UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly (UNGA) President Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser are jointly convening a High-Level Thematic Debate on “The State of the World Economy and Finance in 2012”. The debate aims to explore ways to improve the overall global economic and financial situation and to discuss its impact on development efforts and social processes. It is part of the ongoing consultations mandated by the UNGA on the topic. Particular focus will be given to sustainable development, thereby addressing specifically the needs of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. The debate also aims to contribute to other UN processes and events, most notably the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), and the Group of 20 (G20) annual Leaders’ Summit. Four round-table discussions will focus on: combating unemployment, creating jobs, addressing poverty and social protection; debt sustainability and managing inflation/deflation; creating an environment for increasing production, trade and investment; and increasing stability, predictability and transparency in the global financial system. The debate will result in a summary document.  

dates: 17-18 May 2012   venue: UN Headquarters   location: New York, US   contact: Hanifa Mezoui or Samah Atout, Office of UNGA President   e-mail: mezouih@un.org   www: http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/66/Issues/worldfinancialcrisis/wfec.shtml