• GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS AND IMPACT ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT
• TRADE - INVESTMENT FACILITATION AND PROMOTION
• TRADE FINANCE
• WTO-RELATED NEWS
• REGIONAL AND BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATION
• DID YOU KNOW THAT?
• RECENT PUBLICATIONS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT

GLOBAL
Asian shares wilt before year-end, dollar perky, Reuters , 30 December 2009
In a reminder of the continued fallout from the global economic crisis, shares of Japan Airlines tumbled to a record low on growing investor worries that the struggling carrier will be restructured in bankruptcy court as part of a state bailout. Japan 's Nikkei average slipped 0.3 percent after briefly touching a four-month high, with JAL shares plunging 32 percent at one point to 60 yen. Corporate debt problems also hit shares in South Korea , where the benchmark index fell 0.3 percent. Losses were led by companies in the Kumho Asiana Group and banks following reports that flagship units of South Korea 's ninth-biggest business group could be put under creditor-led debt restructuring.
Accessed on 30 December < http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B30HG20091230 >

CHINA
China PM blasts trade protectionism, pressure on Yuan, AFP, 28 December 2009
BEIJING — Prime Minister Wen Jiabao blasted trade protectionism by China's trading partners on Sunday and vowed not to yield to pressure to allow the Chinese Yuan to appreciate.In an Internet interview with Xinhua news agency, Wen said he would continue to implement macro-economic policies next year aimed at stimulating growth and fighting the global financial crisis, but would also rein in credit and curb rising land prices.” The pressure on the Yuan to appreciate is bigger and bigger... we have been getting this and that kind of pressure to appreciate, but we refuse to yield," Wen said in the webcast. "I told foreign friends, I said, 'you are asking for us to allow the Yuan to appreciate, while at the same time adopting all kinds of trade protectionism, actually you are trying to restrain China's development'.” The value of the Chinese currency, which has effectively been pegged to the US dollar since mid-2008, has been a bone of contention between Beijing and its Western trading partners, which say it is kept low to boost exports.
Accessed on 28 December
< http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/>

INDIA
Indian shares rise to highest close since May 2008, Reuters , 29 December 2009
MUMBAI - Indian shares rose 0.24 percent to their highest close in 19 months on Tuesday, gaining for a fourth straight session as hopes of robust December quarter earnings and better global economic conditions in 2010 supported sentiment. Financial stocks led gainers, with investors keen on the sector's outlook in a growing economy despite the hurdle of expected tightening in monetary policy from next month. "Also, our banks are relatively insulated to crisis situations as compared with global banks," said Arun Kejriwal, director of research firm KRIS. Top private lender ICICI Bank ( ICBK.BO ) rose 1.7 percent to877.65 rupees and top lender State Bank of India rose 0.1percent to 2,220.85 rupees. Mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corp ( HDFC.BO ) rose 1.25 percent to 2,685.10 rupees.
Accessed on 30 December < http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE5BS07420091229 >

JAPAN
Japan 's trade surplus up for 10th straight month in November, Xinhua , 21 December 2009
TOKYO , Japan posted a trade surplus amounting to a better-than-expected 373.9 billion yen (4.14 U.S. billion dollars) in November, Ministry of Finance data showed in a preliminary report on Monday.   November's surplus marks the 10th consecutive month of positive figures, which have been attributed to Japan 's export sector to parts of Asia recovering, despite the economic downturn. Total exports had fallen by 6.2 percent from the year before to4.992 trillion yen, marking the 14th straight month of decline, but an improvement on the 23.2 percent drop seen in October.   On year, imports declined by 16.8 percent to 4.618 trillion yen, marking the 13th month of contraction.   The Ministry of Finance data also showed Monday that exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, had risen 7.8 percent to 9.222 billion yen and that shipping Japanese goods to Asia had risen4.7 percent to 2.698 trillion yen. Both marked the first rise since September 2008. Trade figures are measured on a customs-cleared basis before adjustment for seasonal factors and positive figures such as Monday are a positive sign for Japan 's economy, which relies heavily on exports for growth amid persistent weakness in domestic economic activity
Accessed on 21 December < http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/21/>

