The Developing Countries and the World Economic Order provides a lucid introduction to the debate about the developing countries and the quest for a New International Economic Order. The primary objective is to indicate some of the fundamental requirements that must be satisfied by an equitable world order. Since the present economic situation and demands of developing countries cannot be understood thoroughly without prior knowledge of how the present world order has evolved, Part I begins with a detailed historical survey. An account of economic development up to the Second World War and of the colonial heritage of the developing countries is followed by a description of the way in which the postwar world order came into being. Part II analyses more recent developments, including the central demands of developing countries and the background to these demands, and outlines a new perspective on the NIEO programme with suggestions are offered on how the developing countries could secure for themselves a larger share of the world's resources. A major theme of the book is that important changes in the world order take place irrespective of the recommendations adopted at international conferences.

In the face of the continuing economic gap between the industrialized and the developing countries, the Third World began to demand a reorganization of the international economic system—its mechanisms, organizations, purposes—that would make the system responsive to the needs of all of its members. The United Nations’ Sixth Special Session in 1974

The New International Economic Order: An Overview focuses on the influence of the creation of the New International Economic Order (NIEO) on the economy of different countries. The book first offers information on the structure of world economy, prospects, and obstacles to the NIEO. Topics include obstacles to the production and distribution of primary commodities and energy, transfer of technology, commodity trade, international finance, function of international law in the NIEO, and prospects and problems of the NIEO. The text then examines the financial, political, and institutional issues of the NIEO. Discussions focus on policies and practices of nationalization; asymmetries and dependency of developing countries in the social science subsystem; and renegotiation of third world debt and appropriate adjustments in international trade. The manuscript takes a look at the relationship of international trade, industrialization, and the NIEO and social and cultural issues of the NIEO. Topics include women in the labor force, health and medical care, education as a step toward development, military considerations, competitiveness of natural resources, and access to raw materials and supplies. The book also reviews the positions of the United States, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East on the NIEO. The publication is a dependable reference for readers interested in the New International Economic Order.

Do rich industrial nations underestimate the threat to their economic stability posed by demands for a new international economic order? Are the developing countries wrong to assume that their economic advancement depends on a transfer of wealth from the richer nations? Sir W. Arthur Lewis's provocative analysis of the present economic order and its origins suggests that the answer to both questions is yes. Professor Lewis perceptively illuminates aspects of recent economic history that have often been overlooked by observers of international affairs. He asks first how the world came to be divided into countries exporting manufactures and countries exporting primary commodities. High agricultural productivity and a good investment climate allowed countries in Northwest Europe to industrialize rapidly, while the favorable terms of trade they enjoyed assured them and the temperate lands to which Europeans migrated of continuing dominance over the tropical countries. At the core of the author's argument lies the contention that as the structure of international trade changes, the tropical countries move rapidly toward becoming net importers of agricultural commodities and net exporters of manufactures. Even so, they continue to depend on the markets of the richer countries for their growth, and they continue to trade on unfavorable terms. Both of these disadvantages, he concludes, stem from large agricultural sectors with low productivity and will disappear only as the technology of tropical food production is revolutionized. Originally published in 1978. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Why are poor countries poor and rich countries rich? How are wealth and poverty related to changes in nutrition, health, life expectancy, education, population growth and politics? This modern, non-technical 2005 introduction to development studies explores the dynamics of socio-economic development and stagnation in developing countries. Taking a quantitative and comparative approach to contemporary debates within their broader context, Szirmai examines historical, institutional, demographic, sociological, political and cultural factors. Key chapters focus on economic growth, technological change, industrialisation, agricultural development, and consider social dimensions such as population growth, health and education. Each chapter contains comparative statistics on trends from a sample of twenty-nine developing countries. This rich statistical database allows students to strengthen their understanding of comparative development experiences. Assuming no prior knowledge of economics the book is suited for use in inter-disciplinary development studies programmes as well as economics courses, and will also interest practitioners pursuing careers in developing countries.