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USA WEB ALERT

 

U.S. Information Resource Center

Office of Public Affairs

U.S. Embassy in Australia

 

October 2007

 

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Web Alert is produced by the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Mission to Australia as a free service to our subscribers.  The views expressed in these documents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. federal government.

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TOPICS IN THIS WEB ALERT:

 

Featured item

International relations

Asia-Pacific

South Asia and Central Asia

Middle East

Africa

Europe 

Western hemisphere

 

Economics, finance and industry

International economic issues, trade and investment

Development and international assistance

Democracy, governance and human rights

Refugees, asylum and trafficking in persons

Maritime issues and law of the sea  

Food and agriculture

National security and defense

Terrorism and homeland security

 

Science, technology and innovation

Energy

Environment

Climate change

Natural resources

Water

 

Health

Substance abuse and illicit drugs

Education and training

Housing  

Transportation and infrastructure  

Aviation  

 

Philanthropy and civil society

Aging, retirement and social security

Indigenous people

Politics and elections  

Intellectual property   

Telecommunications, media and publishing

Information technology and the internet  

 

 

 

FEATURED ITEM

 

The Long Campaign: U.S. Elections 2008 

U.S. Dept of State, Office of International Information Programs, eJournal USA, October 2007 

http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itdhr/1007/ijde/ijde1007.htm 

This electronic journal issue presents an introduction to the upcoming 2008 U.S. elections. It describes aspects of this election which make it different from most recent elections, and includes a pro-con debate of the Electoral College. Articles include “How the Internet is Changing the Playing Field”, “The Changing U.S. Voter”, and “Opinion Polls: Why We Just Can’t Live Without Them”. 

 

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

 

U.S. Policy Looking Ahead to the 62nd UNGA 

Remarks by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kristen Silverberg, October 10, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/93451.htm 

 

The United States’ Continued Call for UN Management Reform: Ideals and Accountability 

Fact sheet, U.S. Dept of State, September 20, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/scp/92622.htm 

 

U.S. Financial Contributions to the United Nations System 

Fact sheet, U.S. Dept of State, September 20, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/scp/92625.htm 

 

A Steep Hill: Congress and U.S. Efforts to Strengthen Fragile States 

A report of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 2007 

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/071019_asteephill.pdf 

 

World Publics Welcome Global Trade – but Not Immigration 

47-Nation Pew Global Attitudes Survey 

Pew Global Attitudes Project, October 4, 2007 

http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/258.pdf 

There is a summary at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/607/global-trade-immigration 

 

Polling in Iraq and Afghanistan 

Q&A with Matthew Warshaw, D3 Systems, October 17, 2007 

http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/home_page/420.php?lb=hmpg1&pnt=420&nid=&id 

Matthew Warshaw is senior research manager for D3 Systems, which specializes in opinion research in difficult environments. 

 

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ASIA-PACIFIC 

 

Remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte 

at American Enterprise Institute (AEI) symposium, October 23, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/s/d/2007/94077.htm 

In these remarks, the Deputy Secretary of State surveys developments in Asia, and aspects of U.S. policy toward Asia.  

 

U.S. Assistance in East Asia and the Pacific: An Overview 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, September 20, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=896 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

The statement by U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Glyn Davies is also at http://www.state.gov/p/eap/rls/rm/2007/92540.htm 

 

Burma: Democratic Aspirations 

Fact sheet, U.S. Dept of State, October 18, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/scp/93709.htm 

 

Burma Sanctions: Background and Options 

Congressional Research Service report, October 10, 2007 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/94113.pdf 

 

Crisis in Burma: Can the U.S. Bring About a Peaceful Solution? 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, October 17, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=909 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

 

Burma’s Saffron Revolution 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, October 3, 2007 

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2007/hrg071003p.html 

 

Understanding Myanmar 

Background by Jayshree Bajoria, Council on Foreign Relations, October 4, 2007 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/14385/understanding_myanmar.html 

 

Asia’s Forgotten Crisis: A New Approach to Burma 

Michael Green and Derek Mitchell, Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs, November-December 2007 

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20071101faessay86610/michael-green-derek-mitchell/asia-s-forgotten-crisis.html 

 

