Weak or negative economic growth increases poverty and compromises the rights and well-being of children.

Monitoring data enables strategies to be changed where they are having a weak or negative impact.

The number of countries experiencing weak or negative growth declined steadily, from 16 during the period from 2000 to 2005 to 11 in 2006.

Currency movements and the weak equity markets have negatively impacted the value of the Fund since the end of the biennium.

Attention was also drawn to the justice system in Timor-Leste, which remains particularly weak, with serious negative implications for the proper functioning of the justice, police and prison services.

The Secretary-General concludes that a relocation of the logistics and procurement functions to UNLB should not be considered due to the weak, and possibly negative financial impact of such a move.

The Secretary-General concludes that a relocation of procurement and operational logistics functions to UNLB is likely to have a significant negative impact on operational effectiveness. The financial case for such a move, as highlighted by the information provided in this report, is weak to negative.

Empirical evidence exists to show that poor and weak national economies impact negatively on the environment, while environmental degradation and the over-utilization of natural resources result in declining economies and impoverished communities.