PAKISTAN
Pakistan economy on the right path even after Dubai crisis, Regional Times , 16 December 2009 ISLAMABAD : Pakistan 's economy moved in the positive direction and the Dubai financial crisis did not post any negative impact on it as country's stocks have risen the most in three months besides the trade deficit also narrowed during the first five months of current financial year.” Pakistan 's stocks rose the most in almost three months after Dubai secured $10 billion of funding to repay debt and a government report showed the South Asian nation's trade deficit narrowed,” Bloomberg reported. It reported that United Bank Limited, the country's third- biggest lender by assets, rose 5 percent to 59.62 rupees. Similarly, Pak Suzuki Motor Company, the nation's Number one carmaker, climbed 4.8 percent to 90.86 rupees while Oil and Gas Development Company, Pakistan 's biggest exploration company, gained 2.1 percent to 108.12 rupees. “The news about Dubai boosted sentiments in the market. The narrowing of trade deficit shows the economy is gaining strength,” the report quoted Umair Siddique, a senior research analyst with IGI Securities Ltd. in Karachi as saying. The benchmark Karachi Stock Exchange 100 Index advanced 242.86, or 2.7 percent, to 9,280.16, the most since September 24. The index has risen 58 percent this year and is headed for its biggest annual gain in four years, it added.
Accessed on 31 December < http://www.regionaltimes.com/16dec2009/moneynews/pakeconmoy.htm >

SOUTH KOREA
Seoul moves to strengthen financial system, Financial Times , 16 December 2009
South Korea on Wednesday moved to boost the stability of its financial system by urging banks to balance loans with deposits. The country's financial regulator plans to issue rules next year to force banks to reduce their loan-to-deposit ratios to 100 per cent by the end of 2013. Korean banks have among the highest loan-to-deposit ratios in the region” There is nowhere in Asia like it,” said Duncan Wooldridge, an economist at UBS. Korea 's Financial Services Commission said banks on aggregate were lending 112 per cent of deposits at the end of September, using inter-bank lending to bridge the funding gap. The five biggest Korean banks by market capitalization have an average loan-to-deposit ratio of 120 per cent, much higher than the Asian average of 86 per cent, according to Bloomberg data. By contrast, western European banks average 150 per cent, while US lenders average 96 per cent.
Accessed on 17 December < http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f51a9304-ea5b-11de >

SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka 's Oct trade gap narrows by a third year-on-year, Daily Times , 29 December 2009
COLOMBO : Sri Lanka 's trade deficit in October narrowed 33.6 percent to $369.6 million from $556.45 million a year earlier, the central bank said on Tuesday, as the island nation recovers from the global financial crisis and the end of a 25-year war. The trade deficit for the first 10 months of this year narrowed 57.1 percent to $2.22 billion. October exports recording the lowest year-on-year decline fell 4.9 percent to $628.7 million, while imports fell 18 percent to $998.2 million, data showed. Sri Lanka 's exports have been falling as its top foreign exchange earner, garments, has faced the loss of a trade concession from the European Union since mid 2005.
Accessed on 29 December < http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009 >

THAILAND
Thai Finance Ministry ups 2010 GPD growth forecast to 3.5 pct , Reuters , 28 December 2009
BANGKOK, - Thailand's Finance Ministry raised its 2010 economic growth forecast to 3.5 percent from 3.3 percent seen in September, as economies of trade partners improved and state spending accelerated, an official said on Monday. The economy was expected to contract 2.8 percent this year, Satit Rungkasiri, chief of the ministry's fiscal policy office, told reporters. He said the ministry also expected the central bank's key policy to rise to 1.50 percent next year from the current record low of 1.25 percent, which has remained steady since April.
Accessed on 28 December < http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?typearticleid=7685687&>

