9 2.PEOPLE 3.ENVIRONMENT Introduction 35 Introduction 121 Tables Tables Population dynamics 40 31 Rural population and land use 126 Labor force structure 44 Agricultural inputs 130 23 Employment by economic activity 8 33 Agricultural output and productivity 134 9 Children at work 52 34 Deforestation and biodiversity 138 25 Unemployment 56 35 Freshwater 142 28 Poverty 60 3 Water pollution 146 27 Distribution of income or consumption 66 Energy production and use 150 2.8 Assessing vulnerability and security 70 38 Energy efficiency and emissions 154 Education inputs 3 Sources of electricity 158 2.10 Participation in education 78 30 Urbanization 162 2.1 Education efficiency 82 31 Urban housing conditions 166 Education completion and outcomes 86 312 Traffic and congestion 170 21的 Education gaps by income and gender 90 313 Air pollution 174 214 Health expenditure,services,and use 92 34 Government commitment 176 2.15 Disease prevention coverage and quality 96 35 Toward a broader measure of savings 180 2.1相 Reproductive health 100 2. Text figures,tables,and boxes Nutrition 104 2.18 3a Health risk factors and public health challenges 108 Agriculture's share in GDP-declining.but still more than a Health gaps by income and gender 112 fifth in low-income economies 122 2.20 Mortality 116 Agricultural productivity has increased,yielding more output for all 122 Text figures,tables,and boxes 3 More people will experience water scarcity and water stress 123 2a Child mortality has fallen in the past 25 years for countries at Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water... 123 all incomes 35 ..and the least productive user 123 2力 Under-five mortality is 15 times higher in low-income countries Irrigation has increased,demanding more water 123 than in high-income countries 36 3每 Cereal yields have increased in most regions-East Asia has Little reduction in risks for poor children 36 almost reached the high-income economies 124 21 In Sierra Leone most deaths occur before age 5 36 3 Forested areas are shrinking in Latin America and A child born in Denmark can expect to live to be 78 36 Sub-Saharan Africa-recovering in East Asia 124 21 A health gap becomes a life gap 37 3 Agriculture accounts for a seventh of all greenhouse Health inequalities by social,cultural,and geographic factors 1 gas emissions 125 Under-five mortality falls with rising income Less rain is falling in the Sahel,with dire consequences 125 Health inequalities in developing countries 37 Horn of Africa suffers floods after parching drought 125 Why do the poor receive and seek less healthcare than the rich?38 31 What is rural?Urban? 129 Rich people use health services more than poor people 38 3.2a Nearly 40 percent of land globally is used for agriculture 133 2 Some countries have reduced inequalities in use of 333 The five countries with the highest agricultural productivity 137 professional healthcare in childbirth 38 33h The 10 countries with the highest cereal yield in 2003-05- 2m Differences in healthcare spending contribute to global and the 10 with the lowest 137 disparities 39 35i The rural-urban divide in access to an improved water source 145 Where are healthcare workers hiding? 39 3B3 Emissions of organic water pollutants declined in most countries Public health spending benefits the rich most 39 from 1990 to 2003,even among the top emitters 149 Health shocks can push households into poverty 39 37a Energy use per capita varies widely among the top energy users 153 23 Lower wages and less rewarding employment opportunities 3.8a High-income countries contribute more than half of global mean higher risk of poverty for women 51 carbon dioxide emissions 157 2.43 Child labor is an obstacle to education for all 55 31 The five largest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions 2.6a Regional poverty estimates 63 differ considerably in per capita emissions 157 2.12a Children from poorer families are less likely to complete 39n Coal is still the major source of electricity in all income groups, their schooling 89 with low-income countries increasingly relying on this source 161 2i45 Differences in healthcare expenditures contribute to global 3.10a Population of the world's largest metropolitan areas in 1000. disparities in health outcomes 95 1900.2000,and2015 165 2201 Under-five mortality rates improve as mothers'education 311 Selected housing indicators for smaller economies 169 levels rise 119 312万 The 15 economies with the most expensive gasoline- and the 15 with the cheapest,2006 173 2007 World Development Indicators ix
2. people 3. environment 2007 World Development Indicators ix Introduction 35 Tables 2.1 Population dynamics 40 2.2 Labor force structure 44 2.3 Employment by economic activity 48 2.4 Children at work 52 2.5 Unemployment 56 2.6 Poverty 60 2.7 Distribution of income or consumption 66 2.8 Assessing vulnerability and security 70 2.9 Education inputs 74 2.10 Participation in education 78 2.11 Education efficiency 82 2.12 Education completion and outcomes 86 2.13 Education gaps by income and gender 90 2.14 Health expenditure, services, and use 92 2.15 Disease prevention coverage and quality 96 2.16 Reproductive health 100 2.17 Nutrition 104 2.18 Health risk factors and public health challenges 108 2.19 Health gaps by income and gender 112 2.20 Mortality 116 Text figures, tables, and boxes 2a Child mortality has fallen in the past 25 years for