The present issue of the Economic Cooperation and Development Review includes an interview with H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey. The interview focused on the views of H.E. Erdoğan on various national, regional and global issues such as the successful political and economic development experience of Turkey during the last eight years and his vision for Turkey in 2023, the accession process and the full membership of Turkey to the European Union, the recent political turmoil and unrests in some Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and efforts of the international community for eradicating poverty, particularly in the least-developed countries.

This issue of the Economic Cooperation and Development Review also includes articles by Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In his article titled “Enabling the Poorest of the Poor to Escape Poverty through Universal Energy Access”, Dr. Yumkella underlines the importance and the role of the availability and accessibility to reliable energy services in helping the poor people to escape poverty. In particular, he presents his views on this issue, which constitutes a serious challenge for eradicating poverty and food security in Africa where, as he mentioned, “the absence of reliable energy services means neither health clinics nor schools can function properly, and access to clean water and sanitation is constrained without effective pumping capacity”.

On the other hand, in his article titled “Rebalancing the Global Economy: China’s Role in the Economic Recovery and the Implications for Development”, Dr. Panitchpakdi presents his views on the role of China as the leading engine of global recovery and growth, particularly the expectation that China will, on its own, correct the global imbalances which have emerged at the time of the global crisis in 2008 . While highlighting the role of China in helping emerging and developing countries to lift out of recession and widening the “South-South” cooperation, he still has twofold concerns on this role in the future: China’s own development prospects and unruly process of adjustment in China. These could have very negative consequences for the wider multilateral economic cooperation system.

In addition to these two articles, SESRIC also contribute with three recent reports, namely: (1) The State of Maternal and Newborn Health in OIC Member Countries; (2) Pharmaceutical Industry in OIC Member Countries: Production, Consumption and Trade; and (3) Transportation Networks in OIC Countries: Impact on Trade and Tourism.

Online Electronic Version

Economic Cooperation and Development Review Vol.4 No.2 (English)

Interview with H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey.