Abstract: The Cape Town city-region, which is the second-largest area in South Africa (4 million inhabitants), reflects the national challenge of creating new economic opportunities while correcting past inequities. Since the end of the apartheid system, Cape Town has benefited from macroeconomic stabilisation and has outpaced the national average growth rate. It has both modernised its traditional strengths in port logistics and developed innovative sectors in tourism, agro-food processing, viticulture, financial and business services. Some of these industries compete successfully on the international market and attract skilled labour and foreign investment.
However, the scale of economic exclusion in Cape Town curbs the spatial and social dissemination of economic growth and reduces the potential of economic drivers. While many of Cape Town’s socio-economic problems and urban-policy challenges – income inequality, high unemployment, informal settlements, housing backlogs, mass transit inadequacies, crime, health disparities – are common throughout South Africa, the long history of apartheid has left the city with a segregated social geography that amplifies many of these daunting challenges. Currently 22% of the population is unemployed and 38% of residents live below the poverty line.
This report identifies the key missing collective goods that could both create externalities for firms and foster a more equitable distribution. It provides a platform for the development of a forward-looking, cross-cutting regional development strategy and proposes new "second generation" governance reforms to consolidate previous achievements and respond to emerging obstacles.
The Territorial Review of Cape Town is integrated into a series of thematic reviews of metropolitan regions undertaken by the OECD Territorial Development Policy Committee. The overall aim of these case studies is to draw and disseminate horizontal policy recommendations for national governments.
Download the report in English (pdf, 3.61MB) or Arabic (pdf, 3.99MB) from the website.
UN Pulse: Permanent Link: Arab Human Development ReportHighlights from this issue
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Pambazuka to take a break in August
- China?Africa Watch to become Emerging powers in Africa watch
FEATURES
- Samir Amin launches Pambazuka Press's new book, Aid to Africa
- Samir Amin predicts capitalism's ecological footprint will condemn
the South to poverty
- Food Rebellions! now only ?12.95 plus a 20% discount for Pambazuka readers
- Ken Olende tells the stories of Mau Mau veterans seeking
compensation from Britain
- Lansana Gberie on Liberia's TRC report
- Tapera Kapuya calls for Zimbabweans to have a say in the country's
constitution
- William Gumede says South Africa's provincial government needs reform
- Bill Rutto on Kenya's Talai and the end of a dynasty
- Tendai Marima fears a new UK border policy will reduce the rights of migrants
- Ama Biney on Madonna, Mercy and neocolonialism
- Tee Ngugi on cultural nationalism and the Madonna adoption case
COMMENT & ANALYSIS
- Dan Moshenberg on black American children let down by the US prison system
- Vincent Nuwagaba writes an open letter to Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon
- Ama Biney deconstructs Obama?s speech in Ghana
- Lucy Simiyu asks if there is hope for Kenya?
- Ihechukwu Njoku on Obama's sub-Saharan sermon
- Moreblessings Chidaushe on what the economic crisis means for Africans
PAN-AFRICAN POSTCARD
- Khadija Sharife examines natural capital and sustainable economics
- Mphutlane wa Bofelo looks at the other side of the Madiba magic
ADVOCACY & CAMPAIGNS
- Solidarity Network Kenya calls for the release of 27 civil society activists
LETTERS & OPINIONS
- Google.org's Aleem Walji appeals for help with Kiswahili translation
- Readers respond to Firoze Manji's feature on the Obama speech
BOOKS & ARTS
- Gerald Caplan reviews 'After Genocide: Transitional Justice,
Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Reconciliation in Rwanda and Beyond'
AFRICAN WRITERS? CORNER
- Chuma Nwokolo presents his short film, 'Sudan. Sudan.'