countries at all incomes 35 2b Under-five mortality is 15 times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries 36 2c Little reduction in risks for poor children 36 2d In Sierra Leone most deaths occur before age 5 36 2e A child born in Denmark can expect to live to be 78 36 2f A health gap becomes a life gap 37 2g Health inequalities by social, cultural, and geographic factors 37 2h Under-five mortality falls with rising income 37 2i Health inequalities in developing countries 37 2j Why do the poor receive and seek less healthcare than the rich? 38 2k Rich people use health services more than poor people 38 2l Some countries have reduced inequalities in use of professional healthcare in childbirth 38 2m Differences in healthcare spending contribute to global disparities 39 2n Where are healthcare workers hiding? 39 2o Public health spending benefits the rich most 39 2p Health shocks can push households into poverty 39 2.3a Lower wages and less rewarding employment opportunities mean higher risk of poverty for women 51 2.4a Child labor is an obstacle to education for all 55 2.6a Regional poverty estimates 63 2.12a Children from poorer families are less likely to complete their schooling 89 2.14a Differences in healthcare expenditures contribute to global disparities in health outcomes 95 2.20a Under-five mortality rates improve as mothers’ education levels rise 119 Introduction 121 Tables 3.1 Rural population and land use 126 3.2 Agricultural inputs 130 3.3 Agricultural output and productivity 134 3.4 Deforestation and biodiversity 138 3.5 Freshwater 142 3.6 Water pollution 146 3.7 Energy production and use 150 3.8 Energy efficiency and emissions 154 3.9 Sources of electricity 158 3.10 Urbanization 162 3.11 Urban housing conditions 166 3.12 Traffic and congestion 170 3.13 Air pollution 174 3.14 Government commitment 176 3.15 Toward a broader measure of savings 180 Text figures, tables, and boxes 3a Agriculture’s share in GDP—declining, but still more than a fifth in low-income economies 122 3b Agricultural productivity has increased, yielding more output for all 122 3c More people will experience water scarcity and water stress 123 3d Agriculture is the biggest consumer of water . . . 123 3e . . . and the least productive user 123 3f Irrigation has increased, demanding more water 123 3g Cereal yields have increased in most regions—East Asia has almost reached the high-income economies 124 3h Forested areas are shrinking in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa—recovering in East Asia 124 3i Agriculture accounts for a seventh of all greenhouse gas emissions 125 3j Less rain is falling in the Sahel, with dire consequences 125 3k Horn of Africa suffers floods after parching drought 125 3.1a What is rural? Urban? 129 3.2a Nearly 40 percent of land globally is used for agriculture 133 3.3a The five countries with the highest agricultural productivity 137 3.3b The 10 countries with the highest cereal yield in 2003–05— and the 10 with the lowest 137 3.5a The rural-urban divide in access to an improved water source 145 3.6a Emissions of organic water pollutants declined in most countries from 1990 to 2003, even among the top emitters 149 3.7a Energy use per capita varies widely among the top energy users 153 3.8a High-income countries contribute more than half of global carbon dioxide emissions 157 3.8b The five largest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions differ considerably in per capita emissions 157 3.9a Coal is still the major source of electricity in all income groups, with low-income countries increasingly relying on this source 161 3.10a Population of the world’s largest metropolitan areas in 1000, 1900, 2000, and 2015 165 3.11a Selected housing indicators for smaller economies 169 3.12a The 15 economies with the most expensive gasoline— and the 15 with the cheapest, 2006 173 WDI07 frontmatter.indd 9 3/25/07 12:17:53 PM
TABL证OF CONTENTS 4. ECONOMY 5.STATES AND MARKETS Introduction 185 Introduction 259 Tables Tables 03 Recent economic performance 188 51 Private sector in the economy 264 Growth of output 190 52 Investment climate:enterprise surveys 268 4.2 Structure of output 194 53 Business environment:Doing Business indicators 272 43 Structure of manufacturing. 198 Stock markets 276 4.4 Structure of merchandise exports 202 5.5 Financial access,stability,and efficiency 280 4.5 Structure of merchandise imports 206 58 Tax policies 284 4.5 Structure of service exports 210 Defense expenditures and arms transfers 288 41 Structure of service imports 214 Public policies and institutions 292 4 Structure of demand 218 50 Transport services 296 4道 Growth of consumption.investment,and trade 222 50 Power and communications 300 4.0 Central government finances 226 5.1 The information age 304 411 Central government expenses 230 Science and technology 308 4位 Central government revenues 234 43 Text figures,tables,and boxes Monetary indicators 238 5a Exchange rates and prices 242 Governance and growth go together 260 4.15 Criteria for measuring economic and sector policies and Balance of payments current account 246 governance system Extemal debt 250 260 4.7 Debt ratios 254 The IDA Resource Allocation Index is a key element of a country's IDA performance rating 261 Text figures,tables,and boxes On public sector management,countries bunch around 4 Developing economies increase their share of global output 185 