High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Conflict in Eastern Burma 

Summary Report. American Association for the Advancement of Science, September 28, 2007 

http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2007/media/0928burma_report.pdf 

This is a large PDF file. There is a news release about this report at http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2007/0928burma_report.shtml 

 

China’s Motor Vehicle and Aerospace Industries 

Backgrounder by Lee Hudson Teslik, Council on Foreign Relations, October 8, 2007 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/14399/chinas_motor_vehicle_and_aerospace_industries.html 

 

China’s Response to HIV/AIDS and U.S.-China Collaboration 

“An Update from the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies” 

Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington DC), October 2007 

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/071002-lu-gill-chinaresponsehiv4web.pdf 

 

Six-Party Talks: Second-Phase Actions for the Implementation of the September 2005 Joint Agreement 

Media note, U.S. Dept of State, October 3, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/93217.htm 

A State Department fact sheet on the October 3, 2007, agreement relating to North Korea’s nuclear program is at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/93223.htm

 

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SOUTH ASIA and CENTRAL ASIA 

 

America’s Strategic Opportunity with India 

Article by U.S. Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns in Foreign Affairs, November-December 2007 

http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2007/93728.htm 

This article was posted on the State Department website on October 18, 2007 

 

The Economic Power and Promise of India 

Address by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson Jr, October 24, 2007 

http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp636.htm 

 

India-U.S. Relations 

Congressional Research Service report, updated October 2, 2007 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/94103.pdf 

 

Unleashing India’s Innovation: Toward Sustainable and Inclusive Growth 

World Bank, 2007 

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOUTHASIAEXT/Resources/223546-1181699473021/3876782-1191373775504/indiainnovationfull.pdf 

 

Counternarcotics Strategy and Police Training in Afghanistan 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, October 4, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=905 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

 

Turkmenistan and Central Asia After Niyazov  

Stephen J. Blank, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, September 2007 

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB791.pdf 

 

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MIDDLE EAST 

 

Iran Sanctions and Regional Security 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, U.S. House Committee on  Foreign Affairs, October 23, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=912 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

 

Designation of Iranian Entities and Individuals for Proliferation Activities and Support for Terrorism 

Fact sheet, U.S. Dept of State, October 25, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/94193.htm 

 

On-the-Record Briefing on Iran 

Briefing by U.S. Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns and U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury Stuart A. Levey, October 25, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2007/94178.htm 

 

Iraq: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy 

Congressional Research Service report, updated September 12, 2007 

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33793.pdf 

 

Private Security Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, October 2, 2007 

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1509 

 

United States Humanitarian Assistance for Displaced Iraqis 

Fact sheet, U.S. Dept of State, October 5, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/oct/93319.htm 

 

Kuwaiti National Security and the U.S.-Kuwaiti Strategic Relationship After Saddam 

W. Andrew Terrill, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, September 2007 

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB788.pdf 

 

Yemen: Current Conditions and U.S. Relations 

Congressional Research Service report, September 12, 2007 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/92952.pdf 

 

Egypt: Security, Political, and Islamist Challenges 

Sherifa Zuhur, Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, September 2007 

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB787.pdf 

 

The Political Economy of Reform in Egypt: Understanding the Role of Institutions 

Sufyan Alissa, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, October 2007 

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cmec5_alissa_egypt_final.pdf 

 

Upgrading Authoritarianism in the Arab World 

Analysis paper by Steven Heydemann. Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Brookings Institution, October 2007 

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2007/10arabworld/10arabworld.pdf 

 

Building Bridges of Understanding 

An address by Henrietta H. Fore, U.S. Acting Director of Foreign Assistance and Acting USAID Administrator, October 16, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/f/releases/remarks2007/93732.htm 

The focus of this speech is U.S. economic development partnerships in the Middle East. 

