National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, ended its annual session Sunday morning after endorsing an amendment to the Electoral Law and the government work report, among others. The closing meeting was presided over by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, with the presence of President Hu Jintao and other top leaders. The government work report by Premier Wen Jiabao that sets an 8-percent economic growth target for 2010 won 2,836 votes from the 2,909 NPC deputies at the closing meeting. While delivering a closing speech, top legislator Wu Bangguo said lawmakers at this session offered good suggestions and proposals on accelerating the transformation of the economic growth pattern, a task on the top agenda of the government this year. The amendment to the Electoral Law, which grants equal representation in legislative bodies to rural and urban people, is of great significance to the improvement of the people's congress system and the development of the socialist democracy, as it could better demonstrate equality among people, regions and ethnic groups. Wu said the NPC deputies have submitted 506 motions to the session, and the presidium has handed them to NPC special committees for deliberation.

He asked all the special committees to earnestly handle these motions and let them play an important role in legislative work. The session also has received more than 7,400 proposals from lawmakers. At the closing meeting, the legislators also adopted resolutions on the national development plan, budgets, and the work reports of the NPC Standing Committee, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. According to the approved budget, China plans to increase its defense budget by 7.5 percent in 2010, only about half of last year's planned growth of 14.9 percent, to 519.082 billion yuan (about 76.3 billion U.S. dollars). The closing meeting also approved the resignation of NPC Standing Committee member Li Dongsheng, who will work for the government, as the law does not allow government officials to hold the position. The annual session of the national legislature opened on March 5.

From English.news.cn 03/14/2010

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Taiwan Draws Up Regulations for Mainland Financial Operations on Island

Taiwan's financial supervisory body issued regulations Tuesday on mainland banks' operations on the island, two months after China and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding on financial cooperation. The regulations will not go into effect until the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement is signed. Mainland banks that meet the criteria outlined in the regulations can now set up representative offices in Taiwan and upgrade them to branches after two years, though the ECFA may stipulate exceptions. They can also hold a minority stake in a Taiwanese bank to form a partnership, though they are limited to handling single deposits over NT$1.5 million. Mainland banks that want to enter Taiwan must have experience running branches in OECD countries and are subjected to Taiwanese laws and financial regulations. Currently, five mainland banks meet the criteria: Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications, and China Merchants Bank. Besides banks, mainland insurance companies and stock dealers received the green light as well. Currently, three insurers are eligible to set up representative offices, while another two are qualified to form joint ventures with Taiwanese risk companies.

Mainland securities and futures companies can form joint ventures with only one Taiwanese firm. Like banks and insurers, experience in overseas practices is required. The FSC also provided detailed regulations for Taiwanese financial institutions on their entry into the mainland. Thirteen of Taiwan's 15 financial holding companies are qualified to seek partnerships in the mainland. Fourteen Taiwanese banks can upgrade their representative offices in the mainland to branches, including Chinatrust Commercial Bank of Taiwan, who is confident enough skip the local branch and has applied to be a direct subsidiary. Financial analysts in Taiwan are still concerned about the outcome of the ECFA negotiations but confident that the mainland banks' participation will benefit the local financial market, such as helping local institutions become more familiar with the renminbi and preparing them for future competition across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwanese stock brokers say giving clearance for mainland financial institutions is a historical trend but also point out that the Taiwanese market is too limited to attract more mainland investment. But some financial chiefs are optimistic about their operations, saying that their market shares are unlikely to be affected by mainland companies.

From China.org.cn 03/17/2010

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JAPAN: Gov't to Toughen Regulations on Brokers, Insurers

The government submitted a bill to the Diet on Tuesday to toughen regulations on securities and insurance companies in Japan by requiring them to comply with capital regulations on a consolidated basis. With the proposed legal change, the government is aiming to strengthen regulations on the financial sector in concert with overseas regulators to prevent a recurrence of the global financial crisis. The government is hoping to get the bill passed by the Diet before the adjournment of its current ordinary session in June so that the new requirement for securities companies can come into effect in 2011 and other changes can be gradually implemented by the end of 2012. The new requirement is aimed at allowing regulators to get a better grasp of financial institutions in their entirety after the global financial crisis led to fears that a loss at a subsidiary of a brokerage firm could bring about the collapse of the parent company.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 03/10/2010

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Gov't Endorses Bill to Abolish Statute of Limitations for Murder

The government on Friday approved a bill to abolish the statute of limitations on murder cases subject to capital punishment. The revision to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Penal Code will be submitted to the current Diet session. The measure is expected to be enacted as the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party is unlikely to oppose the bill, which is based on the findings of a study group launched under the previous LDP-led government. The legislation is due to be enforced upon promulgation after enactment. The measure would also apply to criminal cases now under investigation. This means that there will be no statute of limitations for the high-profile 1995 murder of three people at a supermarket in Tokyo's Hachioji if the law is enforced before the current statute expires at the end of July this year. The revision would scrap the 25-year statute of limitations on crimes punishable by death, such as murder-robbery, while doubling the limitation period for other serious crimes, such as rape resulting in death, to 30 years from the current 15 years. The bill is based on proposals the Justice Ministry's Legislative Council made to the justice minister in February. The periods of limitation were drastically extended in the 2005 revision to the Code of Criminal Procedure. But crime victims and their families have been seeking abolition of the statute of limitations on heinous crimes.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 03/12/2010

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Bills for Child-rearing Allowances, Free School Tuition Clear Diet Panels

Parliamentary panels Friday endorsed a bill to provide child-rearing allowances and another to waive tuition at senior high schools, both of which are among the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's key pledges from last year's election campaign. The House of Representatives Health, Labor and Welfare Committee approved the bill to offer 13,000 yen a month to each child of junior high school age or younger in fiscal 2010 from April 1. Earlier this week, the ruling coalition of the DPJ, the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party agreed to expand the scope of the allowances to children at child-care institutions and add a clause to that extent as requested by the opposition New Komeito party. Along with the four parties, the Japanese Communist Party also supported the bill, while the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party opposed it. LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki told a press conference Friday, ''It is quite regrettable that it (the ruling bloc) railroaded the two bills through the committees without enough deliberation.'' Tanigaki also criticized the ruling camp for failing to secure permanent funds to implement the policy, which he claims would subsequently lead children to shoulder the debt in the future. The ruling parties aim to vote on the bill in a plenary session at the lower house Tuesday and enact the law by the March 31 end of the current fiscal year so it can start the payments in June - before the crucial House of Councillors election set to be held the following month. Under the bill, allowances would also be provided to households of foreign residents who have children residing in their home countries if they satisfy certain requirements. During a session at the panel, Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma said that the ministry plans to toughen the confirmation process of the requirements, saying that the payment is a ''sizable amount.''

The DPJ is seeking to offer 26,000 yen a month in child-rearing allowances from fiscal 2011 and beyond as it pledged during the campaign for the lower house election last August, which helped end the LDP rule that lasted for more than half a century with almost no break. Also on Friday, the lower house's Education, Culture, Sports and Science and Technology Committee endorsed the bill to waive educational fees at senior public high schools run by local governments after incorporating an additional clause that states the government will review the program, if necessary, three years after the law takes effect. Under the bill, private schools and state-run schools would also be granted 120,000 yen to 240,000 yen per student depending on the student's household income level. The bill has sparked controversy over whether to include pro-Pyongyang senior high schools for Korean residents in Japan in the program, which the government aims to implement from the April 1 beginning of the next academic year. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has said that the government will lay out a ministerial ordinance to determine which schools will be eligible for the program after the bill clears parliament and aim to set ''objective criteria'' to determine it. At a regular press conference Friday morning, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano indicated that the government will set up a third party panel to study the matter. Since the government will have to wait for a decision by the panel, implementing tuition waiver at pro-Pyongyang schools could be delayed, according to Hirano.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 03/13/2010

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NORTH KOREA: Revises Raseon Law to Attract Investment

North Korea recently revised its law to speed up development and better attract foreign investment to the Raseon special economic zone in efforts to scrape up some cash. "A new article that says 'ethnic Koreans who live outside North Korea can engage in economic or trade activities in Raseon' has been added to the new law on Raseon economic and trade zone," a South Korean government official said yesterday. When the law on Raseon, formerly known as Rajin-Seonbong, was initially enacted in 1992, it included an article that allowed "overseas Koreans" including South Koreans to do business in the northeastern area bordering China and Russia. But the article was deleted in 1999. The reopening of Raseon to South Korean businessmen comes as Pyongyang suffers from an acute need for foreign currency under the United Nations sanctions and with the suspension of South Korean tours. Since the North's rocket launch in April last year, the Seoul government has not approved any new inter-Korean business project aside from those in the Gaeseong industrial complex. The revised law on Raseon guarantees free choice of investment and corporate management methods, keeps the corporate income tax rate at 14 percent of profit and reduces the rate to 10 percent for "industries specially promoted by the state." The article under which investors were required to get Cabinet approval to establish companies, branch offices or agencies in Raseon has been removed. The city is to be divided into "special economic sectors" such as industrial, agricultural, science technology or processing trade sectors under the new law. Investment and tourism have been added to Raseon's legal status as a preferential area for trade, transport, export processing, finance and service.

The revised law permits transactions between businesses in Raseon and North Korean state agencies, companies or organizations, and encourages investment in high-tech development and scientific research, infrastructure construction and manufacture of products with international competitiveness. A supervisory organ in Raseon, instead of the central government, oversees investment promotion, development and trade businesses in the area, reviews and approves major investments under the new law. North Korean law is expected to be applied to foreigners in Raseon. Previously, foreigners could visit or stay in Raseon without a visa, but the new law allows no-visa visits to only those directly entering the special zone without passing through other parts of the country. To hire foreign employees, companies now have to get approval from the Raseon People's Committee instead of simply consulting the committee. The Rajin-Seonbong area was designated as North Korea's first free trade zone in late 1991 but never succeeded in attracting much foreign investment. The North recently began moves to make use of the area by upgrading its status to a special municipality in January and giving China and Russia the right to use the Rajin port. Pyongyang also set up a state development bank on Jan. 20 and made Taepung International Investment Agency attract foreign investment. The reclusive state appears to be aiming at China's investment in the Rajin port which can be an attractive logistics base for China's project to develop the Tumen River area. It is the fifth time the law on Raseon has been revised after 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2007. Experts note, however, that the revised law is unlikely to bring a breakthrough in foreign investment when North Korea is still under U.N. sanctions.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/15/2010

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SOUTH KOREA: Seoul Rethinks Mobile Regulations

The growing popularity of Apple's iPhone and Google's Android phone in Korea are pushing Seoul to ease regulations on smartphone services, industry watchers said yesterday. Consumers are stepping up calls on regulators to give them more freedom to use games, videos and other services on the internet-capable devices. A confrontation between Google and Korean regulators has fueled those calls. The Game Rating Board yesterday threatened to block access to Google's mobile application store, Android Market, unless it has its games reviewed and rated by the regulator. Under Korean law, all games distributed in Korea should gain prior approval from the Games Rating Board. However, critics say it is nearly impossible to screen all of the games sold online, and say that regulators should revise regulations to respond to the changing market environment. The government also submitted a revision of a game law to allow games sold on online marketplaces exemptions from the government approval process, but it is uncertain whether and when the controversial revision can gain parliamentary nod. Apple, facing calls from Seoul to have its games approved by the Games Rating Board, has shut down the games category on the Korean version of its AppStore.

Microsoft also suspended Korean service of its application storefront, Windows Marketplace, because of the regulations. A spokesperson of Microsoft Korea said the company plans to reopen a Korean version of Windows Marketplace in May, but a games category will not be included until the second half. However, unlike Apple and Google, Microsoft said its Korean Windows Marketplace will only offer games that have received approval from the Korean regulator. "We will abide by Korean law," the spokesperson said. A Google spokesperson could not reached for comment by phone yesterday. The Games Rating Board has raised concerns about the possible distribution of harmful game content is application stores, citing loose screening process by Apple and Google. A spokesperson noted that Apple had approved the game Baby Shaker, which involved shaking a baby to death, before pulling it amid parental backlash. He also said gostop and poker games, which are rated 18 and older, are offered to those older than age 12 in the entertainment category of AppStore. Motorola's Android phone, Motoroi, has banned video uploads onto YouTube because of Seoul's regulations, causing an uproar among consumers. In contrast, Apple's iPhone permits YouTube video uploads. Google has blocked Korean users from uploading videos or posting comments on the Korean version of its YouTube because of the government's "real-name verification" system. However, the Korea Communications Commission recently said it has tentatively concluded that the real-name verification system not apply to YouTube service, which is based on servers in the United States.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/12/2010

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Cabinet Approves Bills on Sejong City

The Cabinet yesterday approved a set of law proposals to redress the Sejong administrative city plan. The government plans to send them to the parliament around the end of this month but faces an uphill battle for legislation with a majority of lawmakers opposing. The package consists of five bills. The mainstay is a revised Sejong City act which seeks to scrap the planned relocation of two-thirds of administration departments and instead develop it into a center for scientific research and high-tech businesses. The four other bills are related to rules on business-centered urban development, tax benefits and industrial location, necessary to attract investment and make the new city self-sufficient. Sejong is under construction on a 72.9-square-kilometer plot of land in South Chungcheong Province, about 120 kilometers south of Seoul. "Fixing past errors and preparing for a new future is the historic mission of those responsible for state affairs," Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said while presiding over the Cabinet meeting. The government is expected to submit the bills to the National Assembly after the ruling Grand National Party resolves its internal differences over the issue. He called for political parties to resolve their differences promptly to advance the new city plan. "We have no time to waste. The local residents have suffered too much over the past seven years and companies that promised to invest in developing high-tech businesses there also faced aggravating difficulties," he said.

The Sejong City project dates back to 2003 when the late former President Roh Moo-hyun attempted to relocate the capital to the area. The plan was scaled down to movement of part of the administrative branch after his plan was ruled unconstitutional. Since ground was broken in 2007, 5.4 percent of the construction work has been completed. The Lee Myung-bak administration seeks to cancel the plan which it says will bring inefficiency to government operations by dispersing its organizations. The government announced its alternative proposal in January under which Sejong will accommodate educational, scientific and business organizations. The proposal faces strong objections from all opposition parties as well as a faction in the ruling Grand National Party led by Lee's rival Park Geun-hye, who endorsed the 2005 plan when she was chairwoman for the then opposition GNP. Their combined votes at the parliament could block Lee's plan. A sharply divided GNP launched an in-house coordination committee last week aiming to negotiate a solution within a month. The six-member group plans to visit Sejong City today and begin intensive discussion from Thursday, the party said. But few expect the two GNP factions to find common ground given the huge disparity in opinion, as well as the high political stakes they have in the game. Park, the front-runner for the next presidential election, has already waged a fierce war of words with Lee's Sejong planners and refused any compromise proposals, including one made by her former right-hand man. The intensity of her objection thus far would make any concession seem as a defeat. This would in turn give her potential rivals in Lee's circles an advantage in the competition for candidacy for the 2012 presidential race.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/17/2010

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Korea to Introduce New Rules to Fuel Renewable Energy

Korea will introduce a renewable portfolio standard guideline starting in 2012 as part of its efforts to help fuel clean renewable energy production, the government said Thursday, according to Yonhap News. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said lawmakers passed a bill earlier in the day that will make it mandatory for local power companies to generate a certain percentage of electricity by harnessing the energy created by the sun, wind, water and terrestrial heat. The system is currently employed in 28 states in the United States, as well as Japan, Britain, Italy and Sweden. In Korea, the guideline will be applied to all power suppliers with power facility capacity exceeding 500 megawatts. These companies, including affiliates of the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. and Korea District Heating Corp., will have to increase renewable power production from 2.0 percent of their total output in 2012 to 10.0 percent in 2022. Under the plan, the companies will also be given a separate solar energy production quota of 120 megawatts in the first year that will gradually be raised to 200 megawatts 10 years later. The ministry said because the new rules will go into effect within two years, the current feed-in tariffs system will only be used until the end of 2011.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/18/2010

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Korea Eases Rules on Foreign Investment Support

The government said Friday that it has relaxed rules on supporting foreign investment in a bid to help foreign companies set up operations in the country, according to Yonhap News. Under the revised rules passed by parliament on Thursday, Seoul will make it possible for foreign companies to lease and make transactions on public land through non-competitive contracts and reduce criteria for getting state cash grants, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said. At present all publicly development land contracts involving foreign direct investment (FDI) must be made through open competitive bidding, while cash support is only given if investments exceed $10 million. Other changes that will take place involve extending the lease period of public and state land used by foreign companies from five to 20 years to a maximum 50 years, while lowering rent from 5 percent of land prices to as low as 1 percent.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/19/2010

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Rules Tightened on Money Laundering

Korea will tighten its rules over money laundering in an effort to boost the transparency of financial transactions in the country, the top financial regulator said yesterday. The Financial Services Commission said the Cabinet passed a bill earlier in the day that requires local financial companies to report to a special intelligence body when transactions involving amounts over 10 million won ($8,818) in cash take place. The revised rules lower the ceiling on such transactions from the previous limit of 20 million won or $10,000 and will go into effect in July once they are approved by President Lee Myung-bak, the FSC said. The bill will also entitle the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit, a government body tasked with fighting money laundering, to draw up anti-money laundering regulations to beef up its operational powers, the FSC said. The revisions are part of government efforts to bring local regulations involving money laundering up to international standards following the nation's gaining of full membership in the Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental organization geared toward tackling money laundering and terrorist financing, the regulator said. The Cabinet also approved law revisions to toughen punishment on contractors taking bribes or involved in bidding collusion, the Ministry of Government Legislation said. The contractors would lose their business license if they are caught for the second time within three years for taking bribes or colluding in biddings. The revisions would go into effect after parliamentary endorsement. The Cabinet also approved amendments to allow spouses and children of foreign service officers to gain foreign citizenship without prior permission from the foreign minister, the ministry said. Separately, another bill approved by the Cabinet boosts state assistance for childbirth costs to 300,000 won ($264) from 200,000 won, it said.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/24/2010

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INDONESIA: Ministry Seeks Two Year Delay to Implement Environment Law

The ministry of energy and mineral resources has proposed that the government postpone the implementation of the 2009 law on environment for two year on fears it will severely hit oil and gas production. "We have spoken with the coordinating minister for the economy to delay the law for at least two years, so that we can prepare our technology," Evita Herawati Legowo, the director general for oil and gas at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said in Jakarta late Thursday. Evita said that the mining companies were now working to adjust mining systems to comply with the law, which could take some time. "Several contractors would prefer to stop their activities rather than breaking the rules which could mean criminal punishments," she said, adding that oil production could drop significantly due to process changes.

Evita said the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh has sent a letter to the Coordinating Economic Minister to discuss the issue further. "The decline in oil production might influence state revenue. So, we have to do something," she said. Darwin acknowledged that the new law on the environment would be a serious challenge to mining contractors. "The miners have to allocate additional budgets so that their mining systems protect the environment in the future," he said, adding that the government had to help the contractors, or oil production would drop. Darwin insisted the government would fight it out to meet the oil production target by improving efficiency, for example, streamlining bureaucratic procedures to enable contractors to curb expenditure. The new law requires business entities to secure environmental permits before beginning their operations. Permits can be issued by a minister, governor or regent, depending on the area of operation. A failure to secure environmental permits would result in the termination of the business license.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has said that the implementation of the 2009 environmental law would risk reducing national oil production by up to 40 percent. This year, the government is targeting to produce 965,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) as in the 2010 national budget. Last year Indonesia produced about 960,000 bopd. Some observers have said that ambiguities in the environment law made it difficult for companies to fulfill environmental standards and guidelines set by the new legislation. The ministry argued that state-owned oil and gas producer PT Pertamina and US based leading oil producer Chevron Pacific Indonesia (CPI) would be the two firms most effected by the new law. Late Thursday Chevron general manager Bambang Pratesa confirmed the possibility that Chevron oil production could drop more 60 percent this year as the original company target for this year was to produce 400,000 bpd but instead a steep decline is now expected. "The anticipated Chevron production will be fall to about 125,000 bpd, far down on our original target," Bambang told reporters. Oil and gas have traditionally contributed up to 30 percent of total state revenue.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 02/27/2010

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RI to Open Up Healthcare, Education to Foreign Funds

Indonesia is inviting more foreign investment into healthcare and education to improve services and the quality of Indonesian human resources, says Investment Coordinating Board chairman Gita Wirjawan. Speaking to US businesspeople Gita explained the negative investment list limited foreign ownership of hospitals in Jakarta, Surabaya in East Java and Medan in N. Sumatra. "We will remove this limitation. Investors can invest in any place they consider feasible," Gita said in Washington, on Wednesday, adding the list would be revised in 2 months. But foreign ownership of hospitals, would be capped at 67 percent. Gita told The Jakarta Post that opening up the healthcare sector to foreign investment would benefit customers via competition, with better services and prices.

With more foreign hospitals here less people would go abroad for treatment. "The value of foreign exchange that could be saved may be small... but we value more the benefits for our people, i.e. better services and alternatives," Gita said. He said government would ask top foreign universities to enter Indonesia via local university links. He would target foreign universities as Indonesia was still lagging in the region in tertiary education. "We are already good in basic education, i.e. from elementary schools to high schools. But we are still lacking in tertiary education and also vocational schools," he said. But foreign universities cannot establish branches in Indonesia because the law does not allow it and they cannot repatriate profits. Gita suggested that they should establish local legal entities to provide teachers, advisory services and research facilities to local universities in Indonesia to make money and recoup their investment. Gita said Indonesia would also open logistics and courier services to foreign participation, as a key area of soft infrastructure to facilitate advanced economic development. But foreign investors are not allowed majority ownership in this sector, except TNT has a special concession to hold 51 percent.

Gita said government would push ahead with its plans to open up the telecommunications towers sector to help keep up with demand. The telecommunications industry needs US$7 billion to $8 billion per year in infrastructure investment. Considering the huge amount of investment needed, local businesspeople could not meet the demand. "I have my own experience in this sector. When I was with Excelcomindo, we faced difficulty finding local partners to manage and build towers at the pace we wanted. Unless we open up this sector to foreign investment, I'm afraid our telecommunications industry would not be able to grow," he said. He said telecommunications towers were off the negative list, but foreign participation had been excluded by a ministerial decree. "What we need is to revoke this decree, and automatically, it would open up this sector," he said.

With more sectors opened up, Gita said, Indonesia should be able to attract more foreign investment, much more than the current target of $10 to $22 billion per year. "We are thinking of a much bigger volume of investment, at the level of around $25 to $35 billion *per year* given the size of our economy. We are a $550 billion economy," Gita told the assembled businesspeople. To achieve his ambitious targets, Gita said that he had started his "one stop shop" licensing system for investment that should expedite licensing in as fast as five hours and in seven days at the slowest. Gita said, a total of 15 ministers had agreed to delegate their licensing powers to help BKPM to introduce the one stop shop service and make it workable. "It's a huge task. Policy making is easier to fix, but policy implementation is a lot more difficult," he said.

From http://www.thejakartapost.com/ 02/27/2010

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LAOS: Water Environment Management Discussed

The Steering Committee on Water Environment Management Plan held a meeting on March 10 in Vientiane to discuss water environment management in Vientiane. The event was chaired by Vice Mayor of Vientiane, Mr. Bounchanh Sinthavong. Mrs. Hiloko Kamata, Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and representatives of relevant organisations attended the meeting. The Water Environment Management Plan is financed with a financial grant from Japan and it has the Public Works and Transport Institute as its coordinator. Its implementation is set in a timeframe of thirty months or expected to be over in June this year. Mr. Bounchanh said the main work of the project is the management of water environment in Vientiane and determination of hygienic campaign and naturally treated water system development.

From http://www.kplnet.net/ 03/15/2010

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Premier Calls for Protection of Water Resources

Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh has called on all countries and international organisations concerned to actively contribute to the protection and management of water resources. This was Prime Minister Bouasone's message on the World Water Day entitled ?Clean Water for a Healthy World? on 22 March. In the message, the Prime Minister has highlighted that Laos is rich with water resources, the Mekong River traverses the country from the north to the southern tip, a lot of tributaries originate in the country, it is also blessed with abundant rainfalls. The abundance in water resources and the country's geographic location become a major factor for the development of hydropower, which significantly contributes to the national socio-economic development. It also serves other areas of development such as irrigation, fishery, tourism and industry. However, the climate change and shortage of water worldwide tends to keep intensifying, which becomes a challenging issue for living conditions of human beings worldwide and in the Lao PDR as well.

This year, Laos encountered unprecedented drought which causes the level of the Mekong River to remarkably low this year partly due to lower than normal rainfalls in the last rainy season, said the Prime Minister, adding that unusually high temperatures could be another cause. This poses a threat to living conditions and agricultural production, and businesses of local people. On this matter, the Government has closely monitored and worked out some measures to handle the problem in the future. In this concern, PM Bouasone has asked all countries and international organisations to actively contribute to the sustainable protection of other water resources and the Mekong catchment area.

In 1995, four countries of sub-Mekong region make up Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam agreed to set up the Mekong River Commission. It plays roles to control and manage the catchment areas and other natural resources in the sub-Mekong basin in a harmonised sustainable manner. A year later the upper Mekong region including Myanmar and China become dialogue partners of the MRC. To ensure the sufficient and sustainable development of water resources in the country, the Lao Government managed water resources in combined ways by involving all sectors concerned in the Mekong River basin in its territory. Priority has been given to the conservation of the watershed areas through the efforts of forest restoration and afforestation to 70% of the country's entire area by 2020. The Lao government plans to increase 80 per cent and 70 per cent of population access to safe water and primary healthcare service by 2015 and both goals will be achieved by 2025. The premier called on all Lao people to increase their efforts to ensure the preservation and protection of Laos's natural beauty. In recognition of the important role of water resources around the globe, the international community celebrates the World Water Day on 22 March.

From http://www.kplnet.net/ 03/23/2010

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PHILIPPINES: PGMA Leads BIR's 'Bread and Butter' Large Taxpayers Campaign

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led on Thursday the annual Large Taxpayers Service (LTS) campaign of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, to raise awareness of the importance of paying taxes correctly and on time to finance government's programs. This was the first time the President attended the annual LTS campaign since its inception in 1999. Last year, it accounted for 62 percent of BIR's total collection. BIR's target collection this year is P830-billion, which is more than half of the revenues needed to fund the P1.54-trillion national budget.

The President also led the awarding of membership to the Billionaires' Club of the country's four largest taxpayers: Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and Nestle Phils. Inc. for the regular group and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Holcim Phils Inc. under the excise group. The Billionaire's Club is a special group within LTS' 1,370 corporate accounts whose tax payments increased by more than P1 billion, or by at least 20 percent during the year. Assisting the President during the event were Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and BIR Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres. Torres reported to the President that the BIR exceeded its collection target for December 2009 and January 2010 by 13 percent and 18 percent, respectively. In December, the BIR collected P68.2 billion compared to its target of P60 billion. Last month, the BIR preliminary data showed collections at P63.3 billion, higher than its P56 billion target.

Torres said the BIR's major's thrust for this year is to strengthen its Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program, and enhance public service through the "Handang Maglingkod Project" which will be launched next month. Torres then presented to the President her "Legacy Scroll" which symbolizes the BIR's total tax collection amounting to P5.1 trillion during the President's nine years in office. Meanwhile, Teves said the early launching of the BIR's LTS campaign gives taxpayers more time to pay their taxes. "Paying the right taxes is our contribution to nation building," Teves said. (PNA)

From http://balita.ph/ 02/25/2010

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THAILAND: Aim at the Next Phase of Prosperity through the Creative Economy

As the financial crisis which started in the United States in 2007 had a knock-on effect on countries around the world, mass layoffs were seen in the production and service industry sectors, and the threat of a global economic recession became real. The Abhisit Vejjajiva administration took office against this backdrop as the year 2008 drew to a somber close, with the world economy reeling under huge debts and growing unemployment. Dire forecasts were made for the world, the region, and the country. The Government promptly formulated strategies to halt the decline and rejuvenate the economy. The "creative economy" has been proposed as a major strategy for economic recovery and future prosperity of the country.

Creative economy refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information. It comprises such industries as advertising, architecture, art, crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing, R&D, software, toys and games, TV and radio, and video games. These industries have been seen to become increasingly important to economic well-being. As stated in The Creative Cities, by Charles Landry and Franco Blanchini (1995), "The industries of the twenty-first century will depend increasingly on the generation of knowledge through creativity and innovation." All the mentioned industries have existed and thrived well in Thailand to a certain extent. Some sporadic efforts have been seen in the past to develop them, with the launch of "Bangkok, the City of Fashion", and innovative setups such as Thailand Creative and Design Center (TCDC). What is needed now is a clear direction and a unified effort under the strategy adopted for the country.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot, a ranking Democrat, has taken up the role of the commander of the Creative Economy offensive. Towards the end of 2009, he announced 2010 as the "Creative Economy Year", with the aim to increase the value of creative industries to 20 percent of gross domestic product within three years. The promotion of creative businesses will be conducted in tandem with intellectual property protection. This two-pronged approach is a necessity, as creativity cannot survive without intellectual property protection. The effort also gains strong support from developed countries, the United States in particular, as a major source of products with copyrights, and Thailand has been known as a capital of counterfeits. Some Thais have used their creativity in an improper way a wrong way, producing high-quality imitations that are sought after by domestic and international consumers. Pierre Balmain, a top fashion designer, once said that he would never set up his haute couture shop in Bangkok, because Thais were too good at copying, and he was sure that once a new design hit the shop, it would appear all over the city the next day.