the middle 262 Growth is accelerating in the low-income economies 186 Strong performance on economic management,weaker on 40 Patterns of regional growth vary widely 186 public sector management 262 Inflation is now less than 10 percent in all developing regions 186 Worldwide Govemance Indicators-Six key dimensions Economies with high growth rates generally have lower rates of governance 262 of inflation 186 Other selected sources of data for monitoring governance 263 Top 10 economies with largest reserves 187 More reserves to cover debt 187 Manufacturing continues to show strong growth in East Asia 201 4.43 Developing economies'share of world merchandise exports continues to expand 205 4.5a Top 10 developing country exporters of merchandise in 2005 209 4.i Top 10 developing country exporters of commercial services in2005 213 47 The mix of commercial service imports by developing countries is changing 217 433 Investment is rising rapidly in Asia 225 4.10 Fourteen developing economies had a cash deficit greater than 4 percent of GDP 229 面 Interest payments are a large part of government expenses for some developing countries 233 4.122 Rich countries rely more on direct taxes 237 4.15的 Top 15 economies with the largest current account surplus- and top 15 economies with the largest current account deficit in 2005 249 4.16 External debt started to decline in the Sub-Saharan African economies in 2005 253 417a The debt burden of Sub-Saharan Africa rose slightly in 2005. after falling 257 2007 World Development Indicators
2007 World Development Indicators 4. economy table of contents 5. states and markets Introduction 185 Tables 4.a Recent economic performance 188 4.1 Growth of output 190 4.2 Structure of output 194 4.3 Structure of manufacturing 198 4.4 Structure of merchandise exports 202 4.5 Structure of merchandise imports 206 4.6 Structure of service exports 210 4.7 Structure of service imports 214 4.8 Structure of demand 218 4.9 Growth of consumption, investment, and trade 222 4.10 Central government finances 226 4.11 Central government expenses 230 4.12 Central government revenues 234 4.13 Monetary indicators 238 4.14 Exchange rates and prices 242 4.15 Balance of payments current account 246 4.16 External debt 250 4.17 Debt ratios 254 Text figures, tables, and boxes 4a Developing economies increase their share of global output 185 4b Growth is accelerating in the low-income economies 186 4c Patterns of regional growth vary widely 186 4d Inflation is now less than 10 percent in all developing regions 186 4e Economies with high growth rates generally have lower rates of inflation 186 4f Top 10 economies with largest reserves 187 4g More reserves to cover debt 187 4.3a Manufacturing continues to show strong growth in East Asia 201 4.4a Developing economies’ share of world merchandise exports continues to expand 205 4.5a Top 10 developing country exporters of merchandise in 2005 209 4.6a Top 10 developing country exporters of commercial services in 2005 213 4.7a The mix of commercial service imports by developing countries is changing 217 4.9a Investment is rising rapidly in Asia 225 4.10a Fourteen developing economies had a cash deficit greater than 4 percent of GDP 229 4.11a Interest payments are a large part of government expenses for some developing countries 233 4.12a Rich countries rely more on direct taxes 237 4.15a Top 15 economies with the largest current account surplus— and top 15 economies with the largest current account deficit in 2005 249 4.16a External debt started to decline in the Sub-Saharan African economies in 2005 253 4.17a The debt burden of Sub-Saharan Africa rose slightly in 2005, after falling 257 Introduction 259 Tables 5.1 Private sector in the economy 264 5.2 Investment climate: enterprise surveys 268 5.3 Business environment: Doing Business indicators 272 5.4 Stock markets 276 5.5 Financial access, stability, and efficiency 280 5.6 Tax policies 284 5.7 Defense expenditures and arms transfers 288 5.8 Public policies and institutions 292 5.9 Transport services 296 5.10 Power and communications 300 5.11 The information age 304 5.12 Science and technology 308 Text figures, tables, and boxes 5a Governance and growth go together 260 5b Criteria for measuring economic and sector policies and governance system 260 5c The IDA Resource Allocation Index is a key element of a country’s IDA performance rating 261 5d On public sector management, countries bunch around the middle 262 5e Strong performance on economic management, weaker on public sector management 262 5f Worldwide Governance Indicators—Six key dimensions of governance 262 5g Other selected sources of data for monitoring governance 263 WDI07 frontmatter.indd 10 3/25/07 12:17:54 PM