- John Otim on reading Okello Oculi?s 'Prostitute'
BLOGGING AFRICA
- Dibussi Tande rounds up the latest from the African blogosphere
EMERGING POWERS IN AFRICA WATCH
- Stephen Marks on why the Rio Tinto case could signal a shift of gear
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/issue/current/
"the impact of the global economic crisis is likely to be so severe in the least developed countries (LDCs) that business as usual is no longer possible. This will necessitate a rethinking of the development paradigm."
See also Background Papers.
From UN Pulse Permanent Link: Least Developed Countries Report 2009The Outcome of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development as it was adopted by the General Assembly is now available as an annex to General Assembly resolution 63/303. For more information, visit the conference website
From UN Pulse: Permanent Link: Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development: Outcome Document
The publication successfully analyses the Islamic legal framework on trafficking in persons, especially by calling for the elimination of the institution of slavery, the prohibition of exploitation of human beings in all its forms, the rejection of oppression and hardship, and the promotion of the duty of the public to promote good and prohibit evil.From: UN Pulse: Permanent Link: Islamic Law and Human Trafficking
The UNDOC Annual Report 2009 provides an overview of what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is doing to help Member States address the threat posed by drugs, crime and terrorism. The report demonstrates that, in an unstable world, the information and expertise provided by UNODC are in high demand (full-text, pdf).
UN Pulse : Permanent Link: UNDOC Annual report 2009
| Domestic [US]Timeline |
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The
domestic timeline begins in June 2007, showing the lead-up to and
development of the crisis as well as subsequent government responses.
The timeline is divided into three sections: Federal Reserve policy
actions, other policy actions, and market events. It provides an
overview of the major turning points and shows how policy has responded
to evolving market conditions. Timeline [pdf]
|
Here are President Obama's remarks, as prepared for delivery, from his speech to Ghana's parliament, Saturday July 11, 2009.
From:
Video of the Speech on Youtube:
Obama's Ghana Speech - July 11, 2009 (Part 1 of 4)ACTION ALERTS
- Six villagers have been shot by security guards at North Mara Gold
Mine in Tanzania
...
FEATURES
- Charles Abugre hopes Obama's Ghana visit will bring a new 'wind of change'
- Chambi Chachage unpacks the difference between subjects and citizens
- Bereket Habte Selassie on the elusive Pan-African dream
- Patrick Bond suspects Stiglitz and Yunus favour neoliberal solutions o financial crisis
- Phitalis Were Masakhwe calls on donors to promote rights of people
with disabilities
- William Gumede on the SA government's options for rescuing companies in crisis
- Greg Tate on Michael Jackson's place among black American musical greats
- Sokari Ekine on Michael Jackson and the politics of 'pigment-ocracy'
- Cynthia McKinney on being imprisoned for taking humanitarian aid to Gaza
- HSRC report suggests Israel practises apartheid in Occupied
Palestinian Territories
- Karoline Kemp on SOAWR's use of ICTs to campaign for women's rights in Africa
COMMENT & ANALYSIS
- Bill Fletcher Jr on the Left's difficulty in condemning torture by
'progressives'
- A letter from Uganda's President Museveni to human rights activist
Vincent Nuwagaba
- Ugandan human rights activist Vincent Nuwagaba responds to a letter
from President Museveni
PAN-AFRICAN POSTCARD
- Khadija Sharife asks what is the real value of Africa's wealth
ADVOCACY & CAMPAIGNS
- Campaign of terror unleashed on Nigeria's 'witch children'
- Declaration of the organisations of La Via Campesina of Central America
- Nigeria: DSM show solidarity with Great Ife workers
- Nigeria: Implement teacher?s salary scale in Osun State now!