Today, however, several Thai designers are making their names known around the world, based on the fascinating Thainess and intricacies that are unique to the Thais. Other Thai creative industries also thrive in the world market. With the Government's clear policy on creative economy, prospects are bright for all creative and innovative Thais, and in turn, the next phase of the country's prosperity based on the creative economy looks closer than ever.

From http://thailand.prd.go.th/ 03/04/2010

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Sixteen Creative Economy Projects in the Pipeline for Implementation

The Cabinet, during its meeting on March 9, approved a budget of one billion baht to carry out "creative economy" projects under the "Thai Khem Khaeng," or "Thailand: Investing from Strength to Strength 2012," Operation Plan. The fund was proposed by the National Creative Economy Policy Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The committee also proposed a number of creative economy projects that are ready for implementation in 2010, so as to achieve the "Creative Thailand Commitments" in four areas. The first area, Creative Infrastructure, seeks to upgrade infrastructure projects to support the creative economy system. The second area, Creative Education and Human Resources, seeks to lay the foundations for creative thinking in the Thai education system.

In the third area, Creative Society and Inspiration, all sectors of society will be encouraged to attach great importance to the creative economy. The fourth area, Creative Business Development and Investment, calls for promoting and supporting creative economy-related businesses and industries. In the initial stage, priority will be given to the second and third areas, which place emphasis on education and public awareness of the creative economy. The concept of creative economy is meant to add value to services and manufacturing products. According to the National Creative Economy Policy Committee, the one-billion-baht fund will be spent on 16 projects. Out of this number, nine projects, involving 745 million baht, will be carried out by the Department of Intellectual Property. Two projects, worth 70 million baht, will be carried out by the Department of Export Promotion. Mahidol University will implement one project worth 55 million baht and Silpakorn University one project worth 50 million baht. The Department of Business Development will carry out one project worth 30 million baht, while the Panditya Bandhanasilpa Institute under the Ministry of Culture will carry out one project, involving 20 million baht. The Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, will implement one project worth 30 million baht.

The 16 creative projects are as follows: Thai People's Prototype "The King" and "Creation" , Creative Films on Thai History and Culture, Prototype Creative Cities , Creative Economy Promotion, Creating Better Understanding of Creative Economy, Thailand Northern Handicraft and Financial Expo 2010, New Image of Thai Products Going International, National Seminar and Workshop on Creative Economy , Learning Promotion on Creative Economy for Children and Youth, Enhancing Musical Talents for Excellence and Developing Potential for Competitiveness , Silpakorn Develops the Creative Economy, Enhancing Potential and Competitiveness in Product Designs for 15 Creative Industries, Promotion of Products for Health and Thai Herbs for Export, Development of Creative Skills and Potential for Lifestyle Product Business Group, Brand Development and Promotion of Gem and Jewelry Business in the International Market, Cultural Performances to Generate Income for People.

In his speech at the opening of the Seventh Thai International Travel Fair 2010 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on February 25, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that one of the Government's major policies under the Thai Khem Khaeng plan is the support of the creative economy, which is clearly linked to social capital, cultural capital, as well as tourism capital. Many mechanisms are driving toward this direction, with cooperation from both the public and private sectors to add value to tourist attractions from the creative economy. This, he said, will also lead to additional income generation and further tourism opportunities.

From http://thailand.prd.go.th/ 03/17/2010

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VIET NAM: Draft Environmental Tax Law Circulated

The latest draft Environment Protection Tax Law has just been introduced in order to get opinions from experts and citizens before it is proposed to the National Assembly in May. Vu Van Truong, head of the Ministry of Finance's Tax Policy Department, said that environmental pollution had become serious problem. It was time for the country to not develop the economy at all costs, but to develop sustainably with environment-friendly production. So the environmental tax would encourage people to minimise their use of products that are harmful to the environment. Under the draft law, five groups of products would be subject to a tax, which includes petroleum, oil, coal, substances containing hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFC's), plastic bags and fertilisers.

Each of the different product categories will comply with different tax regulations. An environmental tax of VND1,000-4,000 will be imposed for each litre of petrol; VND500-2,000 for each litre of diesel; VND6,000-30,000 per tonne of coal; VND1,000-5,000 per kilo of HCFC; VND20,000-30,000 per kilo of plastic bags; and VND500-5,000 per kilo of fertilisers. Opponents of the draft claim that the new regulations will result in unfair taxes on individuals and enterprises who produce, use or import products that are within the five categories. The consumers of these products will be responsible for paying these taxes because the taxes will be taken into account for the prices of the products.

Truong said that applying these taxes would not make a large impact on people's consumption and spending habits. If one person buys a refrigerator worth VND2 million (US$105), he will have to pay VND1,000 in taxes.

Pham Van Khanh, director of Ha Noi's Environment and Natural Resources Department, said that paying such taxes on the products which do harm to the environment would help the consumers think twice and make smart choices before deciding to buy these products. Eventually, they prefer not to buy these types of products. "Instead of using plastic bags, consumers will use hand-baskets to carry their goods," he added. Some experts expressed concern about applying environmental taxes to petroleum and oil, which could potentially drive up the prices of these products. Truong said that the special consumption tax on petroleum and oil would not be applied when the environmental tax takes effect. Experts disagreed about applying higher taxes on petroleum than on diesel fuel, which pollutes more. Truong said that people who primarily used diesel were fishermen, so it was impossible to levy higher taxes on this population. He added that the necessary changes would be based on experts' opinions to make the law more feasible.

From http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ 03/17/2010

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BANGLADESH: Getting Its 'Digital Plan'

Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, on of Bangladesh prime minister, delivered a presentation on the government's initiatives to build a digitised Bangladesh. The plan had four areas: e-Governance, IT education, IT industry and IT outsourcing. The Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, had launched her government's ambitious 'digital vision', Digital Bangladesh: Plan for Connecting People. The plan is based on the principal of building a Bangladesh, which is free from hunger, poverty and corruption. Community e-centres will be set up at every upazila (sub-district) under the programme. Bangladesh government plans to set up e-Centres for the rural communities across Bangladesh at 8,500 post offices using the vast infrastructure of the postal department.

From http://www.egovonline.net/ 03/03/2010

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BHUTAN: Focus on Economic Growth and Equity - Draft Mineral Development Policy

To ensure equitable distribution of wealth, the draft mineral development policy has proposed a "One mining lease to an individual or to a company." Individuals, in the policy, refer to a single family consisting of his or her spouse, children and immediate dependants. The policy however says that there will be no restriction on mines obtained through government auction. However, mines already awarded will not fall in the category until the lease period is over. Bhutan today has 89 mines under operation and DGM has received about 150 applications for opening new mines. Most of the new applicants are owners of the 89 mines in operation. "The draft policy is for the development of the mining sector in a equitable, safe, more value added and environment friendly way," said DGM acting director general, Yeshey Dorji. He said that DGM was consulting various stakeholders and would welcome feedback. To discourage the export of raw minerals and encourage value addition, an additional tax, which could be fixed up to 20 percent of the selling price on the raw minerals, is also proposed. For open auction of proven mines by the government, preference will be given to industries, which can add value by processing raw material. With the aim of providing affordable construction material, the policy proposes to auction stone quarries to the lowest bidder or one who can provide stones at the lowest price. For people losing their land to mining, the government will not only provide rehabilitation land and compensation, but the landowner will also be given equity shares in the mine, worth 50 percent of the value of compensation. The mine will have to reserve 25 percent employment to the local community and 75 percent of the skilled employees should be Bhutanese. Unlike today, applicants will also have to explain the environmental impacts of the mines to the local people before getting any clearance. Since prospecting for high value minerals is a high risk and investment venture the government has also outlined fiscal incentives. Tax breaks could be given for expenditure incurred on community development. Mining companies issuing beyond 30 percent of equity share to the local community and general public will be entitled to income tax rebate for three years.

The CIT/BIT of companies will be exempted on costs incurred for long term or specialised training of employees and equipment purchased for mineral survey and exploration will be exempted from sales tax and customs duty. With the aim of promoting better quality mining, applicants will have to apply for a prospecting license and prove that there are profitable deposits before getting a mining lease. Currently anyone can directly apply for a mining lease regardless of qualifications. "The prospecting license requires a certain knowledge either by the applicant or his or her consultant or employee on mining," said MK Pradhan the head of the mining department. However, mining leases and procedures will be simplified, especially for small quarries where only certain requirement will have to be fulfilled. Duplication among agencies and difference between various laws on mining will also be harmonised. Unlike now, new mines will get a grace period of three months to two years to comply with mining plan requirements. The policy also calls for the formation of an autonomous mineral development authority (MDA) to carry out the functions of the mining division. It will develop rules, process and issue mines, conduct actions, inspect mines, fix mineral levies and ensure mine restoration. "MDA will allow more capacity like manpower and resources to be made available and there'll be more effective monitoring of the mines" said MK Pradhan. For upgrading its capacity in the mining sector, the government will provide funds, training scholarships, labs and also allow hiring of mining experts on short terms. To check possible collusion and loss of revenue, MDA will install weigh bridges in strategic locations to ensure that dispatch inspectors do not underreport. For preventing idle holding of mines, if a miner does not mine 33 percent his annual capacity for three years, the lease will be cancelled. People, whose mining leases have been terminated for not following rules, will not get a lease for 10 years after the termination. For ensuring environmental conservation, MDA shall permit mining only at what is a safe distance from human settlements, infrastructure, cultural sites, ecologically fragile sites and mines in the upstream areas will not be allowed to negatively affect low lying settled areas. The policy states that investment in the mining will be made as per the FDI policy.

From http://www.kuenselonline.com/ 03/12/2010

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INDIA: Women's Bill to Ensure Women Participation in Political Process

New Delhi: In order to give a fillip to participation of women in the political process, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the Government was moving towards providing one third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. "We hope to give this movement of political participation of women further fillip by increasing the number of seats reserved in Panchayats and City and Town Governments to 50 percent.. . More significantly, we are moving towards providing one third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislatures," he said, addressing the Women's Leadership Summit here. The Women's Reservation Bill providing for 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies is expected to come up in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Stating that the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments have revolutionised governance at the grassroots and brought rural women into political participation, he pointed out that today, nearly 40 per cent of elected representatives in the village panchayats happen to be women. He said that for economic growth to be meaningful, it must benefit all sections of society, particularly those who are marginalised. "This is the reason why our emphasis has been so much on inclusive, social and economic growth. And women have been, as they must be, a special focus of our efforts at inclusiveness," he said. The Prime Minister also said that the Government was committed to providing equal opportunities and an enabling environment for women as it was crucial for achieving the goal of their empowerment this is reflected in its policies and programmes. Citing figures, he said today nearly half of those who get work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme happen to be women. Out of the 3.5 million Self Help Groups formed under the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, 2.3 million are those of women.

From http://www.newkerala.com/ 03/06/2010

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Programme to Digitally Connect the North East

Conceding to the need of doing a lot more in the North East region of the country in terms of providing digital connectivity and developing it as a favorable destination for IT investment the Government of India has begun an ambitious programme to wire up the entire northeast and remote border regions with telecom, wimax and broadband connectivity and unleash an IT revolution in the region. Northeast could become a big centre for attracting investments from the private sector - in business process outsourcing (BPOs), knowledge process outsourcing. At the start of this fiscal, more than Rs 18,000 crore was available under this fund. Assam would see optical fibre cables laid across the state. The optical fibre cables would be laid down to the panchayat level in Assam, making it the first state in India to have such connectivity. Moreover, Wimax services had already been unveiled there last month. The government is also planning a software parks project at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, which would be an export-oriented scheme for developing computer software and extending related professional services. The government is also planning to give the satellite phone facilities to villages in the northeast, which are cut off from others due to their location, along with a much-subsidised tariff. In Sikkim, the IT ministry has helped in the setting up of a small business process unit and launched third generation (3G) services through the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

From http://www.egovonline.net/ 03/09/2010

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Kerala to Have Backup Policy to Protect E-Data

The Kerala State Government has announced a backup policy to ensure that the electronic records of the government departments are not lost owing to any equipment failure, intentional destruction of data. The policy applies only to backup (saving of files onto magnetic tape or other offline mass storage media) and restore data in all computers and storage equipment at the e-Governance Data Centre owned and operated by the State Government. The government departments/organisations were in the process of enforcing various e-Governance applications and creating electronic records.

From http://www.egovonline.net/ 03/12/2010

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NEPAL: Needs to Regulate International Adoptions

The case of Rajan Kumar Nepali highlights the fact that unscrupulous agents are effectively trafficking children to foreign couples for large profits. While Nepal introduced a new legislation in 2008, UNICEF has asked the government to ratify the Hague convention on international adoptions. Kathmandu: Rajan Kumar Nepali did not know he was giving up his two young children when he put his thumbprint on a document handing custody to an orphanage in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. Nepalese parents Rajan Kumar Nepali (2nd left) and Maya pose with their children in Kathmandu/ Photo credit: AFP The owners of the children's home had promised to take care of his son and daughter while the 28-year-old labourer, who cannot read or write, tried to get his life back on track after he became addicted to drugs. Instead, the children were put up for adoption abroad-a highly lucrative business in impoverished Nepal, where campaigners say orphanages can make up to 10,000 dollars from each child. By the time Nepali returned to retrieve the children his three-year-old daughter Karuna had already been placed in the custody of an American couple who were applying for a visa to take her to the United States. "The names of my son and daughter had been changed, and they had been declared orphans. I was so shocked," Nepali told AFP in an interview in the one-room house in Kathmandu where the family now lives. "The people who run the orphanage told me I could not even see my son and daughter because it might affect the other children." "Then some local people told me that pictures of my children had appeared in the newspaper under fake names. With their help, I found out that both my children had been put up for adoption abroad." Eventually, Nepali and his wife Maya managed to get their six-year-old son back from the orphanage.

But it was not until the couple filed an official complaint with the help of a local charity that they discovered their daughter Karuna's whereabouts and she was finally returned to them. Child protection groups say the family's ordeal is only the tip of the iceberg in Nepal, where unscrupulous agents are effectively trafficking children to foreign couples for large profits. Nepal introduced new legislation in 2008 to try to prevent such abuses, and only restarted international adoptions last year under the new system. But campaigners say widespread problems persist, and last month a team of legal experts from The Hague called for international adoptions of Nepalese children to be suspended. They said their investigations found documents were routinely falsified and children's homes were largely unregulated, with the interests of the child often not considered at all. United Nations children's agency UNICEF said little has changed since a 2008 report found that around 60% of the children up for adoption in Nepal were not genuine orphans. "The best interests of the child are still not at the centre of these adoptions and these must be the guiding principles for all those working with children, no matter how complex the issue," said UNICEF Nepal representative Gillian Mellsop. UNICEF has called for the government to ratify the Hague convention on international adoptions, which sets out guidelines and procedures to safeguard children and their parents against abduction and trafficking. In all, 20 children from Nepal have been adopted by foreign parents since the system restarted last year. Seven have gone to the United States, but the US State Department this month warned prospective adoptive parents that the system in Nepal was "not yet reliable," citing the case of the Nepalis.

Germany moved to suspend adoptions from Nepal after the findings of The Hague team's investigations were made public, and 14 foreign embassies issued a statement urging the government to tighten controls. Authorities in Kathmandu have banned the children's home that took the Nepalis' children from arranging international adoptions for the next two years. But the orphanage, called Ashaya Balbalika Samrechhan Griha (Helpless Children Protection Home), remains open. Sarvadev Prasad Ojha, minister for women and children, admitted that the government lacked the resources to prevent abuses of the system. Ojha said poor parents in rural areas were being fooled into giving up their children for adoption by agents who claim to be taking them to Kathmandu for education. "We have been closely monitoring the activities of those organisations. We have also closed down 14 children's homes that did not meet minimum standards," he told AFP in an interview. "But we still don't have adequate resources to monitor outlying rural areas, and this allows children to be taken by criminals." Campaigners say the system remains riddled with corruption, and allows orphanage owners themselves to decide whether a child can be put up for adoption-a clear conflict of interest. Karuna's mother Maya, who still lives a stone's throw away from the orphanage that took her children, accuses the owners of "trying to take advantage of our poverty and illiteracy." "I could never think of allowing my children to be taken abroad," she said. "They are my babies, I gave birth to them. How could I give them away?"

From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 03/05/2010

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A Multi-sectoral Nutrition Programme for Nepal

Nepal has planned a multi-sectoral nutrition programme involving various ministries to tackle widespread child malnutrition in the country. A recent report by the health department and UNICEF found the lack of adequate nutrition to be more pronounced in under developed food deficit areas of the far and mid-west regions. Kathmandu: Nepal is boosting efforts to tackle child malnutrition, which is so widespread that every other child under five has been found to be malnourished. A young girl with chronic malnutrition in Nepal's western district of Jumla/ Photo credit: David Swanson/ IRIN Alarmed by the situation, officials say plans are afoot which will see combined action across a range of ministries in addition to activities by the Health Ministry, traditionally responsible for the issue. "Multi-sectoral nutrition action has been planned. This was endorsed by several ministries recently, and for the first time they will be working together actively," Rajkumar Pokhrel, a nutritionist and head of the government's nutrition programme at the Department of Health Services, told IRIN. The plans, which will include the ministries for women, local development, agriculture and education, will be scaled up this year amid an increase in support from aid agencies, according to department officials. An expansion of feeding programmes for infants, young children and women in food-deficit areas is envisaged. There will also be increased coverage of the government's micronutrient programme aimed at pregnant women, mothers and their infants, which will include more dosing with Vitamin A and iron to prevent anaemia. Iron deficiency anaemia is a major public health issue in Nepal, where 36% of women aged 15-49, and nearly half (48%) of children aged 6-59 months, are anaemic, according to the Health Ministry. "This will drastically reduce anaemia among women and children," said Pokhrel. A report from the Department of Health and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) released earlier this month found that 50% of Nepali children under five are malnourished, 49% are stunted and nearly 2% are severely malnourished. The problem is particularly pronounced in underdeveloped food-deficit areas of the far- and mid-west regions where more than 27% of children are acutely malnourished, Pokhrel said. "In such areas, there is a need to provide food rations which include fortified super flour also for the mothers," he said.

Health experts say poor maternal health among Nepali women is directly contributing to child malnutrition; nearly a quarter of the country's estimated 14.5 million women are malnourished, afflicted particularly by a low body mass index. Meanwhile, nutrition workers from NGOs say the government has not done enough to educate women and health workers about nutrition at a local level, especially in the most remote areas. "The government has not done anything vital. It has even failed to raise awareness about basic education about nutrition," Som Paneru, a nutrition expert and executive director of health and education NGO, the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation (NYOF), told IRIN. Officials say the World Bank, UNICEF and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently completed a nutritional gap analysis to assess child and maternal nutrition needs. The findings are to be integrated into the Nepal Health Sector Programme, which aims to expand access to and the use of essential health care services, and is supported by the World Bank and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The first phase of the programme will expire in July this year and the Ministry of Health and Population is drawing up plans for its implementation over the next five years. "The World Bank now is bringing significant funding which hasn't been previously specifically for nutrition within the national health sector plan. So we know the interventions that will work," Gillian Mellsop, UNICEF country representative in Nepal, told IRIN. However, officials say they have yet to sort out how efforts will be coordinated across the relevant ministries, while challenges lie ahead in implementing programmes at the local level. "We still do not have specific planning for community-level programmes and we have not been able to make targeted area-focused programmes," said Pokhrel.

From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 03/18/2010

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PAKISTAN: President to Sign Service Tribunals (Amendment) Bill 2010 Today

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari will sign Service Tribunals (Amendment) Bill 2010 recently passed by the parliament today in a ceremony at Sindh Chief Minister House. Through the Bill, employees will have right to take their disputes to the Labour Courts, Labour Appellate Tribunal as well as National Industrial Relations Commission. President chaired a meeting attended by Acting Governor Sindh, Nisar Khoro, CM Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Federal Labour Minister Khursheed Shah, Provincial ministers Pir Mazhar ul Haq, Agha Siraj Durrani Zulfiqar Mirza and Jameel Soomro. The People's Party Sindh leaders briefed the President about law and order situation, water shortage and future of local bodies.

From http://pakistanlink.org/ 03/05/2010

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International Women's Day Today: Parliament Should Revise Discriminatory Laws, Says Zardari

* President says PPP committed to forwarding Benazir's vision
* PM says empowering women present govt's top-most priority

ISLAMABAD: The members of parliament should revise all laws discriminatory to women in order to help make Pakistan a more tolerant, harmonious and secure country, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday. Speaking in connection with the International Women's Day, which is to be observed today (Monday), he said, "The observance of this day under the auspices of the United Nations demonstrates that today everywhere in the world there is an increased awareness among the women as to their rights... I would take this occasion to congratulate and salute not only the women in general but the women of Pakistan in particular for their continuous struggle for their emancipation and empowerment." While congratulating the Ministry of Women Development for its arrangements in connection with the celebrations of the day, he said this year's theme of "equal rights, equal opportunities; progress for all" required that concrete legislative and administrative steps be taken to empower women in the country. He lauded the efforts of the present government in successfully passing the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill, 2010. The president informed that the government had declared all the women of Pakistan as the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). BB's pledges: Zardari remarked that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) was fully committed to the welfare of women and the ideology of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir, who had remarked, "women's rights are inseparable from human rights".

He added that the fulfillment of pledges made by Benazir at the Beijing Conference and in the (CEDAW) were the sure ways to achieve gender equality in Pakistan. "She set the trend in gender equality and protection of women from violence. We resolve today to make that trend irreversible," he added. He appealed to all the political parties to join hands to extricate women from the agony and embarrassment of discriminatory laws. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, in his message for the International Women's Day, said, "I would like to congratulate all the women of Pakistan and the world over for their relentless efforts and sacrifices, they have and are still making to free this world from discrimination, oppression and biases." Top-most priority: He reaffirmed the present government's commitment to achieving women empowerment as its top-most priority, saying, "Our constitution already guarantees fundamental rights to the citizens without any gender-based discrimination." He assured that the government, keeping in line with Benazir's vision was not only making efforts to prevent the exploitation of women but also empower them in the true sense of the word. Gilani said that in this connection, concerted efforts were being made for the social, economic, legal and political empowerment of women by providing micro-credit facilities, skill training, rehabilitation of women in distress, mobility services and creating awareness among women. He said the launch of BISP, passage of Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2009 and legislation for the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Bill, 2009 were steps in the right direction. He assured that the government would further review, repeal and amend all other discriminatory laws to safeguard and promote the interests of women.

From http://pakistanlink.org/ 03/08/2010

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EC Finalises Draft of First 'Five-Year Strategic Plan'

ISLAMABAD: After detailed discussions and deliberations, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finalised the draft of first five-year 'Strategic Plan' in the Commission's history of nearly 60 years. Under the guidance of present Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, Justice Hamid Ali Mirza. The Election Commission of Pakistan has embarked upon a proactive and an interactive approach to initiate reforms in many areas ie Constitutional, Legislative and Administrative, etc, and is opening up to all stakeholders through establishment of Political Party Consultative Forum (PPCF) and Civil Society Consultative Forum (CSCF) for creating formal consultative mechanisms. This was stated by Election Commission of Pakistan Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan. The statement said that in any democratic society, free, fair and transparent elections serve as a prerequisite where people find an opportunity to elect their representatives in an independent and a democratic fashion. The ECP, being one of the most important Constitutional institutions, has been entrusted with the sacred responsibility of conducting free, fair and transparent elections. In order to fulfil its constitutional obligations up to the expectations of the nation, it is vital that the ECP should have regular consultations and dialogue with all stakeholders. In an unprecedented move, the ECP has decided to share its Strategic Plan 2010-2014, containing Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles of the ECP as well as 15 'Strategic Goals and Objectives' to be achieved, with the Election Support Group (ESG), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), political parties and the media through separate meetings and discussions with them. The Strategic Plan determines a sense of direction and a roadmap for the ECP for the next five years. The process of consultation is to start in the last week of March, 2010 when first series of meetings will be held with the above fora. For this purpose, letters have been issued to the chairpersons/presidents of the fora to nominate their senior representatives for the meeting. Besides, as the judicial officers will not be available for election duties in future in the light of the decision of National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the ECP will also consult the political parties and CSOs on proposal of creating a pool of officers of integrity belonging to federal and provincial governments for appointment, as District Returning Officers/Returning Officers/Assistant Returning Officers for future elections. "It is my firm belief and hope that these humble efforts will make the ECP a model institution, capable of realising the nation's aspirations for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections a reality for all times to come," the Secretary said.

From http://www.brecorder.com/ 03/14/2010

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Good News on Constitutional Reforms by End of March

* Zardari declares signing of 7th NFC Award 'historic achievement'
* Gilani says award will reduce trust deficit

ISLAMABAD: The nation will hear good news regarding constitutional reforms by the end of this month, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday. The president was addressing a ceremony to ink the seventh National Finance Commission Award, declaring it a "historic achievement" for the government. "It is a victory for democracy, all the political parties and provinces and the policy of reconciliation. The NFC Award is an agreement by all federating units over the annual distribution of financial resources among the provinces by the federal government," he said. "Democracy that returned to the country some time back, has demonstrated its strength. Let's give it time to grow, give the people of Pakistan a chance to grow and they will prove a productive part of the global society," Zardari said. "It shows that given political will, the issue of trust deficit can be addressed," he added. He said the federal government had willingly given up its share in the divisible pool to increase the provinces' share, adding the largest province had shown great flexibility in reaching a consensus. Trust deficit: Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said the NFC Award would reduce the trust deficit between the federation and provinces as well as among the provinces. He termed democracy the real dividend of the award, where the political leadership had shown utmost consideration and maturity in reaching a consensus.

From http://pakistanlink.org/ 03/17/2010

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80 (Eighty) Amendments Proposed: Constitutional Reforms Body Finalises Recommendations

ISLAMABAD: After over 66 marathon sessions, the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms has finalised the draft recommendations, proposing 80 amendments to the Constitution. The draft recommendations comprise a 60 page compendium having 14 dissenting notes, reliable sources told Business Recorder. According to sources, these amendments have been proposed in 60 Articles of the Constitution. The sources said Awami National Party (ANP) has proposed that FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and PATA (Provincially Administered Tribal Areas) should be made a separate province. If it is not possible, the areas should be made part of NWFP. The sources said there are 14 dissenting notes of various political parties. The parties include Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhawa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Balochistan National Party (BNP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Balochistan National Party Awami (BNP-A) and Jamhuri Wattan Party (JWP). PML-Q representatives' dissenting notes are about the Concurrent List, as they have opposed its abolition. The MQM has written a dissenting note about the sales tax on goods. It has demanded that the collection of sales tax on goods should be handed over to the provinces. The ANP members have written dissenting note on the issue pertaining to administrative control of FATA and PATA, as the ANP has demanded that these areas should be brought under the control of the NWFP. The JUI-F note is about the procedure of appointment of judges to superior courts. The JUI-F said the appointment procedure proposed by the committee is not in accordance with the Charter of Democracy (CoD). PkMAP's note is about its demand for a separate Pashtoon province and other issues that mainly relate to provincial autonomy. The members of JWP and BNP-A have written dissenting notes on the issues of ports and provincial autonomy, while JI note is on education and appointments in different government departments. The committee has proposed the removal of the bar on becoming Prime Minister for third time and also finalised the procedure for making appointments in superior judiciary, sources maintained. They said the committee would also meet on Sunday at 5:00pm and prepare a preamble of the draft along with a formal report on the proceedings of various meetings held so far. They further said the Committee would hold a meeting on Monday to review Article-1(2),62, 63, 155 and 251 of the Constitution. The committee will take up Article-251, which describes the rules about the national language for discussion in its meeting and review it for making certain changes if needed. The sources said the ANP has linked its support to the proposed amendments with the renaming of NWFP. The sources said the Committee Chairman is likely to hand over the draft recommendations of the committee to Speaker National Assembly on Wednesday morning (March 24).

From http://www.brecorder.com/ 03/21/2010

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18th Amend Bill to Be Tabled on 26th

ISLAMABAD: The 18th Amendment bill will be tabled before parliament on March 26 (Friday) and President Asif Ali Zardari will also address the joint session of parliament on the same day, Minister for Law and Justice Babar Awan said on Wednesday. Talking to journalists at the Parliament House, he said the sessions of both houses of parliament would continue until the 18th Amendment bill is approved by a two-thirds majority. The minister said the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms has already completed its task, and its members would sign the recommendation today (Thursday). He said the president had announced the constitutional reforms package during his address to the joint sitting of parliament last year. Following the speech, the National Assembly formulated a constitutional committee under the chairmanship of Senator Raza Rabbani. He said the 18th Amendment would restore the 1973 constitution to its original form after 37 years. The minister said the constitutional reforms package would also be a milestone for all democratic forces.

From http://pakistanlink.org/ 03/25/2010

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AZERBAIJAN: Foreign Minister Discloses Details of 'Madrid Principles'

Speaking at a press conference in Baku on March 15, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov disclosed details of the most recent draft of the so-called Madrid Principles for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The original Madrid Principles were presented by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in November 2007; they were updated last year at the urging of the presidents of France, Russia, and the United States, the three countries that jointly co-chair the Minsk Group. According to Mammadyarov, the most recent draft of the Madrid Principles envisages a phased, rather than a package solution to the conflict. The various steps are as follows: Armenian forces withdraw from the Agdam, Fizuli, Djebrail, Zangelan, and Gubadli districts of Azerbaijan that border on Nagorno-Karabakh, and from 13 villages in the occupied Lachin district that lies between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Communications are restored and a donors' conference convened to raise funds for postconflict rehabilitation. "Peacekeeping observers" are deployed to ensure the security of Azerbaijani displaced persons returning to their abandoned homes.