B. TRADE - INVESTMENT FACILITATION AND PROMOTION

ASIA - PACIFIC
UN welcomes new tariff cuts in Asia , UN News , 15 December 2009
15 December 2009 – Hailing new tariff reductions announced by six Asian countries that include three of the region's largest economies, China , India and the Republic of Korea , the United Nations said today it looked forward to even deeper cuts. “I am delighted that APTA [Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement] members have made significant progress in deepening their agreement and are committed to continuing the process of liberalization” UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific ( ESCAP ) Deputy Executive Secretary Shigeru Mochida said at the end of the third APTA ministerial council in Seoul . APTA, the only regional trade agreement linking East, South-East and South Asia , was negotiated under ESCAP auspices. In their declaration, the ministers called for further tariff liberalization and negotiations into additional areas of cooperation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to expanding membership into “a truly pan-Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement.” The trade volume of APTA members skyrocketed from a mere $140 million in 1976 to $3.1 trillion in 2008, according to Korean officials, who expressed the hope that new negotiations will help transform APTA as a truly significant trade agreement in the region. The meeting was attended by ministers or vice ministers from the six APTA members and Mr. Mochida.
Accessed on 28 December < http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID >

SMEs aim global markets, Daily News , 23 December 2009
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises SME value chain must be upgraded to penetrate into global and regional markets as this sector has high potential for growth and to alleviate negative environmental effects through public-private partnership. Trade and Investment Director, United Nations (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Dr Ravi Ratnayake said. He was speaking at the two day Sub-regional workshop on SMEs' Value Chain Development at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel yesterday. He said it is important to strengthen sub-regional trade and economic cooperation among Bangladesh , Nepal and Sri Lanka to maximize their export potentials. If the three countries promote trade activities in integrated way rather than doing it in isolation they would learn from each other sharing experience and it is also easy to mobilize funding. For upgrading SME value chains, the three countries in cooperation with ESCAP focused on key products with high export potential, such as industrial rubber, electronic goods, plastic products and commercial crops (ginger and coffee) Dr Ratnayake highlighted the importance of selected product sectors for their contributions to national economies in terms of employment, backward linkages and export.
Accessed on 23 December < http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/12/23/bus01.asp >

CHINA
China FDI Surges; Three IPOs, 123jump, 16 December 2009
China plans to cap thermal power price hikes. Three initial public offerings were priced on different exchanges in China . China Shipbuilding gained 12% but Henan Huaying surged 80% and Hainan Strait Shipping soared 45%. Foreign direct investment in China increased 32% in November to $7 billion, but fell 10% in the year. China and Hong Kong stocks dropped on lingering worries Beijing will move in to rein in rising property prices. Three initial public offerings were priced today. In Hong Kong trading Hang Seng Index fell 0.9% or 202.18 to 21,611.74, and the China Enterprises Index of Hong Kong listed mainland shares, or H shares, fell 1.4% or 175.56 to 12,691.43. In Shanghai trading, the CSI 300 Index decreased 0.6% or 22.62 to 3,560.72.Daily turnover on main-board fell to HK$62.51 billion from HK$68.45 billion yesterday. China Shipbuilding Industry Co. increased 12% in its first day of trading in Shanghai . Henan Huaying Agriculture Development Co soared 80% and Hainan Strait Shipping increased 44% on the first day of trading in Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
Accessed on 17 December < http://www.123jump.com/China-FDI-Surges;-Three-IPOs/35710/ >

MALAYSIA
Malaysia to attract investment from China more actively, Xinhua , 27 December 2009
KUALA LUMPUR , Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia has lined up 10 initiatives to attract businessmen from China in a more active way to promote China-Malaysia's bilateral trade, a Malaysian official said here in an interview with Xinhua recently. Wong Lai Sum, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), said this is in tandem with the fully implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA).  MATRADE has planned to carry out high-level visits to China next year with Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed leading a delegation, she said.  Wong told Xinhua that MATRADE will actively participate in trade fairs held in China , among which are the China-ASEAN Expo and the Shanghai World Expo.  Wong said that China-ASEAN FTA construction has been making good progress since 2005, and in Malaysia , business communities have actively participated in tours to China organized by MATRADE. Following the full implementation of the FTA on Jan. 1 next year, Wong believed that more people will come to MATRADE's doorstep to seek advices for doing businesses in China.
Accessed on 31 December < http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/27htm >