 

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AFRICA

 

Exploring the U.S. Role in Consolidating Peace and Democracy in the Great Lakes Region 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, October 24, 2007  

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2007/hrg071024a.html 

 

Combating Genocide in Darfur: The Role of Divestment and Other Policy Tools 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, October 3, 2007 

http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=282  

 

Structuring a Peace Process for Darfur 

Backgrounder by Stephanie Hanson, Council on Foreign Relations, October 11, 2007 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/14455/structuring_a_peace_process_for_darfur.html 

 

Ethiopia and the State of Democracy: Effects on Human Rights and Humanitarian Conditions in the Ogaden and Somalia 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, October 2, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=903 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

 

The Central African Republic: Worsening Crisis in a Troubled Region 

Briefing by U.S. Institute of Peace, September 2007 

http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2007/0911_central_african_republic.html 

 

Urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa 

Backgrounder by Stephanie Hanson, Council on Foreign Relations, October 1, 2007 

http://www.cfr.org/publication/14327/urbanization_in_subsaharan_africa.html 

 

The Long-Run Impact of Orphanhood 

World Bank policy research working paper, September 2007  

http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2007/09/13/000158349_20070913104615/Rendered/PDF/wps4353.pdf 

 

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EUROPE 

 

The Transatlantic Community and Two Great Challenges 

Remarks by U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Volker, October 18, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/rm/93720.htm 

The two challenges cited are the ideology of violence, and energy challenges. 

 

German Foreign and Security Policy: Trends and Transatlantic Implications 

Congressional Research Service report, October 3, 2007 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/94155.pdf 

 

Kosovo: Breaking the Deadlock 

Briefing by Daniel Serwer, U.S. Institute of Peace, September 2007  

http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2007/0914_kosovo.html 

 

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WESTERN HEMISPHERE 

 

Remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 

Remarks at the Organization of American States, hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, October 9, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/10/93377.htm 

 

Remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte 

Remarks at the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA) 40th annual meeting, September 18, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/s/d/2007/92433.htm 

 

U.S.-Brazil Relations 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, September 19, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=895 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

 

Promoting Peace and Prosperity in Colombia 

Address by U.S. Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns, October 22, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/p/us/rm/2007/93969.htm 

 

New Hopes for Negotiated Solutions in Colombia 

Working paper by Virginia M. Bouvier, U.S. Institute of Peace, September 25, 2007 

http://www.usip.org/pubs/working_papers/wp4_colombia.pdf 

 

President Bush Discusses Cuba Policy 

Transcript of the President’s remarks, the White House, October 24, 2007 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071024-6.html 

 

Encouraging Freedom, Justice, and Prosperity in Cuba 

White House fact sheet, October 24, 2007 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071024-7.html 

 

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ECONOMICS, FINANCE and INDUSTRY

 

The Subprime Lending Crisis: The Economic Impact on Wealth, Property Values and Tax Revenues, and How We Got Here 

Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress, October 25, 2007 

http://www.jec.senate.gov/Documents/Reports/10.25.07OctoberSubprimeReport.pdf 

There is a news release at http://www.jec.senate.gov/Documents/Releases/10.25.07subprimereportrelease.pdf 

 

Recent Developments in Real Estate, Financial Markets, and the Economy 

Speech by Eric S. Rosengren, president and ceo, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, October 10, 2007 

http://www.bos.frb.org/news/speeches/rosengren/2007/101007.htm 

 

May You Live in Interesting Times 

Address by William C. Dudley, executive vice president, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, October 17, 2007 

http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2007/dud071017.html 

This speech discusses recent developments in the financial markets, especially in housing finance. 

 

Financial Crisis? The Liquidity Crunch of August 2007 

Congressional Research Service report, September 21, 2007 

http://opencrs.cdt.org/rpts/RL34182_20070921.pdf 

 

Straightening Out the Mortgage Mess 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, September 25, 2007 

http://judiciary.house.gov/Oversight.aspx?ID=373 

 

Systemic Risk: Evaluating Regulators’ Ability to React to Threats in the Financial System 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, October 2, 2007 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht1002072.shtml 

 

Financial Regulation: Industry Trends Continue to Challenge the Federal Regulatory Structure 

Government Accountability Office (GAO), October 2007 

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0832.pdf 

 

The Role of Public and Private Litigation in the Enforcement of Securities Laws in the United States 

Nishal Ray Ramphal, RAND, 2007 

http://www.rand.org/pubs/rgs_dissertations/2007/RAND_RGSD224.pdf 

 