The second stage entails the withdrawal of the remaining occupying Armenian forces from Lachin and Kelbajar, followed by the return to Nagorno-Karabakh of the former Azerbaijani population. A decision is then taken on the status of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh republic within the Azerbaijan Republic, meaning that status should not violate Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. In that context, Mammadyarov proposed what he termed "a high level of autonomy" such as that enjoyed by Tatarstan and Bashkortostan within the Russian Federation. It is not clear whether Mammadyarov touched on the twin points, mentioned in the joint statement released in July by the French, Russian, and U.S. presidents, of granting "interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and self-governance," with the region's "final legal status" to be determined "through a legally binding expression of will." Mammadyarov said one week ago after meeting with the Minsk Group co-chairs in Paris that the revamped Madrid Principles are "largely acceptable" to Azerbaijan, bar some points he did not specify. RFE/RL's Armenian Service in late January quoted unidentified sources close to the negotiating process as saying the remaining disagreements between the conflicting parties center on practical modalities of the referendum; the time frame for the Armenian troop withdrawal from Kelbajar and Lachin; and the status of a land corridor across Lachin that would connect the two Armenian entities.

In an address last month to the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian argued that the principle of territorial integrity "should not be emphatically underlined" when seeking a solution to the Karabakh conflict. He said Nagorno-Karabakh has never been part of an independent Azerbaijani state, and that the region seceded from the USSR in full accordance with the legislation in force in that country at the time. He went on to ask rhetorically why those who now argue that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity must be preserved at all cots did not advance the same argument when the USSR and Yugoslavia disintegrated. "Our belief is that the settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be based on human rights and the will of the Karabakh people as an expression of their collective identity," Sarkisian went on. "It is the only way to achieve a lasting, feasible, and peaceful settlement." The alternative - forcing the Karabakh population against their will to live as citizens of the Azerbaijan Republic would, Sarkisian predicted, inevitably lead to attempts by Azerbaijan to ethnically cleanse Karabakh of its Armenian population.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/15/2010

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IRAQ: UN Security Council Ready to Lift Saddam-Era Sanctions

UNITED NATIONS (RFE/RL) - The United Nations Security Council has indicated its readiness to lift remaining economic sanctions against Iraq, provided Baghdad complies with its international obligations. The sanctions were imposed in 1991 in response to the occupation of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's regime. Council members adopted unanimously a presidential statement drafted by the United States that requests that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assess Iraqi cooperation on nonproliferation. Speaking on behalf of the council, the French ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud said Iraq is now compliance with its obligations not to produce or use chemical weapons.

"The Security Council underlines its readiness, once the necessary steps have been taken, to review with a view towards lifting the restrictions in resolutions 687 of 1991 and 707 of 1991 related to weapons of mass destruction and civil nuclear activities," Araud said. The lifting of the sanctions would allow Iraq to boost its economy, particularly in its agricultural sector. Under the current sanctions, Iraq is prohibited from producing pesticides. Iraq's ambassador to the UN Hamid Al-Bayati said lifting sanctions has the potential to generate up to $24 billion in trade. The Security Council did not address sanctions related to compensation payments Iraq owes to Kuwait.

From http://www.speroforum.com/ 02/26/2010

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With Iraqi Votes Tallied, Deal-Making Begins

The official results from Iraq's parliamentary elections show former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya bloc won two more seats than current Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's State of Law bloc. The announcement brings an end to weeks of vote-counting in the high-stakes race. Iraqiya won 91 seats in the 325-member Council of Representatives, while the State of Law bloc won 89 won seats. The Iraqi National Alliance, a coalition of mainly Shi'ite groups, won 70 seats, and Kurdistania, made up of the autonomous Kurdish region's two dominant blocs, won 43 seats. Another 17 seats were won by independent candidates and candidates from smaller parties. The last 15 seats will be given to members of religious and ethnic minority groups, according to quotas. One quarter of the seats should be filled by women, according to the Iraqi constitution. In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the White House congratulates Baghdad and the Iraqi people on "a successful election." "International observers and more than 200,000 domestic observers expressed their confidence in the overall integrity of the election and found that there's no evidence of widespread or serious fraud," Crowley said. "This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing democratic development of Iraq." The State Department called on all candidates and parties "to accept the results, respect the will of the Iraqi people, and work together cooperatively to form a new government in a timely manner." The statement continues: "It will be important for all sides to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and intimidation. It also is important that the Iraqi government continue to provide security and other essential services for its citizens during this period leading to the formation of a government." As Iraqis waited for the election results today, fresh violence struck the town of Khales in Diyala Province north of Baghdad, with two explosions killing some 40 people. Reports say women and children were among the wounded.

Wrangling Begins: The release of the election results marks the formal start of what may be an even more difficult process: forming a governing coalition. By failing to produce a decisive winner, the national parliamentary election leaves the field open for not one, but two, major parties to try to seize the initiative in coalition building. And, by producing at least two potential "kingmaker" groups in the background, the election has opened the way for even some of the losers in the election to exert huge influence in the deal-making. The result is almost certain to be a months-long period of negotiations over forming a new government - a process that could severely test the country's recently won stability. Nabil Ahmed, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq, says there are no parties immediately strong enough to form a ruling coalition on their own. Even though former Allawi's Iraqiya took the most votes, his list and the other frontrunner, Maliki's State of Law bloc, emerged essentially neck-and-neck. Ahmed says that means tough fights ahead. "The winning lists are strong enough to try to make alliances with smaller parties," he says. "But they also are strong enough to try to break each other apart by wooing away wavering loyalists. So there will be many battles and efforts to create new alliances in the days ahead."

Religious Parties Lose Ground: He notes that this is a much more complicated situation than the last parliamentary election in 2005, when Shi'ite religious parties swept the poll and later allied with the Kurdish bloc to dominate the new parliament. Even so, it took a full six months of tough negotiating to create a coalition stable enough to rule. This time, the front runners are not Shi'ite religious parties, but secularists or nationalists. Allawi is a Shi'ite secularist. Maliki heads a Shi'ite religious party but has used his years in power to rebrand as a nationalist. A dream team, from Washington's point of view, might be a coalition uniting Allawi and Maliki. That would marginalize the Shi'ite religious parties, which are actively supported by Iran. But Ahmed says this is highly unlikely. "There is quite a lot of personal animosity and that will play its part, too, in any deal-making," he says. "One of the strongest feuds is between Allawi and Maliki. Neither wants to share power with the other, so they are both almost certain to try to outmaneuver each other by reaching out to the third- and fourth-place finishers instead."

Coalition-Building: The prospect of such maneuvering puts both the third- and the fourth-place finishers in potential kingmaker roles. The third-place finisher is the Shi'ite religious parties' Iraqi National Alliance and, strongest among them, the loyalists of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. But the Sadrists themselves have deep-seated animosities toward both Allawi and Maliki, dating back to the efforts by both men to crack down on the Sadrists "Mahdi Army." Sadr opposes the U.S. military presence in the country and demands its immediate withdrawal. Since the election, both Allawi and Maliki have said they are open to alliances with Sadr. But it is not clear at what price. The Sadrists have suggested they could make a deal with Maliki's State of Law Coalition but that they would propose their own candidate for prime minister in Maliki's place. Both Allawi and Maliki have also held talks with the fourth-place finisher, Kurdistania. The alliance, composed of the two ruling factions in the Kurdish autonomous region - the KDP and PUK - is eager to retain its former king-making status despite losing some of their seats in the national parliament to the Kurdish opposition party, Goran. Ahmed says that because of the highly fragmented political landscape, almost any ruling coalition will - of necessity - be more inclusive than the governing coalition in Iraq today. "Maliki's government sought to include some key Sunni politicians despite the largely Sunni boycott of the parliamentary elections in 2005," Ahmed says. "But today it is no longer a question of goodwill or national interest to reach out across the political spectrum. It will be the only way to put together a bloc large enough to form a government."

All this makes the coming days a historic moment filled in equal measure with risk and promise. The risk is that Iraq will fall into an extended political vacuum that also produces a security vacuum - exactly what happened after the 2005 election. When the new Iraqi government was finally sworn in six months later in 2006, it faced a significantly worse security situation than before. The country tumbled into a spiral of sectarian violence that was in large part due to the distancing of one group - the Sunni Arabs - from the political process. But the promise is that this time Iraq might break with that violent past. It could happen if forming a ruling coalition requires incorporating and working with parties across the political spectrum. It would be a major departure from Iraq's history of dictators, coups, and one-party rule, and a large step toward becoming a stable parliamentary democracy.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/26/2010
　

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IRAN: Supreme Leader Tweets About Women's Rights

Here is a tweet by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (yes, he's on Twitter, he joined Twitter long before the Dalai Lama) on his views about women and their role in society. It came on March 9, the day after International Women's Day. The Supreme Leader's View of Women's Role and Rights in Society http://tinyurl.com/womens-role Highlights: "Women's activities in society are completely appropriate and acceptable. They should be active in society by observing Islamic limits."

"The issue of hijab is not intended to isolate women. Those who have such a perception of hijab are mistaken. The purpose of hijab is to prevent men and women from interacting with each other without observing any boundaries. Such an interaction would be detrimental to society and both men and women - particularly women. Hijab helps women reach the lofty moral position they deserve and prevents them from moral deviation."

"In places where women are encouraged to ignore hijab and immodest clothes are encouraged, women's security will be undermined in the first place. Then the security of men and youth will be undermined too. Islam has introduced the issue of hijab to help men and women carry out their duties in society."

"Of course the issue of employment is not of primary importance for women. Although Islam is not opposed to the employment of women - except in specific cases, which may or may not be agreed upon by all Islamic jurisprudents. The main issue regarding women is what has now been completely destroyed in the West, that is, the feeling of peace and security and having an opportunity to show their talents without being oppressed in society, in the family, or by their husbands and fathers."

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/09/2010

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Iran President Suggests Referendum on Subsidy Cuts

Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has suggested holding a referendum to approve subsidy cuts that the Islamic Republic's parliament has repeatedly blocked, a news agency said. Parliament this month passed a state budget for the next Iranian year starting March 21 that did not contain radical cuts in subsidies sought by Ahmadinejad. Delegates had said the cuts could stoke inflation, while analysts say they could also provoke unrest in a country already plagued by tension after street protests by opponents of Ahmadinejad over the past year. Any such referendum could risk more unrest. "The solution is to ask people if they want this law to be implemented or not and to hold a referendum on this issue," Ahmadinejad said in an interview on state television late on March 19 that was carried on state news agency IRNA. "We should not require the government to do something that hurts people. The government would not do anything that hurts the people... Scaring people over implementing a subsidy bill that is a necessary reform is treacherous." The government proposed saving $40 billion by reforming the Islamic Republic's costly subsidy system but parliament only approved half of that amount. The Guardian Council signed off the budget last week.

Parliament first stymied the government's subsidy reform plans last year by approving the general outlines but linking the plan to the state budget to enforce parliamentary oversight of how the money saved is spent. Three prominent members of parliament issued a statement attacking Ahmadinejad over the referendum idea, calling him to a public debate on the issue on television, Fars news agency said."The president doesn't have the right to disobey a law which has been approved by parliament," said the statement by Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghaddam, Ahmadi Tavakoli and Elias Naderan, seen as experts in economic affairs. Analysts say Ahmadinejad hopes the subsidy cut will make Iran less vulnerable to any U.N. sanctions on its gasoline imports and it would allow the president to channel some of the cash saved directly to constituents who support him.Iran is the world's fifth-largest crude exporter. But while oil prices have surged, Iran's economy has slowed as a result of the global economic downturn, political isolation and sanctions over its nuclear energy program.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/21/2010

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Iran's Spiritual Leader: Development of Neighboring Countries Is Priority for Iran

Participants of the first international ceremony on the Novruz holiday held in Tehran March 27, met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran hails the development of relations among the neighboring and the regional countries that have single culture and considers their development profitable and a priority for itself, Khamenei said at the meeting. He said the Novruz is a celebration that has high value. Although the Novruz is a national, not a religious holiday, it is welcomed in the Hadith and the messages of the people. The interests of the region's peoples should not contradict each other, but serve to promote common interests, he added. Presidents of Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister attended the meeting. Assigning international status to the Novruz holiday is a good example for the integration of the eastern nations that mark this festival, into the Western world. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov conveyed the congratulations of Azerbaijan and its people to Ayatollah Khamenei. March 27, Iran hosted the first international ceremony in connection with the assignment of the international status to the Novruz holiday by United Nations.

From http://www.today.az/ 03/28/2010

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KYRGYZSTAN: High Court Says Rally Regulation Illegal

Kyrgyzstan's Constitutional Court today ruled that a Bishkek city council regulation on seeking approval to hold mass gatherings is illegal, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. The regulation in question is former Bishkek Mayor Daniyar Usenov's proposal in November 2007 that the organizers of any mass gathering in the Kyrgyz capital must apply for a permit at least 10 days before the planned action. Tolekan Ismailova, who heads the Bishkek-based nongovernmental organization Citizens Against Corruption, had asked the Constitutional Court to rule on the legality of that requirement. Usenov is currently Kyrgyzstan's prime minister.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/02/2010

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TAJIKISTAN: Leader's Party Grabs Parliament Majority

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's party has retained its parliamentary majority, the Central Election Commission said today after a poll heavily criticized by international observers and opposition parties. The results mean little will change from the previous parliament where Rashmon's People's Democratic Party, in power for 17 years, held 57 seats and Islamists had two. Western monitors denounced the vote in the former Soviet state for failing basic democratic standards, with irregularities including ballot-box stuffing and suspect proxy voting. Rahmon's party won 53 seats out of 63 in the lower house of parliament in the February 28 poll, the election commission said, citing preliminary results. The Islamic Revival Party, Tajikistan's main opposition movement and Central Asia's only Islamist party, won two seats, senior commission official Mukhibullo Dadajanov told reporters. Five seats will be split between communists and two other parties that usually support the government while voting will be re-run in one single-seat constituency, Dadajanov said.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Europe's main election monitoring group, said on March 1 that serious irregularities meant Tajikistan's parliamentary election failed to meet basic democratic standards. The U.S. embassy also criticized "widespread fraud and irregularities." "Initial evaluation of observations by embassy staff election observers indicates that the vote was beset by procedural irregularities and fraud, including cases of ballot stuffing," it said in a statement late on March 1. Tajikistan, which has a long border with Afghanistan, has never held an election deemed free and fair by Western monitors. The Islamic Revival Party said today it would challenge the poll results in court. "There was mass fraud," the party's leader Mukhiddin Kabiri told reporters. "In a fair election we would have got 30 percent of votes."

Dadajanov rejected all criticism. "After every election someone is happy and someone is unhappy, both among voters and political parties," he said. "We have not received any proof of the violations that the Islamic Revival Party is talking about." Kabiri did not announce any plans for public protests which are a rare event in the tightly run nation still recovering from a civil war in the 1990s that pitched Islamists against Rahmon's government and killed more than 100,000 people.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/02/2010

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Introduction of Elements of Family Court in Tajikistan Discussed in Dushanbe

A roundtable meeting to discuss introduction of elements of family court in Tajikistan is being held in Dushanbe today. Organized by the Tajik Branch of Open Society Institute/Assistance Foundation (OSI/AF-Tajikistan), the meeting is expected to bring together representatives from the country's judicial system, civil society, barristers community, international organizations dealing court reforms, protection of women and children's rights and gender problems as well as prosecutors and researchers to exchange views and offer recommendations on development of this new sub-institution of the country's judicial system. In accordance with the national court and legal reforms program amendments were made to the country's law on courts in January 2010 and penal of judges for family and administrative will be set up at courts in Tajikistan. According to OSI/AF-Tajikistan, the main objective of the meeting is in discussing and analyzing formation and development of penal of judges for family cases in the country. During preparations for the meeting, local independent experts have analyzed international practice and Tajikistan's legislation regarding this subject and the survey will be presented at the meeting, the source said. A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a superior court.

From http://www.asiaplus.tj/ 03/03/2010

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ADB Supports Tajik Government's Energy Policy

On Monday March 15, President Emomali Rahmon received visiting Director General of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Mr. Juan Miranda. Mr. Miranda is the Director General of the Central and West Asia Department covering 10 countries - Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. According to presidential press service, the sides discussed state and prospects of further expansion of cooperation between the Government of Tajikistan, including ADB's assistance program in the country, which focuses on strengthening regional cooperation through improving energy and transport infrastructure, and private sector development. President Rahmon, in particular, noted that the ADB is one of large donors of Tajikistan and stressed that to-date, Tajikistan has received preferential loans for 372 million U.S. dollars, grants for 162 million U.S. dollars and technical assistance for 34 million U.S. dollars from the ADB. The sides discussed issues related to implementation of Tajik government's anti-crisis program as well as energy and transportation projects being implemented in Tajikistan and in the region. Mr. Miranda highly appraised the anti-crisis measures taken by the Tajik government and noted that according to the ADB estimates, Tajikistan's economy would be growing noticeably this year, presidential press service said.

The ADB official also noted that the ADB would allocate US$100 million to support Tajikistan's anti-crisis programs and that that amount might be increased. Mr. Miranda said that the ADB seconded Tajik government's energy policy and intended to support it and he also hailed Tajik government's decision to carry out the techno-economic and environmental and social studies for the Roghun hydroelectricity project, according to presidential press service. In the course of the talks, the two also discussed issues related to conducting feasibility study for construction of other hydropower plants on the territory of Tajikistan, construction of power transmission line from Tajikistan to Afghanistan and the construction of a railway link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran, the source said. We will recall that Mr. Miranda accompanied by Deputy Director General Werner Liepach, and Senior Adviser Tatsuya Kanai arrived in Tajikistan on March 15 to have talks with senior government officials and donors. Today, the delegation is departing for Almaty, Kazakhstan.Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, and to date has received total assistance of about $560 million in concessional loans, grants and technical assistance from this institution. ADB's grant assistance package to Tajikistan for 2010 is about $74 million. The assistance program is expected to support energy and private sector development. ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in the Asia and Pacific region through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members - 48 from the region.

From http://www.asiaplus.tj/ 03/16/2010

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President Calls on Lawmakers to Unite for Solving Vital Issues

The past parliamentary elections were another resolute step towards democratization of Tajik society, President Emomali Rahmon remarked in his address to the first sitting of the first session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan's lower chamber of parliament) of the fourth convocation on March 16. The head of state noting that Tajikistan is just taking the fist steps towards building a democratic society. "Therefore, there may be errors and hesitations on this long path but we are going resolutely towards our aim - building really democratic society," President Rahmon said. He called on newly elected lawmakers to unite irrespective of party belonging for solving the most vital issues."I ordered my executive office to study pre-election programs of all eight political parties and I tell you the programs will be taken into consideration while concrete government programs will be developed and there ought not to see enemies at political parties," Rahmon stated.

Noting that pre-election programs of all political parties raise the problems of corruption in the country, the president pointed to the necessity of combing efforts to fight corruption. "I recently sacked a number of high-ranking officials of the Prosecutor-General's Office for corruption and work in this direction will be continued," he said. Rahmon also expressed gratitude to the ex-speaker of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Saydullo Khairulloyev for good job and noted that he would appoint Mr. Khairulloyev member of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan's upper chamber of parliament). We will recall that one-fourths of the members of the Majlisi Milli are appointed by the president.

From http://www.asiaplus.tj/ 03/16/2010

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AUSTRALIA: Opposition Leader Says No Plans for New Taxes

Australia's opposition leader, Tony Abbott, says he does not intend to promise any more new taxes. This week Mr Abbott promised a six-month parental leave scheme that would be paid for by a new tax on big business. Now he says he is not planning to announce any other plans for new taxes before the election. "I don't like higher taxes," he said. But Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Mr Abbott announced his tax plan for parental leave not long after after a previous "no new taxes" promise. The problem with your tax pledges is they last about a fortnight, and then they're gone," she said. Mr Abbott says the Government should release the Henry tax review so people can see and debate its plans.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/12/2010

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Trans-Tasman Broadband Cable Plan

A group of businessmen wants to build an international fibre cable across the Pacific Ocean to bring unlimited broadband to New Zealand and Australia. The 13,000-kilometre fibre optic cable would link New Zealand and Australia to the United States. The New Zealand businessmen behind the project say the cable will deliver five times the capacity of the existing Southern Cross network. The group is yet to raise the money for the Pacific Fibre project, which is expected to cost around $900 million.

One of Pacific Fibre's founders, Mark Rushworth, concedes it is an ambitious plan. "It has many, many risks," he concedes. The group says if it gets the funding it needs, the fibre cable could be operating by 2013.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/12/2010

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Australia and New Zealand Send Help to Fiji

An Australian military C-130 Hercules cargo plane is shortly expected in Suva carrying initial Australian aid to help those affected by Cyclone Tomas. Australia announced an initial one-Million-dollars in emergency assistance after receiving a request from Fiji's interim government.New Zealand has also responded. One of their Hercules aircraft is in Fiji, and like Australia's aircraft it will assist with air reconnaissance over the disaster area.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/17/2010

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Australian Health Reform Hinges on State Polls

Both major Australian political parties say federal issues weren't at play in this weekend's state polls, but the future of the Prime Minister's health and hospitals plan may hinge on the results. South Australian politics remains in limbo with neither the Government nor Opposition declaring victory after yesterday's election. Meanwhile, a final result in Tasmania is expected to take at least 10 days, and Labor has lost majority rule.

The manager of federal government business, Anthony Albanese, says the results in South Australia and Tasmania shouldn't affect the Government's plan to overhaul the health system. "The Prime Minister has shown that he has the ability to negotiate with premiers across the political spectrum," he said. The Liberal Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz says if the Liberals form a minority government in Tasmania they shouldn't be taken for granted.

He says the Liberals state leader will need more details on the plan."If what Kevin Tudd serves up is good for the people of Tasmania he'll undoubtedly have an ally in Will Hodgman," he said. The Government wants all states and territories to agree by early next month.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/21/2010

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Australia's Prosperity Linked to Health Reform: PM

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday warned the states Australia's long-term prosperity depends on his health reform package. Some states have raised questions about the plan, which involves the Commonwealth taking over 60 percent of the health funding in return for the states giving up a third of their GST income. Australian state and territory leaders will meet next month to discuss the issue. Rudd said the states need to recognize they will be much better off under the health plan. "I'd make the point that the Australian government's health reform package of itself represents a significant step forward in freeing up state government balance sheets to refocus their effort on critical state government infrastructure," he said. "In embarking on health reform, the government is also therefore undertaking a reform to the finances of the Federation."

From http://english.people.com.cn/ 03/29/2010

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New Youth Crime Laws 'Toughest in Australia'

The Queensland Government says it is cracking down on youth crime but the Opposition says new laws will make little difference. From today, the courts have new powers to name serious juvenile offenders and impose curfews. Community Services Minister Karen Struthers says the new laws include curfews and new powers for the courts to name serious offenders. Ms Struthers says she is still reviewing whether 17-year-olds will continue to be treated as adults in the criminal justice system. Queensland is the only Australian jurisdiction with that policy and advocacy groups have repeatedly called for change. The changes were an election promise last year, but the Opposition says they were first flagged in 2001. Ms Struthers says young offenders who do not change their ways will feel the full force of the law.

"We've got the toughest laws in Australia and we're getting tougher - people are feeling unsafe and we're not going to cop this any longer," he said. "Young people need to know that there is help available - we are trying to put young people back on track early and intervene early. "But for those who don't take up those opportunities at jobs and to get off drugs and those sort of things that are impacting their offending behaviour, they'll certainly feel the full force of the law." Ms Struthers says she has visited the youth centre that is part of a Brisbane adult prison and 17-year-olds are involved in education and other programs. "But the youth detention centre offers a more fulsome range of programs, vocational education and training, and that certainly seems to be a very important part of the rehabilitation for young people," she said. "Those sorts of things are the things I'm looking at to see which system is the better system."

But Opposition spokesman Rosemary Menkens says the new laws will have little impact, because young offenders are not being rehabilitated. "I don't believe that these new changes are going to make much difference at all," she said. "We supported the changes but this Government is soft on crime - this Government's approach is not improving youth crime at all. "We're seeing a revolving door with youth crime and no matter how tough they talk. it is not working."

From http://au.news.yahoo.com/ 03/29/2010

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Secrecy Laws and Open Government in Australia

Attorney-General Robert McClelland ordered the review in August 2008 after retired customs officer Allan Kessing was charged with disclosing information without due authorisation. A key focus of the ALRC report is to wind back the use of criminal sanctions, for the unauthorised disclosure of information, including the repeal of s 70 of the Crimes Act 1914, which has attracted consistent criticism over the years. The Final Report makes 61 recommendations for reform and sets out a new and principled framework designed to reinforce open and accountable government while ensuring adequate protection for Commonwealth information that should legitimately be kept confidential. The ALRC recommends that every Australian Government agency should develop and publish information-handling policies and guidelines to clarify the application of secrecy laws.

From http://www.apo.org.au/ 03/29/2010

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NEW ZEALAND: Govt Plan to Mine High-Value Conservation Land

Forest and Bird says the Government has plans to start mining on 7,000 hectares of conservation land. It has learnt of three sites named in a discussion document as areas the Government wants to allow mining in, 3 News reported. They include high-value areas on Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula, and the Eastern Paparoa National Park on the West Coast. According to Forest and Bird, this shortlist of sites is in line to lose Schedule Four protection, opening the door for mining to begin. But the conservation group said the areas all have ecological and landscape value, which is why they have previously been protected. Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee said a public discussion would be held once Cabinet made a decision. "I'm not saying anything until that time," he told One News.

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 03/15/2010

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Act Now to Fight Swine Flu - Ministry

New Zealanders are being urged to have flu jabs soon, to give the country the best chance of a smooth ride through a likely second round of the international swine flu pandemic. The Ministry of Health predicts the resurgence may begin as soon as the end of this month, so it wants people to talk to their doctor or nurse now about vaccination. It takes up to two weeks to develop immunity after vaccination. The second wave is expected so soon because of the experience of the Northern Hemisphere late last year in its autumn and winter. "The indications from the Northern Hemisphere are that if we are going to get a second wave, it's likely to start quite early in autumn - in March or April," said the ministry's director of public health, Dr Mark Jacobs. The injection, licensed for use on those over 6 months old, is state-funded for the elderly, young children at high health risk and people with any of a range of listed health conditions. The programme runs until the end of June.

Others have to pay about $20, although many employers pay for their staff to be vaccinated. The first wave of the pandemic hit New Zealand last April with the arrival of travellers returning from Mexico, the first country affected. At first it caused widespread fears and attracted intense coverage because no one knew if it would be as severe as the 1918 Spanish flu, or, as it turned out, something generally much milder. The virus, a new strain now called H1N1 2009, generally caused a relatively mild disease for those who experienced symptoms, although for some it was a serious illness and fatal in a few cases. No one knows how many people in New Zealand were exposed to the virus although researchers, who are taking blood samples from people to look for antibody evidence of swine flu exposure, expect to come up with a reliable calculation.

During the first wave, the ministry calculated that up to half the population could have caught the virus. A total of 3200 cases were reported, but the actual number is likely to be far higher because once the virus had become widespread, health authorities stopped trying to confirm every case by laboratory testing and encouraged otherwise healthy people experiencing relatively mild symptoms to look after themselves at home. Swine flu put 1014 people in hospital and was confirmed as the cause of 20 deaths, although a number of other deaths are still being investigated. An unknown but large number of people would have been exposed to the virus without experiencing any symptoms. This bodes well for a mild second wave because they will be immune to the virus. Dr Jacobs said that was the ministry was relying on this natural immunity - and advocating rapid uptake of the vaccine - in its hopes that any second wave would have only a mild impact.

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ 03/15/2010

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New Zealand Growth Pace to Pick Up - NZIER Survey Reuter

WELLINGTON - New Zealand's economic growth will likely quicken over the next two years on improved investment and better consumption, a survey showed on Tuesday. The economy, which emerged from five quarters of recession last year, is seen growing 3.1 percent in the year to March 2011 and by 3.2 percent in the 2012 March year, the NZ Institute of Economic Research said in a quarterly survey of forecasts. That compares with consensus forecasts of 2.8 percent in 2011 and 3 percent in 2012, in the private think tank's December survey of seven banks, the Reserve Bank of NZ, the Treasury department, and the NZIER. "Cautious optimism was reflected in modest upward revisions to most main indicators," NZIER said.

The survey showed an unchanged consensus of a 0.4 percent contraction for the year to March 2010. Official data for the three months to Dec. 31 are due on Thursday with expectations of quarterly growth of 0.8 percent, but a fall of 1.5 percent for the year. [NZ/POLL] The survey also showed an expectation that unemployment, which hit a 10-year high of 7.3 percent in the fourth quarter, has peaked and will gradually decline, as the economy starts to generate more jobs. Inflation is seen slightly higher at 2.4 percent in both years against 2.1 percent in 2011 and 2.3 percent in 2012 in December's survey. "Forecasters are now mindful of a potential GST (goods and services tax) increase and a raft of administrative price increases in the March 2011 year," NZIER said. The government will unveil changes to the tax system in its May budget, which it has hinted might include a rise in the indirect value-added GST to pay for cuts in personal tax rates.

