Nobel laureate Stiglitz leads expert discussions on restoring country as rice bowl of Asia
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Government of the Union of Myanmar today held a wide-ranging dialogue aimed at boosting the countrys agricultural sector and to help it reclaim its status as the rice bowl of Asia.
At the invitation of ESCAP, Nobel Prize-winning economist Prof. Joseph Stiglitz and other eminent experts discussed strategies for Myanmar to cut poverty in light of Asias regional and subregional experiences.
It is my hope these ideas and analysis will open a new space for policy discussion and a further deepening of our development partnership, UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Noeleen Heyzer said at the event held in Myanmars capital, Naypyitaw.
These development objectives can only be achieved through the successful engagement of local experts and people who know what is happening on the ground. This development partnership, requested by the Government of Myanmar, provides a unique platform for eminent international scholars and local researchers to exchange experiences and ideas with government agencies and civil society, Dr. Heyzer added.
This is the second in a series of events launched by Dr. Heyzer during her visit in July to Myanmar, and was organized by ESCAP with the countrys Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development.
In his presentation, Towards a more productive agrarian economy for Myanmar, Professor Stiglitz noted that Myanmar was well-positioned to learn from other countries in the region that have developed on the back of gains in agriculture. There are large opportunities for improvement. Myanmar should take a comprehensive approach, he said.
He urged the Government of Myanmar to: promote access to appropriate agricultural financing; take measures to boost access to seeds and fertilizers; dramatically boost spending on health and education; and create well-paid jobs in construction of rural infrastructure in order to stimulate development and raise incomes and spending.
Professor Stiglitz also noted that well-functioning institutions were critical to success, and that Myanmar could learn from the mistakes made by other resource-rich countries. Revenues from oil and gas can open up a new era, if used well. If not, then valuable opportunities will be squandered, he said.
Economics and politics can not be separated, Professor Stiglitz added. For Myanmar to take a role on the world stage and to achieve true stability and security there must be widespread participation and inclusive processes. This is the only way forward for Myanmar.
Maj. Gen. U Htay Oo, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Myanmar, noted that climate change has had significant effects on the countrys agriculture and livelihood, particularly in the dry zone. To mitigate such pressure we are implementing short-term and longer term measures, such as promoting access to irrigation water to increase productivity, and developing resource-based as well as knowledge-based sustainable agriculture and livelihoods built on existing infrastructures, he said.
We are adopting a holistic approach informed by the human development perspective to address the needs of the most vulnerable, he added. We cannot afford to be complacent thus the tasks for agriculture and rural development must be implemented through mass movement.
The Minister also welcomed and supported the continued close cooperation and collaboration of ESCAP in the development partnership series. I look forward to the joint activities to come in 2010, in particular the regional development programme for sustainable agriculture towards inclusive rural economy development, he said.
Col. Thurin Zaw, Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, delivered a presentation on Myanmars National development plans and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The meeting was organized into two segments: The morning roundtable was devoted to expert discussions and included presentations on Recent socio-economic development, by Daw Khin Ma Ma Swe of the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, and on Approaches for agriculture and rural development, by Daw Dolly Kyaw of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.
There were also presentations on Establishing the virtuous cycle of food security, sustainable agriculture and rural economy development, by U Tin Htut Oo and U Tin Maung Shwe of the Academy of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fisheries Sciences, and on Enhancing Myanmars rural economy, by Ikuko Okamoto of the Institute of Developing Economies-JETRO.
The afternoon high-level development forum covered, Economic policies for growth and poverty reduction: lessons from the region and beyond.
On 21 December in Singapore, Professor Stiglitz and Dr Heyzer will hold a press conference about the forum at the Singapore Foreign Correspondents Association. The press conference will take place at the Singapore Management University, Administration Building, from 9am-10am.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Microsoft and consumers take action against global software piracy
Microsoft has announced a surge of voluntary reports – more than a 150,000 – from consumers who unknowingly purchased counterfeit software and found it riddled with viruses or malware. This increase, triple the amount of previous records, reflects consumers’ growing concern for the harm caused by counterfeit software and Microsoft’s efforts to give consumers a voice in the fight against software counterfeiting.
In response, Microsoft today announced a surge of its own, ‘Consumer Action Day’, a simultaneous launch of education initiatives and enforcement actions in more than 70 countries to protect consumers and increase awareness of the risks of counterfeit software.
“Consumers want action. The majority of our enforcement cases announced today resulted from tips and reports from consumers,” said David Finn, Associate General Counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting. “Consumers who are duped by fraudulent software encounter viruses, lose personal information, risk having their identities stolen and waste valuable time and money. Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to working with others, including our partners, government agencies, and NGOs, to protect people from the ill effects of counterfeit software.”