R&D and Productivity Growth: A Review of the Literature 

Leo Sveikauskas, BLS working paper, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Dept of Labor, September 2007 

http://www.bls.gov/ore/pdf/ec070070.pdf 

 

BEA Introduces New Measures of the Metropolitan Economy 

News release, Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept of Commerce, September 26, 2007 

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_metro/2007/gdp_metro0907.htm 

 

Schedule of Release Dates for Principal Federal Economic Indicators for 2008 

White House, Office of Management and Budget, September 2007 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/pei_calendar2008.pdf 

There is a news release at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/pubpress/2007/092707_pei2008.html 

 

The Outlook for the U.S. Economy and Manufacturing 

National Association of Manufacturers, October 2007 

http://www.nam.org/s_nam/bin.asp?CID=202559&DID=238064&DOC=FILE.PDF 

 

Invention, Productivity, and the Economy 

Speech by Charles I. Plosser, president and ceo, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, September 25, 2007 

http://www.philadelphiafed.org/publicaffairs/speeches/plosser/2007/09-25-07_nj-technology-council.cfm 

 

Is the U.S. Losing Its Productivity Advantage? 

Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Current Issues in Economics and Finance, September 2007 

http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/current_issues/ci13-8.html 

There is a news release with summary at http://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/news/research/2007/rp071003.html 

 

Staff Observations in the Review of Executive Compensation Disclosure 

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, October 9, 2007 

http://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/execcompdisclosure.htm 

There is a news release at http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-214.htm 

 

Small Business Growth: Searching for Stylized Facts 

Working paper by Brian Headd and Bruce Kirchhoff, U.S. Small Business Administration, October 2007 

http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs311tot.pdf 

At http://www.sba.gov/advo/press/07-33.html there is a news release “New Understanding Gained of Small Business Dynamics”, and at http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/rs311.pdf there is a summary of the paper. 

 

America’s 200 Best Small Companies [2007] 

Forbes online, October 2007 

http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/11/best-small-companies-biz-07200best-cz_jg_cs_1011bestsmall_land.html 

 

Changes in Income Inequality Across the U.S. 

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, FRBSF Economic Letter, September 21, 2007 

http://www.frbsf.org/publications/economics/letter/2007/el2007-28.html 

 

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INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ISSUES, TRADE and INVESTMENT 

 

Systemic Risk and the International Lender of Last Resort 

Speech by Frederic S. Mishkin, a governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, September 28, 2007 

http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/mishkin20070928a.htm 

 

Trading Barbs: A Primer on the Globalization Debate 

Kevin Kliesen, Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, The Regional Economist, October 2007 

http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/re/2007/d/pages/trading-barbs.html 

 

International Monetary Fund (IMF): Financial Reform and the Possible Sale of IMF Gold 

Congressional Research Service report, September 21, 2007 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/93480.pdf 

 

International Accounting Standards: Opportunities, Challenges and Global Convergence Issues 

Hearing before a subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, October 24, 2007 

http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=284 

 

Jobs and Trade 

Remarks by William Poole, president, Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis, in London, September 6, 2007 

http://www.stlouisfed.org/news/speeches/2007/09_06_07.html 

 

Trading Up: How Expanding Trade Has Delivered Better Jobs and Higher Living Standards for American Workers 

Daniel Griswold, the Cato Institute, October 25, 2007 

http://www.freetrade.org/pubs/pas/tpa-036es.html 

 

U.S. Trade Statutes: Expiration Dates and Mandated Periodic Reports to Congress 

Congressional Research Service report, October 2, 2007 

http://opencrs.com/rpts/RL34196_20071002.pdf 

 

APEC 2007: Advancing U.S. Exports to the Asia-Pacific Region 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, September 25, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=899 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down.