The Reserve Bank of NZ is required to keep inflation between 1-percent and 3-percent on average over the medium term, but has a policy to disregard one-off impacts when setting monetary policy. Exports and imports are both forecast to improve strongly over the next two years as the global recovery boosts, while the current account is expected to remain narrowly in deficit. NZIER said the consensus view was for a "modest rise" in the NZ dollar's trade weighted index <=NZD>, but that masked a wide range between those expecting a move back to the highs seen last October and those picking a fall to the seven-year low touched last March.

From http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/ 03/23/2010

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OECD Team to Look at National Standards

An OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) review team will visit New Zealand this year to assess its education system, including national standards which have been introduced in primary and intermediate schools. Education Minister Anne Tolley said information from New Zealand and eight other countries was being compiled to be brought together in an OECD report which will share policy innovation with other nations on how to lift student achievement. The implementation of national standards, which requires teachers to assess students against benchmarks in reading, writing and maths and report to parents, has been controversial with some principals, school boards and teacher unions rebelling against it, wanting to see it trialled first.

But Tolley said national standards, unique to New Zealand, had gained interest from other countries and the review would allow the education sector to examine how its evaluation and assessment policies could be even more effective in raising student achievement. The OECD review would also assist the work of a recently-appointed independent advisory group on national standards, which gives advice on the implementation of the standards.

From http://tvnz.co.nz/ 03/25/2010

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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Investment Urged in Opportunities for Women

There are concerns that a boom in Liquified Natural Gas in Papua New Guinea, could mean women become overwhelmed with extra family responsibilities. Marking International Women's Day, an Australian based project is promoting development opportunities in business for women, especially in agriculture.

Professor Barbara Chambers from the University of Canberra leads a collaborative pilot project aimed at improving the livelihoods of Papua New Guinean women in agriculture by improving their business skills. Professor Chambers says it's vital to invest in those who play such a major role in feeding, educating and securing families.

"The Papua New Guinea government has now made its strategic objectives very clear that every aid and development and research programme must build in gender objectives," she said. "We have the wonderful PNG Women In Agriculture organisation in Lae that has its own strategic plan and we'll be asking aid and development and research agencies to plug into their plan."

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/08/2010

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Strategies for Business, Government and Civil Society to Fight Corruption in Asia and the Pacific

Bribery is bad for business, so why do businesses continue to bribe? What roles do business, government, and civil society have in the fight against corruption - and notably in the fight against bribery in business? The6th Regional Anti-Corruption Conference for Asia and the Pacific gathered experts from countries and jurisdictions of Asia and the Pacific, OECD member countries, leading enterprises and businesses associations, civil society, and development partners to respond to these questions and to share their experiences in fighting bribery in business.

The conference, organized by the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific in late November 2008, explored (i) possible drivers and incentives for anti-corruption reform; (ii) the role of criminal law standards and corporate compliance mechanisms; (iii) the risks and countermeasures against private-to-private corruption; (iv) preventing and managing conflicts of interest; (v) international initiatives to counter bribery; (vi) how development partners can become involved in the fight against bribery and corruption.

From http://finance.yahoo.com/ 02/23/2010

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"Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All": UNDP Administrator Helen Clark's Message on Women's Day

Right now, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is gathering in New York to review progress towards gender equality since the groundbreaking Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. That landmark conference recognized the barriers women face in achieving full equality, and an internationally agreed plan to address the problem, titled the Beijing Platform for Action, was adopted. In the fifteen years since 1995, despite genuine progress on many fronts, overall advancement toward gender equality and women's empowerment has been uneven and slow. Women's political participation is rising too slowly, women remain more vulnerable on the job front, and maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high in many regions.

While more and more women are holding political office, women legislators comprise only eighteen percent of legislators globally, far from the target of thirty percent set in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. At the present rate it would take another forty years to reach gender parity. And more women than ever before are participating in the work force, almost two-thirds of women in the developing world work in vulnerable jobs as either self-employed persons or as unpaid family workers in the informal economy. In developing countries, women consistently lag behind men in formal labour force participation and entrepreneurship, earn less than men for similar work, and have less access to credit as well as lower inheritance and ownership rights than men do.

Women's health, particularly reproductive health, remains a serious issue. More than half a million women die every year - or one woman every minute - from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. In 2008, Security Council Resolution 1820, became the first resolution to recognise conflict-related sexual violence as a matter of international peace and security. This important step must be followed by action to ensure that perpetrators of sexual and gender based violence are prosecuted and brought to justice. The recent appointment of Margot Wallstrom as the first United Nations Under-Secretary-General on Sexual Violence and Conflict will ensure that these issues continue to be a high priority for the UN.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are struggling where the needs and status of women are given low priority. If women's status is lifted, the goals are more likely to be achieved, with benefits for women, men, and children. Reducing maternal mortality, for example, would also have positive effects on the goals of improving children's health and access to education, and of reducing poverty and hunger. Providing girls with education will, in time, be positive for reducing child mortality and improving child nutrition and health for future generations. Tackling the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence not only addresses a basic human right, but also helps reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Many countries have advanced gender parity through the successful promotion of girls' education, but significant disparities persist in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and Western Asia. Sadly, at the current rate of progress, the Millennium Development Goals of eliminating gender disparity in all levels of education no later than 2015 remains far from being achieved.The MDGs Summit at the United Nations this September is a major opportunity to show how meeting the needs of women can transform development progress To achieve true equality for women, we must continue working towards women's political, economic, and social empowerment. The proposed new gender entity to be established by the UN will provide a powerful voice for women and girls in these areas, and we look forward to it making a real difference for the world's women in the years to come.

In the Secretary-General's words, we must in 2010 "empower women like never before". On this International Women's Day, our commitment that 'progress for women is progress for all' is stronger than ever. With solid partnerships, dedicated resources, and unwavering political leadership, we can build inclusive and equitable societies where it is widely understood that a win for women is a win for all.

From http://www.scoop.co.nz/ 03/02/2010

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Gender Equality Instrumental for Achieving Internationally Agreed Development Goals

"The EU said on Monday that gender equality and women's empowerment are instrumental toward the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, and called on the UN to address remaining challenges for the advancement of women... Spanish Equality Minister Bibiana Aido reaffirmed the EU's support in the Beijing Platform for Action, which identified 12 critical areas of concern for women, allowing governments to incorporate gender equality perspectives in their institutions..." [Xinhua/Factiva]

AP adds that "...UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said Monday that while many countries have made progress in improving education for girls and adopting national laws and programs to promote women's rights, gender equality remains a distant goal. 'While we have seen advances in the past 15 years [since the Beijing Platform for Action], we have not seen enough,' Migiro told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women. 'We need to move from commitment to action.'..." [Associated Press/Factiva] AFP reports that "...the UN came under strong pressure to quickly establish a powerful super-agency to tackle women's issues. 'We have spoken long enough about this. It's time to act,' said European Commissioner for Gender Equality Viviane Reding... 'Either this (the UN) is an action-bound organization or this is a talking club. Women would like it to be an action organization.'..." [Agence France Presse/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 03/02/2010

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OECD Calls On Businesses to Step Up Their Fight Against Bribery

Companies should put in place strict internal controls and establish ethics and compliance programmes as part of a strategy to combat bribery in international business deals, according to a new guidance agreed by the 38 countries that are party to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. From March 2010, the OECD Working Group on Bribery - made up of representatives from these 38 nations - will monitor countries' progress in encouraging their companies to implement the Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics and Compliance.

"Too few companies are aware of how damaging foreign bribery is to their business, their industry and the world economy. Bribery distorts everyone's ability to compete in a global market," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. "This is the most comprehensive guidance ever provided to companies and business organisations by an international organisation on this issue and marks another step forward in the fight against bribery." Specifically, the Good Practice Guidance calls on businesses to:

• Adopt a clear and visible anti-bribery policy that is strongly supported by senior management;
• Instill a sense of responsibility for compliance with the policy at all levels of the company, as well as independent compliance structures;
• Keep up regular communication and training on foreign bribery for all employees, as well as with business partners; and
• Encourage observance of anti-bribery compliance measures, and disciplinary procedures to address their violations.

The Guidance also recommends that business organisations play a leading role in providing information, advice and training to companies, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, on how to protect themselves against the risk of foreign bribery.

From http://www.oecd.org/ 03/03/2010

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Asia-Pacific Region Has One of the World's Worst Gender Gaps: UNDP

While Asia and the Pacific can take pride in the region's vibrant economic transformation in recent decades, this has not translated into progress on gender equality. Discrimination and neglect are threatening women's very survival in the Asia-Pacific region, where women suffer from some of the world's lowest rates of political representation, employment and property ownership. Their lack of participation is also depressing economic growth. Those were some of the findings of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-sponsored 2010 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report launched today. "Empowering women is vital for achieving development goals overall, and for boosting economic growth and sustainable development," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, in presenting the Report: Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific, here today. "Policy needs to advance gender equality, so that women as well as men can benefit from job creation and investments in social infrastructure."

The Report focuses on three key areas -economic power, political decision-making and legal rights? to analyse what holds women back, and how policies and attitudes can be changed to foster a climb toward gender equality. Asia, the Report asserts, is standing at a cross-road and by putting the right policies in place now, countries in the region can achieve positive change. Lack of women's participation in the workforce costs the region billions of dollars every year. In countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia conservative estimates show that GDP would increase by up to 2-4 percent annually if women's employment rates were raised to 70 percent, closer to the rate of many developed countries. Fewer women than men are in paid work in every country in the region, with striking contrasts between South Asia and East Asia. Nearly 70 percent of East Asian women are in paid work, well above the global average of 53 percent, in countries such as Cambodia, China, and Viet Nam, for example. In South Asian countries like India and Pakistan fewer than 35 percent of women do paid work. These contrasts in women's paid work between East and South Asia co-exist in parallel with the higher long-term growth trend of the former.

Despite laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, women in this region still earn considerably less than men, with the pay gap ranging from 54 to 90 percent. Women "consistently end up with some of the worst, most poorly-paid jobs -often the ones that men don't want to do, or that are assumed to be "naturally" suited to women," the Report found. South Asia often comes in second worst in the world in gender equality measures, just above sub-Saharan Africa, while East Asia often fares better in health, education, and employment. Asia-Pacific women hold only a handful of legislative seats, fewer than anywhere else in the world except in the Arab region. Women in Asia-Pacific rarely make it to elective office. The Pacific sub-region accounts for four of the world's six countries without any women lawmakers. Development level doesn't necessarily correlate with high political participation for women, either; women in Japan and the Republic of Korea, for example, hold just 10 percent of legislative seats.

Interestingly, countries emerging from conflict appear to offer better political opportunities for women: 33 percent of Nepal's parliamentarians are women, and nearly 30 percent of Timor-Leste's. The problem of "missing girls" ?in which more boys are born than girls, as girl fetuses are presumably aborted, and women die from health and nutrition neglect- is actually growing. Birth gender disparity is greatest in East Asia, where 119 boys are born for every 100 girls. China and India together account more than 85 million of the nearly 100 million "missing" women estimated to have died from discriminatory treatment in health care, nutrition access or pure neglect ?or because they were never born in the first place, the report found. A tenth of women here report being assaulted by their partners, and a majority of women who do work -up to 85 percent of South Asia's working women? are engaged in unstable low-end work in the informal economy.

Few women hold property. Although women predominate in agriculture, they head only 7 percent of farms, compared to 20 percent in most other regions of the world. "Pervasive gender inequality remains a barrier to progress, justice and social stability, and deprives the region of a significant source of human potential," the Report concluded. Laws aren't helping much. The region is far behind where it could be on basic issues, such as protecting women from violence, upholding entitlements to property -even allowing people to divorce in an informed and reasonable way. Few countries have adopted or implemented laws prohibiting violence against women, despite widespread evidence of discrimination and assault. Nearly half of the countries in South Asia, and more than 60 percent of those in the Pacific, have no laws against domestic violence. Nor are there many provisions against sexual harassment in workplaces, though 30 to 40 percent of working women report experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse.

"Too often, customs or religious beliefs have become a rationale for laws and legal systems to ignore or soft-peddle or even, in the worst cases, justify issues such as discriminatory inheritance practices and the multiple forms of violence that specifically target women," Anuradha Rajivan, leader of the multinational team that prepared the Report, said. Many women are also prevented from accessing justice if it involves challenging their husbands, other family members or the broader status quo, the report concluded.he report has recommended the following steps for redressing the gender imbalance. They are as follows: .Removing barriers to women's ownership of assets, such as land; expanding paid employment; making migration safe and investing in high-quality education and health are some of the main solutions recommended for addressing these problems.

Reforming constitutions, training judicial and law enforcement personnel in gender-sensitive practices and progressively Interpreting religious principles ?which recognize the equal value of all human beings. Political quotas to increase women's political participation, with sanctions for non-compliance, could be necessary. More women should also be enfranchised into party politics; and relied upon as brokers of peace in times of emergency. (ANI)

From http://www.calcuttanews.net/ 03/08/2010

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A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia

The Asia Pacific region has made impressive progress on many fronts, and seems poised to recover from the global economic recession more rapidly than other regions. Long term, sustainable progress, however, requires more support empower of women. Achieving equality for women is not only a laudable goal and a human right. It is also good economics, helps deepen democracy and enables genuine long-term stability. The latest Asia Pacific Human Development Report, Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific, estimates that the under representation of women in the workforce is a heavy cost to the region in economic terms. Inequalities in the workforce and obstacles to women's advancement there persist. For example, agricultural jobs account for more than 40 per cent of women's jobs in East Asia and 65 percent in South Asia. Yet, only 7 percent of the farms in these regions are controlled by women.

The inequalities don't stop there. There are large gaps worldwide between the political participation of men and of women. In the Asia Pacific, however, these gaps are among the largest in the world. The Pacific sub-region alone has four of six countries with no women legislators at all. In South Asia, on critical issues such as health, adult literacy, and economic participation, the gaps between men and women are wide by world standards. According to this latest Human Development Report, almost half the adult women in South Asia are illiterate, a higher proportion than in any other region in the world. Women in South Asia can expect to live five fewer years than the world average of 70.9 years. South Asia also has the highest malnutrition rates in the world - two out of every five children are underweight, compared to one in four in sub-Saharan Africa.

More women die in childbirth in South Asia - 500 for every 100,000 live births - than in any other part of the world except for sub-Saharan Africa. To remove these obstacles, far reaching changes are needed in the interlinked areas of economics, social policy, politics, and law. In the realm of economics, policies that ensure that women and men have the same inheritance rights and rights to land titles will put assets in the hands of women, and significantly improve their ability to make their voices heard inside and outside the home. The Human Development Report estimates that increasing the proportion of women in the workforce to 70 percent, equivalent to the rate of many developed countries, would boost annual GDP by 2-4 percent in countries such as India and Malaysia. Political reforms are needed so that more women can enter legislatures and positions of power. This region has produced a number of women presidents and prime ministers. More women in power at every level will ensure that women's needs get higher priority than they currently do.

Nations in the Asia Pacific committed to achieving real progress for women when they signed the Millennium Declaration in 2000 and backed the Millennium Development Goals. Countries where the needs and status of women are given low priority, have made little progress on these goals. If women's status is lifted, that greatly improves the prospects for achieving the MDGs. Reducing maternal mortality will also have positive spillover effects on the goal of improving children's health and access to education, and of reducing poverty and hunger. Providing girls with education will, in time, be positive in reducing child mortality, and improving child nutrition and health for future generations. Tackling the scourge of sexual- and gender-based violence not only addresses a basic human right, but also helps reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The Millennium Development Goals summit at the United Nations this September is a major opportunity to show how prioritising meeting the needs of women can transform development progress. On International Women's Day, we can all commit to these goals and to ensuring that women's needs are elevated, not marginalized. The author is former prime minister of New Zealand and, is currently the administrator of UNDP and the chair of the UN Development Group.

From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 03/09/2010

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East Asia Does Well in Gender Equality, South Asia Does Poorly: UN Report

A United Nations report said on Monday that among Asia and the Pacific countries, East Asian countries are doing very well in realizing gender equality, while South Asian countries are doing poorly. Releasing the report on the International Women's Day, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said in its 2010 Asia- Pacific Human Development Report that discrimination and neglect are threatening women's very survival in some countries of the Asia-Pacific region, especially South Asia and in some Southeast Asian countries. In some countries of the region, women still suffer from some of the world's lowest rates of political representation, employment and property ownership, while their lack of participation is also depressing economic growth, said the UNDP report.

"Empowering women is vital for achieving development goals overall, and for boosting economic growth and sustainable development," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark here when presenting the Report: Power, Voice and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific. "Policy needs to advance gender equality, so that women as well as men can benefit from job creation and investments in social infrastructure," she said. In countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia conservative estimates show that GDP would increase by up to 2 percent to 4 percent annually if women's employment rates were raised to 70 percent, closer to that of developed countries, said the report. The report said there exists sharp contrast in women's status between South Asia and East Asia. Nearly 70 percent of women are in paid work in some countries in the region, such as China, Cambodia and Vietnam, well above the global average of 53 percent, said the report.

In South Asian countries like India and Pakistan, fewer than 35 percent of women do paid work, said the report. South Asia often comes in second worst in the world in gender equality measures, just above sub-Saharan Africa, while East Asia often fares better in health, education, and employment, said the report. Almost half the adult women in South Asia are illiterate, which is the world's worst performance, while East Asian and Pacific women's literacy rates are above the global average, it said. South Asian women can expect to die five years earlier than their men. And more women die in childbirth there with 500 for every 100,000 live births there, more than in any other part of the world except sub-Saharan Africa, said the report.

From http://english.people.com.cn/ 03/09/2010

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Small Reforms Make Big Sense

The number of days it takes to start a business can have a direct impact on economic growth, says the World Bank. According to Yara Salem, Private Sector Development Specialist at the World Bank, simple streamlining of processes can have a dramatic impact on economic performance: "On average, reducing business-related processes by ten days leads to a 0.4 percent economic growth. For some it is even more. For Singapore, reducing the cost of starting a business has increased economic growth by about one percent and for Peru by 2.57 percent." In addition, she says, making it easier to start a company can also have a positive impact on employment. She notes, as an example, the dramatic 28 percent increase in the number of businesses registered in Viet Nam following reforms in 2005.

Of course, economies should not stop at registration processes. The benefits of one-dimensional reform are easily undone. Salem specifies that to achieve enduring results demands coordination among institutions: "You don't want people just to register businesses. You also want them to pay taxes, protect workers and know about the services that exist to help them. You want to analyse the results and monitor them." Mexico is an excellent example of an economy that has created a synergy among agencies so that businesses can follow procedures at a "one-stop shop." A reduction of red tape has led to a five percent increase in newly registered companies and employment growth of almost three percent. According to Salem, the five most important things that economies can do to increase the ease of establishing a business are: Provide one-stop shop service: reduce the number of offices a business must visit to establish itself legally. Simplify registration formalities: make the process easier and make it purely administrative. Introduce or improve online processes so that they are interlinked. Simplify post-registration procedures at local levels. Abolish minimum capital requirements.

Only five out of APEC's 21 members maintain minimal capital requirements for starting a business and APEC economies account for five of the ten world economies in which it is easiest to start a business. These economies have standardised forms that are simple and in which answers are not subject to interpretation. Registration fees are fixed and there is a very simple publication requirement to announce the creation of new companies. These topics were discussed by regional policy-makers and international experts at this week's Ease of Doing Business Seminar, organised by the APEC Economic Committee. As per the direction of APEC Leaders, economies are developing strategies for growth that is balanced, inclusive, sustainable and knowledge-based. Specifically, they aim to create conditions that are conducive to business and which, by extension, lead to increased employment and economic growth. Trade facilitation is one of APEC's fundamental goals and APEC economies continue to address barriers to trade, including the time, cost and frustration associated with starting and operating a business.

From http://www.apec.org/ 03/10/2010

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Unequal Rules for Women Entrepreneurs and Workers Across the World

Washington, D.C. - Only 20 of 128 economies have equal legal rights for men and women in several important areas for entrepreneurs and workers, according to a new World Bank Group report, Women, Business and the Law 2010. Inequality occurs across all regions and income levels. But many economies have been legislating to reduce these inequalities. The new report looks at legal equity in such areas as a woman's ability to register a business, own and use property, and go to court on her own account. It also looks at differential tax treatment of women and at constraints on women's ability to work in different industries and during different times of the day.
 
"Increasing women's economic opportunities improves the well-being of families and communities, reduces poverty, and stimulates economic growth," said Rita Ramalho, lead author of the report. "Many factors shape women's opportunities to run successful businesses and get good jobs. Equitable business regulations are one piece of the puzzle." Women, Business and the Law 2010 analyzes differences in formal laws and institutions affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across six topics - accessing institutions, using property, getting a job, dealing with taxes, building credit, and going to court. The report is the first to measure the gender gap in policy variables using quantitative and objective data. It does not measure all aspects that matter for women's economic opportunities. For example, it does not measure access to childcare, education, or personal security.
 
"Gender differentiation in law sometimes arises out of a desire to protect women, but it may inadvertently limit their opportunities," said Penelope Brook, Director of the Global Indicators and Analysis Department of the World Bank Group. "We hope that by setting out objective data on legal inequality we can stimulate debate and research on which provisions help, and which constrain, women in their lives as workers and as businesswomen."

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 03/20/2010

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U.N. Creates Center for Asian Disaster Relief

KUALA LUMPUR - Rattled by earthquakes, deluged by typhoons and devastated by a tsunami, Asia in recent years has repeatedly felt its vulnerability to natural disasters. Each time, the international community scrambles to respond, often with mixed results. In some emergencies, despite the best intentions of aid agencies, it has taken days for vital supplies to reach people in need. The response to disaster-stricken communities in Asia, however, will soon be bolstered by a new regional supply hub to be set up in Malaysia by the U.N. World Food Program. The hub, which will become the agency's first humanitarian response depot in Asia, will stock emergency supplies like first aid kits, generators, water purification units, tents, satellite phones and high-energy biscuits. It is designed to deliver relief supplies within 48 hours of a crisis.

"We will have more stock available and be better located to be able to respond faster," said Peter French, the food program's deputy regional director for Asia. The depot, which will replace temporary facilities in Cambodia, will become the agency's fifth regional supply hub. Similar hubs have already been established in Italy, Dubai, Panama and Ghana. They all sent supplies to Haiti after the January earthquake and are designed to respond to disasters anywhere in the world. The Asia depot will be built in Subang, Malaysia, about an hour north of Kuala Lumpur, at a Royal Malaysian Air Force base that was used to send relief supplies to areas affected by the 2004 tsunami. Mr. French said that the agency had been impressed by Malaysia's air and shipping infrastructure during the aftermath of the tsunami. The Malaysian government has agreed to pay for building the base and would contribute $1 million annually to run it.

While a small group of food program staff members will manage the warehouses, other humanitarian organizations will be able to stock their own goods at the base and borrow supplies from the food program. About 39 U.N. agencies, nongovernmental organizations and relief organizations have indicated that they would like to use the facility. "The more preparation we can have, the more we know about one another's stocks and response capabilities, the better it is," Mr. French said. The hub is expected to be completed within six to 12 months, but the agency will begin operating from temporary facilities in the meantime. "Hopefully they will cut 24 or 36 hours off the time in which they can provide goods and services," said Peter McCawley, a visiting fellow in the Indonesia Project at the Australian National University.

"We know that the first 48 hours are terribly important," he added. "A lot of people die in the first 48 hours, and usually the international community is nowhere to be seen." Dr. McCawley, the co-author of a book about the aid response to the 2004 tsunami to be published later this year, said that there had to be greater emphasis on preparing for disasters in advance. More effort should be spent stocking local clinics with medical supplies and training local people in first aid, he said. "It's local people who are on the spot. They can be there in 10 minutes. You don't have to wait for 36 or 48 hours," he said. Caroline Brassard, an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said there was no doubt that a new supply hub in the region had the potential to save lives. However, she said it was disappointing that it had taken so long to establish a permanent base in Asia. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has had a logistics hub in Port Klang, near Kuala Lumpur, for four years. It has responded to disasters like the Sichuan earthquake in China and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, both in 2008, as well as the Padang earthquake in Indonesia last year.

From http://www.nytimes.com/ 03/21/2010

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CHINA: Gov't Pilots Public Hospital Reform in 16 Cities

China has chosen 16 cities to pilot reform of government-run hospitals in an effort to ease public complaint of rising medical bills, according to an official circular released on Tuesday. The cities are required to establish a reasonable, effective and optimized medical service system, and to fully motivate all medical workers to provide the public with safe, effective, convenient and affordable medical services, according to the document. Public hospitals must retain its goal of serving the public interests and their top priority should be protecting people's health, said the document, jointly issued by five ministries including the Ministry of Health. The cities, including six in central China, six in the east and four in the west, were asked to start the reform from this year. China in April 2009 unveiled a blueprint for health-care over the next decade, kicking off a much-anticipated reform to fix its ailing medical system. The core principle of the reform is to provide basic health care as a "public service" to the people. Health Minister Chen Zhu said serving the public interests should be underscored in the health care reform and the public hospitals should play a leading role in it. MOH statistics show that China had about 14,000 public hospitals nationwide by November 2009.

Li Ling, prof. with the China Center for Economic Research of Peking University, said the reform meant public hospitals would return to its nature of serving the public rather than making money. "This is key to solving the complaints of costly medical service," Li said. Public hospitals in China enjoyed full government funding before 1985. Since then the situation changed as public hospitals embarked on a market-oriented reform as economic reform and opening up policy adopted in late 1978 deepened in the country. "Public hospitals were allowed to make profits to invigorate themselves since then," said Xie Pengyan, professor of Peking University First Hospital. "Our hospital grew fast and my income increased remarkably since that year." Analysts said the market-oriented reform had greatly improved medical service to some extent. But the fact that hospitals operated using profits from medical services and drug prescriptions also resulted in soaring medical costs. According to the circular, public hospitals will not be allowed to make profit from drug prescriptions. They should operate on government funding and charges from medical services. The document also said that efforts should be made to strengthen hospitals in rural areas. Public hospitals are required to train medical workers for grassroots medical institutions.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/24/2010

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China Acts on Corruption to Address Public Concern

As China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), readies for its annual meeting in Beijing early next month, public interest is running high. An online survey by www.people.com.cn, an influential news portal in China, showed that corruption is the issue netizens want the NPC gathering to address most. Other issues netizens want the session to tackle are the widening gap between rich and poor, the skyrocketing cost of housing, the health system, pensions, and education. In another online poll, 70 percent of respondents urged officials to declare their assets and emphasized the role of the Internet in preventing corruption. This is the third consecutive year corruption has been the top issue on the eve of the NPC meeting. The past few months have witnessed an unprecedented crackdown on corrupt government officials. Huang Songyou, former vice president of the Supreme People's Court, received a life sentence in January for embezzlement and taking bribes amounting to 3.9 million yuan (574,000 U.S. dollars) in exchange for favorable court rulings. Huang was the first top judicial official convicted on corruption charges. Some ten days later, Yu Renlu, former vice chief of the Civil Aviation Administration was sacked and kicked out of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) for "serious violations of discipline and law."

Yu was found to have used his position to benefit other people in return for "large sums" of bribes, a statement jointly issued by the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the Ministry of Supervision said. His case has been referred to prosecutors. In February, a key figure in the high profile mob trials in southwest China's Chongqing municipality stood trial. Wen Qiang, former deputy police chief and director of the justice bureau in Chongqing, was accused of rape, taking more than 15 million yuan (2.2 million dollars) in bribes to protect criminal gangs, and possessing a huge amount of unexplainable assets. The massive 8-month anti-gang crackdown in Chongqing revealed judicial corruption, with 200 judicial and public security officials implicated, noted former Chongqing mayor Wang Hongju. A press briefing by the Ministry of Supervision in early January revealed that in the first 11 months of last year, more than 106,600 officials were either punished by the CPC or underwent administrative discipline. The ministry also said 4.44 billion yuan (653 million dollars) in public money had been recovered. During the 11 months, the CCDI received 1.3 million tip-offs on alleged corruption practice, of which 140,000 cases of corruption were confirmed. Some 3,743 officials at county level and above were punished for graft last year, with 764 prosecuted. Compared with 2008, it was a 10.8 percent rise.

In addition, the number of corrupt officials punished for embezzling more than one million yuan (147,000 dollars) increased by 19.2 percent.According to Gan Yisheng, deputy chief of CCDI, investigations mostly focus on malpractice related to the implementation of major government policies on expanding domestic demand to boost economic growth, as well as food and drug safety, environmental protection, land requisition and house relocation. Bribery and corruption cases related to construction projects, land development and mineral resource exploration that prompted mass protests were also looked into. Thirty years since China's reform and opening up, government functions have not developed as they should have, and the market economy has much to improve, too. Under such circumstances, administrative departments still hold the power to allocate resources in terms of planning, project approval, and investment, which might give rise to corruption in the absence of strict definitions of power and strict supervision.