- Obama: Change policy in Africa
- UNHCR responds to Fahamu on the situation at Mtabila Camp
LETTERS & OPINIONS
- Apologies don't put food on the table, says Ife Kilimanjaro
- Credit our achievements in the reparations struggle, writes Cikiah Thomas
- Simon Kokoyo on how donor agencies stifle development
- Anne Khaminwa responds to Fatoumata Toure
OBITUARIES
- Chambi Chachage remembers Professor Haroub Othman
- Kayode Fayemi celebrates the life of Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem
BOOKS & ARTS
- Blue tales, other narratives and beyond: The art of Khalid Kodi
- Kenya: Lola Kenya Children's Screen 2009
- South Africa: Durban International Film Festival 30th Anniversary
- South Africa: Urban Voices International Arts Festival 2009
AFRICAN WRITERS' CORNER
- An interview with Rustum Kozain
- E.C. Osondu wins 10th Caine Prize for African Writing
- Fat Cats by Marion Grammer
The report of the Security Council mission to Africa from 14-21 May 2009 has been issued (S/2009/303). The report has 3 sections covering the Council's visits to the African Union; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Liberia. Each section ends with specific recommendations to the Security Council, the parties involved and the international community.
UN Pulse: Permanent Link: Security Council mission to Africa report
Table of Contents:
Introduction
and Overview
Background
Indicators used in this DHB
Methodology and Data Sources
Data Display
Section A: Indicator Comparisons by District
1.
Socio-economic Indicators
1.1 Deprivation Index
1.2 Equity: Monitoring the gap between the most and least deprived districts
2. Input
Indicators
2.1 Per Capita Expenditure on Primary Health Care
2.2 Proportion of District Health Services Expenditure on District Management
2.3 Proportion of District Health Services Expenditure on District Hospitals
2.4 Cost Per Patient Day Equivalent in District Hospitals
3. Process
Indicators
3.1 Nurse Clinical Workload
3.2 Bed Utilisation Rate
3.3 Average Length of Stay
3.4 Clinic Supervision Rate
4. Output
Indicators
4.1 Immunisation
4.1.1 Immunisation coverage
4.1.2 Immunisation drop out rate (DTP1-3)
4.1.3 Immunisation coverage (Measles 1st dose) and drop out rate (Measles 1 –
2)
4.2 Caesarean Section Rate
4.3 Male Condom Distribution Rate
4.4 PMTCT Indicators
4.4.1 Proportion of antenatal clients tested for HIV
4.4.2 HIV Prevalence amongst antenatal clients tested
4.4.3 Nevirapine uptake rate among pregnant HIV positive women
4.4.4 Nevirapine uptake rate among babies born to HIV positive pregnant women
4.5 Primary Health Care Utilisation Rate
5. Outcome
Indicators
5.1 Incidence of New Sexually Transmitted Infections
5.2 Tuberculosis
5.2.1 Smear conversion rate
5.2.2 TB cure rate
5.3 Diarrhoeal Incidence in Children Under 5
5.4 Rate of Children Under 5 Years Not Gaining Weight
5.5 Delivery Rate in Facility
6. Impact
Indicators
6.1 Stillbirth Rate
6.2 Perinatal Mortality Rate (PNMR)
Section B:
District and Province Profiles
- South Africa
- Eastern Cape
Province
- Free State
Province
- Gauteng
Province
- KwaZulu
Natal Province
- Limpopo
Province
- Mpumalanga
Province
- Northern
Cape Province
- North West
Province
- Western Cape
Province
Appendices
Appendix 1: Correlation of the National Antenatal Sero-Prevalence Survey with
the DHIS
Appendix 2: Deprivation Indices
Appendix 3: Further Notes on Methodology
Appendix 4: Population Data by District and Province Comparing the DHIS and
2007 Community Survey Population Estimates
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Bank have issued a report, The Global Economic Crisis and HIV Prevention and Treatment Programmes: Vulnerabilities and Impact (pdf), that examines the potential negative impact of the financial crisis on HIV prevention and treatment (news release).
