The 1990s was a decade of globalization par excellence. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, free market economics and pro-market policies triumphed globally. While the World Economic Survey reflected this trend, it also noted that countries like China and Vietnam were bucking it. The Survey paid considerable attention to the so-called peace dividend resulting from the cessation of the Cold War: the resources released by decline of military expenditures could be utilized for peaceful purposes. The Survey also paid particular attention to gender issues such as women’s employment and empowerment, and to environmental issues such as the availability of safe drinking water in rural areas and reducing the pollution caused by excessive use of non-renewable resources. It also warned about the volatility caused by financialization of the world economy, and the unwisdom of removing capital controls—warnings that were justified by the Asian financial crisis
Economic Developments in the Middle East 1954-1955, supplément à World Economic Survey 1955, publié par les Nations-Unies. Une brochure, 8½ x 10¾, 151 pages. — Nations-Unies, New-York, 1956. ($1.50)