"Corruption is more often than not the result of abuse of power," says Ma Huaide, vice president of the University of Political Science and Law. He believes that effective prevention and punishment of corruption depends on the improvement of laws that restrict and regulate power, as well as their implementation. Statistics released by the Ministry of Commerce show that in the last three decades, some 4,000 corrupt officials have made off with over 50 billion dollars of public money to Canada, the United States, Australia, and other countries. Ma calls for new laws on administrative procedure, property declaration and corruption prevention. In the meantime, he urges the "Regulations on Government Disclosure of Information" and the "Provisional Regulations on Administrative Accountability for Party and Political Leaders" be upgraded to laws. Highly aware of the grave reality of widespread corruption, the ruling CPC last September issued a decision on Party building, saying problems and corruption among Party members "have seriously affected the consolidation of the Party's governing status and the realization of its governing mission." In January, in a speech to the CCDI, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for more efforts to probe cases of "power abuse, corruption and embezzlement, as well as dereliction of duty".

The anti-corruption campaign has proved to be effective. At least 15 governor- and ministerial-level officials were reportedly removed last year for trading power for money. The Ministry of Supervision, which monitors overseas trips made by government officials, conducted investigations into 319 officials in 2009. Meanwhile, officials' overseas trips at public expense in 2009 dropped 45.5 percent from the previous three-year average, said a National Bureau of Corruption Prevention report. A document newly released by the Bureau made special mention of supervision of public officials whose spouse and children have moved abroad. Officials are also being required to disclose personal assets, like housing and investments, as well as their spouses' and children's jobs to relevant disciplinary bodies as a prelude to the ushering in of a asset-declaration system. "Corruption from within is the major threat to the ruling party during peacetime," wrote Shao Jingjun, research fellow with the CCDI research section, in the latest edition of "Qiushi" magazine. The CPC's tough approach and improved mechanisms to prevent and punish graft, together with a rights-conscious public vigilant on the Internet, will exorcise the "political cancer" epidemic.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/25/2010

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Chinese Gov't Promises Measures to Close Income Gap

A Chinese government report handed to legislators Friday promised effective measures to smooth the redistribution of social wealth by increasing the income of rural and needy people and reforming the tax system. The government expects to raise farmers' income by increasing the minimum purchasing price of farm produce offered by the state reserve, according to the report, submitted by the National Development and Reform Commission at the bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee. In 2010, the minimum purchasing price for every 50 kg of wheat will be raised by 3 yuan (0.44 U.S. dollars) and that for rice will also be raised accordingly, said the report. The policy on rice is under discussion and will be issued before the new seeding season, which usually lasts from March to early May, the report said. The government will also provide subsidies for farmers to buy new farming equipment and offer more loans to rural people, it said. Several measures were announced to improve needy people's lives. This year more assistance will be provided to families without a bread-winner, the report said. Moreover, workers who lose their jobs because of their employers' difficult financial situation will also receive more assistance, the report added.

The government will also raise living subsidies in both rural and urban areas based on the economic situation and consumer prices. This year the government will strengthen inspection of minimum wage for enterprise employees and urge more private companies to set up salary negotiation mechanisms between employers and employees, the report said. China's labor law allows employees of a company to select representatives who will negotiate salary arrangements with representatives of employers. Through such negotiations, the two sides will reach a collective contract. Considered as an effective way to protect workers' interests, the mechanism is not yet widely adopted by Chinese employers. The report also said the government will further reform tax policies, though no details were given. There has been calls to raise the personal income tax-free threshold as living expenses have soared amid currency inflation. Currently, China taxes a person once their monthly income reaches 2,000 yuan (290 dollars). The government will also tighten supervision of company benefits. State-owned utility companies, such as telecom firms and power, water and gas companies, will be banned from providing free or preferential services to their employees, the report said.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/26/2010

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Anti-corruption Measures Taking Effect at Local Level

For this year's Lunar New Year holiday, police officers in a county of central China's Henan Province were especially cautious when partying with mining and entertainment bosses. Their wariness was caused by the county police department's release earlier this year of rules forbidding police officers - especially those in powerful positions - from developing "overly close relations" with company heads, participating in mining management or providing illegal protection. Officials who violated the rules would be removed from their posts or transferred out of the police department. Severe offenders would receive further punishment in accordance with the law. "One officer has already been removed from his post for breaking the rules," said officer Chen Mingzhou in the police department of Mianchi, a county with rich mining sources. "We discovered that some officers used their powers to participate in mining and entertainment management businesses and provided illegal protection for those businesses," said Chen. "Some officers only did their 'duty' once given benefits. And when 'tipped,' they used their power at will." According to a survey conducted by People's Daily Online last month ahead of the country's upcoming annual legislative session, anti-corruption came top of "the most important issues" for this year. The results showed that 70 percent of some 200,000 netizens who took part in the survey considered corruption among cadres at county level "most serious."
Huang Zongliang, a Peking University politics professor, said, "grassroots corruption is not necessarily 'most serious,' but people are very aware of it. Rampant corruption at the lower level directly weakens people's confidence in government." Many local governments were trying to implement new anti-corruption measures in a positive way, he said. Discussions over the creation of a system to record officials' property triggered nationwide debate early this year, yet in northwestern Xinjiang's Aletai District such a system had already been in effect for a year. Salaries, bonuses, stocks and securities among other incomes must be declared in the region. Statistics show that officials voluntarily handed over illegal earnings worth more than 760,000 yuan (111,000 U.S. dollars) after the system was implemented. "Many anti-corruption measures might only be effective in specific regions and would not be suitable nationwide," said Huang. "The country should encourage and support local governments to boldly explore new ways in accordance with regional characteristics to fight corruption." At Liling city of central Hunan Province, a trial reform of the Party's discipline system has been going on for several months.

Under the current Party framework, the discipline department is part of the party committee and discipline officials are usually of lower rank to the chief of the party committee, which can cause difficulties for carrying out fair supervision. At Liling, discipline officials at each city government department were reorganized into an independent team directly taking orders from the city's party discipline department. The reform has given discipline officials more power to supervise department heads. Similar reform is under discussion in Henan. The provincial party discipline department is trying to introduce a similar system at the county level, so senior party officials, especially the county's party chief, would be better watched. In Xuanwu District of eastern Nanjing City, residents can evaluate community staff performance by giving feedback over the Internet. "In recent years, China has been putting much effort in to constructing anti-corruption systems and releasing a series of pertinent policies and regulations," said Professor Huang. "China should continue to systematically come up with new measures in order to promote inner-party democracy and 'people's democracy.' And that is the essence of how to stop corruption," he added.

From Xinhua News Agency 03/02/2010

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China Allocates US$4.2 Bln to Support Farmers

China's central government has allocated 28.6 billion yuan (4.2 billion U.S. dollars) to support farmers, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement Monday. The bulk of the funding - 18.6 billion yuan - would be used to subsidize farmers in growing improved varieties of crops such as rice, corn, and cotton. The other 10 billion yuan would subsidize purchases of farm machinery such as sowers and reapers, said the statement issued to Xinhua. The funding aimed to improve motivation in agricultural production, and stabilize the country's grain production, according to the statement. Farmers across the country would be eligible for the subsidies. The funding was on top of 86.7 billion yuan of subsidy funding to grain-growing farmers nationwide in February. The financial support for agriculture came as severe drought continued in the nation's west and south. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued a drought alert on Sunday warning the severe drought would continue over the next three days. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said Saturday the drought, which started at the beginning of February, had affected 69.6 million mu (4.64 million hectares) of arable land and left 12.7 million people and 8.4 million heads of livestock short of drinking water.

From Xinhua News Agency 03/02/2010

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China Boosts Social Spending, Targets Minorities

China's government pushed ahead Friday with plans to strengthen economic growth while dampening social tensions, introducing a budget intended to narrow a rich-poor gap and bring growth to rebellious ethnic areas. In a speech that is China's equivalent of a state-of-the-nation address, Premier Wen Jiabao said the government would more than halve the increase in spending, to 11.4 percent, as it eases off the heavy stimulus that warded off last year's global recession. Still, Wen promised hefty outlays for pensions, education, health care and subsidies for farmers to buy small cars and household appliances - all to spread prosperity more fairly. "Everything we do, we do to ensure that the people live a happier life with more dignity and to make our society fairer and more harmonious," Wen told the nearly 3,000 deputies gathered in the Great Hall of the People for the opening of the National People's Congress. The annual session - the most public event the authoritarian government holds - took place amid heavy security in Beijing to prevent disruptions. Police in recent days warned and detained political activists. Uniformed and plainclothes police searched bags and blocked off vast Tiananmen Square, next to the meeting hall. More than two dozen people who hoped to petition officials for redress of grievances or who raised suspicion were bundled into a police bus and driven away. Wen's address mixed restrained triumphalism over China's growing power with hints of anxiety about percolating international and domestic troubles. With China having escaped the worst of the global downturn by ordering a flood of $1.4 trillion in bank lending and government stimulus, Chinese leaders see their model of heavy state intervention as having outperformed the capitalist West. Wen hailed the communist leadership for shepherding the recovery.

China is now the world's largest auto market, its Internet users outnumber the U.S. population and its economy is on track to replace Japan as the globe's No. 2. Many Chinese take pride in the country's prosperity and global respect. Yet Beijing is jutting elbows with the U.S. and Europe over climate change, Iran's nuclear program and the Chinese currency, which critics say is set artificially low to give China an unfair trade advantage. At home, Chinese are worried about rising housing prices and tiring of widespread official corruption and government policies that are seen as benefiting the communist elite, the wealthy and the connected; protests have become common to draw attention to land seizures, unpaid wages and other acts of unfairness. "This is a crucial year for continuing to deal with the global financial crisis," Wen said in a two-hour speech. "We still face a very complex situation." Economic recovery remains fragile in important overseas markets, Wen said, while at home domestic demand is weak and risks are rising for banks - possible fallout from last year's binge spending. Although Wen did not mention anti-government protests by Tibetans in 2008 and ethnic fighting among Muslim Uighurs and China's Han majority in 2009, he said a special effort will be made to raise living standards of minorities. "The Chinese nation's life, strength and hopes lie in promoting solidarity and achieving common progress of our ethnic groups," Wen said. "We need to take a clear-cut stand against attempts to split the nation, safeguard national unity, and get ethnic minorities and the people of all ethnic groups who live in ethnic minority areas to feel the warmth of the motherland as one large family." Few initiatives in Wen's speech were new. The cautious government prefers incremental policymaking to bold shifts. Wen and President Hu Jintao began boosting social spending earlier this decade, recognizing the threat that social unrest poses to Communist Party rule.

Now in the last three years of an expected 10-year term, they have less incentive and political support to strike out in new directions. In keeping with that, Wen announced the usual economic growth target of 8 percent for this year. While the goal is usually exceeded, including it shows that Beijing aims to avoid any slip after rebounding strongly from the world economic crisis. Growth in the final quarter of 2009 reached 10.7 percent, lifting the full-year rate to 8.7 percent, the highest of any major economy. Overall, government spending is projected to rise 11.4 percent from last year, to 8.45 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion), on the back of a deficit that will rise at 13 percent. Slated for higher outlays were education (9 percent), health care (8.8 percent), social security (8.7 percent) and low-income housing (14.8 percent). Significantly the increases were higher than that given the military, which is projected to receive a 7.5 percent budget boost, its lowest in two decades. Despite the emphasis on public fairness, the congress is highly staged political theater. With all decisions made ahead of time by the leadership, the party-dominated congress - and a simultaneous meeting of a government advisory body - are more about networking than lawmaking, adding to public cynicism. "It's a political carnival. Officials from all sectors from across the country pour into Beijing, bringing their aides and entourage," said Yang Fengchun, a professor of government at Peking University. "Negative public sentiment and social instability are increasing rapidly in China. These issues are not new ones. Only now they have become more severe and more evident, and they could carry social and political costs."

From http://news.yahoo.com/ 03/05/2010

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Officials Will Be Pushed to Disclose Asset

The government will step up efforts to strengthen an initiative that asks officials to declare assets but there is no legislation in the offing, Minister of Supervision Ma Wen has said. A Party guideline issued last September requires officials to report such details as income, property and investments as well as the jobs held by spouses and children. But many people complain that the list is not exhaustive and there is no effective way to ensure such a system is well implemented. They are seeking a law making it mandatory for officials to declare total assets. "The task this year is to implement and improve the new system," Ma, also deputy secretary of the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Party's anti-corruption watchdog, told China Daily. "It (the guideline) may fail to meet public expectations, but we will do it (the fight against corruption) step by step." Ma also said measures to ensure tighter supervision of officials whose children or spouses are abroad will be announced "very soon". Li Fei, deputy director of the NPC Standing Committee's legislative affairs commission, earlier brushed aside demands for a timetable on a law requiring officials to fully declare their fortunes. He said on Wednesday that the legislative process "should proceed only after conditions are ripe". "Support measures should first be set up to ensure that property declarations on tax payments and personal credit systems are binding," he said.

More than 90 countries require senior officials to disclose their assets. In Russia, senior officials including President Dmitry Medvedev declared their family assets last year. China has been trying to take similar measures since the 1990s. In 1995, the Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council jointly released a regulation requiring officials above the county level to report their income. In 2001, the CPC released another regulation requiring officials above the provincial and ministerial level to report their family assets to the Party. Liu Xirong, former secretary of the CCDI, said evaluating officials is difficult if their assets are not disclosed to the public. "It would be difficult to assess whether they have abused power without accurate knowledge of their financial situation." Some local governments have started trials in this regard. In December, the Chongqing municipal people's congress passed a regulation asking senior officials in the municipal court and the procuratorate to report their assets. The information will be made public and those who submitted false declarations are liable to be sacked. The fight against corruption has been gaining momentum at the grassroots level thanks to the Internet. Nearly a dozen corrupt officials were punished last year thanks to netizens' vigilance. Earlier this month, Han Feng, an official of the tobacco monopoly bureau in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was brought down after a sex diary he had allegedly written was posted online. Ma Wen said her ministry "values online reports and supervision" and appreciated their "positive effect". "We should facilitate public supervision."

From http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ 03/12/2010

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China Promotes Judiciary Reform with More Public Hearings

After attending a 20-minute public hearing, Li Shuanglin, from Suzhou City of southeast Jiangsu Province, learned why his law suit to sue his friend over a property dispute was not accepted by the local district court. The public hearing helped Li save more than 20,000 yuan in legal expenses. Instead of going through costly formal legal proceedings, Canglang District People's Court helped Li to solve his problem through negotiation. "Mr. Li insisted on suing his friend, so we decided to open a public hearing so to better explain judicial proceeding," Pan Zheng, a senior presiding judge told Xinhua. Chinese judges used to inform those who had filed a claim by issuing a written notice as to whether it had been accepted or not by the court. They would not meet to discuss with the parties involved if the court denied to process the claim. However, this is changing. Since March, public hearings have been held by some local courts, giving people an opportunity to understand the court's judicial procedures with judges advising them about how to solve their disputes. "The public hearings could bring about a more transparent and open judicial practice, while helping parties resolve their disputes in a more rational way," Pan said. The public hearing show China's intent of making its judiciary more open.

A recent report delivered by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) to the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday listed judicial openness and judicial democracy as a top priority in its work this year. The SPC's President Wang Shengjun said in his report that the judicial organs should work in an open and transparent way. Improving judicial openness and transparency was the best way to win public trust in the country's judicial system and prevent corruption, said Ma Huaide, vice president of China University of Political Science and Law. "The public is asking for more right to know, the judicial system should perform in accordance with the trend," Ma said. The SPC issued a series of regulations last year to promote the practice of publicizing the court verdicts online and broadcasting live court trials over the Internet. From the beginning of this year, people's courts in northwest Shaanxi Province have put their verdicts online, excluding those cases where national and commercial secrets were at stake or citizen's privacy would be compromised. "Publicizing the verdict is not enough. More openness is needed throughout the entire judicial procedure, from the police investigation to court proceedings," Ma Huaide said. "But, media might affect a judge's ability to make a fair decision given the more open environment, therefore it is imperative that public participation and media supervision does not interfere or jeopardize the independence and fairness of the judicial system," he added.

From English.news.cn 03/15/2010

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China Bank Loans 120 Mln Yuan to Drought-hit Province

The China Development Bank (CDB) said Wednesday it had allocated 120 million yuan (17.57 million U.S. dollars) for emergency loans to support the fight against drought in Yunnan Province. Yunnan was among the provinces in southwest China ravaged by the most serious drought in sixty years. The drought had resulted in a direct economic loss of 23.66 billion yuan and left more than 18 million locals short of drinking water as of Tuesday, according to latest figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

From English.news.cn 03/24/2010

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China to Increase Supervision of Its Gov't

China will step up supervision of government bodies in key sectors this year as the government's latest initiative to combat corruption, Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday. Some fields in China were still "prone to corruption" or plagued with "unfair law enforcement and inefficient governance" despite the government's anti-corruption efforts last year, Wen said at a State Council meeting devoted to deploying this year's anti-corruption work. Wen said unchecked power was the root cause of these problems. It was important to improve relevant mechanism to fight corruption and ensure clean governance, but it was more important to better implement the mechanism to constrain officials from corrupt conduct, he said. Wen outlined key areas of the government's anti-corruption fight this year, including government funded projects, state-owned enterprises and financial institutions. Expenses on central government organs would be cut by 5 percent this year, according to the Premier. Government funded overseas trips, vehicle purchase, and reception expenditure should be reduced consequently, he said. The number of national conferences held under the name of the State Council or central government departments should be strictly controlled, he said.

And leaders of the State Council or central government departments should refrain from attending ceremonies or forums sponsored by companies, he added. The government should set up a budgeting system covering all its revenue and expenditure, Wen said. The government should publicize its public expenditure, its funds used on infrastructure building, and its operational expenses, so its operations could become more transparent and thus enable the public to supervise more effectively, he said. The government would continue its determination to crack major corruption cases and those who committed corruption would be severely punished, Wen said. He called for intensified efforts to trace the fugitives and their illicit money and property, and vowed "not to let those who commit corruption to go unpunished or get a penny out of their illicit gain." Government officials should strictly follow a code of ethics issued earlier this year by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to ensure clean practice in their work and prevent corruption.

The guidelines specify 52 unacceptable practices, including officials accepting cash or financial instruments as gifts, or officials using their influence to benefit their spouses and children with regards to their employment, stock trading or business. Wen urged enhanced supervision on leaders of state-owned enterprises and financial institutions according to regulations. "A reasonable proportion" should be maintained between the boss' salary and the employee's. And the income gap between people working in the monopoly sectors should also be kept in a reasonable range with those in other sectors, he said. The government should also better regulate state-owned enterprises and financial institutions in their investment in the real estate sector, Wen said. Vice Premier Li Keqiang and He Guoqiang, head of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Party's internal anti-graft body, were also present at the meeting.

From Xinhua News Agency 03/24/2010

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JAPAN: Gov't Eyes Cuts in Agricultural Tariffs to Promote FTAs

The government is considering cutting agricultural tariffs to promote free trade agreements and reducing corporate taxes to make Japan more competitive and appealing for foreign investment as part of efforts to spur economic growth, a government draft report showed Saturday. In mapping out a broader growth strategy through 2020, the draft also envisions setting up a system for Japanese power companies to buy surplus electricity generated by households and businesses using renewable energy technologies such as solar power generation. The government of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is aiming to achieve average economic growth of 3% in nominal terms through 2020 by boosting demand in the environmental, health and tourism sectors and to create 4.76 million jobs under a basic policy for its growth strategy approved by the cabinet in December.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 02/28/2010

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Japan Eyes May End for Formulating Principles of New Pension System

The government began discussing a plan Monday to create a two-tier public pension system involving a minimum-guaranteed pension program, with a view to formulating its basic principles at the end of May. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama indicated that the government would go about discussing the issue by keeping taxation reform in mind, including the possibility of raising the 5% consumption tax rate. ''There will be connections with the taxation system in a sense,'' he said at the first meeting of a panel devoted to the pension system reform. ''I want you to discuss this with intent to pour everything you have into creating a new pension system.'' Under the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's campaign manifesto for last summer's general election, the public pension system would be consolidated into the minimum-guaranteed pension, funded by revenues from the consumption tax, in which everyone would participate regardless of their occupation, and the other in which people at the same income levels would pay equal premiums.

From http://www.japantoday.com/ 03/09/2010

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Govt Seeks to Balance Finances

The government is moving ahead with discussion on ways to balance its finances in the mid- and long term, focusing on trying to come up with the most specific measures it can for dealing with fiscal shortages as the House of Councillors election approaches. The discussions under way relate to setting the fiscal management strategy that is to pave the way for balancing the government's books, and on a midterm fiscal framework that gives a picture of projected expenditures and revenues from fiscal 2011 to 2013. The government hopes to organize the points under discussion before the end of this month and present them in June, to show the public the ruling parties are serious about balancing finances. "Unless the causes [of the deterioration in fiscal situation] are reviewed thoroughly, we may end up repeating past mistakes," Finance Minister Naoto Kan said at the upper house's Financial Affairs Committee on Tuesday. With Greece in the midst of a fiscal crisis, the financial situations of various countries have garnered much attention from the financial markets lately. An official at a foreign-capital securities company in Marunouchi, Tokyo, said there have recently been a number of inquiries made on the fiscal state of the Japanese government. "With Japan so much in debt and tax revenues failing to increase, is the country's financial state all right?" the official quoted them as saying. All the Group of Eight major economies, except for Japan, have set targets for balancing their finances. At the Group of 20 summit meeting that is scheduled to be held in Canada in June, the government intends to explain Japan's efforts to balance its finances to the other 18 member countries and the European Union.

According to a projection by the Finance Ministry, the government, if things are left as they are, will see its revenue shortages increase to 51.3 trillion yen in fiscal 2011. In a bid to reduce expenditures and put a brake on the ever-increasing issuance of new government bonds, the government will incorporate numerical targets for balancing its finances in the fiscal plans. The Democratic Party of Japan was heavily criticized for not specifying any fiscal reconstruction target in its manifesto during the House of Representatives election last summer. During the Diet debate with opposition party leaders last month, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama emphasized the need for numerical targets in pursuing fiscal reconstruction, saying, "We shouldn't fudge our answer with a qualitative debate on the issue." Numerical targets are likely to center around the primary balance - a fiscal condition whereby government (combining the central and local governments) expenditures are covered by revenues excluding bond revenues - and the balance of government debt in proportion to gross domestic product. The primary deficit hit a record 40.6 trillion yen in fiscal 2009, according to the Cabinet Office. The task of balancing finances is likely to be tackled first by reducing the deficit and then by lowering the balance of the government debt in proportion to gross domestic product. Past efforts to correct out the government's finances have failed as the government relied on overly optimistic projections of economic growth and tax revenues. For these reasons, the government is expected to come up with two scenarios for tax revenues, one based on its new growth strategy that is aimed at realizing a nominal 3 percent growth and a real 2 percent growth in GDP and the other with the lower growth rates.

The government will begin working out detailed numerical targets after the passage of the fiscal 2010 budget by the Diet. In the months ahead, the fiscal balance issue may develop into a review of the DPJ's manifesto and into debates on spending cuts in specific policy areas and raising taxes. Meanwhile, it is possible that members of the DPJ, which is now in a critical situation with the Cabinet approval rating falling due partly to political funding scandals, may oppose the expenditure cuts and tax hikes so as to have an advantage over opposition party candidates in the upper house election. If the government's measures for trimming expenditures and for increasing revenues end up being ambiguous, the efforts toward balancing the government's finances may start with a roar and end with a whimper.

From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/ 03/19/2010

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SOUTH KOREA: Providing 'Foothold Jobs' to Disadvantaged People

The Ministry of Labor (MOL) will provide 10,000 "foothold jobs" to people who lack working experience or basic capability for working. "Foothold job" mediates a smooth transfer of the disadvantaged people to a better job placement after providing a prior opportunity for three to five months of working experience in non-profit organization. Among the registered job applicants in the Job Center, the disadvantaged classes that are judged difficult to be positioned in job market soon, after two weeks of official pursuit, will receive the extra opportunity. The government expects that people with low income, the disabled, the aged, female households, defectors from North Korea, and the long-term unemployed will be the main beneficiary. From this year, through the foothold job scheme, the government will also actively engage in providing the opportunities to young people (aged 18~29) who graduated from school with no working experience. The foothold job experience will provide the young people with confidence to seek jobs. The job-offering institutions that are enlisted in the foothold scheme are circumscribed to social enterprises that hire 4 or more full-time employees and recognized non-profit organizations such as welfare institutes, regional offices of Korea Employers Federation and the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, industrial associations, childcare facilities, schools, medical corporate bodies, and vocational training centers licensed by the Minister of Labor.

The participants will have 3~5 months (within 35 hours a week) of working experience with 750,000 won of monthly salary (based on 35 hours). The employer will be subsidized with a corresponding social insurance fee (within 8.5% of registration fee limit) for the worker and the maintenance and operating expenses (60,000 won a month per person) by the government. The prospective participants of foothold jobs can also receive group consultation, short term lecture on job application, and individual consultation service for successful employment during the program. The job placement service continues until the applicant finds a regular workplace, even after the termination of foothold program. The non-profit organizations that are willing to offer foothold jobs should register in local Job Centers. Those who want to be included in the program can either visit nearby Job Center (Tel: 1588-1919) and receive in-depth interview, or apply on-line via Worknet (www.work.go.kr). Mr. Shin, the Deputy Minister of Employment Policy Office, promised to support the disadvantaged classes for employment and the unemployed youths who graduated school without work experience to accumulate work experience through the foothold job program. This will eventually help them to find more stable jobs.

From http://www.korea.net/ 02/22/2010

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Lee Vows More Efforts for Public Welfare

President Lee Myung-bak instructed public servants Monday to pay more attention to the livelihood of the nation's underprivileged, reading aloud several letters received from citizens relating their struggles, according to Yonhap news agency. Lee said he received more than 2,000 letters this year alone through the Web site of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, mostly from students, job seekers, and people in need. "Public workers handling related affairs should take a more active attitude toward what more they can do to help," Lee said in his biweekly radio address. The president read from a letter sent in by a road sweeper who studies at night, a disabled college student, an irregular worker, and the wife of a soldier. "(South Korea) should become a country where all people can live comfortably if it aims to become an advanced nation," said Lee, who launched a "Global Korea" campaign to enhance the country's international status.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/08/2010

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Government Tightens Rein on Education

The government seeks to reduce the authority of local education superintendents as part of efforts to eradicate corruption among education officials and senior teachers. An array of bribery and influence peddling incidents involving education circles rocked the nation recently. President Lee Myung-bak has declared a sweeping anti-corruption drive whose main targets include education. Presidential aides said yesterday the government will consider measures to weaken the "excessive" power of local education chiefs, which is considered one of the root causes of rampant corruption. Former Seoul education czar Gong Jeong-taek, who was dismissed over campaign irregularities, is now at the center of new corruption scandals which several officials, principals and teachers were arrested for recently. He was banned from leaving the country pending the inquiry. The planned measure also appears to be targeting opponents of Lee's education policy. Last week, prosecutors indicted Kim Sang-gon, the progressive superintendent of Gyeonggi Province, for dereliction of duty. The charge stems from his refusal to reprimand 15 unionized teachers who were indicted for issuing anti-government statements in violation of two laws banning their political engagement and collective activity.

Kim has been the symbol of progressive education for his rejection of nationwide student tests and his policies to provide free meals at school and protect students' human rights. Superintendents, popularly elected every four years, play a significant role in implementing educational policies in their regions. They hold responsibilities to approve the establishment and abolishment of educational institutions, set up educational budgeting and funding, formulate education-related rules, and appoint principals of elementary and secondary schools. "Too much power from personnel affairs to budget planning is concentrated around superintendents. The government is working on steps to distribute the authority," presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye told reporters. She added the government will announce a comprehensive set of measures soon. Officials said the Education Ministry seeks to expand public recruitment of principals from the current 5 percent of all schools to 10 percent. Some limitations to their right of educational financing are also under consideration.

Since inauguration in 2008, Lee has pushed reforms of education to raise the quality of school learning, develop diversity and creativity among students, and curb the large private education market. But the policies have made little progress due to the complicated school entrance system, resistant unionized teachers and vested interests in schools, the bureaucracy and private institutes. Lee's efforts to expand specialized secondary schools and the role of the college admission officer system have been dampened by a series of admission irregularities and the spread of new kinds of private institutes targeting those systems. His education policies will be put to a major test during July 2 local elections in which superintendents and members of educational councils will be elected along with administration chiefs and councilors. Lee yesterday reiterated his resolve to stamp out corruption in local administrative jurisdictions and education circles. "This will not be a one-off drive. To begin with we will try to root out all kinds of irregularities until the end of this year," Lee was quoted by Kim as saying during a weekly Cabinet meeting.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/10/2010

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Better Education and Welfare for Immigrant Workers

Workers exchange information at the Siheung Migrant Community Service in Gyeonggi Province. Eighteen years have passed since foreign workers, mostly from Asian countries, started working in Korea through the Industrial Trainee Program in 1992. The number of migrant workers has steadily increased over the last decades and education and welfare programs for them have also been reinforced through governmental support. Currently, international laborers in Korea are entitled to the same labor rights, amount of wage and social security benefits as given to Korean native workers, and the Korean government is providing foreign workers with a variety of social services, which used to be offered only by civil organizations in the past. For those workers who have difficulties due to the language barrier, the government provides a call center service (dial 1345 anywhere in the country without a regional code). The operator answers incoming calls in 18 different languages. Many local governments have built and will establish more social service centers for migrant workers, such as the Siheung Migrant Community Service in Gyeonggi Province. The local service center operates classes on Korean language, computer skills, photography, car maintenance and many more.