UN Pulse: Permanent Link: UNAIDS and World Bank Report on the Economic Crisis and HIV
At the opening of the High-Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in Geneva, the Secretary-General launched the Millennium Development Goals Report 2009 (full-text, 7.94 MB). The report assesses the progress towards the MDGs and warns that, despite many successes, overall progress has been too slow for most of the targets to be met by 2015. It states that "although data are not yet available to reveal the full impact of the recent economic downturn, they point to areas where progress towards the eight goals has slowed or reversed." UN Pulse: Permanent Link: Millennium Development Goals Report 2009
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators research project, covers 212 countries and territories and measures six dimensions of governance between 1996 and 2008: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption.
Abstract: This paper reports on the 2009 update of the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) research project, covering 212 countries and territories and measuring six dimensions of governance between 1996 and 2008: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption. These aggregate indicators are based on hundreds of specific and disaggregated individual variables measuring various dimensions of governance, taken from 35 data sources provided by 33 different organizations. The data reflect the views on governance of public sector, private sector and NGO experts, as well as thousands of citizen and firm survey respondents worldwide. We also explicitly report the margins of error accompanying each country estimate. These reflect the inherent difficulties in measuring governance using any kind of data. We find that even after taking margins of error into account, the WGI permit meaningful cross-country comparisons as well as monitoring progress over time. The aggregate indicators, together with the disaggregated underlying indicators, are available at www.govindicators.org.
Link to full-text of report by Daniel Kaufmann, Brookings Institution
Aart Kraay and Massimo Mastruzzi, The World Bank
From Polity.org.za
Pambazuka News (English edition): US APOLOGY OVER SLAVERY: WHY NOW?, and other matters...
CONTENTS: 1. Features, 2. Comment & analysis, 3. Highlights French edition, 4. Advocacy & campaigns, 5. Letters & Opinions, 6. Obituaries, 7. Books & arts, 8. African Writers? Corner, 9. Blogging Africa, 10. China-Africa Watch
Highlights from this issue
FEATURES
- Horace Campbell on the US Senate's slavery apology
- William Gumede calls from leadership from President Zuma
- The late Haroub Othman on Nyerere's stage fright
- Selam Kidane discusses the tragedy of Eritrea under Isaias Afewerki
- Zaya Yeebo calls for new inspiration from Kenya's civil society
- Khadija Sharife on France's support for African dictators
- Chambi Chachage asks when 'settlers' and 'natives' become 'citizens'
- Kola Ibrahim & Ayo Ademiluyi on campus cults and mass-based student unionism
- Keith Jennings on entrenched racial discrimination within the US judiciary
- Korir SingOei assesses the African Group
- Louise Edwards says Kenya's government must facilitate police reform
- Antony Otieno Ong?ayo on the severity of Kenya's problems
COMMENT & ANALYSIS
- Vincent Nuwagaba on the need for an 8th Pan African Congress
- Chambi Chachage on his love?hate attitude to the US
HIGHLIGHTS FRENCH EDITION
- Olivier De Schutter's Rinvestir dans les agricultures africaines pour satisfaire le droit ? l?alimentation
ADVOCACY & CAMPAIGNS
- Amnesty International defends Burundian refugees in Tanzania
- Urgent Action Fund-Africa lobby for services for women and children
in Mt Elgon
- Human Rights Watch call for prosecutions against perpetrators of torture
- The International Trade Union Confederation's background document for the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
- The International Trade Union Confederation offers its recommendations for the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
LETTERS & OPINIONS
- Makerere University's Department of Women and Gender Studies say male African leaders will take some convincing about women's empowerment
- Ngenda Joas, a Burundian resident Mtabila camp in Tanzania, calls for Pambazuka readers' support
OBITUARIES
- P. Anyang? Nyong?o salutes Professor Haroub Othman following his death this week
- A collections of memories of Haroub Othman
- Don Deya pays tribute to Haroub Othman
BOOKS AND ARTS
- David Sogge reviews 'The Politics of Aid'
AFRICAN WRITERS' CORNER
- 10th Caine Prize winner to be announced on Monday 6 July
- Mildred Kiconco Barya interviews Mary Watson
- Bev Reeler's poem 'What about the children?'
