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Abstract: This article presents a pilot and baseline African Green Growth Index (AGGI). The work is premised on the importance of Africa implementing green growth strategies. Baseline indicators allow countries to monitor progress towards green growth transition. The AGGI incorporates 48 indicators applied to 22 countries that had the requisite data. What emerges is that 18 out of the 22 African countries sampled scored 50 percentage points and above. The countries scoring below this threshold were: Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and South Africa. The top five countries on the AGGI (as ranked from 1−5) were: Namibia, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania and Togo. The authors recommend that for wider acceptance across the continent, the AGGI should work towards incorporating all 54 nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article begins by reflecting on how the geopolitical configuration outlined in Edward Said'sCulture and imperialism(1993) has been radically altered both by the decline of the US empire and, in conjunction with it, by what Jean and John Comaroff describe, in the subtitle ofTheory from the south(2012), as Euro-America's evolution toward Africa. From there, the article turns toViva Riva!(2010) andDistrict 9(2009), two films that appropriate the conventions of Hollywood blockbusters to produce cinematic narratives set in contemporary African urban landscapes which lend themselves to be viewed through the lens of recent theoretical debates on the becoming global of the south. These films’ gazes produce an image of African cities that is legible as a dystopic vision of the global future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Adopting a long term perspective covering four decades, we evaluate the trade performance of less developed African countries. Besides some general trade indicators, we apply a constant market share analysis in order to decompose export performance into several components with specific economic interpretation. Our main conclusions are: (i) the sectoral specialization structure of exports has remained heavy in commodities but the composition of the basket of goods exported has changed considerably with a very strong concentration in crude oil (mainly in the last two decades), (ii) the geographical structure of exports has also changed, with an important increase of the relative importance of China and USA, (iii) the countries under analysis not only show a negative competitiveness effect, but are also penalized by their sectoral and geographical specialization, and (iv) the most favorable evolution is observed in the most recent sub-period (2000-2007), but it is insufficient to reverse the previous negative trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact globalization and international relations has had on social and political conditions in Africa since the 1960s and 1970s. The author discusses his fieldwork in West Africa, noting the effects neoliberalism and global disasters such as famine and oil shortages have on the population of Nigeria. Examining the trend of historical revisionism in the country, the author cites Marxist and Muslim influences on Nigeria's economic conditions. The lack of development and low standard of living in Nigeria despite a large annual revenue from oil export is also addressed.

This article is to analyze the impact of Chinese enterprises on the local employment practices in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Based on surveys of over 100 Chinese and local companies and extensive interviews with managers and policy-makers in both countries made from July to December 2007,the study aims not only to depict the current employment practices of Chinese companies in Africa, but also to analyze the factors which affect the localization of employment. Two major patterns, bulldozer-type and locomotive-type, are identified and their implications for the local communities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author examines issues arising from foreign humanitarian aid provided for Africa. The central focus of the article is the author's contention that reliance on foreign aid in Africa frequently weakens domestic political and governmental organizations and undermines the accountability that exists between the states and citizens. A number of other issues are examined including the financing shortfall experienced in 2010 by developing countries, nongovernmental organizations and aid increases, and aid and the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

This paper is a conceptual exploration of the dimensions of the contemporary politics of informal economies, from the vantage point of collective organising by 'informal workers'. It inquires into the formation of the political subjectivities and collective identities of informal actors. The importance of the relations between their organisations and other organised actors is illustrated with a discussion of emerging alliances with trade unions. The transnational scales of collective organising by 'informal workers' are addressed. The paper suggests an analytical approach that takes account of the diversity of organised actors, of a variety of governing powers and of the various spatial scales of social struggle involved in the politics of informal livelihoods today. The reflections are informed by the considerable social and economic differentiation contained in informal economies and emphasise the importance of the great diversity of actors, positions, agendas and identities for understanding the complex and contingent politics of informality. Empirical illustrations are drawn from the African continent, but the discussions in the paper address wider trends and theoretical debates of relevance for other developing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: Each year, 19 million unsafe abortions occur in developing countries, and an estimated five million women are treated for the resulting serious medical complications. Meanwhile, the economic impact of postabortion care on health care systems in Africa and Latin America is poorly understood (data for Asia are lacking). METHODS: Two main approaches were used to estimate the cost of postabortion care: calculating the average cost of care per patient, as represented in 20 empirical studies, and analyzing treatment costs using the WHO Mother-Baby Package model, which enumerates the costs of specific components of treatment related to postabortion complications. The average cost estimates from each approach were multiplied by the annual number of cases of hospitalization for postabortion care to generate regional cost estimates. Three methods (low severity, weighted severity, and inclusion of overhead and capital costs) were used to generate a range of per-patient and regional cost estimates. RESULTS: The average per-patient cost of postabortion care ranged from $83 in Africa to $94 in Latin America (2006 US$); estimates based on the WHO Mother-Baby Package model were between $57 and $109 per case. The health system costs of postabortion care in the two regions combined ranged from $159 million to $333 million per year. The average estimates from the two approaches were similar: $280 million and $274 million, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of treating medical complications from unsafe abortion constitute a significant financial burden on public health care systems in the developing world, and postabortion complications are a significant cause of maternal morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the sixth meeting of the Standing Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), held January 30-31, 1997 is presented. The meeting discussed the projected funding for UNHCR, proposed repatriation programmes and the refugee crisis in the Great Lakes region in Africa. It also talked about the affects of refugee populations on economy of developing countries.

The article discusses the opportunities for developing countries in the face of global recession. It notes that the only possibilities for the economic growth of developing countries are economic reform and participation in international trade. It stresses that aid cannot be a substitute for investment, but a tendency to hinder the growth in African nations.

Focuses on policies of debt cancellation put forward prior to the July, 2005 G8 summit of world leaders in Gleneagles, Scotland. Report that the G8 has announced plans to cancel $55 billion in debt owed by Heavily Indebted Poor Countries; Impact of debt payments on the economies of poor countries; Report that health care services have been negatively impacted by the lack of funds due to debt payments; Claim that governmental corruption has hindered economic development in Africa; Support for the signing of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption by G8 leaders; Potential benefits of debt cancellation to development efforts in Africa.

Se presentan noticias que tratan de la economía internacional. Se dan pronósticos para el comercio mundial en 1962. Las perspectivas eran buenas, y se esperaba una tasa de crecimiento mejor que 1961. Se dan datos sobre ayuda exterior recibida por África en 1960. Se rezagaba el desarrollo económico de los países subdesarrollados.