The software industry has long studied the black market for pirated software and its effects on consumers. One seminal study by IDC in 2006 showed that one in four Web sites offering counterfeit software attempted to install unwanted or malicious code upon downloading. This rate is rising, as found by Media Surveillance, an anti-piracy solutions company based in Germany, when it recently downloaded several hundred pirated copies of Windows and hacks and found that 32% contained malicious code. The IDC report also described a review of counterfeit Microsoft software purchased at resellers in 17 countries: more than 50 percent contained phony code, had malware, or could not even be installed. And, just two months ago, the BSA October 2009 Internet Piracy Report showed countries with high piracy rates often have high malware infection rates.
As part of Consumer Action Day, more than 70 countries are launching educational initiatives and enforcement actions to protect consumers from counterfeit software. Highlights include an intellectual property rights education program in schools across China, an “originals club” for software resellers in Germany, a risk-of-counterfeit training course for the consumer protection authority in Mexico, a children’s online safety program in Greece, and a study of piracy’s impact on small and medium businesses in Argentina.
The effects of malware can range from annoying advertisements to a severe breach of information security. In a recent Harrison Group study, it was found that companies using unlicensed or counterfeit software were 73 percent more likely to experience the loss or damage of sensitive data, and 73 percent more likely to have critical computer failures lasting 24 hours or more.
Thai consumers speak out
Moreover, most people simply find themselves without the software they thought they were paying for. Unable to get a refund from the dealer, consumers end up having to purchase the product all over again.
“I didn’t want to face any security problems and knew that if I used genuine software I would get good support, not only in terms of security and patches, but also the latest updates for new programs and applications which are important to me,” said Patranun Limudomporn, a student from the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University and one of the first people to buy Windows 7 at the Thailand launch event at Siam Paragon. “I think more people in Thailand are starting to understand the risks of pirated software and many of my friends have told me of times when they’ve experienced difficulties after using cheap fake software. For example, the installation often does not reach 100% or they experience black screens and no option to update security patches. For me, I only have one PC to rely on so these problems make the risk of using pirated software too high.”
Worse yet, today’s counterfeiters are often large criminal syndicates that don’t stop at distributing hundreds of copies of unlicensed software. “Software pirates are likely to create Botnets, which are armies of compromised computers controlled by cyber-criminals and used to perform a host of illegal Internet activities,” said Markus Schweitzer of Media Surveillance. In just one recent example, software pirates helped create a Botnet army by offering a phony version of Windows, rife with malicious code, which compromised PCs and then ordered them to connect to a server controlled by cyber-criminals.
To address the increasing sophistication of software counterfeiters, Microsoft is enhancing its anti-piracy work on all three fronts: education, engineering and enforcement. Today’s actions around the world emphasize the company’s growing commitment to protect consumers. Tips from customers and partners are vital in helping law Microsoft address piracy. Microsoft encourages users who suspect they have been sold a pirated copy of Microsoft software to contact the Microsoft Customer Contact Center by calling 02-263-6888. For the latest information about genuine Microsoft products, licensing and labels, Thai consumers are advised to visit www.microsoft.com/thailand/genuine/howtotell.aspx.
On the engineering front, Microsoft has improved the product activation and validation process with Windows 7. Windows Activation Technologies in Windows 7 are built off our Software Protection Platform introduced with Windows Vista, which enabled Windows to protect itself by detecting when attempts have been made to circumvent or tamper with built-in product activation technology and helped customers more easily activate the product and resolve potential issues. Windows 7 includes the latest generation of this technology, including changes we have made so users will see more informative notification messages and be able to more easily complete the steps in the process.
And, when it comes to enforcement, Microsoft has invested in nine Product Identification (PID) Analysis Labs around the world. Forensic experts in these labs use sophisticated tools, such as digital disc fingerprinting and optical manufacturing tracking, to examine counterfeit software and provide critical information to local law enforcement agencies to use in their pursuit of criminal software counterfeiting syndicates. The results are tangible and impactful: Microsoft’s work in its PID Analysis Labs has led to more than 1,000 customs border patrol seizures of counterfeit software in just over two years.
“The global problem of counterfeit software calls for an international response and a strategy which targets sophisticated crime syndicates taking advantage of unwary consumers,” said Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General, World Customs Organization. “Through vigilance and active feedback to public institutions and companies like Microsoft, consumers and businesses will be instrumental in overcoming this problem. The serious economic consequences generated by this illicit trade make it imperative that we urgently pool our efforts, strengths and expertise to fight this crime.”
In response, Microsoft today announced a surge of its own, ‘Consumer Action Day’, a simultaneous launch of education initiatives and enforcement actions in more than 70 countries to protect consumers and increase awareness of the risks of counterfeit software.