BLOGGING AFRICA
- Sokari Ekine surveys what African bloggers have been saying about Michael Jackson
CHINA-AFRICA WATCH
- Adams Bodomo looks at China?Africa relations and soft power
- Ron Sandrey and Hannah Edinger discuss the China?Africa trading
environment
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/ [English]
Executive summary
This report will be of relevance to anyone interested in human rights,
advocacy and the law generally. It is a public document, so please feel
free to distribute it widely.
Key findings in this report may be divided into three parts.
Challenges
We identified the key challenges facing the public interest litigation
environment in South Africa:
· The major challenge facing the public interest litigation environment in South Africa is a lack of funding and resources. This challenge is also substantially responsible for the second major challenge, that is the inability of public interest organisations to attract and retain sufficient numbers of quality personnel.
· These challenges are matters of significant concern. As we have indicated, international research suggests that progressive constitutions and progressive judges - both of which South Africa undoubtedly possesses - are insufficient to achieve substantial progress on human rights unless there are sufficient resources to sustain “support structures” - in the form of rights advocacy organisations
and rights-advocacy lawyers - for legal mobilisation.
· Given the massive inequality and poverty continuing to face outh Africa, we are concerned that if organisations engaged in this work do not receive sufficient support, there is a danger that the gains of the last few years will be undermined.
Strategies
To achieve maximum impact, we have identified four strategies that
should be used in combination in order to achieve social change:
· public information campaigns that inform ordinary people of their rights
· advice and assistance in order to enable people to claim their rights
· social mobilisation and advocacy, to assert rights both inside and outside the courts
· public interest litigation to enable poor or marginalised groups to achieve impact and success that would not otherwise be available to them.
Success Factors
We concluded that in order to achieve social change via litigation, it
is critical that the litigation be properly conceptualised, run and
followed up. In this regard we identified seven factors that are
essential to ensuring that public interest litigation succeeds and
achieves maximum social change, including:
· proper organisations of clients
· overall long-term strategy through a series of cases, brought on different but related issues over a substantial period
· co-ordination and information sharing between multiple organisations with similar aims
· timing when the climate is right and until the relevant evidence is in place
· detailed research in advance of, and during, the litigation including using foreign law and international law
· the “characterisation debate” - ensuring that the case is brought under the appropriate right and is correctly pitched to the court
· proper follow-up and enforcement after the litigation ensuring ractical benefits for those not directly involved in the litigation at all.
Thanks to Dilshaad Brey for this information
2009 Index:
Slide Show: Life in a Failed State
Link to full list for 2009
Access to earlier Indexes : 2006-2008
Somalia: Understanding Al-Shabaab
Summary
On 8 May 2009, Al-Shabaab reinforced by a faction of Hizbul Islam and former Islamic Courts Union’s (ICU) leader Sheikh Aweys began what they claimed was a final assault on the capital Mogadishu in an attempt to destroy President Sheikh Sharif’s fragile National Unity Government. A wave of targeted assassinations of ICU officials and Al-Shabaab commanders in mid-April onwards, the reshuffling of military and political alliances among Islamist factions and inflammatory rhetoric that has led to a polarization of political positions has all but eliminated prospects for reconciliation between the government and the opposition.
Date issued: 3 June 2009
Author: Paula Cristina Roque
Contact: phandy@issafrica.org
Global Issues ...[facing] the United Nations... [T]his website... offer[s] an overview of some of these issues, and guide you to places on the World Wide Web where you can gain additional information on each issue. We hope this deepens your knowledge and understanding of these issues, and what the United Nations is doing to address them.
Volume 23 No. 1. April 2009 Partial Contents:
Other Contents
Relief efforts gear up for Zimbabwe
Donors look for more progress on national reconciliation
New initiatives to track the gender impact of development funds
Download Africa Renewal, Vol. 23#1 in full (3 mb)
