..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 18 November 2005
Press Release No: N/63/2005

Nobel Laureate James Mirrlees plans lecture on
“Reducing poverty now and forever”

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- Professor James A. Mirrlees, co-winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Economics, will give a special lecture entitled “Reducing poverty now and forever” on 23 November as part of the second session of UNESCAP’s Committee on Poverty Reduction.

The Nobel Committee awarded the 1996 economics prize to Professor Mirrlees and Professor William Vickrey “for their fundamental contributions to the economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information.” Professor Mirrlees is well-known for his work on social cost benefit analysis, and has written in many other areas of economics, particularly optimal taxation, public expenditure, economic growth models, welfare economics, income distribution, international trade, and development issues.

The Committee on Poverty Reduction, scheduled to meet from 23-25 November in Bangkok, will focus its attention on a number of issues related to poverty and development, decentralization for poverty reduction, and statistics.

Note to Editors: You or your representatives are invited to attend the Committee on Poverty Reduction, on 23 - 25 November and a special lecture by Professor James A. Mirrlees on 23 November.

For further information, please contact:
Ravi Ratnayake
Director
Poverty and Development Division
UNESCAP
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1902
Fax: +(66-2) 288-3007
Email: ratnayaker@un.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
David Lazarus
Chief
UN Information Services
UNESCAP
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861/66
Fax: +(6602) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

* *** *