“Consumers want action. The majority of our enforcement cases announced today resulted from tips and reports from consumers,” said David Finn, Associate General Counsel for Worldwide Anti-Piracy and Anti-Counterfeiting. “Consumers who are duped by fraudulent software encounter viruses, lose personal information, risk having their identities stolen and waste valuable time and money. Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to working with others, including our partners, government agencies, and NGOs, to protect people from the ill effects of counterfeit software.”
The software industry has long studied the black market for pirated software and its effects on consumers. One seminal study by IDC in 2006 showed that one in four Web sites offering counterfeit software attempted to install unwanted or malicious code upon downloading. This rate is rising, as found by Media Surveillance, an anti-piracy solutions company based in Germany, when it recently downloaded several hundred pirated copies of Windows and hacks and found that 32% contained malicious code. The IDC report also described a review of counterfeit Microsoft software purchased at resellers in 17 countries: more than 50 percent contained phony code, had malware, or could not even be installed. And, just two months ago, the BSA October 2009 Internet Piracy Report showed countries with high piracy rates often have high malware infection rates.
As part of Consumer Action Day, more than 70 countries are launching educational initiatives and enforcement actions to protect consumers from counterfeit software. Highlights include an intellectual property rights education program in schools across China, an “originals club” for software resellers in Germany, a risk-of-counterfeit training course for the consumer protection authority in Mexico, a children’s online safety program in Greece, and a study of piracy’s impact on small and medium businesses in Argentina.
The effects of malware can range from annoying advertisements to a severe breach of information security. In a recent Harrison Group study, it was found that companies using unlicensed or counterfeit software were 73 percent more likely to experience the loss or damage of sensitive data, and 73 percent more likely to have critical computer failures lasting 24 hours or more.
Thai consumers speak out
Moreover, most people simply find themselves without the software they thought they were paying for. Unable to get a refund from the dealer, consumers end up having to purchase the product all over again.
“I didn’t want to face any security problems and knew that if I used genuine software I would get good support, not only in terms of security and patches, but also the latest updates for new programs and applications which are important to me,” said Patranun Limudomporn, a student from the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University and one of the first people to buy Windows 7 at the Thailand launch event at Siam Paragon. “I think more people in Thailand are starting to understand the risks of pirated software and many of my friends have told me of times when they’ve experienced difficulties after using cheap fake software. For example, the installation often does not reach 100% or they experience black screens and no option to update security patches. For me, I only have one PC to rely on so these problems make the risk of using pirated software too high.”
Worse yet, today’s counterfeiters are often large criminal syndicates that don’t stop at distributing hundreds of copies of unlicensed software. “Software pirates are likely to create Botnets, which are armies of compromised computers controlled by cyber-criminals and used to perform a host of illegal Internet activities,” said Markus Schweitzer of Media Surveillance. In just one recent example, software pirates helped create a Botnet army by offering a phony version of Windows, rife with malicious code, which compromised PCs and then ordered them to connect to a server controlled by cyber-criminals.
To address the increasing sophistication of software counterfeiters, Microsoft is enhancing its anti-piracy work on all three fronts: education, engineering and enforcement. Today’s actions around the world emphasize the company’s growing commitment to protect consumers. Tips from customers and partners are vital in helping law Microsoft address piracy. Microsoft encourages users who suspect they have been sold a pirated copy of Microsoft software to contact the Microsoft Customer Contact Center by calling 02-263-6888. For the latest information about genuine Microsoft products, licensing and labels, Thai consumers are advised to visit www.microsoft.com/thailand/genuine/howtotell.aspx.
On the engineering front, Microsoft has improved the product activation and validation process with Windows 7. Windows Activation Technologies in Windows 7 are built off our Software Protection Platform introduced with Windows Vista, which enabled Windows to protect itself by detecting when attempts have been made to circumvent or tamper with built-in product activation technology and helped customers more easily activate the product and resolve potential issues. Windows 7 includes the latest generation of this technology, including changes we have made so users will see more informative notification messages and be able to more easily complete the steps in the process.
And, when it comes to enforcement, Microsoft has invested in nine Product Identification (PID) Analysis Labs around the world. Forensic experts in these labs use sophisticated tools, such as digital disc fingerprinting and optical manufacturing tracking, to examine counterfeit software and provide critical information to local law enforcement agencies to use in their pursuit of criminal software counterfeiting syndicates. The results are tangible and impactful: Microsoft’s work in its PID Analysis Labs has led to more than 1,000 customs border patrol seizures of counterfeit software in just over two years.
“The global problem of counterfeit software calls for an international response and a strategy which targets sophisticated crime syndicates taking advantage of unwary consumers,” said Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General, World Customs Organization. “Through vigilance and active feedback to public institutions and companies like Microsoft, consumers and businesses will be instrumental in overcoming this problem. The serious economic consequences generated by this illicit trade make it imperative that we urgently pool our efforts, strengths and expertise to fight this crime.”
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