For more about the center and its program, click here. Other than these service programs offered by central and local government offices, the international workers have been expanding off-line communities where they share important daily information, which are of great service for the new comers in the country. The government has also been striving to enhance the local environment for the migrant workers. To reduce the number of migrant workers contracting work-related diseases or injuries, the government not only runs safety education programs for Korean employers on a regular basis but also publishes such education materials in ten languages, including English, Chinese and Vietnamese. Also, for the financially vulnerable small-sized firms employing migrant workers, the government has been cooperating with private medical organizations to dispatch social service and health care workers, and in 2009 it started to print the results of regular medical tests of the migrant workers in 10 different languages, to help them have an easier and more comfortable health care.

From http://www.korea.net/ 03/11/2010

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Gov't to Crack Down on Corruption in Education Sector

The government will soon launch a special task force to root out corruption among education officials, the prime minister said Friday, according to Yonhap News. Chung Un-chan unveiled the plan during a state policy coordination meeting, saying, "a set of more fundamental countermeasures are needed to eradicate corruption" among education officials. The decision came after President Lee Myung-bak expressed deep concern over a series of corruption scandals involving education officials and other civil servants. The proposed task force will be composed of relevant officials from the prime minister's office and the ministries of finance, education, law and public administration, officials at Chung's office said after the meeting.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/12/2010

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Seoul City Launches Integrated Welfare Center

Seoul City yesterday launched an integrated welfare center to provide upgraded comprehensive services aimed at protecting the socially vulnerable in the capital. The center targeting the socially vulnerable, including women, children, senior citizens, the disabled and those in the low-income brackets, will focus on five major areas - housing, cultural activities, education, health and child care, officials said. The center, established in the Seoul Welfare Foundation in central Seoul, has incorporated some 300 separate welfare services. At the center, 10 welfare specialists and 130 volunteers will work, offering specialized counseling to citizens in close cooperation with related welfare organizations operated by Seoul's 25 boroughs. The center will also actively seek to find those in need of the city's welfare services and connect them to relevant organizations, officials said. It will organize a special group, which will reach out to citizens in need and introduce city-run welfare programs. "We seek to expand the concept of welfare to every aspect of citizens' lives. Through welfare services, we hope to open an era in which citizens in Seoul can lead a care-free life and freely enjoy culture and arts," Shin Myeon-ho, chief of the city's welfare division, told reporters in a press briefing. Citizens can make inquiries about the services at 1644-0120 or 120.

From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/ 03/17/2010

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Gov't Supports Regional Job Creation Schemes

The Ministry of Labor (MOL) announced the selected 83 employment projects to deal with regional employment issues through locally adapted job creation and vocational training. The MOL will first invest 12.2 billion won (74% of total budget) to create 4,000 jobs that would fit the regional demands for technical expertise. 25 constant projects that continue since the previous year include experimental operation of job promotion area in Busan, job creation & human resources development scheme for steel and ship building industry in Gwangyang, and fashion & textile network development plan in Dongdaemun and Namdaemun area, etc. New 58 plans such as job creation in manufacturing industry of environment-friendly parts in Jeonbuk province or a training program for experts in 3D visual technology were selected. These schemes are expected to contribute to job creation and employment stability by aptly reflecting regional demands of human resources development and facilitating the employment of disadvantaged classes. The locally adapted job creation project is a decentralized approach lead by regional actors: non-profit organizations hold the initiative while regional governments participate as the members of consortium.

The applications for the enterprise go through the review of local committee, composed of local officials and experts, and receive funding if selected. According to an external review conducted by Korea Regional Employment Society that evaluated the overall project for 3 years, a significant "educational effect" has emerged in the 5th year stage. Therefore, the projects initiated from the early stage demonstrate an improved efficiency of operation and better results thanks to the good understanding on the policy by the public. The society also assessed that the new kind of "competitive project" that started last year to reward additional funding to an active region in promoting employment and human resources development spurred inter-regional competition and thereby contributed to the effectiveness of job creation scheme. The entire project had some solid results as it established a base for the improvement of the quality of regional employment and training service and for its diversification. It successfully induced the participation of local governments through PR works and matching fund. Moo Song Yim, the Director General of Man Power Policy Bureau said, 'For the future the Ministry of Labor will support and encourage regional actors to take main role to create more jobs in the regions, and finally establish a successful model to resolve employment issues and also achieve regional development.'

From http://www.korea.net/ 03/19/2010

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Environment Ministry Launches Projects Seeking Energy Independence

The Ministry of Environment selected sewerage plants in five cities - Bucheon, Ansan, Asan, Gunsan, and Mungyeong - for pilot projects to raise energy independence. Among 22 cities which showed their wish to join the project, five were selected based on diverse items such as capability to conduct the project and contribution to energy independence. Through the project, the Ministry plans to provide high energy-efficient equipments and natural energy production facilities to sewerage plants in above five cities. The project will be promoted until 2012 and exemplary models are going to be applied to the entire sewerage plants so as to record 50% of energy independence rate by 2030. Bucheon and Gunsan will produce biogas from sewerage sludge and provide electricity through cogeneration. Then the biogas will be provided to sewerage sludge incineration facility as auxiliary fuel after being refined. In addition to cogeneration using biogas, Ansan will use temperature difference energy to provide auxiliary fuel for heating. Mungyeong will maximize biogas production through combined treatment of organic resources including livestock and food wastewater. Asan, which is already equipped with solar power plant and small hydropower plant, will be able to use the most of potential energy in sewage plant by building cogeneration facility using biogas. The Ministry said the successful completion of the project will lead to the energy independence rate of 21 to 58%. In addition, it expects that 31,860MWh of electricity will be replaced and 20,836 tons of greenhouse gas will be reduced annually, which correspond to economic benefit of 20.5billion won per year.

From http://www.korea.net/ 03/26/2010

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LAOS: Judges Upgrade on Court Management

More than 60 judges from all courts nationwide have received a training course on the judgment of courts, cases and trial processing of all courts. This was the first training course for judges nationwide at its headquarters in Vientiane Capital on 22 February, held by the Research and Training Institute of the Supreme People's Court. Drawing the participants to the course were Mr Khammy Sayavong, President of the Supreme People's Court and his executive board of the Supreme People's Court, Chairmen of Regional People's Courts, all provinces and Vientiane Capital.

Throughout an eight-day training course, the judges would have trained on official court's works. For the presidents and vice-presidents of People's Courts would upgrade on the theories of supervision, guideline and technical term which each part would be exchanged discussions to seek for unity and mutual understanding. The course has concentrated on upraising the presidents of and vice-presidents of People's Courts guideline, responsibilities and similar standard of the president of People's Courts countrywide regarding the management and administration of courts so as to improve court officials systematically and clearly. The training course also focused on providing more understanding to the presidents of People's Courts related to the execution of their duties and rights based on discipline and regulation of technical term especially the prosecution of each court nationwide.

From http://www.kplnet.net/ 02/24/2010

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PHILIPPINES: SSS Retains Top Rank in SWS Survey on Anti-corruption Efforts

The Social Security System (SSS) remained the top government agency in terms of sincerity in fighting corruption for the second straight year, according to results of an annual survey of Filipino business managers across the country. The 2009 Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey of Enterprises showed that the SSS and the Supreme Court received a "good" net sincerity rating of +40, the highest among government institutions and second only to the +64 rating of Filipino business associations. "The SSS values the trust of members and employers as manager of their funds, and this survey motivates us even more to provide them better services," SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Romulo Neri said. A total of 550 business managers from the National Capital Region, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and Cagayan de Oro-Iligan participated in the SWS survey, which was conducted from November 3 to December 5.

SSS' net sincerity rating of +46 was the highest among state-run agencies in the same SWS survey in 2008. It also placed third among government institutions with the most positive change in the past five years. Ten percent of the respondents named SSS as "less corrupt" at present compared to five years ago and only one percent as "more corrupt" for a rounded off net rating of +8, which was behind only to the Department of Trade and Industry (+13) and Department of Health (+12). Neri said the SWS survey reflects the general performance of SSS in its field and counter operations. "It also indicates how members and the private sector appreciate the quality of SSS services that they receive from our employees," he said. The annual SWS survey, which is sponsored by The Asia Foundation, is part of the Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) project.

From http://balita.ph/ 03/10/2010

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THAILAND: Justice System Is Credible and Has Good Standards

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has stressed that the Thai justice system is credible and it is considered one of the best in the world, especially in terms of good standards. He referred to the rumors that some judges in the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's assets case had been offered bribes. According to the Office of the Judiciary, the rumors were groundless and were intended to undermine the court ahead of the February 26 delivery of the Supreme Court's verdict on whether to seize 76 billion baht in assets belonging to the former prime minister and his family. There have been no bribes offered in the cases under the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

Mr. Suthep pointed out that the judges perform their duties with honesty and fairness and he believed that they would give reasons and clarification on their verdict. All people should respect the verdict by the court, which functions without political interference. The former prime minister is accused of accumulating the assets by abusing his power while he served as the prime minister from 2001 to 2006.Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that the rumors on the bribery issue would not affect the credibility of the Supreme Court and its decision on Thaksin's assets-seizure case. The Court of Justice has already denied the report on the rumors. He stated that members of society should respect the justice system; he was confident that after people listened to the reasons given by the court on their judgment, they would accept it and allow the process to continue under the law.

Meanwhile Mr. Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, Secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said that the Foreign Minister had entrusted Thai ambassadors overseas with creating better understanding of the present situation in Thailand among foreigners. This would help prevent distortion of news and information about Thailand. He said that everyone is equal under Thai law and the Thai government does not have a double standard. He said that after the court ruling on Thaksin's assets-seizure case was issued, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would translate the verdict into foreign languages, if requested by any country, so that factual information would be known widely. An ABAC poll, conducted on February 19-20 among 1,515 people in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, indicated that 85.3 percent of the respondents were not concerned about the case and continued their life and business as usual. Almost half of the respondents, at 49.2 percent, believed that disturbances would occur following the court ruling on February 26. However, 95.4 percent stated that if violence erupted as it did in April last year, people would suffer more. Most people, at 89.6 percent, called for non-violence in political movements, and 86.5 said that any political movements should be staged in the public interest.

From http://thailand.prd.go.th/ 02/23/2010

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Thailand Ready to Enhance ASEAN Connectivity and Centrality

Thailand has emphasized the importance of connectivity development in Asia, which will benefit peoples in the region. It also joined the ASEAN Economic Ministers in exerting more effort toward enhancing ASEAN centrality in the light of the evolving regional economic architecture in the East Asia/Asia-Pacific region. In his recent discussion with Mrs. Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and Mr. Jean-Pierre Verbiest, Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya reiterated Thailand's readiness to cooperate not only with neighboring countries to develop transportation routes, but also with other developing countries in the regional frameworks that Thailand actively participate, such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).

He also invited ESCAP and ADB to play a more active role in promoting the connectivity development in the region by way of bridging missing links and upgrading existing routes, such as the Asian Highway connecting the "East-West" and the "North-South" Corridors. He suggested that both agencies could help develop a system that increasingly facilitates logistical, customs, and immigration procedures. ESCAP might initially support research on transportation route development and standard-setting, while the ADB could provide financial assistance to road improvement. The ESCAP Executive Secretary and the ADB Country Director expressed their readiness to cooperate with Thailand in this issue and stated that they were now considering co-organizing the connectivity-related special event with Thailand during the 66th annual meeting of ESCAP in May this year. Meanwhile, the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM), during the 16th AEM Retreat on 28 February 2010, emphasized that it was important that the integration of ASEAN continue in a timely manner in order for ASEAN to play a central role in shaping the regional economic architecture.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Surin Pitsuwan said, "ASEAN has earned the place to play a central role in the evolving regional architecture by virtue of not only being the hub in economic integration initiatives in the region but also by being able to provide the platform for political and economic dialogue and engagement among major global players." Despite this recognition, however, "ASEAN cannot afford to be complacent," Dr. Surin added. The Ministers have therefore agreed on specific steps to promote ASEAN centrality, including institutionalizing regional consultations and coordination in regional and international fora, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). At their retreat, the ministers also reviewed the ASEAN integration process in order to ensure that it was on track toward realizing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. ASEAN is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. If ASEAN were a single economic entity, it would rank as the world's tenth largest economy, the third biggest market in the world in terms of population, the fifth largest trading bloc, and the tenth in terms of foreign direct investment inflows.

From http://thailand.prd.go.th/ 03/02/2010

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VIET NAM: Government to Tackle Loss-incurring State Corporations

Loss-making state corporations will be restructured under a newly-issued action program from the Prime Minister. According to the government's action program on improving the effectiveness of the use and management of state assets at state corporations and groups, debts owed by state corporations and groups must be solved. The government will define the areas and the sectors that need to have state-owned economic groups or corporations in the next 5-10 years and the areas and sectors that the state need to hold 100 percent of capital or major capital of corporations. The model of state economic groups and corporations will be evaluated to define the role and the effectiveness of each group and corporation.
 
Charters on organization and operations of newly-established economic groups will be issued and amended to fit Decree 101 dated November 5 2009. State groups and corporations will have to make periodical reports and make public their operational results. Regulations on personnel, the duties and responsibility of leaders of state groups and sanctions will be issued. The government will also change the rules on wages, bonuses for state groups and corporations and perfect legal documents on managing state groups and corporations and the use of state assets including regulations on privatization. State corporations and enterprises will be restructured to establish strong corporations with bigger roles in the economy. The organization and structure of the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) will be reviewed to have suitable adjustments. The results of these works will be reported to the National Assembly at the 8th session. Last year the NA Standing Committee supervised the implementation of laws at state groups and corporations and discovered many violations.

From http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ 02/26/2010

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Cutting the Costs of Bureaucracy

The Prime Minister's Working Group on Administrative Reform has ordered ministries, People's Committees and Councils, Government agencies and State-owned enterprises to renew their effort to reduce their administrative costs by 30 per cent. The group had identified 256 procedures at 18 ministries and six provinces and cities to be given priority for revision and abolition, said its chairman Government's Office Chief Nguyen Xuan Phuc. If approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung as part of the Government's Plan 30 for administrative reform, the streamlined procedures would help save more than VND6 trillion (US$55 million), he said.

The chairman said that up to 90 per cent of administrative procedures had been simplified. But savings had been less than 10 per cent. "The benefits could be much higher if we can devise effective measures to streamline more than 5,000 remaining procedures," said Phuc. These would help people and enterprises and ensure management targets would be met. The group identified the procedures required for building a house; paying taxes; clearing goods through customs; arranging a health check and registering a residence as the most troublesome. Members of subordinate working groups charged with overseeing administrative reform agreed the proposed streamling was crucial but warned old-style management and egos would prove a hurdle to its introduction.

Finance Ministry Secretariat Chief Nguyen Duc Chi said that although the ministry continued issuing legal documents to simplify procedures, regulations introduced by other ministries and agencies added to them. Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry working group chairman Dao Hong Lan said people seeking administrative reform must be very determined and not be deterred by other bureaucrats if they were to succeed. Phuc said the group had invited the participation of social associations so as to better understand the aspirations of business and the people and to avoid any misuse of power. The group would now seek the opinions of 50 lawyers as part of the second phase of Plan 30. "We have also invited experts from Europe and South Korea to compare Viet Nam's administrative procedures with those of other countries," he said.

Results of Plan 30
The first phase of Plan 30 was completed with the establishment of a national database of administrative procedures last October. It was the first time Viet Nam had put such procedures online and provided public access to 5,700 procedures and 100,000 forms. The database enabled people to know clearly what administrative formalities they had to complete and at which agency, said Phuc. The procedures and documents it provided would be regarded as originals from next year and applicants would be able to fill them out and print them. The Finance Ministry says it has revised 145 procedures and abolished 32, creating a cost saving of VND2.1 trillion, (about $113.5 million). It plans to revise 840 procedures by the end of the year.

From http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ 03/10/2010

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BHUTAN: Appointment Under Process

Attorney General - The appointment of the new attorney general, who will complete the formation of the national judicial commission, is now going through various selection processes, said a government spokesperson. The national judicial commission to nominate and submit recommendations to His Majesty to appoint high court justices and the chief justice, could not be formed with the post of the attorney general still vacant. The former attorney general, Rinzin Penjore, was recently appointed as a Supreme Court justice. The attorney general is one of the four members to form the national judicial commission. Only with the appointment of the attorney general, who will function as the legal advisor, representative and prosecutor of the government, can the process of nominating high court justices begin, said legal officials. The office of attorney general will also draft laws, review existing laws, prosecute on behalf of the government, and represent the government in the International Court of Justice. Going by the Constitution, the attorney general will be an eminent jurist appointed by His Majesty on the recommendation of the prime minister. Defining eminent jurists in the context of the Supreme Court, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye had earlier said that, "According to the legal dictionary Black's Law, an eminent jurist is one, who has thorough knowledge of the law, especially a judge or an eminent legal scholar." Sources in the civil service and judiciary say that the attorney general's appointment has created a decent buzz. While some say that the government has already started enquiring about experienced legal officials within the ministries and the judiciary, some say that there are few people, who are experienced and capable but lack interest in the post. "We have about three years until the next elections and, if the DPT government doesn't win the elections, the new government might recommend a different attorney general. This new attorney general would have served for only three years by then," said a lawyer, adding that this was one of the discussions among them. Another said that the term of the attorney general, a constitutional post, is for five years. "Some of us were discussing the tenure and also what a young lawyer, who gets appointed as the attorney general would do, after his five year tenure is over," he said. Some lawyers in the ministry said that, if civil servants with law background get appointed, they would also have to resign from civil service.

From http://www.kuenselonline.com/ 03/12/2010

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INDIA: Government to Have Tech Advisory Group for E-Governance Projects

The Indian government plans to set up a technology advisory group on e-Governance projects. The move comes as the Indian government is preparing to invest in a large number of e-Governance projects, including on a project to give unique identity (UID) numbers to the country's citizens. The new group, called the Technology Advisory Group for Unique Projects, will be headed by Nandan Nilekani, former co-chairman of Indian outsourcer, Infosys Technologies. Nilekani quit Infosys last year to head a newly created government agency, called Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which was charged with creating a system to give every Indian resident an UID number.

From http://www.egovonline.net/ 02/26/2010

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National Free Software Coalition Formed in India

The third National Free Software conference announced the formation of a national coalition, the National Free Software Movement of India. Taking forward the ideology of free knowledge, science and digital societies, delegates emphacised on the need for public debate on these issues. Bangalore: Free Software is not just about writing GNU/Linux software or choosing one technology over the other. National Free Software Coalition formed in India/ Photo credit: Atps Taking forward the ideology of Free Software-that includes free knowledge, science and digital societies in its ambit-delegates at the National Free Software conference announced the formation of a national coalition, the National Free Software Movement of India. The third National Free Software conference brought together ideologues, Free Software organisations and stake-holders in the public sectors, from at least 10 States across the country. This coalition, which has 16 movements in its fold, to begin with, aims at taking Free Software and its ideological implications to computer users "across the digital divide" and to various streams of science and research. Further, the organisation will work in policy domains, such as introducing software patents or adoption of Open Standards. Free Software activist Kiran Chandra told The-Hindu that while there have been several coalitions and companies working in this domain, all efforts have been largely scattered. "The movement, which originated in small Linux User Groups at the IITs [Indian Institutes of Technology], has gained significant momentum recently. However, this needs to be taken to the next level to increase its user base and subsequently push the need for Free Software, and free societies, across the country." He emphasised on the need for public discourse on these issues. The conference, that had around 1,500 participants, had parallel session that deliberated on many of these social and technical facets of the Free Software philosophy. Besides presenting case studies on implementation of Free Software in States such as Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, it also offered popular hands-on technical or 'coding' sessions on GNU/Linux-based platforms. Organisations that are part of this coalition include, Free Software movements in different states such as Swecha (Andhra Pradesh), FSMK (Karnataka), Democratic Alliance Knowledge Forum (DAKF), FSFTN (Tamil Nadu), FSMWB (West Bengal); sectoral movements such as Knowledge Commons, Academics Initiative and the National Consultative Committee of Computer Teachers (NCCCTA). Office bearers include academics from institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Delhi Science Forum and several State Universities.

From http://southasia.oneworld.net/ 03/22/2010

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PAKISTAN: Committee Formed to Improve Functioning of Government Organisations

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani constituted a committee headed by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission to improve the functioning of various organisations of the government through application of latest information technology. Secretaries of Information Technology, Finance and Interior will be the members of the committee. Prime Minister took the decision during a meeting on "Emergency Response and Social Administration Information System Project" at the PM's House here on Saturday. The Prime Minister said that the government would employ all possible resources at its disposal to provide an efficient communication and foolproof security system for the citizens. In this connection, he added, modern information technology offers multiple options to enhance surveillance and security in our cities and towns. "Our objective should be to look into our future needs," he added. He directed the committee to work out an effective and efficient system of security and communication to achieve this objective. He further tasked the committee to examine the projects to avoid overlapping of functions and to assess reasonability of the project cost. Earlier, the Interior Minister assisted by Chairman Nadra and Advisor to Prime Minister on Information Technology supported by Secretary Information Technology made presentations on Emergency Response Information and Communication System. The presentations made by both the Ministries aimed at improving the efficiency of government organisations through introduction of latest Information Technology (IT) as well as information-sharing and monitoring for the purpose of vigilance and security. The projects were designed to ultimately cover the entire country for which various stakeholders had already been consulted. Minister for Interior Senator A. Rehman Malik, Advisor to PM on IT Latif Khosa, Acting Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Ishfaq Ahmad, Secretaries Finance, Interior, Information Technology, Planning & Development, Chief Commissioner ICT, IGs Police Islamabad and NWFP, Chairmen, NADRA and NTC, and other senior officers attended the meeting.

From http://www.brecorder.com/ 03/14/2010

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PPP and MQM Discuss New Local Govt System

KARACHI: The core and legal committee of the two major coalition partners in Sindh, the Pakistan People's Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the new local government system. The meeting, which was held at the Sindh Chief Minister's House, lasted for around two hours. Adviser to Chief Minister on Political Affairs Rashid Rabbani, who participated in the meeting, said both parties would take time to sort out the issue. Talking to Daily Times after the meeting, Rabbani said participants from both sides were engaged in a clause-to-clause discussion over the SLGO-2001 and 1979's local government system, and more meetings would be held for further deliberations. He said the next meeting would be held on Monday or Tuesday.

From http://pakistanlink.org/ 03/15/2010

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Dr Hafeez Agrees to Be New Finance Advisor

ISLAMABAD: Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh, who was Federal Privatization and Investment Minister is expected to assume the office as advisor on Finance on Friday, Geo News revealed Wednesday. After his meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, he left for Dubai. He agreed to assume charge as Finance Advisor, after being tipped for the slot. He is expected to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow. Government has formally decided to appoint Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh, who was Federal Investment Minister in regime of Former President Gen. (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, as Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh on Tuesday met President Asif Ali Zardari here at Awan-e-Sadr and discussed overall country's trade, economic and investment situation, official sources informed. Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh was summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari for meeting and he would be appointed as Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs, sources said. The slot of Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh would be akin to Federal Minister. It may be recalled here earlier Naseem Baig, Hafiz Pasha, Ishrat Hussain and Makhdoom Shahbuddin were running for slot of Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance but out of which name of no one could be finalized. Official sources confirmed that Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh would be given important responsibilities in upcoming days. The notification into this effect is likely to be issued within some days. It may be recalled here Dr. Abdul Hafiz Sheikh also served as Finance Minister Sindh.

From http://pakistanlink.org/ 03/17/2010

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ARMENIA: State Officials Spending Work Time in Social Networking Sites

Armenian state officials log into their free online email accounts and into different chatrooms while at work, said Armenian Presidential Staff Public Relations and Information Department Chair and IT specialist Ara Saghatelyan at a press conference. According to him, these actions puts the security of internal data at risk. We have an issue of a lack of "information hygiene," said Saghatelyan. "How to explain to officials not to log into Odnoklassniki [a sort of Russian-language Facebook] from state computers?" The state employee also added that it's not possible to shut down in a year that which has been open for many years. On this matter, he said, we will organize corresponding lectures in the second half of this year.

From http://www.today.az/ 03/24/2010

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IRAQ: First Election Results to Be Released

Initial official results from some Iraqi provinces are expected to be released from the country's March 7 parliamentary elections. Officials from both the State Of Law coalition led by Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the rival Iraqiya secular alliance led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi have claimed their side to be leading. According to electoral officials, 62 percent of about 19 million eligible voters took part in Iraq's second election for a full four-year parliamentary term since Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. In the last such election, in December 2005, roughly 76 percent of eligible voters took part. The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, called the election a milestone and said he believes U.S. troops remain on track to complete their pullout from Iraq by the end of 2011 as planned. At the United Nations, the 15 member nations of the Security Council issued a statement hailing the elections as an "important step" toward strengthening Iraqi national unity, sovereignty, and independence. The statement also condemned the series of bomb, mortar, and rocket attacks that killed at least 36 people on election day, saying that no "terrorist" act will be able to reverse Iraq's path toward peace, democracy and reconstruction.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/09/2010

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Allawi Edges Ahead of PM Again in Iraq Election

Secularist Iyad Allawi edged ahead of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki today in a neck-and-neck election race that has laid bare the ethnic and sectarian divisions threatening Iraq's fragile stability. The new results from Iraq's electoral commission, with about 93 percent of an early vote count complete, gave a lead of some 8,000 votes to Allawi, a Shi'ite former prime minister with wide support among minority Sunnis who fear consolidation of the dominance of Shi'ite religious parties in Iraq since 2003. The lead in the popular vote has changed hands several times and the eventual winner may be able to claim a symbolic victory, but no matter the final result both Maliki and Allawi will need to engage in long and potentially divisive talks to try to form a coalition capable of forming a government. As early results trickle in after the March 7 polls, the divided vote is a reminder of Iraq's precarious position on the seventh anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein and plunged Iraq into a bloody civil conflict. Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians have died since 2003, along with more than 4,000 foreign soldiers. Iraq may have held one of the most competitive elections in the region's history, but the course of its democracy is far from certain. It is far safer than it was at the peak of sectarian killing, but a tenacious insurgency keeps Iraq under siege just as U.S. troops halve their force by this summer. Close election may actually exacerbate those threats by making it harder to form a government coalition and accommodate the conflicting visions, and personal political ambitions, of groups as dissimilar as Maliki's mainly Shi'ite State of Law coalition and Allawi's cross-sectarian Iraqiya list.

Maliki, who has won over many Iraqis with his nationalist rhetoric and steps to crush sectarian violence in Iraq, leads in seven provinces in central and southern Iraq, six of them mainly Shi'ite. The prime minister now has a narrow 6-percent lead over Allawi in Baghdad, the diverse capital city, but he has virtually no support in largely Sunni provinces where many are skeptical of his Shi'ite Islamist roots and condemn his support of a ban of hundreds of candidates, including prominent Sunnis. Allawi, who has tried to model himself as a nonsectarian outsider, swept western and northern areas home to large numbers of Sunni Arabs. The physician and fluent English speaker holds a narrow lead over a Kurdish bloc in Kirkuk, the disputed city that is Iraq's northern oil hub. Both Maliki and Allawi supporters are predicting they will get more than 90 seats in Iraq's 325-member parliament. Full early results will be released in the next few days, and final results may take weeks. Each camp has suggested an alliance between the two men is unlikely, making it even more important where other contenders, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a Shi'ite bloc closely allied to Iran, and an alliance of two leading Kurdish parties, will throw their weight. Even before full results are out, fissures are appearing in electoral blocs such as the INA, suggesting the calculus of coalition-building will be even more complex than expected. Sami al-Askari, a politician close to Maliki, predicted Allawi's alliance would soon splinter. "I don't think this coalition will last long," he said. Both State of Law and Iraqiya have complained of vote irregularities, and such an outcry could intensify if one bloc feels it was edged out of an outright win. "Even if fraud was limited, we still feel cheated," said Jamal al-Bateekh, an Iraqiya candidate.

One interesting outcome of this month's vote was the miserable showing some of Iraq's most important leaders, reflecting perhaps Iraqis' exasperation with poor services, rampant corruption, and indiscriminate violence. Compared to the 543,747 votes Maliki himself got, and 354,097 for Allawi, Interior Minister Jawad Bolani got just 2,992 votes. Defense Minister Abdel Qader Jassim did even worse, with a personal tally of only 687 votes. Qasim al-Aboudi, spokesman for Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission, said officials had so far examined 1,150 complaints and rejected ballots from about 60 polling stations, out of 50,000 nationwide, for various reasons. "I don't think this would affect the results or the turnout percentage," he said.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/20/2010

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IRAN: Supreme Leader Defends Powerful Candidate-Vetting Body

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that the Guardians Council's authority in terms of supervising elections and vetting candidates should not change. Khamenei reportedly made the comments in a February 26 meeting with members of the Assembly of Experts, the body that oversees the work of the supreme leader. The full text of Khamenei's comments was published on his website on March 10. "There is no doubt that the Guardians Council has certain legal duties. Such duties that have been stipulated in the constitution - such as supervision over the elections, vetting candidates, and the like - should not change," it quotes Khamenei as saying.