6.GLOBAL LINKS BACK Introduction 313 Primary data documentation 36g Tables Statistical methods 378 Credits 380 Integration with the global economy 316 2 382 Growth of merchandise trade 320 Bibliography 83 389 Direction and growth of merchandise trade 324 Index of indicators 64 High-income economy trade with low-and middle-income economies 327 65 Primary commodity prices 330 6.6 Regional trade blocs 332 67 Tariff barriers 336 B.8 Global private financial flows 340 B.9 Financial flows from Development Assistance Committee members 344 B10 Allocation of bilateral aid from Development Assistance Committee members 346 行 Aid dependency 348 61° Distribution of net aid by Development Assistance Committee members 352 B.13 Net financial flows from multilateral institutions 356 614 Movement of people 360 615 Travel and tourism 364 Text figures,tables,and boxes Trade growth outpaces GDP growth 314 Exports from developing countries have grown fast 314 Foreign direct investment leads resource flows to developing economies 314 Developing economies differ greatly in external resource flows 314 Aid flows are rising 315 Only 41 percent of aid finances development projects and general budget support 315 Fast growth in tourism,especially for low-income countries 315 Migration to developing economies accounts for almost half of all migrants 315 1间 Private capital flows are rising.but they remain below the peak of 2000 319 B.2a Terms of trade are deteriorating for non-oil-exporting developing countries 323 63a Three regions account from more than 75 percent of exports to other developing regions,2005 326 B.4a Imports from low-and middle-income economies to high-income economies vary considerably 329 B.6a Preferential regional trade agreements have a mixed impact on trade 335 6.8a Private capital flows to developing countries are rising 343 6.f1a Official development assistance from non-DAC donors,2001-05 351 62 The flow of bilateral aid from DAC members reflects global events and priorities 355 613a Maintaining financial flows from multilateral institutions to developing countries 359 614a High-skill workers in developing countries are increasingly emigrating to high-income countries 363 G5面 Intemational tourism generated more than $2 billion a day in2005 367 2007 World Development Indicators xi
2007 World Development Indicators xi 6. global links back Introduction 313 Tables 6.1 Integration with the global economy 316 6.2 Growth of merchandise trade 320 6.3 Direction and growth of merchandise trade 324 6.4 High-income economy trade with low- and middle-income economies 327 6.5 Primary commodity prices 330 6.6 Regional trade blocs 332 6.7 Tariff barriers 336 6.8 Global private financial flows 340 6.9 Financial flows from Development Assistance Committee members 344 6.10 Allocation of bilateral aid from Development Assistance Committee members 346 6.11 Aid dependency 348 6.12 Distribution of net aid by Development Assistance Committee members 352 6.13 Net financial flows from multilateral institutions 356 6.14 Movement of people 360 6.15 Travel and tourism 364 Text figures, tables, and boxes 6a Trade growth outpaces GDP growth 314 6b Exports from developing countries have grown fast 314 6c Foreign direct investment leads resource flows to developing economies 314 6d Developing economies differ greatly in external resource flows 314 6e Aid flows are rising 315 6f Only 41 percent of aid finances development projects and general budget support 315 6g Fast growth in tourism, especially for low-income countries 315 6h Migration to developing economies accounts for almost half of all migrants 315 6.1a Private capital flows are rising, but they remain below the peak of 2000 319 6.2a Terms of trade are deteriorating for non-oil-exporting developing countries 323 6.3a Three regions account from more than 75 percent of exports to other developing regions, 2005 326 6.4a Imports from low- and middle-income economies to high-income economies vary considerably 329 6.6a Preferential regional trade agreements have a mixed impact on trade 335 6.8a Private capital flows to developing countries are rising 343 6.11a Official development assistance from non-DAC donors, 2001–05 351 6.12a The flow of bilateral aid from DAC members reflects global events and priorities 355 6.13a Maintaining financial flows from multilateral institutions to developing countries 359 6.14a High-skill workers in developing countries are increasingly emigrating to high-income countries 363 6.15a International tourism generated more than $2 billion a day in 2005 367 Primary data documentation 369 Statistical methods 378 Credits 380 Bibliography 382 Index of indicators 389 WDI07 frontmatter.indd 11 3/25/07 12:17:55 PM
PARTNERS Defining,gathering,and disseminating international statistics is a collective effort of many people and organiza- tions.The indicators presented in World Development Indicators are the fruit of decades of work at many levels, from the field workers who administer censuses and household surveys to the committees and working parties of the national and international statistical agencies that develop the nomenclature,classifications,and stan- dards fundamental to an international statistical system.Nongovernmental organizations and the private sector have also made important contributions,both in gathering primary data and in organizing and publishing their results.And academic researchers have played a crucial role in developing statistical methods and carrying on a continuing dialogue about the quality and interpretation of statistical indicators.All these contributors have a strong belief that available,accurate data will improve the quality of public and private decisionmaking. The organizations listed here have made World Development Indicators possible by sharing their data and their expertise with us.More important,their collaboration contributes to the World Bank's efforts,and to those of many others,to improve the quality of life of the world's people.We acknowledge our debt and gratitude to all who have helped to build a base of comprehensive,quantitative