The report looks closely at the interdependence of productivity, output and employment. It traces the main sources of productivity growth and pinpoints the principal influences affecting those sources such as technological change, organization and composition of the labour market. It provides a thorough definition of productivity and evaluates whether productivity growth alone is enough to eradicate poverty in the future. The implications for labour market policy around the world are examined. The World Employment Report 2004 is the fifth in a series of ILO reports that offer a global perspect.

Contents of Volume 1: Message from the Chairman, The Board of Executive Directors, The World Bank Group, The Development Agenda, Regional Perspectives, Thematic Perspectives, Improving Development Effectiveness, Summary of Fiscal 2004 Activities, and About the World Bank.

References pp. 217-228.

Useful for undergraduate and graduate students of international business, this work features coverage of the Asian financial crisis and the European Union. Its treatment of such topics as foreign exchange, international trade policy, and economic development introduces students to techniques for analyzing national economies.

This is the 15th report, prepared by a team of independent experts, which explores major development issues of global concern. The 2004 report focuses on issues of cultural liberty and concludes that countries must actively devise multicultural policies to prevent cultural discrimination (whether on grounds of religion, ethnicity or language), since the expansion of cultural freedoms is at the core of human development. Rather than presenting a threat to state unity, the report argues that diversity is the only sustainable option to promote stability and democracy within and across societies. Issues discussed include: confronting extremist movements for cultural domination; myths surrounding cultural liberty and development; the impact of globalisation on cultural choice; social exclusion, human rights and participation. It also includes data tables for the Human Development Index (HDI) which measures key social and economic indicators for rich and poor countries, including life-expectancy, health and sanitation, employment rights, gender equality, education and income per-person.

Contents of Volume 2: Letter of Transmittal, Management's Discussion and Analysis, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Financial Statements and Internal Control Reports, and Special Purpose Financial Statements and Internal Control Reports of the International Development Association.

As towns and cities expand at unprecedented rates, sustainable urban development is one of the most pressing challenges facing the international community in the 21st century. This publication examines the realities faced by urban populations around the world, focusing on the impact of globalisation and the way cities are governed and planned, on the make-up and density of their population, and on their cultures and economies. Issues considered include: the impact of globalisation on urban culture; urban renewal and cultural strategies; the concept of metropolitanization; socio-economic and cultural impacts of international migration; urban poverty and homelessness, social inequality and exclusion; urban governance, safety and crime trends; contemporary planning strategies and the role of civil society; progress towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goals targets for sanitation and housing. The report highlights the need for a new culture of planning to establish multicultural and inclusive cities, involving civil society as well as public authorities.

Amnesty laws are political tools used since ancient times by states wishing to quell dissent, introduce reforms, or achieve peaceful relationships with their enemies. In recent years, they have become contentious due to a perception that they violate international law, particularly the rights of victims, and contribute to further violence. This view is disputed by political negotiators who often argue that amnesty is a necessary price to pay in order to achieve a stable, peaceful, and equitable system of government. This book aims to investigate whether an amnesty necessarily entails a violation of a state's international obligations, or whether an amnesty, accompanied by alternative justice mechanisms, can in fact contribute positively to both peace and justice. This study began by constructing an extensive Amnesty Law Database that contains information on 506 amnesty processes in 130 countries introduced since the Second World War. The database and chapter structure were designed to correspond with the key aspects of an amnesty: why it was introduced, who benefited from its protection, which crimes it covered, and whether it was conditional. In assessing conditional amnesties, related transitional justice processes such as selective prosecutions, truth commissions, community-based justice mechanisms, lustration, and reparations programmes were considered. Subsequently, the jurisprudence relating to amnesty from national courts, international tribunals, and courts in third states was addressed. The information gathered revealed considerable disparity in state practice relating to amnesties, with some aiming to provide victims with a remedy, and others seeking to create complete impunity for perpetrators. To date, few legal trends relating to amnesty laws are emerging, although it appears that amnesties offering blanket, unconditional immunity for state agents have declined. Overall, amnesties have increased in popularity since the 1990s and consequently, rather than trying to dissuade states from using this tool of transitional justice, this book argues that international actors should instead work to limit the more negative forms of amnesty by encouraging states to make them conditional and to introduce complementary programmes to repair the harm and prevent a repetition of the crimes. David Dyzenhaus "This is one of the best accounts in the truth and reconciliation literature I've read and certainly the best piece of work on amnesty I've seen." Diane Orentlicher "Ms Mallinder's ambitious project provides the kind of empirical treatment that those of us who have worked on the issue of amnesties in international law have long awaited. I have no doubt that her book will be a much-valued and widely-cited resource."