|
|
Unprecedented growth in developing countries shifting global balance of power: UN report
A new UN report said on Thursday that rapid growth in the developing countries is shifting the world's balance of power and creating vast implications on the future of global development.
"The South has risen at an unprecedented speed and scale," said the 2013 Human Development Report. "During these uncertain times, countries of the South are collectively bolstering world economic growth, lifting other developing economies, reducing poverty and increasing wealth on a grand scale."
The report was released by the UN Development Program (UNDP) in Mexico City, Mexico on Thursday, the UN deputy spokesman, Eduardo del Buey, told reporters here.
For the first time in 150 years, the South, a term used to describe developing countries, is producing about half of the world's output, compared to 1990 when it only produced about one- third, according to the report titled "Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Developed World."
"Never in history have the living conditions and prospects of so many people changed so dramatically and so fast," the report said.
According to rankings of the human development index (HDI), a statistical index based on life expectancy, education and income, more than 40 developing countries, including the big four of Brazil, Russia, India and China, have made significant gains in the last decade.
"All groups and regions have seen notable improvement in all HDI components, with faster progress in low and medium HDI countries," said the report. "On this basis, the world is becoming less unequal."
It attributed this swift growth to active governments committed to human development factors, a strategic approach to the world markets and an increase of social services.
"Few countries have sustained rapid growth without impressive levels of public investment -- not just in infrastructure but also in health and education," the report noted.
There has also been a massive expansion of the global middle class, which has increased from 26 percent of the world population in 1990 to 58 percent of the world population in 2010, giving the South new importance to the world economy.
"Without the robust growth in these (emerging and developing) economies, led by India and China, the global economic recession would have been deeper," said the report.
1624294_112032_1.jpg
In the last decade, there has been more South-South trade than North-North trade, and the number of Internet users in the South now actually exceeds that in the North.
The North is a term to denote developed countries.
"The economic take-offs in China and India began when their respective populations reached about one billion and per capita output doubled in less than 20 years, resulting in an economic growth that affected a much larger population than the Industrial Revolution," the report said.
"Emerging powers in the developing world are already sources of innovative social and economic policies and are major trade, investment and increasingly development cooperation partners for other developing countries," UNDP Administrator Helen Clark pointed out in the report's foreword.
Thanks to its unprecedented growth, "the South is now in a position to influence, even reshape, old models of development cooperation with augmented resources and home-grown lessons," the report observed.
It recommended that the increasing power of the South should be reflected by a stronger presence in regional and global institutions, and that together the North and the South should confront shared challenges, such as climate change.
"The South needs the North and the North increasingly needs the South," the report said. "The world is getting more interconnected, not less."
相关新闻：联合国开发计划署14日发布2013年人类发展报告，指出迅速崛起的发展中国家正在改变当今世界发展格局并推动全球“再平衡”，同时呼吁扩大南方国家在全球治理体系中的代表权。
这份题为《南方的崛起：多元化世界中的人类进步》的报告说，“南方的崛起在速度和规模上均史无前例，历史上从未出现过这么多人口的生活条件及其未来前景变化如此之大、如此之快”，中国和印度在不到20年时间里将人均产出翻了一番，这一转变所惠及的人数约为工业革命时的100倍。
报告说，千年发展目标中贫困人口比例减半的目标已提前三年实现，主要是因为几个人口最多的国家在消除极端贫困方面取得的成功，巴西、中国和印度三国均显著降低了其贫困人口的比例。
报告说，在发展中国家中，仅巴西、中国、印度这三大领先经济体的经济总产出便与加拿大、法国、德国、意大利、英国和美国这六个传统北方工业强国的国内生产总值总和相当，这是150年来首次出现的情况，表明全球经济实力正在发生引人注目的再平衡。报告预测，到2050年，巴西、中国、印度三国的经济总产出将占到全球经济总产出的40%，远远超过七国集团的经济总产出。
报告说，截至2011年，国际贸易额已占到世界经济总产出的近五分之三，发展中国家在其中发挥了重要作用。1980到2010年间，发展中国家在世界商品贸易总额中所占份额从25%增至47%，在世界经济总产出中所占份额从33%增至45%。
报告说，最不发达国家能从南南贸易、投资以及资金和技术转让中享受到更多利益，例如中国的经济增长对许多其他发展中国家产生了积极的增长溢出效应，在一定程度上弥补了发达国家日渐萎缩的需求。报告还说，南方的崛起涵盖一系列国家的广泛经验，并向世界表明可通过多种方式实现和维持人类发展。
报告提出应重新审视和调整当前国际治理机制和原则，在国际治理体系中更多地体现南方国家的利益，扩大它们在布雷顿森林体系、联合国和其他国际机构中的代表权。但报告也强调：“南方国家需要北方国家，但北方国家也越来越离不开南方国家。”
自1990年以来，联合国开发计划署每年都会独立编辑出版全球人类发展报告，对人类发展的主要问题、趋势和政策进行独立并基于实证的分析。(新华网) |
|
发表于 2016-7-11 09:57:00