information about the world and its people. For easy reference,Web addresses are included for each listed organization.The addresses shown were active on March 1,2007.Information about the World Bank is also provided. International and government agencies Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center(CDIAC)is the primary global climate change data and infor- mation analysis center of the U.S.Department of Energy.The CDIAC's scope includes anything that would potentially be of value to those concerned with the greenhouse effect and global climate change,including concentrations of carbon dioxide and other radiatively active gases in the atmosphere;the role of the ter- restrial biosphere and the oceans in the biogeochemical cycles of greenhouse gases;emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere;long-term climate trends;the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on vegetation; and the vulnerability of coastal areas to rising sea levels For more information,see http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/. Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit(GTZ)GmbH is a German goverment-owned corporation for international cooperation with worldwide operations.GTZ's aim is to positively shape political,economic,ecologi- cal,and social development in partner countries,thereby improving people's living conditions and prospects. For more information,see www.gtz.de/. Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization,a specialized agency of the United Nations,was founded in October 1945 with a mandate to raise nutrition levels and living standards,to increase agricultural productivity. and to better the condition of rural populations.The organization provides direct development assistance; T PA collects,analyzes,and disseminates information;offers policy and planning advice to governments;and serves as an international forum for debate on food and agricultural issues. For more information,see www.fao.org/. xii 2007 World Development Indicators
xii 2007 World Development Indicators Defining, gathering, and disseminating international statistics is a collective effort of many people and organizations. The indicators presented in World Development Indicators are the fruit of decades of work at many levels, from the field workers who administer censuses and household surveys to the committees and working parties of the national and international statistical agencies that develop the nomenclature, classifications, and standards fundamental to an international statistical system. Nongovernmental organizations and the private sector have also made important contributions, both in gathering primary data and in organizing and publishing their results. And academic researchers have played a crucial role in developing statistical methods and carrying on a continuing dialogue about the quality and interpretation of statistical indicators. All these contributors have a strong belief that available, accurate data will improve the quality of public and private decisionmaking. The organizations listed here have made World Development Indicators possible by sharing their data and their expertise with us. More important, their collaboration contributes to the World Bank’s efforts, and to those of many others, to improve the quality of life of the world’s people. We acknowledge our debt and gratitude to all who have helped to build a base of comprehensive, quantitative information about the world and its people. For easy reference, Web addresses are included for each listed organization. The addresses shown were active on March 1, 2007. Information about the World Bank is also provided. International and government agencies Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) is the primary global climate change data and information analysis center of the U.S. Department of Energy. The CDIAC’s scope includes anything that would potentially be of value to those concerned with the greenhouse effect and global climate change, including concentrations of carbon dioxide and other radiatively active gases in the atmosphere; the role of the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans in the biogeochemical cycles of greenhouse gases; emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere; long-term climate trends; the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on vegetation; and the vulnerability of coastal areas to rising sea levels. For more information, see http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH is a German government-owned corporation for international cooperation with worldwide operations. GTZ’s aim is to positively shape political, economic, ecological, and social development in partner countries, thereby improving people’s living conditions and prospects. For more information, see www.gtz.de/. Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, was founded in October 1945 with a mandate to raise nutrition levels and living standards, to increase agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations. The organization provides direct development assistance; collects, analyzes, and disseminates information; offers policy and planning advice to governments; and serves as an international forum for debate on food and agricultural issues. For more information, see www.fao.org/. Partners WDI07 frontmatter.indd 12 3/25/07 12:17:56 PM