In his comments, Khamenei mentions a plan reportedly reviewed by the Expediency Council, a key arbitrating body, that had been criticized by some conservatives, who said that the aim of the plan is to limit the responsibilities of the Guardians Council. Hossein Shariatmadari, the chief editor of the ultraconservative "Kayhan" daily, said that the plan would eliminate the oversight body from the process of vetting election candidates. Khamenei appears to have backed those who were critical of the plan. "We should not compromise on the main issues of the state. There are, however, some secondary issues that can be addressed," he is quoted as saying. "I realized that a plan was being reviewed these days at the Expediency Council. It is clear, however, that the Expediency Council acts as an advisory body and its views will come to us, and we will present and implement what we believe should serve as the general policy of the state."

The Guardians Council, which oversees presidential and parliamentary elections in the Islamic republic, has been criticized by reformists and rights groups for acting on political and factional interests. Following last year's disputed presidential election, the Guardians Council validated the vote after a partial recount and despite allegations of massive fraud by defeated presidential candidates Mir Hossein Musavi and Mehdi Karrubi. The Guardians Council described the poll as the healthiest since the country's 1979 revolution, echoing the praise of Khamenei, who anointed Mahmud Ahmadinejad the winner within hours of polls closing.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/11/2010

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Iran Parliament May Accede to President on Subsidies

Iran's parliament could finally accede to President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's demands for radical subsidy cuts after blocking the plan for months, a senior lawmaker has said. Parliament this month passed a state budget for the next Iranian year starting March 21 that did not contain radical cuts in subsidies sought by Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad on March 19 suggested holding a referendum on a reform to the Islamic Republic's costly subsidy system that would save $40 billion. Parliament approved only half of that amount. "We believe it is not possible to implement the subsidy reform plan at 20,000 billion tomans ($20 billion)," Arsalan Fathipour, head of parliament's economic commission, was quoted on state news agency IRNA as saying. "So delegates intend to raise the figure to 35,000-38,000 billion tomans ($35 billion-38 billion)." It was not clear how such a last-minute change would be effected, since last week the Guardians Council constitutional watchdog signed off the budget approved by parliament. Parliamentarians had said the cuts could stoke inflation, while analysts say they could also provoke unrest in a country already plagued by tension after street protests by opponents of Ahmadinejad over the past year. A referendum could risk more unrest.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/21/2010

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Former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Sentenced

BISHKEK - A Bishkek court has found former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov guilty of financial abuse and sentenced him to a suspended term of five years in jail, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. The court also banned Jekshenkulov from serving in any official or state posts for three years and put him on probation for three years. Before the court verdict was announced, Jekshenkulov said he was innocent and that the charges against him are politically motivated. Jekshenkulov was initially charged in March 2009 with involvement in the murder of Turkish businessman Servet Cetin, who was killed in the northwestern city of Talas in 2007. That charge was later dropped. Jekshenkulov served as foreign minister from 2005-07. After leaving the government he created the opposition For Justice movement.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/16/2010

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TAJIKISTAN: Leader's Party Grabs Parliament Majority

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's party has retained its parliamentary majority, the Central Election Commission said today after a poll heavily criticized by international observers and opposition parties. The results mean little will change from the previous parliament where Rashmon's People's Democratic Party, in power for 17 years, held 57 seats and Islamists had two. Western monitors denounced the vote in the former Soviet state for failing basic democratic standards, with irregularities including ballot-box stuffing and suspect proxy voting. Rahmon's party won 53 seats out of 63 in the lower house of parliament in the February 28 poll, the election commission said, citing preliminary results.

The Islamic Revival Party, Tajikistan's main opposition movement and Central Asia's only Islamist party, won two seats, senior commission official Mukhibullo Dadajanov told reporters. Five seats will be split between communists and two other parties that usually support the government while voting will be re-run in one single-seat constituency, Dadajanov said. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Europe's main election monitoring group, said on March 1 that serious irregularities meant Tajikistan's parliamentary election failed to meet basic democratic standards. The U.S. embassy also criticized "widespread fraud and irregularities." "Initial evaluation of observations by embassy staff election observers indicates that the vote was beset by procedural irregularities and fraud, including cases of ballot stuffing," it said in a statement late on March 1.

Tajikistan, which has a long border with Afghanistan, has never held an election deemed free and fair by Western monitors. The Islamic Revival Party said today it would challenge the poll results in court. "There was mass fraud," the party's leader Mukhiddin Kabiri told reporters. "In a fair election we would have got 30 percent of votes." Dadajanov rejected all criticism. "After every election someone is happy and someone is unhappy, both among voters and political parties," he said. "We have not received any proof of the violations that the Islamic Revival Party is talking about." Kabiri did not announce any plans for public protests which are a rare event in the tightly run nation still recovering from a civil war in the 1990s that pitched Islamists against Rahmon's government and killed more than 100,000 people.

From http://www.timesca.com/ 03/02/2010

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A Number of Government Bodies Reorganized in Tajikistan

President Emomali Rahmon today signed a decree introducing changes to the government structure of the country. By president's decree the State Committee for Statistics has been reorganized into the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan. The Agency for Land Management, Geodesy and Cartography has been reorganized into the State Committee for Land Management, Geodesy and Cartography. By president's decree the Committee for Religious Affairs and the Antimonopoly Agency have been established under the Government of Tajikistan. Besides, the Agency for Commodities Procurements, Services and Works and Organization of Exchange Activities within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has been reorganized into the Agency for Commodities Procurements, Services and Works and Organization of Exchange Activities under the Government of Tajikistan and the Agency for Special Property within the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has been reorganized into the Agency for Special Property under the Government of Tajikistan. The government is to take measures to ensure implementation of the decree within a three-month period.

From http://www.asiaplus.tj/ 03/09/2010

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President Rahmon Shakes Up Officials

President Emomali Rahmon yesterday introduced a number of staff changes. Rahmat Bobokalnov was appointed Minister of Land Reclamation and Water Resources replacing Said Yoqubzod, who was elected to the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan's lower chamber of parliament). Mahmadtohir Zokirov was appointed to head the State Committee for Land Management, Geodesy and Cartography. Jumakhon Davlatov was appointed State Adviser to the President for Policy of Law. Ms. Bakhtiya Muhamamdiyeva was appointed Director of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, and Asvat Asoyev was appointed the First Deputy Director of this Agency. Asvat Asoyev was appointed Deputy Director of the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan. Ms. Gulnora Hasanova was appointed Chairperson of Amonatbonk (Tajikistan's savings bank).Lolakhon Rahmonov was appointed Director of the Agency for Special Property under the Government of Tajikistan, and Mahmadzohir Sohibov was appointed Director the Agency for Commodities Procurements, Services and Works and Organization of Exchange Activities under the Government of Tajikistan. Amonullo Ashour was appointed to head the Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan. Emin Sanginov was appointed the First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Sulton Rahmatov was appointed the First Deputy Minister of Land Reclamation and Water Resources, Ms. Munavvara Ismoilova was appointed the First Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee for Land Management, Geodesy and Cartography, and Nusratullo Nozaninov and Sharofiddin Bobonazarov were appointed Deputy Chairmen of the State Committee for Land Management, Geodesy and Cartography. Jamoliddin Nouraliyev was appointed the first Deputy Minister of Finance, and Rajabali Rajabov was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance. Besides, Abdusattor Rajabov was appointed to head the defense and law and order department within the President's Executive Office, and Nourali Rioyev was appointed head of the organizing department within the President's Executive Office. Ms. Gavhar Sharofova was appointed Director of the Civil Servants Training Institute under the President of Tajikistan.

From http://www.asiaplus.tj/ 03/11/2010

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Elections to Tajik Parliament's Upper House Being Held Today

Elections to the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan's upper chamber of parliament) are being held in Tajikistan today. According to the Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER), registration for the parliament's upper house ended on March 18, with 27 candidates registered to run. Muhibullo Dadajonov, an official with the CCER, says councils in the Sughd and Khatlon provinces as well as Dushanbe nominated five candidates each, while councils in Gorno Badakhshan and districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) nominated 6 candidates each. Five constituencies have been set up for elections to parliament's upper house that will take place on March 25, Dadajonov said. We will recall that three-fourths of the total number of members of the Majlisi Milli are elected at joint meetings of people's deputies of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region and its towns and districts, regions and their towns and districts, Dushanbe city and its districts, towns and districts subordinate to the centre, on the basis of indirect elections by means of secret ballot. The Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region, regions, Dushanbe City, towns and districts subordinate to the center have an equal number of representatives in the Majlisi Milli (five each). One-fourths of the members of the Majlisi Milli are appointed by the President. Besides, each former President of the Republic of Tajikistan shall be the life member of the Majlisi Milli, if he doesn't refuse to use this right. Two members of the new Majlisi Milli are already known - they are ex-President Qahhor Mahkamov and ex-speaker of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Saydullo Khairulloyev. Qahhor Mahkamov is the life member of the Majlisi Milli as ex-president of the country and Saydullo Khairulloyev was appointed by the president. We will recall that during an address at the opening session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon, President Rahmon noted on March 16 that he will appoint Mr. Khairulloyev member of the Majlisi Milli.

From http://www.asiaplus.tj/ 03/25/2010

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UKRAINE: Schedules No-Confidence Vote in Government

Ukraine's parliament will hold a vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on March 3, a spokeswoman for the assembly's speaker said today. "Parliamentarians agreed to hold the vote on Wednesday," the spokeswoman said after a meeting of faction leaders. If the vote succeeds, Tymoshenko and her government would remain until a new cabinet replaces them. The famously fickle factions in parliament would begin weeks of horsetrading to oust the ruling coalition and create a new government.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/01/2010

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Ukraine Appoints New Prime Minister, Forms Governing Coalition

Ukraine's parliament appointed a new prime minister after President Viktor Yanukovych formed a new governing coalition in the legislature today. Yanukovych has moved quickly to form a government following the ouster of the country's Orange Revolution leaders in a presidential election last month. The new coalition is centered around Yanukovych's pro-Moscow Party of Regions, which picked former Finance Minister Mykola Azarov for the post of prime minister. Parliament confirmed the appointment soon after. A controversial figure among liberal circles, the Russian-born Azarov is a top ally of Yanukovych's. The technocrat replaces former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the fiery Orange Revolution heroine who narrowly lost the bitter election to Yanukovych last month. A stern figure, Azarov spent six years as head of the state tax administration under Yanukovych's old patron, former President Leonid Kuchma. Critics at the time devised the term "azarovshina" from his name to refer to what they called his Soviet-style heavy handedness and corruption. Speaking in parliament today, Azarov promised structural reforms, lashing out at Tymoshenko's outgoing government, which he said had left Ukraine's coffers empty, adding that the situation in the country "critical." "Our task is to provide the people with just and effective rule," he said. "We're speaking honestly about the situation in Ukraine and what we want to do about it." Tymoshenko later dismissed Azarov's criticism. Speaking to reporters, she said, "the first thing [the new cabinet] will do is to divide the money flow among themselves."

Cabinet Takes Shape: The parliament approved nominations for other top cabinet posts, including businessman Borys Kolesnykov as deputy prime minister. Another close Yanukovych ally seen as a main strategist for the Party of Regions, Kolesnykov was among those temporarily arrested in the aftermath of the Orange Revolution. He denies all allegations of wrongdoing connected to the racketeering charges brought against him. Most of the other posts also went to Yanukovych allies, except for the surprise choice of Kostyantyn Hryshchenko for foreign minister. Previously Ukraine's ambassador to Russia, he's seen as a pro-Western figure. The new government is taking shape after Tymoshenko's governing coalition fell apart last week, when some of its members defected. Among them was parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn, who announced the formation of the new group in parliament today, calling it a coalition of "stability and reform." "The coalition has been formed on the basis of an agreement signed by heads of the factions of the Party of Regions, the Communist Party, the Lytvyn Bloc, and the People's Party," Lytvyn said. Some had expected Yanukovych to pick one of two centrist politicians for prime minister, including former central banker Serhiy Tihipko. Yanukovych's onetime campaign manager, Tihipko placed a strong third in the first round of the presidential election in January. Yanukovych has picked him to head economic policy as a deputy prime minister. James Sherr of London's Chatham House tells RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that Yanukovych's decision to choose a cabinet of close allies instead of forming a broad-based reform government means policy will be influenced chiefly by Yanukovych's backers. He calls them "less competitive businesses that do not welcome globalization and real competition." "It's going to be a coalition that's very reassuring for rent-seeking bureaucracies who earn their money at the expense of real entrepreneurship in the country," he says. "And it will multiply channels of Russian influence on the new administration."

The End Of Orange Leadership: Tymoshenko's loss of the prime minister's seat was a final repudiation of the Orange Revolution's leaders amid widespread disillusionment in their political infighting and failed promises of reform. Tymoshenko says she'll now lead a joint opposition. She accuses Yanukovych of stealing the election through fraud, and bribing members of parliament to abandon her coalition. The new coalition includes 235 deputies from the 450-seat parliament. Its formation enables Yanukovych to avoid calling snap parliamentary elections, and helps him address his most pressing task: pulling Ukraine out of a devastating economic crisis. The new president is keen to restart talks with the International Monetary Fund, which last year froze a $16.4 billion bailout. Yanukovych is also steering Ukraine back toward Russia after five years of pro-Western rule. The Kremlin openly campaigned for him in 2004, when his victory in a rigged presidential election prompted the Orange Revolution that overturned the results and brought his rivals to power. After his remarkable comeback, Yanukovych indicated he would put an end to Ukraine's drive to join NATO, which infuriated the Kremlin, and renegotiate a gas supply deal with Moscow, which some believe would enable him to reestablish closer ties with Russia's Gazprom.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/11/2010

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Afghans, Iranian Win U.S. 'Women of Courage' Award

Two Afghans and an Iranian are among this year's winners of the U.S. government's International Women of Courage Award. Shukria Asil, an Afghan provincial council member, Shafiqa Quraishi of the Afghan Interior Ministry, and Iranian women's rights activist Shadi Sadr were among the 10 winners announced by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on March 1. The award recognizes women who have shown "exceptional courage and leadership" in pushing for women's rights.

Sadr is a prominent rights activist and a lawyer who has campaigned to stop stoning as a punishment for women. She was among dozens of women arrested three years ago for protesting the trial of five other women activists. She was also detained in the midst of the unrest that erupted after last year's disputed presidential election, spending 11 days in detention before leaving Iran for Germany. The State Department said in a biography for Asil that, as one of four female members of the Baghlan Provincial Council, she had faced threats of kidnapping and death in her fight for justice for women and girls. It cited her intervention in a case where a girl had been rejected by her family after being gang-raped. Asif managed to reconcile the family despite being discouraged by the provincial governor from doing so. Colonel Shafiqa Quraishi is the director of gender, human, and child rights at the Ministry of the Interior. She has been working to improve female recruitment and promotion rates in the ministry and the police force.

Melanne Verveer, the State Department's ambassador at large for global women's issues, described the winners as "heroic individuals" who had "overcome personal adversity, threats, arrest, and assault to dedicate themselves to activism for human rights." Clinton is to present the awards in Washington on March 10.

From http://www.rferl.org/ 03/02/2010

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AUSTRALIA: Controversy Continues Over Anti Discrimination Laws

In Australia, legal, human rights and social welfare bodies have overwhelmingly rejected government claims that planned new laws will fully restore race discrimination protection for indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. The anti-discrimination laws were lifted by the previous government to allow emergency measures to be imposed in indigenous communities that are sometimes wracked by violence and alcohol problems. The current Labor government has continued the so-called 'intervention' but has promised reforms. The issues are sensitive for both sides of politics.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/03/2010

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Australian Government Under Fire Over Immigration Policy

Australia's main opposition has attacked the government over its immigration policies, saying border staff are overstretched.The comments come after two new boats carrying asylum seekers have been stopped in Australian waters.One boat was stopped near Adele Island - about 100 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia - with an estimated 30 people on board.

The opposition's border protection spokesman, Michael Keenan, says the boats are getting too close. 'How much longer can it be before these boats just come down and actually hit the Australian mainland,' says Mr Keenan. But Australia's deputy prime minister, Julia Gillard, says there's no need to change the government's policy. Ms Gillard says 'we will continue to keep our tough border protection policy going'.On Saturday, authorities stopped a boat carrying 83 people. Both groups will be taken to a detention centre on Christmas Island.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/07/2010

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Coalition Seen as Stronger on Economy

THE Labor government may have saved the economy from recession, and interest rates are at record lows, but most voters still rate the Coalition as the better party to handle both issues, the latest Herald/Nielsen poll finds. The poll, which canvasses opinion on the issues that will shape this year's federal election, shows Labor well ahead in the eyes of voters in its traditional areas of health and education. It has slipped a bit on the environment, but in a warning for Tony Abbott, Labor remains streets ahead on industrial relations.

The poll of 1400 voters was taken from Thursday to Saturday night. From Monday to Wednesday the government released its policies for a national curriculum and health reform, interest rates rose by 0.25 percentage points and the national accounts figures helped vindicate the government's stimulus package by showing strong growth for the December quarter. However, the poll finds 51 per cent of voters back the Coalition on the economy, compared with 42 per cent for Labor. The Herald last polled the issues in October 2007, just before the previous federal election. Then, only 30 per cent of voters backed Labor on the economy, meaning it has made up 12 percentage points since being in government.

In recent weeks Kevin Rudd has claimed the economic management mantle from his opponents and cited the appointment of Barnaby Joyce as finance spokesman as evidence the Liberals do not deserve the title. On interest rates, 48 per cent of voters rate the Coalition as the best party compared with 39 per cent for Labor. The cash rate fell to a record low of 3 per cent during the economic crisis but are on the rise again as the recovery takes hold. The poll confirms that Mr Rudd is playing to Labor strengths by shifting the debate to health and education.

On health, Labor leads the Coalition by 53 per cent to 37 per cent. On education, Labor leads the Coalition by 59 per cent to 33 per cent. Both findings are similar to those of the October 2007 poll. The government, however, has taken a hit on the environment since 2007 when climate change was a key point of difference between the Howard government and the then Rudd Labor opposition. Then, Labor led on the environment by 57 per cent to 27 per cent. Since then, however, Mr Rudd has failed to have his emissions trading scheme pass the Senate and the home insulation and green loan schemes have been scrapped because of blowouts and maladministration. Subsequently, the latest poll shows that Labor's support on the environment has slipped to 51 per cent while the Coalition's support has risen 9 points to 36 per cent.

In a warning for Mr Abbott, who plans to unwind some of Labor's new laws, industrial relations is still as much a Labor strength as it was at the last election. The poll shows 56 per cent back Labor and 36 per cent the Coalition. Yesterday the ACTU released a new campaign accusing Mr Abbott of wanting to bring back Work Choices.

From http://www.smh.com.au/ 03/08/2010

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Voters Warm to Rudd's Health Plan

KEVIN RUDD has received a resounding endorsement of his health reform plan with eight out of 10 voters supporting the Commonwealth taking a greater role in funding the public hospital system. The finding is contained in the latest Herald/Nielsen poll which also shows that while Labor holds a strong election-winning lead over the Coalition, Tony Abbott's personal ratings continue to climb while those of Mr Rudd are now at their lowest level since he became Prime Minister.

Despite the Government's recent woes, including the insulation debacle and unravelling popularity, the poll finds that 68 per cent of voters believe Labor will win the next election while only 22 per cent back the Coalition. The poll of 1400 voters was taken from last Thursday to Saturday night. It followed an action-packed three days in which the Government released its plans for the national curriculum and health reform, the Reserve Bank increased interest rates, and the national accounts showed the economy to be recovering strongly.

The thrust of Mr Rudd's health reform plan is for the Commonwealth to become the dominant funder of public hospital and health services. The poll finds 79 per cent of voters back this approach. In NSW support is the strongest at 85 per cent. Mr Rudd is relying on people power to help him win over the Senate and the states, both of which are necessary to implement his health plan. Yesterday, Mr Abbott all but declared the Coalition would oppose the health plan in the Senate, labelling it ''disastrous''.

The poll shows that on the key issues that will decide the election, Labor leads on health, education, industrial relations and the environment, while the Coalition still has the mantle on the economy and interest rates. If an election were held today, Labor would win comfortably. The primary vote is tied at 42 per cent, giving Labor a two-party-preferred lead of 53 per cent to 47 per cent. A month ago, Labor led by 54 per cent to 46 per cent but the change is not considered statistically significant. Since the last poll, Mr Rudd's approval rating fell 3 percentage points to 57 per cent, his lowest rating as Prime Minister and the first time it has been in the 50s. Similarly, his disapproval rating rose 4 points to 37 per cent, the highest rating he has had.

Conversely, Mr Abbott's approval rating leapt 6 points to 50 per cent and his disapproval remained steady at 41 per cent. His approval rating is on par with the 51 per cent Malcolm Turnbull received in the early months of his leadership. While Mr Rudd's rating as preferred prime minister was essentially unchanged at 57 per cent, Mr Abbott's rating rose 4 points to 35 per cent. The Nielsen pollster John Stirton said the 22-point gap on preferred prime minister was the narrowest it has been since the last election. Mr Stirton said Mr Rudd was approaching more normal levels associated with political mortality.

''It is worth recalling that former prime minister John Howard had an approval rating lower than Mr Rudd's current (57 per cent) rating for around 75 per cent of his time in office,'' he said. ''The average approval rating for opposition leaders over the past 15 years has been 49 per cent, so Mr Abbott's rating is pretty much on average.'' The 68 per cent who thought Labor would win the next election was similar to the proportion which backed the Liberals to win before the 2004 election and Labor just before it swept to power in 2007.As Mr Abbott attacked the health policy as ineffective and overly-bureaucratic, Mr Rudd reminded voters there was more to come with announcements pending on mental health, increased beds, more doctors and nurses, aged care and dental care.

From http://www.smh.com.au/ 03/08/2010

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Australia's Government, Opposition Set for Health Debate

The Australian Government and Opposition are both confident of winning next week's leaders' debate on health policy.Kevin Rudd's decision to iniate an early debate with Tony Abbott has taken many by surprise.The Health Minister Nicola Roxon says it's designed to flush out the Opposition Leader's health policy."He hasn't told the public what he would do and that's because he has been the health minister for five years and didn't reform the system," she said.

The opposition's health spokesman, Peter Dutton, says Mr Abbott's combative style in question time on Thursday is a sign of things to come."The prime minister got smashed by Tony Abbott in the first debate on health and I predict that's what will happen next week as well," he said.The debate is to be held next Tuesday and will be followed by two more before this year's election.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/19/2010

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Australia Admits Humanitarian Program Under Pressure

The 97th boat in 18 months carrying asylum seekers to Australia has been intercepted in the country's north western waters and Australia's immigration minister has admitted the country's humanitarian program is under pressure because of the surge. Chris Evans also says the sympathy Australians feel for refugees is challenged by the boat arrivals, by the payments some make to people smugglers and by the perception of unfair queue jumping. But he's used a speech to a conservative think tank in Sydney to join refugee advocates in challenging the idea that there's a queue in the first place. And he's put his case for doing more to strengthen border controls and refugee protection regimes in countries like Indonesia.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/25/2010

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Police in Australia Investigated for Racist E-Mail

ADELAIDE, Australia - About 100 Australian police are being investigated for circulating racist and pornographic e-mails via the internal police e-mail system, and one officer involved in the scandal has committed suicide, a top official said Thursday. The investigation in Victoria state follows an independent citizens group report last week that police in the state capital Melbourne have targeted, taunted and beaten African teens, accusing the department of having a "culture of racism." Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland acknowledged at the time that some officers were racist but said they were a small minority, and in announcing the e-mail probe Thursday he noted that the material involved a variety of offensive themes, including pornographic and sexist material. The officer who committed suicide was not responsible for racist material, Overland said.

Overland refused to elaborate on the content of the e-mails, saying none of it was illegal but that all of it was offensive and in breach of department policy. "It's a mix of racist and pornographic and otherwise offensive material," he told reporters. "There are varying degrees of involvement and varying degrees of seriousness." He would not confirm whether any of the racist material referred to Africans or Indians. Both groups have been the target of violence in Victoria state and have criticized police conduct in recent months. The Age newspaper reported that the investigation centered on a graphic image of a non-Caucasian man being tortured. There were no other details on the image. The months-long investigation led to two officers receiving what is called a Section 68 - notice that the commissioner has lost confidence in the officers and giving them a chance to explain why they should not be dismissed - for introducing the material into the police system.

The other officers are being questioned for further circulating the e-mails, sometimes adding inappropriate comments of their own. "It's extremely disappointing that people would behave in this way," Overland said. "They've let us down and they've let themselves down and we'll have to deal with it." Overland confirmed that a police officer who committed suicide earlier this week was one of two given the Section 68. Tony Vangorp, 47, tendered his resignation Friday and returned to the police station Monday night and shot himself. Overland said Vangorp had not been responsible for any racist e-mails. "A tragic event has happened," Overland said. "It's deeply, deeply regrettable and we need to learn the lessons but it doesn't mean that I can or should avoid my responsibilities around the good order and governance of Victoria Police." The state police department has 13,800 employees, including police officers, public servants and protective security officers. Overland said his goal in disciplining the officers was to uphold the department's values and keep the confidence of the community. "How can a community have confidence in this organization if we allow racist, sexist, pornographic, inappropriate material to circulate freely around the organization?" Overland asked. "We can't do it."

From http://news.yahoo.com/ 03/25/2010

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RBA Governor Glenn Stevens Warns Against Property Excess in First Televised Interview

RESERVE Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens has warned against over excess in the property market and said official interest rates will push towards more normal settings as the economy improves. In his first televised interview, broadcast by the Seven Network this morning, the Governor said that with clear evidence the global recession has bypassed Australia, emergency policy settings in the form of low interest rates will not be needed. The comments come after a record number of dwellings were listed and sold at auction on the weekend.

The governor's remarks indicate the central bank has lost none of its hawkish bias and analysts said expectations will grow of a further interest-rate rise at the RBA's April meeting. Mr Stevens also gave a clear signal that determining a normal level for the RBA's cash rate target is dictated by borrowing costs faced by consumers and business. "We think it is useful to try to make clear to people that it isn't normal for rates to be as low as they were and you shouldn't assume they will stay that way because that assumption would prove to be unfortunate," said Mr Stevens in the interview, which was conducted to mark the 50th anniversary of central bank's founding.

"Once the emergency has passed and things gradually look more normal then it's not wise to leave interest rates right down at rock bottom any longer than we need to."I don't want to talk about what may happen from here but it's a general principle we've had for a long time, and (former RBA governor Ian MacFarlane) used to talk about this too, that as the economy goes back normal, the setting of interest rates has to do the same. "In trying to gauge what is normal, we have got to take into account the fact that the relationship between (the RBA's cash rate target) and the rates that people pay can shift, so there's a certain amount of judgment here. It's not a number you can look up in a text book."

Despite catching many traders by surprise, Mr Stevens' comments had little market impact. Interbank futures pricing for a 25-basis-point hike at next week's policy meeting remained at 57 per cent after the interview, which was recorded last Monday Morch 22. Currency and bond prices were also unmoved. The RBA earlier this month raised the cash rate 25 basis points to 4 per cent. Joseph Capurso, currency strategist with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said his comments weren't directed at traders. "He's going after the average person directly and the main message is to expect rates to keep going up. He wants people not to be complacent and not to over-invest in property," he said.

Rory Robertson, interest-rate strategist at Macquarie, said the RBA governor's interview is "marketing the need for higher rates". "The market would be correct in thinking a tightening in April is now more likely than not," Mr Robertson said. Mr Stevens highlighted that since the early 1990's, the cash rate average was around 5 per cent. "We can't assume rates will remain low. The relationship between the cash rate and what they pay for mortgages or small business loans is what we think is useful," he said.

From http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ 03/29/2010

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FIJI: Threatens Total Withdrawal from Commonwealth

Fiji's military leader says his country may quit the Commowealth altogether because of international pressure to hold democratic elections. Commodore Frank Bainimarama toppled the elected government in a December 2006 coup, and in April last year he threw out the constitution, sacked the judiciary and introduced strict media censorship. Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth in September last year after Commodore Bainimarama broke a promise to hold elections by March 2009. The Fiji Broadcasting Corporation says Fiji will consider pulling of the Commonwealth in order to "stop being harassed". The military leader has promised to hold elections in 2014.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 02/24/2010

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NAURU: Changes to Constitution Rejected at Referendum

Nauru has rejected a referendum proposing changes to the country's constitution. Saturday's referendum came after six years of discussion and negotiation, and its supporters were hoping to end the volatile nature of Nauruan poltics, which has resulted in 36 changes of government in 42 years. Nauruans were asked to vote yes or no to 30 constitutional amendments, including giving themselves the power to vote for the country's President, removing it from members of parliament. Amongst the amendments voted on was proposal that Naurans would vote for the country's president, who is currently decided just by members of parliament. But two thirds of the voters said no and the changes will not be adopted.

