New UN stamps illustrate importance of forests
The UN Postal Administration (UNPA) issued a series of eight stamps to commemorate the International Year of Forests on 13 October. These vibrant new stamps illustrate the importance of trees and forests in people’s lives.
Designed by internationally celebrated artist, Sergio Baradat, the artwork highlights the beauty of forests, and their vital link to life on earth. “For centuries, stamps have been valued for their role in chronicling human history,” said Jan McAlpine, Director of the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat.
“Just as the rings within trees hold the history of life on earth; stamps mark historic milestones. This beautiful stamp series visually evokes the spirit of the International Year of Forests and transports it to the far corners of the world.”
“Sergio’s colourful designs remind us all that one third of the Earth’s land surface is covered by trees,” said UNPA Chief David Failor. “The stamps also remind us that mankind plays an important role in maintaining the balance provided by forests.”
For more information: http://unstamps.un.org/
The International Year of Forests: http://www.un.org/forests
Statistical compilations
Monthly Bulletin of Statistics and MBS Online
The Monthly Bulletin of Statistics presents current economic and social statistics for more than 200 countries and territories of the world. It contains over 50 tables of monthly and/or annual and quarterly data on a variety of subjects illustrating important economic trends and developments, including population, prices, employment and earnings, energy, manufacturing, transport, construction, international merchandise trade and finance.
Vol. LXV – No. 9, September 2011
This month, the following tables, which are featured in the MBS on a quarterly or annual basis, are presented along with the regular recurrent monthly tables: Earnings in non-agricultural activities, by sex; Fuel imports, developed economies: unit value and volume indices; Indicators on fuel imports, developed economies; Registration of new motor vehicles; External trade conversion factors; Manufactured goods exports: unit value indices, volume indices and value; Exports by commodity classes and by regions: developed economies; Selected series of world statistics.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mbs
2009 International Trade Statistics Yearbook, Volume II Trade by Commodity
The 2009 International Trade Statistics Yearbook, Volume II – Trade by Commodity provides information on the world trade in 2009 of 258 individual commodities (3-digit SITC groups) and eleven world trade tables covering trade values and indices up to the year 2009. Volume II has been compiled approximately six months after the submission of Volume I (in November 2010) as the preparation of these tables requires and benefits from the additional country data which, normally, become available later in the year. Volume I -Trade by Country has been compiled (and made available) early in 2010 (in May 2010) to allow for an advanced release of an overview of international merchandise trade in 2009 and for a much earlier publication of the available 2009 country (area) data.
The information for 2009 in Volume II is based on data provided by 130 countries (areas), representing 92.6% of world trade of 2009. All tables of Volume II are made available electronically shortly after the completion of the manuscript. Volume II contains updated versions of the two world trade tables A and D published in Volume I.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/pubs/
2008 Industrial Commodity Statistics Yearbook
The Industrial Commodity Statistics Yearbook provides statistics on the production of about 600 major industrial commodities. Data are provided for a ten-year period and for approximately 200 countries and territories. The commodities have been selected on the basis of their importance in world production and trade.
This edition of the Yearbook is the fourth to provide data on the value of industrial production, in addition to quantities of industrial production that have been the scope of previous editions of the Yearbook. The Yearbook is therefore organized in two volumes: Volume I: Physical Quantity Data and Volume II: Monetary Value Data.
The publication contains three annexes to assist the user: an index of commodities in alphabetical order; a table of correspondence among the CPC-based commodity codes and the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC), Rev.3.1 and Rev.4, the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) 2002 and 2007, and the Commodity Classification of the European Community (Prodcom) 2002 and 2008; and a note on the Prodcom codes that are referenced in footnotes used in this publication.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/pubs/
National Accounts Statistics: Analysis of Main Aggregates, 2009
The National Accounts Statistics: Analysis of Main Aggregates, 2009 is the 40th issue of this publication presenting a series of analytical national accounts tables for more than 200 countries and areas in the world. It has been prepared by DESA’s Statistics Division in cooperation with the national statistical offices.
The publication presents, in the form of analytical tables, a summary of the principal national accounts aggregates as provided by countries and supplemented with estimates prepared by the Statistics Division. The tables of the publication include analysis of data on GDP by different structural components, for example, by type of expenditure, kind of economic activity, major area, region and country.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/pubs/gesgrid.asp?id=445
2008 Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles
The 2008 Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles is a source of overall consumption statistics of energy commodities in all sectors and provides detailed information on production, trade and consumption of electricity, net installed capacity and thermal power plant input and efficiency for selected countries.
This publication contains energy balances for about 115 developing countries, showing energy production, trade, conversion and consumption for each fuel used in the country; and electricity profiles for about 190 countries, providing detailed information on production, trade and consumption of electricity, net installed capacity and thermal power plant input for selected developing and developed countries. This publication is a source of production and consumption statistics of energy commodities in all sectors and of detailed information on production, trade and consumption of electricity, net installed capacity and thermal power plant input and efficiency.
The 2008 Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles is bi-lingual (English and French) and is available in printed and electronic (PDF format) versions.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/pubs/gesgrid.asp?id=443
2008 Energy Statistics Yearbook
The 2008 Energy Statistics Yearbook is the fifty-second issue in a series of annual compilations of internationally comparable statistics summarizing world energy trends. Annual data for 224 countries and areas for the period 2005 to 2008 are presented on production, trade and consumption of energy: solids, liquids, gaseous fuels and electricity.
In addition, per capita consumption series are also provided for all energy products. Graphs are included to illustrate historic trends and/or changes in composition of production and/or consumption of major energy products. Special tables of interest include international trade tables for coal, crude petroleum and natural gas by partner countries – providing information on direction of trade, selected series of statistics on renewables and wastes, refinery distillation capacity and a table on selected energy resources.
For more information: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/pubs/gesgrid.asp?id=444
Discussion papers
Monthly Briefing on the World Economic Situation and Prospects
October issue highlights the fall of equity markets worldwide and its impact on emerging countries’ capital outflows and currency depreciation. It also reports on the latest consequences of Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and on the steady focus of G20 finance ministers on fiscal consolidation as the cornerstone of the recovery to come.
For more information: http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/policy/index.shtml
Outreach material
Rio+20: Making it Happen
The latest issue of the Rio+20: Making it Happen newsletter highlights the International Day of Rural Women and the critical role rural women play in promoting sustainable development and eradicating poverty. Among other related events and issues, it also announces the opening of the UN Office for Sustainable Development in South Korea and various regional preparatory meetings for Rio+20.
For more information: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=40
“Working with ECOSOC – an NGOs Guide to Consultative Status”
NGOs have been actively engaged with the UN since 1945. They work with the UN Secretariat, programmes, funds and agencies in various ways, including in consultation with Member States. NGOs contribute to a number of activities including information dissemination, awareness raising, development education, policy advocacy, joint operational projects, participation in intergovernmental processes and in the contribution of services and technical expertise. To facilitate for NGOs applying for consultative status and guiding them on the work of the Economic and Social Council, UN DESA’s NGO Branch has launched the brochure “Working with ECOSOC – an NGOs Guide to Consultative Status”.
To view the brochure: http://csonet.org/content/documents/Brochure.pdf
Websites
The Rio+20 Secretariat launched a donation button on the Rio+20 website. The money collected will be used to fund the participation of representatives from developing countries, in particular the 48 least developed, land-locked countries and Small Island Developing States to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the Conference in June 2012.
For more information: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/index.php?menu=14