C. TRADE FINANCE

BANGLADESH
Citi mandated for Bangladesh SME lending, Trade Finance Magazine, 15 December 2009
The Dhaka branch of Citi in Bangladesh has been mandated for up to BDT 2 billion (US$29 million) financing for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The facility, which will be in the local currency, will be for microfinance institution, Buro Bangladesh , which will finance SMEs with a focus on rural and semi urban areas.
Accessed on 18 December < http://www.tradefinancemagazine.com/Citi-mandated>

MALAYSIA
StanChart opens up GPS to Malaysia, Trade Finance Magazine, 15 December 2009
Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad has added Global Payment Solutions (GPS) to its products suite. GPS has been brought into the Malaysian market in order to improve efficiency in cross-border transactions including in trade export and import. A release from Standard Chartered states: “GPS is running for various clients, both in Malaysia and around South-East Asia . Recent application includes multiple-market fundraising for motor sports, a regional manufacturing facility for payroll payments, and e-commerce payments for an online advertising reseller. GPS allows corporate and institutional clients from various sectors and scales a cost-efficient approach to streamline their cross-border payments processes by giving them the ability to make payments in 78 currencies in more than 110 countries through a single centralized account.”
Accessed on 17 December < http://www.tradefinancemagazine.com/StanChart-opens-up-GPS>

SRI LANKA
ADB expands TFFP in Sri Lanka, Trade Finance Magazine , 18 December 2009
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed new trade financing agreements with Bank of Ceylon, DFCC Vardhana Bank Limited, and NDB Bank. The agreements are part of ADB's Trade Finance Facilitation Programme (TFFP) and will give the banks additional room to provide essential financing to Sri Lanka 's exporters and importers. At the same time, the agreements will help the banks develop relationships with their international peers, which should promote partnerships and knowledge sharing in the future. Bank of Ceylon signed its first agreement under the programme while DFCC Vardhana Bank Limited and NDB Bank expanded their existing relationships with ADB. "Trade is a key tool for promoting economic expansion. Stronger economic growth translates into jobs and higher incomes which, in turn, help to reduce poverty," says Philip Erquiaga, director general of ADB's Private Sector Operations Department.
Accessed on 18 December < http://www.tradefinancemagazine.com/srilanks.html >

D. WTO RELATED NEWS

GLOBAL
Trade Talks Still Out In the Wild, Forbes , 17 December 2009
Parties to one of the longest-running commercial disputes in the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced a resolution yesterday. The deal provides access to the E.U. market for banana exports from Latin America and represents one of the few successes in multilateral trade talks of late. Notwithstanding yesterday's breakthrough, deadlock in the Doha Round continues. This was emphasized by the modest aims of a three-day meeting of WTO trade ministers in Geneva that ended on December 2. Although this was the WTO's first ministerial session for four years, the negotiations were not even on the formal agenda.
Accessed on 17 December < http://www.forbes.com/wto-banana-trade-dispute-europe-latin>

CHINA
China holds to WTO vow on tariffs, China Daily, 17 December 2009
The import tariff for fuel oil will be raised to 3 percent and bumped to 6 percent for jet fuel next year, an increase by the Chinese government of 1 percent for both products that could influence domestic oil prices. China will also cut a number of import tariffs to meet its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitment it made upon joining the organization in 2001 as it strives to restructure its economy. "It is highly significant," said Jia Kang, director of the Institute of Fiscal Science , Ministry of Finance. China 's market economy status has not been recognized by all nations and its fulfilment of its WTO commitment will help this status be recognized by more countries, he told the press. The hike in fuel oil taxes will deal a further blow to importers after the country levied a heavy consumption tax on the product, used to power ships and energy plants, because the production cost of the country's fuel importers will rise, analysts said.
Accessed on 17 December < http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/>

