Urbanization: the challenge for the next century

This article summarizes a new 1996-97 report from the World Resources Institute, the UN Environmental Program, the UN Development Program, and the World Bank, which describes a future with increased levels of urbanization that were reshaping the physical and social environment. Urbanization increased economic growth and environmental degradation. By the year 2000, 50% of the world population will live in urban areas. Cities are the center of economic activity. Consumption is the highest in cities. Cities produce the most pollution and waste. Three issues are particularly crucial to survival: the water supply, sanitation, and water resource management. Neglect of these and other environmental issues is likely to have important consequences in both developing and developed countries. The greatest growth in urban areas is occurring in developing countries. Cities in developing countries have huge populations living in poverty. The poor in either rural or urban areas are confronted with lack of access to clean water, to sanitation, and to housing. There is overcrowding and exposure to industrial wastes and air pollution. There is a need for policy reform, stronger institutions, and enlightened political leadership. Cities need to improve their environment and to strengthen local government and implement poverty reduction programs. Reform of urban policies must be accompanied by effective urban governance. Community-based approaches are essential. Broad-based support is needed for changes in strategies and practices and for attainment of a more sustainable environment.     

Remittances from international labour migration: a summary of findings and issues for labour-exporting developing countries of the ESCAP region

International labor migration from the ESCAP region to the Middle East is analyzed, and patterns of remittances from migrants are examined. The focus is on "contract" migration, in which the workers involved have no intention of settling in the country of employment and which is characterized by a job contract that is concluded by the employer on behalf of the workers. Topics discussed include the labor market situation, controversies over the benefits of remittances, the flow of migration and the stock of workers in host countries, characteristics of migrating workers, management of the migration flow, the size and significance of remittance flows to ESCAP countries, and policy issues.     

美国税权划分制度评析与借鉴

美国的联邦、州和地方三级政府各自拥有属于本级的税权,并在同级政府层面上表现为税收立法权、执法权和司法权三者之间的划分与制衡。本文通过分析美国税权划分的主要特点,对我国税权划分改革提出了若干建议:确定税权划分的法定主义原则、税收立法权划分的指导思想、赋予地方适度税权的具体设想、明确划分中央与地方税收执法权限、建立解决地区间税权争议的协调机制、通过一些制度设计完善税收司法权的行使。     

The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP), a framework for political, economic and social relations between the European Union and its Southern Mediterranean neighbours, saw daylight in Barcelona on 27-29 November 1995. Ten years on, the international conditions in which the EMP operates have been radically altered by events in the Middle East as well as the enlargement of the EU. How well has the partnership performed in this changing environment and what are its prospects for the future?

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* Research Fellow at the United Nations University—Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU—CRIS), Bruges, Belgium.     

Differentials in urban-rural fertility in the countries of the ESCAP region

Fertility differentials between rural and urban populations are investigated using World Fertility Survey data for Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. "The fertility measure used in this analysis is the number of children ever born to a woman. An attempt is made first to establish the differential in fertility levels between urban and rural areas after necessary control of the demographic factors..., and then the possible explanation of the differential is sought in terms of socio-economic variables such as education of the respondent, and occupation, work pattern, work status and place of work of the respondent as well as that of the husband." Data concerning the fertility differentials and the associated explanatory variables are presented in tables and charts. "The results tend to show that the countries of Asia are undergoing similar patterns of fertility transition as was experienced in the advanced countries. Perhaps one can graduate the countries in the transition scale as follows: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and Malaysia are in the initial stage; Fiji, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand are in the middle stage of transition."     

解释中国农村区域间的收入不平等:一种基于回归方程的分解方法

本文提出了一个分解不平等的框架 ,在这一框架中 ,诸如收入之类的因变量的不平等可以分解为相关的回归方程中自变量或代理变量的贡献。本文所提出的分析框架可以被运用于分解任何不平等指标 ,并且对回归模型的限制条件也不多。通过将Box Cox和Box Tidwel收入决定函数结合起来的方式 ,本文定量分析了导致中国农村地区间收入不平等的根源     

近期国际油价回顾与下半年走势分析

2011年上半年,在世界经济保持复苏势头、中东/北非地缘政治局势动荡、日本大地震等自然灾害频发的背景下,基金和机构投资者卷土重来,推动国际油价震荡上扬,并在高位区间波动。同时,WTI与Brent负价差、即期Brent和迪拜原油价差大幅拉宽。下半年,世界经济仍处于复苏轨道中,但复苏动力不足,陷入＂二次衰退＂的风险增大。同时美国推出第三轮量化宽松政策（QE3）的可能性增加,美元总体呈弱势。下半年,世界石油供需基本平衡,预计国际油价多数时间仍将呈现区间震荡走势,WTI和Brent原油均价低于上半年。三季度WTI与Brent和即期Brent与迪拜原油价差仍将保持宽水平,四季度将有所收窄。     

蓝领专家孔祥瑞

编者按: 孔祥瑞是中国改革开放一线港口界又一个突出的先进典型,是新时期知识型产业工人的杰出代表.他的先进事迹最鲜明的特点是知识型、创新型和先进性.当前学习和宣传孔祥瑞先进事迹具有特殊意义,党和国家领导人黄菊、李长春等就此作了重要批示.中共中央政治局委员、天津市委书记张立昌同志批示指出:"培养知识型产业工人是我们培养人才的重要组成部分.只有产业工人知识化,才能提高我们的竞争实力.孔祥瑞勤奋学习、刻苦钻研的精神很值得学习推广."在发展港口经济中,我们需要更多的像孔祥瑞这样的蓝领专家,致力于开拓创新,为我国港口经济的发展做出新的贡献.     

国际石油买卖FOB合同与航次租约的衔接问题

大部分国际石油贸易通过海上运输完成交易,这涉及石油买卖合同与海运租约。这两份合同指向同一笔交易,为实现同一个商业目的;但二者又彼此独立,且签约主体各异,分别受合同法与海商法规制。两份合同紧密联系又相互区别的特征,决定了二者应保持良好的协调性,但是石油贸易商在实务中经常会碰到不易协调的各种困扰。国际石油买卖合同与租约在衔接上的问题包括法律术语借用、装货期限的匹配、船舶滞期费的衔接、提单数量的确认、“安全港口”义务、人为操控计价期、不可抗力、船舶亏舱、法律适用和争议解决、船舶侵权等等问题。本文在分析这些问题的同时尽可能提出应对办法,以期有助于石油贸易商防范和控制二者不匹配带来的法律风险。