International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO),a specialized agency of the United Nations,is respon- sible for establishing international standards and recommended practices and procedures for the technical, economic,and legal aspects of international civil aviation operations.ICAO's strategic objectives include enhancing global aviation safety and security and the efficiency of aviation operations,minimizing the adverse effect of global civil aviation on the environment,maintaining the continuity of aviation operations, and strengthening laws governing international civil aviation. For more information,see www.icao.int/. International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization(ILO),a specialized agency of the United Nations,seeks the promo- tion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights.As part of its mandate,the ILO maintains an extensive statistical publication program. For more information,see www.ilo.org/. International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund(IMF)was established to promote international monetary cooperation, facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade,promote exchange rate stability,help establish a multilateral payments system,make the general resources of the IMF temporarily available to 1日 its members under adequate safeguards,and shorten the duration and lessen the degree of disequilibrium in the international balance of payments of members. For more information,see www.imf.org/. International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union(ITU),a specialized agency of the United Nations,covers all aspects of telecommunication,from setting standards that facilitate seamless interworking of equip- ment and systems on a global basis to adopting operational procedures for the vast and growing array of wireless services and designing programs to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the devel- oping world.The ITU is also a catalyst for forging development partnerships between government and private industry For more information,see www.itu.int/. National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF)is an independent U.S.government agency whose mission is to promote the progress of science;to advance the national health,prosperity,and welfare;and to secure the national defense.It is responsible for promoting science and engineering through almost 20,000 research and education projects.In addition,the NSF fosters the exchange of scientific information among scien- tists and engineers in the United States and other countries,supports programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential,and evaluates the impact of research on industrial development and general welfare. For more information,see www.nsf.gov/. 2007 World Development Indicators xiii
2007 World Development Indicators xiii International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, is responsible for establishing international standards and recommended practices and procedures for the technical, economic, and legal aspects of international civil aviation operations. ICAO’s strategic objectives include enhancing global aviation safety and security and the efficiency of aviation operations, minimizing the adverse effect of global civil aviation on the environment, maintaining the continuity of aviation operations, and strengthening laws governing international civil aviation. For more information, see www.icao.int/. International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights. As part of its mandate, the ILO maintains an extensive statistical publication program. For more information, see www.ilo.org/. International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was established to promote international monetary cooperation, facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade, promote exchange rate stability, help establish a multilateral payments system, make the general resources of the IMF temporarily available to its members under adequate safeguards, and shorten the duration and lessen the degree of disequilibrium in the international balance of payments of members. For more information, see www.imf.org/. International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations, covers all aspects of telecommunication, from setting standards that facilitate seamless interworking of equipment and systems on a global basis to adopting operational procedures for the vast and growing array of wireless services and designing programs to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world. The ITU is also a catalyst for forging development partnerships between government and private industry. For more information, see www.itu.int/. National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent U.S. government agency whose mission is to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense. It is responsible for promoting science and engineering through almost 20,000 research and education projects. In addition, the NSF fosters the exchange of scientific information among scientists and engineers in the United States and other countries, supports programs to strengthen scientific and engineering research potential, and evaluates the impact of research on industrial development and general welfare. For more information, see www.nsf.gov/. WDI07 frontmatter.indd 13 3/25/07 12:17:57 PM