 

Growing Trade, Growing Vigilance: Import Health and Safety Today and Tomorrow 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, October 18, 2007 

http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/hearing101807.htm 

 

Managing Complexity and Establishing New Habits of Cooperation in U.S.-China Economic Relations 

Remarks by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson Jr, October 23, 2007 

http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp633.htm 

 

U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Potential Economy-Wide and Selected Sectoral Effects 

U.S. International Trade Commission, September 2007 

http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/2104F/pub3949.pdf 

There is a news release at http://www.usitc.gov/ext_relations/news_release/2007/er0920ee3.htm and a media note by the U.S. Dept of State at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/sep/92568.htm 

 

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DEVELOPMENT and INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE 

 

The Fight Against Global Poverty and Inequality: The World Bank’s Approach to Core Labor Standards and Employment Creation 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, October 3, 2007 

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht100307.shtml 

 

The Doing Business Project 

World Bank, 2007 

http://www.doingbusiness.org/ 

The report Doing Business 2008 has been released; an overview is at http://www.doingbusiness.org/documents/Press_Releases_08/DB_08_Oveview_English.pdf, and a news release at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21485981~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html  cites fast reforms among major emerging economies, notably Egypt, with Eastern Europe overtaking East Asia in terms of ease of doing business. 

 

Development Results in Middle-Income Countries: An Evaluation of the World Bank’s Support 

World Bank, Independent Evaluation Group, October 2007 

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTMIDINCCOU/Resources/MIC_evaluation.pdf 

Can be downloaded by chapter at http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTOED/EXTMIDINCCOU/0,,contentMDK:21402200~pagePK:64168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:2831368,00.html 

 

The 2007 Commitment to Development Index 

Center for Global Development, October 2007 

http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/14565 

 

U.S. Contributions to Reducing Global Poverty: An Assessment of the U.S. and the Millennium Development Goals 

InterAction, October 2007 

http://www.interaction.org/files.cgi/6012_MDGFinalReport-withCover.pdf 

InterAction is a major coalition of U.S.-based nongovernment organizations involved in international development. There is a news release at http://www.interaction.org/media/MDGsReport/20071018-MDGReport2.htm 

 

Trade Policy for Development: Reforming U.S. Trade Preferences 

Center for Global Development, September 2007 

http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/14348 

 

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DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE and HUMAN RIGHTS

 

Governance Matters 2007: Worldwide Governance Indicators, 1996-2006 

World Bank, 2007 

http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi2007/home.htm 

There are individual country reports at http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi2007/pdf_country.asp 

 

Strategies to Fight Kleptocracy 

Statement by David M. Luna, Director for Anti-Crime Programs Division, U.S. Department of State, September 26, 2007 

http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/rm/92911.htm 

 

Anticorruption Efforts in Latin America: Lessons Learned 

Peter DeShazo, Center for Strategic and International Studies, September 2007 

http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/070913_anticorruptionefforts_finalreport.pdf 

 

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REFUGEES, ASYLUM and TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 

 

North Korean Refugees in China and Human Rights Issues: International Response and U.S. Policy Options 

Congressional Research Service report, September 26, 2007 

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34189.pdf 

 

The “Material Support Bar”: Denying Refuge to the Persecuted? 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, September 19, 2007 

http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=2439 

 

International Trafficking in Persons: Taking Action to Eliminate Modern Day Slavery 

Hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, October 18, 2007 

http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing_notice.asp?id=910 

For transcripts, please go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp and scroll down. 

 

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MARITIME ISSUES and LAW OF THE SEA 

 

Cruise Ship Security Practices and Procedures 

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, September 19, 2007 

http://transportation.house.gov/hearings/hearingdetail.aspx?NewsID=305 

 

The Convention on the Law of the Sea 

Hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, October 4, 2007 

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2007/hrg071004a.html 

A hearing on this topic was also held by the same committee on September 27, 2007, with testimony from senior U.S. Government officials, and is online at http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2007/hrg070927p.html 

 

The Law of the Sea Treaty: Impeding American Entrepreneurship and Investment 

Doug Bandow, Competitive Enterprise Institute, September 2007 

http://www.cei.org/pdf/6151.pdf 

 

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FOOD and AGRICULTURE 

 

Food Safety: Selected Issues and Bills in the 110th Congress 

Congressional Research Service, September 4, 2007 

http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/92954.pdf 

 

Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the Safety and Security of Our Nation’s Food Supply: Part III

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, October 11, 2007 

http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-oi-hrg.101107.FDAPart3.shtml 

 

Consumer Safety / Food Safety / Import Safety 

Compilation, by BNA Inc., of links to reports, analyses etc, September 2007 

http://www.