RUSSIA
U.S. turns up pressure on Russia over meat trade, Reuters, 22 December 2009
Moscow has banned pork from all but six U.S. processing plants because of a dispute over standards for antibiotic residues -- and has threatened to stop accepting U.S. chicken after December 31 because of concerns about chlorine rinses. Washington has said Russia 's concerns are unwarranted and go far beyond international scientific standards used by members of the World Trade Organization. Russia does not belong to the WTO, so is not bound by the standards. Some say the situation illustrates why the United States should help Russia complete the drawn-out process of accession.” If we can get Russia into the rules-based system, it frankly strengthens our hand and it facilitates our ability to solve challenges like we have now," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in an interview with Reuters. Others grumble the perennial meat trade spats prove Russia is not serious about becoming a WTO member.” The worst outcome would be if Russia 's behavior creates a groundswell of opposition here saying that they should not be in the WTO," Kirk said.
Accessed on 22 December < http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BL4GM20091222 >

E. REGIONAL AND BILATERAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATION

CHINA-TAIWAN
Taiwan , China to hold free-trade talks, Reuters , 18 December 2009
Taiwan and China , political rivals for six decades, will discuss a free trade pact at formal talks next week amid protests planned by the island's opposition parties wary of deeper engagement with Beijing . Negotiator P.K. Chiang of export-reliant Taiwan and Chen Yunlin of economic powerhouse China will meet in central Taiwan's Taichung on Tuesday for a fourth round of talks on the proposed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), since ties began warming last year. The pact aimed at slashing import tariffs while allowing more market access in the banking sector, should be signed early next year, Taiwan 's top China policymaker Lai Shin-Yuan told Reuters in a recent interview.
Accessed on 18 December < http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BH0HC20091218 >

EU-SINGAPORE
Bilateral FTA negotiations to begin with Singapore, Europolitics , 20 December 2009
EU member states have given the European Commission the green light to begin bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the different countries in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN is made up of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , Philippines , Singapore , Thailand , and Vietnam . The member state authorisation came on 22 December. The first country to be impacted by these bilateral agreements is Singapore because, of all the ASEAN members, it is the EU's most important trade partner. Negotiations are expected to begin in early 2010.The main aim of these future free trade agreements is the gradual reduction and even elimination of tariff barriers as well as other regulations and technical obstacles which hinder trade and investment in various ASEAN markets. Their elimination could strengthen trade relations between the EU and the region in question.
Accessed on 23 December < http://europolitics.info/external-policies/bilateral-fta-negotiations >

INDIA-EU
India-EU free trade talks enter key phase, livemint.com, 30 December 2009
New Delhi : Negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) over a free trade agreement enter a crucial stage with both sides set to discuss legal texts and tariff liberalization in the eighth round of talks to be held on 25-29 January in the Capital. They will take place as differences persist over non-trade issues raised by the EU such as child labour and human rights. These bilateral trade negotiations have proved to be among the toughest that India has been involved in, and are important since the value of India 's trade with the EU is larger than its trade with either China or the US .
Accessed on 31 December < http://www.livemint.com/2009/12/30222612/IndiaEU-free-trade>

INDIA-JAPAN
Japan wants India to restate N-trade vows, Business Standard , 28 December 2009
As Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama keeps his date for summit-level talks with India before the end of 2009, it is increasingly becoming clear that Japan would like India to restate its commitments over safeguarding imported civilian nuclear technology. This is so that Japanese private companies partnering American and French enterprises can push sales of their nuclear reactors to India . Hatoyama today arrived in Mumbai on a three-day visit to India , where he is meeting top businessmen led by Ratan Tata, before flying to Delhi on Monday to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. This is the first time any Japanese prime minister has touched down in Mumbai, an indication of Tokyo 's interest to promote bilateral economic relationship, although by all indications the Economic Partnership Agreement will not be finalised between the two sides. Meanwhile, as India and the US remain locked in negotiations over their nuclear fuel reprocessing agreement, thereby forcing US companies to wait till the ink is dried before going ahead with their Indian deals, Japanese companies are said to be privately seeking assurances from the Hatoyama government over India's civil nuclear energy plans before they finally give the green signal to their US and French partners.
Accessed on 28 December
< http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/japan-wants-india-to-restate >