From http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/ 03/01/2010

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NEW ZEALAND: State Service Super-Sizing

The Government is planning a shake-up of state services, with mergers expected in Internal Affairs, MAF and the science sector. It is not clear how many jobs will be lost, but "back office" functions such as human resources, IT, payroll and communications are likely to be cut back to avoid duplication. The Dominion Post has been told there will be three mergers, which are to be announced on Wednesday and will see departments, ministries and agencies folded into each other. Sources say space has been booked at the National Library to announce the formation of what they are calling a Ministry of Information, which would roll National Library and National Archives into the Internal Affairs Department. It is understood Land Information New Zealand and Statistics had also been considered in that merger.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry is also due for a shake-up with the Food Safety Authority, with an annual budget of $99.6m, expected to be brought back under its roof. The science sector will also come under the scalpel, with the Foundation of Research, Science & Technology and Research, Science & Technology Ministry being merged. The Government issued a report on Thursday that recommended an overhaul of the science sector and the eight Crown research institutes. It is not known what will happen to affected ministerial portfolios. Labour MP Grant Robertson said the Government had to be careful costs did not outweigh the benefits of any move. "It's ordinary New Zealanders who suffer because the quality of services are compromised."

It is understood the change is coming out of the State Services Commission on the instructions of Finance Minister Bill English and State Services Minister Tony Ryall, after signals sent last year about finding more efficiencies in the public service. Prime Minister John Key also indicated small ministries and departments such as the Women's Affairs Ministry could be on borrowed time. "There is an awful lot of quangos and quasis... and if you want efficiency we need to look at that," he said last month.

A spokesman for Mr Ryall would not comment on the plans, but said reviews had taken place. Mr Robertson said it appeared Mr Key had broken his pre-election promise not to radically reorganise the public service. He noted that Mr Key promised before the elections that tax cuts would not mean public sector job cuts. "I also want to reassure people... that a new National government is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector," Mr Key said in September 2008.

Ad Feedback "Few problems are solved by significant reorganisations - in fact, many more tend to be created. It is easy to underestimate the amount of energy and inspiration soaked up by institutional change, as well as the loss of personal and institutional knowledge." Mr Robertson raised concerns about the quality of services the Food Safety Authority would be able to provide if it was merged into a large organisation. "It was made separate because it was regarded as being a specialised area that was crucial for New Zealanders' health."

The Public Service Association has not been briefed on the plans, but said it was supportive of the Government "sticking things back together" after several decades of splitting departments up.

From http://www.stuff.co.nz/ 03/06/2010

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New Zealand to Merge Food Safety Body into Ministry

Plans are afoot to merge the New Zealand Food Safety Authority back into the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, 3 years after the risk assessor and risk manager were split out. Agriculture and biosecurity minister David Carter said the move, expected to be formalised on 1st July and fully integrated from December, will bring benefits to the biological economy and greater oversight of the supply chain. "It will more closely align some of the key functions supporting the Government's economic growth goals, including sector performance, sustainable development and trade facilitation," he said. "Our future prosperity depends on the growth and productivity of our primary industries and in meeting international trade requirements for these products."

Formed in 2002 and independent since 2007, NZFSA has shared responsibility for food safety in New Zealand with Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ). NZFSA is responsible for protecting New Zealanders' health and safety and facilitating commerce and international market access. It ensures food produced, exported and imported by New Zealand is safe, and develops, provides input into FSANZ, implements policy, and represents New Zealand at international fora. FSANZ, meanwhile, develops food standards for both New Zealand and Australia, taking on board advice from NZFSA and other stakeholders.

From http://www.foodnavigator.com/ 03/26/2010

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UN Committee on NZ's Civil and Political rights

Below are the Concluding Observations of the UN Human Rights Committee (released overnight at the conclusion of the Committee's 98th session) on their consideration of the government's performance under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Concluding Observations, as well as background information on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Human Rights Committee, the NZ government and the ICCPR, the government's periodic report, the two sets of NGO reports, useful resources and links, and information on the 98th session are available on the web page 'UN Committee examines NZ government's performance on civil and political rights' at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/hrc98.htm.

From http://www.scoop.co.nz/ 03/27/2010

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Unscrupulous Welfare Reform

We are quite worried about the new proposed welfare reform and what will actually happen to the beneficiaries this is meant to help. Most people on benefits would rather be working. For many of these people there will be times when they are unable to work. We think that when people on benefits want to work, or find work, they should be given all encouragement and support from Work and Income. However stating they HAVE to work is unhelpful, unimaginative and unscrupulous. It does not take account of people's individual situations or limitations - you cannot fit everyone into one box! It is a bit ridiculous to expect everyone on the DPB (with youngest child over 6) to find work that they can do between 9am and 3pm, have school holidays off and sick days for all their children. Remembering also that many people on benefits are living in sub-standard housing so health issues are more likely to be a recurring problem, who would want to employ someone under these conditions?

We agree with Victor Billot from the Alliance when he says "the solution lies in looking at what is in the best interests of children and ensuring all those who want to have access to paid work, and those who feel their role is caring for their children left to get on with the job." Stating people on the DPB must go out and find themselves a real job (for 15 hours a week) is implying what they are doing is not work - going against the message the Families Commission is trying to get out: parenting is the most important job you will ever do. Parenting is hard work. Single parenting is twice as hard. We would estimate that when all your children are in school, you would 'only' be working at least 8 hours/day Monday - Friday + Weekends + Holidays + Sick days (including when you yourself are sick).

We are particularly worried about the sanctions proposed for people allegedly not complying with these new reforms and how this will be administered. Cutting the benefit at all means people will not have enough money for their basic costs. Beneficiaries survive on a very meagre amount and cannot afford to lose any of that. Benefits are for people who have no other means of support, so they do not have other options. Many people, especially on the Sickness benefit have essential medical costs, and a lot of beneficiaries have children. It will needlessly hurt the children to sanction these benefits. As a last point, we think it is important to remember the majority of people stay on benefits for a reasonably short period of time. We shall be a very niggardly society indeed if we deny support to the elderly, the sick, the disabled or to sole parents rearing young children. So let's call for greater respect for those who need support at some stage of their lives. Beneficiary Advisory Service offers information, advice, support and advocacy to people on benefits and low incomes. We help hundreds of people every year when they have problems with Work and Income, or even just a simple query from an independent agency.

From http://www.scoop.co.nz/ 03/29/2010

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Pacific Security Report Reiterates Economic Failures

An Australian Senate committee has reported on its inquiry into security in the Pacific, finding the core problem is the Pacific states' own failure to do more to build their economies. The report identifies a litany of security issues in the Pacific - from the breakdown of domestic law and order to transnational crime and illegal fishing. It also finds limited, overstretched or under-developed capacity to deal with the issues. It is the second volume of the committee's findings. The first, released last November, dealt with economic challenges, finding Pacific states themselves have fallen well short of what is needed to enhance their prospects. The committee says if its economic recommendations were implemented, Pacific security would be greatly enhanced. It also calls for a new Regional Maritime Coordination Centre and a broadening of the Pacific Patrol Boat Scheme with a more regional focus.

Slow development creates lax security
The committee has found that despite years of aid, Pacific states have failed to invest in human capital and to build their own economic opportunities. Tabling the security report in the Australian Senate, committee chair and Liberal Senator Russell Trood says it found a strong link between development and security. "Indeed Mr Acting Deputy President, the committee is strongly of the view that were all of the recommendations in Volume One of its report to be implemented, it would greatly enhance their security and improve their capacity to meet security challenges that they face into the future," he said. Security partnerships, with greater coordination between Australia's security-related initiatives and the expansion of programs to bring in other donors, were also tabled in the report.

From http://australianetworknews.com/ 02/26/2010

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UN Warns of Threats from High-Tech Waste in Developing Countries

Sales of household electrical gadgets will boom across the developing world in the next decade, wreaking environmental havoc if there are no new strategies to deal with the discarded TVs, cell phones and computers, a U.N. report said Monday. The environmental and health hazards posed by the globe's mounting electronic waste are particularly urgent in developing countries, which are already dumping grounds for rich nations' high-tech trash, the U.N. Environment Program study said. Electronic waste is piling up around the world at a rate estimated at 40 million U.S. tons (36 million metric tons) a year, the report said, noting that data remain insufficient. China produces 2.6 million U.S. tons (2.3 million metric tons) of electronic waste a year, second only to the United States with 3.3 million U.S. tons (3 million metric tons), it said. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said the globe was ill-prepared to deal with the explosion of electronic gadgets over the past decade.

"The world is now confronted with a massive wave of electronic waste that is going to come back and hit us, particularly for least-developed countries, that may become a dumping ground," Steiner told The Associated Press ahead of a UNEP executive meeting in Bali. He said some Americans and Europeans have sent broken computers to African countries falsely declared as donations. The computers were dumped outside slums as toxic waste and became potential hazards to people, he said. The report predicts that China's waste rate from old computers will quadruple from 2007 levels by 2020. Meanwhile, in India, waste from old refrigerators - which contain hazardous chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbon gases - could triple by 2020. It said the fastest growth in electronic waste in recent years has been in communications devices such as cell phones, pagers and smart phones. Most of the recycling of electronic waste in developing countries such as China and India is done by inefficient and unregulated backyard operators. The environmentally harmful practice of heating electronic circuit boards over coal-fired grills to leach out gold is widespread in both countries.

The report called for regulations for collecting and managing electronic waste, and urged that technologies be transferred to the industrializing world to cope with such waste. While electrical products such refrigerators, air conditioners, printers, DVD players and digital music players account for only a small part of the world's garbage, their components make them particularly hazardous. Prof. Eric Williams, an Arizona State University expert on industrial ecology who did not participate in the UNEP study, said it was difficult to comment on the credibility of the electronic waste growth forecasts because the report gives little explanation of how they were calculated. "It is the environmental intensity of e-waste rather than its total mass that is the main concern," Williams told the AP via e-mail. "If e-waste is recycled informally in the developing world, it causes far worse pollution than the much larger mass of regular waste in landfills," he said.

From http://www.cellular-news.com/ 02/22/2010

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IMF Wants New Power to Supervise Global Financial System

"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants new authority to supervise the global financial system, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Friday... 'We must build on this positive momentum: to transform the Fund into an institution even better equipped to meet the challenges of the post-crisis era,' Strauss-Kahn told a meeting of the Bretton Woods Committee..." [Agence France Presse (2/26)/Factiva]

The NYT adds that "...he called for the Fund to improve its tools for financial surveillance and to 'construct a global risk map' of nascent systemic risks. And while noting that the Federal Reserve and other central banks provided liquidity swaps during the worst of the crisis, Strauss-Kahn said that the IMF should explore options like short-term credit lines for extending emergency lending in future crises..." [The New York Times (2/27)/Factiva] The WSJ writes that "...the IMF is considering a new multibillion dollar lending arrangement it would deploy during crises, which would offer money to countries even if they don't ask for it. Under the 'multicountry credit line,' the IMF would, for the first time, make money available to groups of countries that it believes are in danger during financial crises, rather than individual nations... A formal proposal isn't expected to be ready before September..." [The Wall Street Journal (2/27)/Factiva]

From http://web.worldbank.org/ 03/01/2010

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U.N. Meeting Examines Progress, Challenges in Achieving Women's Empowerment

Despite gains in women's rights in the 15 years since the Beijing Declaration, U.N. Female Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro on Monday during the opening of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meeting acknowledged more action is needed to help countries advance gender equality and women's empowerment, VOA News reports. At the launch of the two-week gathering of world leaders and women's advocates, "Migiro credited women's organizations on the global, national and local level with international gains in several areas, including education and the development of national laws, policies and programs," the news organization writes (Besheer, 3/1).

"More and more people now understand that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is not just a goal in itself, but a key to sustainable development, economic growth, and peace and security," Migiro told delegates, according to U.N. News Centre. During this year's CSW, the leaders in women's rights will discuss the progress made since the "adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action... which remains the most comprehensive global policy framework to achieve the goals of gender equality, development and peace. The Platform called for action on 12 key issues: poverty, education and training, health, violence against women, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and girls," the U.N. News Centre writes. The meeting will also address challenges to achieving these goals (3/1).

Such challenges include the fact "[w]omen still outnumber men among the world's poor, account for two-thirds of illiterate adults and are more likely to work at low paying jobs without social protection," the Associated Press/Winnipeg Free Press reports. "Migiro said women continued to be plagued by sexual violence and the maternal mortality rate remains 'unacceptably high,' while political representation remains too low" (Lederer, 3/1).Sha Zukang, the U.N. under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, pointed to discrepancies in how some countries are tackling issues related to gender equality, Xinhua/CRIENGLISH reports. "The challenge, therefore, is not that there is no progress; the real challenge lies in the fact that progress is uneven across regions and within countries," Sha said during the meeting on Monday. "Such a re-orientation is crucial at a time when we continue to tackle the multiple crises of food insecurity, climate change and the fall-out of the global financial and economic crisis" (3/2).

The VOA News article examines recent efforts by the U.N. to promote women's rights, including the creation of a U.N. envoy post "to combat sexual violence against women in conflict" and the agreement by the U.N. General Assembly last September to create a new agency for women (3/1).Agence France-Press/Asia One examines the "strong pressure to quickly establish a powerful super-agency to tackle women's issues." Several world leaders addressed the need for the agency during the opening day of CSW, according to AFP/Asia One. "Now is an important moment... to seize the opportunity to take a great step forward by establishing our new U.N. women's agency," Harriet Harman, Britain's minister for women and equality, said. The article examines the need for the agency and speculates on who might assume the leadership role of such an agency (3/2).This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

From http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ 03/03/2010

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Survey on CEOs Reveals an Oncoming Change in Asia

IT'S been a tough 18 months, as the world saw businesses fold up, demand contract sharply and the surge of liquidity that so luxuriantly flooded the market, dry up just as fast. With companies having slowly picked up the pieces and learnt the painful lessons over the last few months, business leaders are now setting a smarter course for growth. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) conducted its 13th Annual Global CEO Survey between September and November 2009 in 52 countries, with 1,198 global interviews. This was further supplemented by in-depth interviews with 27 CEOs. Questions centred on how CEOs and their businesses have responded and are adapting to the recession and their views on the post-crisis business environment.

The survey revealed that CEOs, globally and in Asia, are rethinking their approach to risk in an increasingly volatile world and reshaping their capabilities towards a sustainable and resilient path. Increased but cautious confidence Yes, the majority feels that 2010 will be better than 2009. Overall, 31% of CEOs are very confident in achieving revenue growth over the next 12 months, a significant increase from 20% last year. CEOs based in Asia and Latin America are 11% more likely to be confident about their near-term revenue growth than those in North America and 20% more confident than their Western European peers. In fact, 82% of Asian CEOs see their company revenues growing. Also 49% expect headcounts to increase compared with 39% of North American CEOs.

Today, business leaders are emerging with a healthy respect for risk, volatility and flexibility. While confidence has returned, CEOs are still cautious, especially on short-term recovery. "Asian CEOs concerns are mostly connected to the effects of globalisation - a protracted global recession, exchange rate volatility and stability in capital markets," says PricewaterhouseCoopers managing director Chin Kwai Fatt. Asia - the choice region Not surprisingly, Asia is also the region of choice and is set to be the centre of growth in the new-world order over the next 12 months. The shifts of power is becoming more apparent. For instance, owing to the financial woes and heavy leveraging, Western Europe is currently the most popular in terms of acquisition activities. However, this is expected to change quickly over the next 12 months, with 82% of global CEOs growing their businesses in Asia.

As it is, many business centres are already located in Asia. "But the crisis has quickened the change in the economic landscape. Asia and Latin America are seen as the regions of growth," says Chin. Two areas have been identified as critical "long-term focus areas" and they are cost efficiencies and talent development. In the past 12 months, companies in the US, Europe and the UK have led in cost-cutting, and continue to remain focused in the short-term. Presently, this momentum is shifting to companies based in Asia, with 93% of CEOs in China and India, and 90% in South Korea planning cost efficiencies over the next three years compared with the global average of 78%.

Despite the focus on cost savings, headcount is expected to increase. The survey shows that while many companies are still downsizing, more will grow their work force (39%) than cut (25%) them over the next 12 months. This trend is more pronounced in Asia where investment in people is centered on training and development, and employee engagement. Specialists remain in demand; many parts of the world are still struggling to attract and keep talent. Over the long term, businesses may live to regret the drastic headcount reduction they have made during the downturn. With vigilance governing most companies, CEOs are striving to keep debt low and liquidity ample, in part because of uncertainty over the capacity of banks to lend when the time for growth comes. In Asia, 78% of CEOs expect internally generated cashflow to finance growth, which is 7% higher than last year. A majority of these CEOs plan to change capital structures as a result of the crisis.

Threats to growth include over-regulation and concerns over protectionist tendencies, which are up 10% compared to last year's survey. Both global and Asian CEOs believe that government intervention has played an important role in rescuing the economy. Nonetheless they feel that regulation cannot be overwhelming, and has to be balanced if growth is to be achieved. "Post crisis, CEOs expect governments to be more hands-off," says Chin. And if there's one lesson from the crisis that CEOs consistently come back to, it's fashioning a more effective risk response. Thus, more CEOs are planning 'a major change' to risk management more than any other elements of their strategy, organisation or operating model. The past 12 months have tested the ability of companies to deal with unexpected risks. Drawing from this experience, many CEOs are rethinking their approach to managing risk in today's volatile world.

"The winners of tomorrow will be those that remove non value adding costs, retain key talent, manage risk, demonstrate good governance and invest in new growth areas," says Chin. Green is in It is also no longer just about business. Consumer priorities are shifting and they expect organisations to be socially responsible. Chin predicts climate change will be a game-changer. "Climate change will affect and alter the way companies do businesses. This will be a major shaper moving forward and may undermine the competitiveness of those who are not prepared to tackle this issue now. Managed well, climate change can lead to opportunities and cost savings for businesses who invest in it upfront," says Chin.

The good news is that in spite of the recession, 47% of the Asian CEOs interviewed already have a climate change strategy in place (46% do not). The majority, or 54% plan to prepare for climate change impacts. Although 37% feel this will be a significant expense to their business, 39% feel they will benefit from government funds/incentives. Chin says the awareness and growth of energy efficiency is just like the waves of technology and the Internet some 10 years ago. "At that time, people did not fully understand the Internet phenomenon and never thought it would grow so fast or become such an integral part of our lives today. The same thing is happening to energy efficiency. We will see, for example, an increase in the use of solar panels and LED bulbs. For example, moving forward, green technology will be a key business shaper," says Chin.

Overhauling HR The majority of CEOs worldwide (79%) intend to increase their focus and investment on how they manage people through change, which includes redefining employees' roles in the organisation. They feel they need to change their strategies for managing talent. The scale of these intended changes suggests that, for whatever reason, existing practices did not support the business when the crisis hit. In Malaysia's case, it already has natural competitive advantages. "Malaysians are very creative and flexible. Because of our culture and diversity, Malaysians are adaptable and multiliguistic. I feel, we can be a good intermediary between East and West," says Chin. Of notable importance is that the emergence of a new breed of young people - the Generation Y (Gen Y) - are hastening the change in the global workforce. While researchers are still debating Gen Y's exact range of birth years, there seems to be a consensus that this cohort was born between 1980 and 1995. Gen Y make up 660 million people in Asia alone.

Their sheer size makes them a powerful coalition. Marketeers want to win over this crowd while CEOs are eager to learn about them so as to make the most of their skills and creativity. "The Gen Y are different from us (baby boomers or Gen X). They want to work with flexibility. They expect respect and feel that everybody is on par. There has to be a open management style when dealing with them. They do not like hierarchical structures in an organisation," says Chin. PwC's 2009 survey "Malaysia's Gen Y unplugged" reveals that the Gen Y have unique capabilities. The organisation which can best balance retention and development of these new generation of workers against cost reduction measures will be well positioned for taking on the upswing.

From http://biz.thestar.com.my/ 03/06/2010

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Singapore Ranked 7th in the World for Innovation

SINGAPORE is the seventh most innovative economy in the world, ahead of the likes of Japan and the United States, according to the latest Global Innovation Index (GII). While Scandinavian nations such as Sweden and Denmark dominated the top 10 rankings, the Lion City emerged as the second most innovative in Asia after Hong Kong, which came in third. The latest rankings put Iceland on top, followed by Sweden, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Denmark and Finland. Singapore managed to outperform the Netherlands (eighth), New Zealand (ninth) and Norway (10th).The US - last year's top innovator - fell to 11th place, while traditional powerhouses like Japan (13th), Britain (14th) and Germany (16th) all dropped out of the top 10.

The index - released by the Confederation of Indian Industry and international business school Insead yesterday - measures how specific aspects of an economy can stimulate innovation. Five so-called 'enabler pillars' were studied. They include institutions, human capacity, general and information and communication technology infrastructure, and market and business sophistication. Two additional 'output pillars' - scientific and creative - were also considered. The GII report credited Singapore's successful free-market economy and its open and corruption-free environment for its high ranking. The Republic, it added, was 'an excellent example of how a visionary and effective government strategy can impact a nation's progress'. According to Insead's Roland Berger professor of business and technology, Dr Soumitra Dutta, the GII underlines the importance of innovation at a time when the global economy is recovering from one of the worst financial crises in history. 'The study re-emphasises the crucial need for countries to focus on directed pro-innovation policies, to jump-start growth in the medium term and lead to development in the long term,' he said.

The move to encourage business innovation has been a major talking point since Budget 2010 was announced on Feb 22. In his Budget speech, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam introduced a new Productivity and Innovation Credit plan, which allows companies to claim additional tax deductions for spending in areas that make them more innovative. Existing programmes, such as Spring Singapore's Start-up Enterprise Development Scheme and Technology Enterprise Commercialisation Scheme, have been largely successful in helping local firms take their ideas from lab to market.

From http://www.asiaone.com/ 03/05/2010

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Enlightened ICT Regulation Can Play the Role of 'Stimulus Plan'

While demand for information and communication (ICT) services like mobile telephony and broadband Internet remains strong, the global economic crisis is jeopardizing ongoing investment in network rollouts and technology upgrades, a new ITU report finds. The 10th edition of Trends in Telecommunication Reform, ITU's flagship annual report on the state of ICT regulation worldwide, argues that enlightened ICT regulation can effectively play the role of a 'stimulus plan', driving network investment, growth and development. The report draws on the discussions held during ITU's annual Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR), which was held last November in Beirut, Lebanon and welcomed over 600 regulators from around the world. The economic crisis has served as a wake-up call on the importance of effective regulation and raised questions about the role of government and the laissez-faire approach that had prevailed - especially in the financial sector. Government and industry are now being forced to reassess their roles and the need for state intervention to ensure, among other things, the development of a new 'broadband economy'.

ITU argues that regulators and policymakers can proactively address the risk of under-investment in tomorrow's networks through a two-pronged approach that looks at how governments lend money to the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships, ICT stimulus plans and other funding programmes; and how effective regulatory strategies and policies - both financial and non-financial - can play their part in maintaining the momentum. But to be effective, these strategies must be underpinned by strong regulatory institutions and transparent policies and procedures - the bedrocks of effective regulation. "With technological convergence now blurring the lines between telephony, broadcasting, and online services, ICT regulators play a key role in fostering ongoing innovation and competition, enabling operators to adopt the latest, most powerful technologies, and ensuring consumers enjoy the very best range of services at the lowest possible prices," said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré. The ITU report maintains that, regardless of changes in investment appetite, negative capital market conditions, and financial crises, the size of the investor universe and the diversity of investor objectives will ensure that ICT sector investment remains robust and varied.

"Although the global ICT industry has seen reduced sales in equipment and manufacturing, lower demand and curtailed investment, the sector confronted the crisis more successfully than did many other sectors," said Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. "Certain markets - namely mobile cellular and Internet - have been buoyant. And because of the business opportunities they represent, developing countries remain attractive - especially those that have embarked on regulatory reform initiatives. But the answers to many of the complex regulatory questions now facing the industry are still far from clear - which is why the GSR has become such a key global event." Mobile growth continued unabated in 2009, with global mobile subscriptions expected to reach 5 billion in 2010. At the same time, mobile broadband subscriptions topped 600 million, having overtaken fixed broadband subscriptions in 2008, highlighting the huge potential for the mobile broadband Internet industry. The number of Internet users also grew steadily, with some 1.8 billion users worldwide by the end of 2009.

The creation of independent ICT regulators has been one of the main building blocks of regulatory reform. The number of separate telecom/ICT regulatory authorities in markets around the world increased from just 12 in 1990 to 153 at the end of 2009. Regulators have gradually opened fixed line services to competition, so that at end 2009 65% of countries now have competitive markets for basic fixed-line services, and 90% for mobile cellular services. In addition, 124 national fixed-line incumbents have been privatized along the way. New challenges in a converging world The report also confirms that converged technologies are boosting competition. Voice over IP (VoIP) services allow broadband, cable modem and wireless service providers to compete directly with one another, as well as promoting competition by enabling new service providers to compete without owning their own network infrastructure.

But changes in technologies and market conditions also raise new consumer protection issues. From a consumer's perspective, more competition may lead to a bombardment of marketing material, masquerading as information. This is especially the case where access to high-speed broadband connections makes consumers easily accessible, day and night, as advertising targets. In the 'always-on' environment, consumers may also be unaware of how to protect themselves and their families from harmful or offensive content. Meeting the needs of the connected consumer therefore needs to look at potential gaps in current regulatory practices that should be addressed to protect consumers more fully. This year's edition of Trends in Telecommunication Reform comprises ten chapters focusing on new market expectations, and identifying the different regulatory approaches taken around the world to stimulate ICT growth and increase access to broadband services. An Executive Summary of the report is available at: www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/publications/trends09.html

From http://www.itu.int/ 03/09/2010

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2009 Annual Review of Development Effectiveness: Achieving Sustainable Development

The global financial crisis has driven up demand for World Bank support to mitigate the effects of the crisis on the poor. At the same time, concern has intensified that every development dollar be used effectively and efficiently to meet development objectives. Although it has always been important for the Bank to demonstrate that its work is producing real results for people living in poverty, it is particularly critical to do so this year.
 
The Annual Review of Development Effectiveness 2009 presents the World Bank's record of performance in achieving outcomes from its projects and country programs and focuses on the Bank's contributions in supporting environmental sustainability.

From http://www.worldbank.org/ 03/20/2010

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CHINA: Continue Stepping Up Work Safety Efforts in 2010

China will continue to strengthen work safety this year, a circular issued by the General Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, said Saturday. This year will be another "Year of Work Safety", said the circular. Local authorities should take precautionary measures, fulfill their responsibilities, and beef up inspection to ensure work safety and reduce accidents, the circular released on www.gov.cn said. The State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) earlier this week urged local work safety agencies to conduct 24-hour work shifts and to report serious work safety accidents to the SAWS within three hours of the occurrence of the accidents.

From China.org.cn 02/21/2010

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China to Step Up Supervision to Key Sectors, Officials

China's Ministry of Supervision said Thursday it would enhance supervision to key sectors and leading officials this year to ensure clean and efficient work in promoting the country's sound economic and social development. The supervision and examination would target corruption in project construction, real estate development and land management, as well as corruption behind major accidents, the ministry said in a circular outlining major works in 2010. The ministry would investigate officials who meddled in construction projects against relevant regulations to seek personal gains, staff of supervisory organs who were negligent of duty or took bribes, and those who involved in serious commercial bribery cases, the circular said. The ministry vowed "zero tolerance" for these cases, it said. The ministry promised to step up its efforts this year to ensure the implementation of the central government's major arrangements for accelerating the adjustment of economic growth mode and promoting steady and fast economic development. It would also strengthen supervision and examination to make sure local governments will take measures to check the rocketing real estate price in some cities to ensure the sector's healthy development, it said. "Lazy and incapable" officials would also be targeted in the supervision to ensure efficiency of government work, according to the circular. China has intensified its fight against corruption recently. In its latest effort, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Tuesday listed 52 unacceptable practices in an ethics code for CPC cadres to follow. The code forbids conducts including accepting cash or financial instruments as gifts, and using their influence to benefit their spouses or children with regards to their employment, stock trading or business.

From Xinhua News Agency 02/26/2010

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China to Continue Reforming Cultural System: Premier

Premier Wen Jiabao said Friday China will continue to reform its cultural system and encourage cultural innovation. In the past year, development and reforms of the cultural industry effectively expanded domestic demand, Wen said at the annual session of the National People's Congress, the top legislature. "In the new year, we need to pay greater attention to and vigorously promote cultural progress," he said. China is deepening reforms on its cultural system, such as encouraging state-owned cultural groups to convert to a stake-holding system. Wen said China can not only create economic miracles, but also make brilliant new cultural achievements. Culture is the "spirit and soul" of a nation and the "determining factor" of whether it is truly strong or not, he said. Wen also promised to give priority to developing cultural infrastructure and allocating public cultural resources in rural areas and less developed central and western regions.

From English.news.cn 03/05/2010

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China to Speed Up Reform of Monopoly Industries

China will accelerate the reform of monopoly industries to facilitate fair competition among private and state-owned businesses, Premier Wen Jiabao said in a government work report delivered at the parliament's annual session Friday. "We will effectively expand market access, and actively introduce competitive mechanisms," Wen said at the opening of the Third Session of the 11th National People' s Congress (NPC). "We will create a market environment for fair competition among economic entities under diverse forms of ownership, and facilitate stronger growth of the non-public sector," Wen said. There are calls for government to loosen the grip and invite private sector to join the competition in monopoly industries. The government said it will deepen the reform of prices for resource products and environmental protection charges as the current state-controlled pricing mechanism does no good for conserving energy and resources, and achieving sustainable development. Wen noted pushing forward these reforms requires the government to balance the interests of different parties and ensure that the basic living conditions of people with low incomes are not adversely affected. The government will speed up the reform to introduce the corporate system in large state-owned enterprises, diversify their ownership and improve their corporate governance, Wen said.

From English.news.cn 03/05/2010

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