F. DID YOU KNOW THAT?

CHINA-U.S.A.
China, U.S. praise nonbinding climate agreement, Associated Press , 21 December 2009
BEIJING -- China , the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, on Sunday lauded the outcome of the U.N. climate conference, which produced a nonbinding agreement that urges major polluters to make deeper emissions cuts -- but does not require it. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the climate talks that brought together more than 110 world leaders in Copenhagen delivered "significant and positive" results. The Obama administration on Sunday also defended the agreement as a "great step forward" -- despite widespread disappointment among environmentalists, who lament that the pact does not include mandatory targets that would draw sanctions. "Nobody says that this is the end of the road. The end of the road would have been the complete collapse of those talks. This is a great step forward," White House senior adviser David Axelrod told CNN's "State of the Union ." Disputes between rich and poor countries and between the world's biggest carbon polluters -- China and the United States -- dominated the two-week conference.
Accessed on 21 December http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009>

G. RECENT PUBLICATIONS ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT

	Globalization of Production and the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in Asia and the Pacific: Trends and Prospects, UNESCAP, ( available online, PDF, 122 pages, 1.92 MB) This paper focuses on a key dynamic that is changing the business environment: the globalization of production, which has major implications for the growth prospects of SMEs in Asia and the Pacific. The current global economic environment is characterized by trade liberalization, rapidly changing technology, and growing and ever-mutating demand for higher-quality and differentiated intermediate and final products and services that must meet increasingly stringent international standards. Traditional SMEs find it difficult to stay competitive in such an environment, even in their domestic markets. Conversely, by facilitating linkages with foreign buyers and large multinational enterprises, the forces of globalization loosen the constraints of domestic economies and markets, and provide local SMEs with potential access to globally distributed assets, including information, technology, skills, capital and markets. Accessed on 21 December < http://www.unescap.org/tid/publication/tipub2540.pdf >
	Impact of Trade Facilitation on Export Competitiveness: A Regional Perspective, UNESCAP, (available online, PDF, 161 pages, 8.45 MB) It is widely recognized that the quality of trading environment has a significant impact on export competitiveness. The studies compiled in this publication analyse the relationship between trade facilitation and export competitiveness; analyse quantitatively and qualitatively the impact of trade costs on export; examine the status of export competitiveness in the region by using various indicators; and identify the effective ways of improving trading environment through trade and transport facilitation. The publication also includes three case studies on trade and transport facilitation in Cambodia , China and Sri Lanka , in order to exchange information and experience in this particular area. Accessed on 20 December < http://www.unescap.org/tid/publication/tipub2543.pdf >
	Trade Remedies - A Tool Kit, ADB, (Available online, PDF, 414 pages, 1.84 MB) The modules in this tool kit concern the World Trade Organization's Anti-Dumping Agreement, the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and the Agreement on Safeguards. The tool kit provides a very comprehensive insight to the rules enshrined in these agreements, as applied in practice, with special emphasis on the dispute settlement cases of interest to the Greater Mekong Subregion. The aim is to equip readers with the basic knowledge and understanding necessary to grasp and analyze the complex issues invoked in applying these laws. The tool kit offers valuable guidance to readers who desires to explore trade laws. Accessed on 31 December < http://www.adb.org/Trade-Remedies-Toolkit >
	World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change, World Bank , (available online, PDF, 439 pages, 62 MB) The report is an urgent call for action, both for developing countries who are striving to ensure policies are adapted to the realities and dangers of a hotter planet, and for high-income countries who need to undertake ambitious mitigation while supporting developing countries efforts Accessed on 31 December < http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce>

Information is taken mainly from secondary sources and UNESCAP accepts no responsibility for its accuracy. Mention of any companies and their products does not imply endorsement by the United Nations.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.