Business Operating Conditions

Business Ethics: A Manual for Managing a Responsible Business Enterprise in Emerging Market Economies.

"This manual is intended to aid enterprises in designing and implementing a
business ethics program that meets emerging global standards of responsible
business conduct".

EIU Databases (include the following:)

Country Data contains a concise snapshot of the political and economic prospects of 181 countries, along with monthly, quarterly and annual series from 117 countries. Country Profiles provide information on political background, recent political developments and important recent events, main political figures, international relations, infrastruture and more. Yale subscription also incluces Country Reports  include a forecast summary plus articles on fiscal and monetary policy. Use Country Monitor for weekly briefings which highlight key developments from around the world that will affect your global business. Each issue includes a briefing on the week's key world event, summaries of events in each major region and forecasts, data and business outlooks in key economies around the world.

Stat-USA

Excellent source for business operating conditions in foreign countries. The Country Commercial Guides contain detailed reports on investment climate, political and business conditions, business travel information, trade and investment statistics, and much more. There is also an entire International Trade Library which allows searching by product and/or country.

Political Risk Assessment

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg Machine, SSL). Includes a sovereign debt rating section on the emerging markets page. Type EMKT at the main menu for the emerging markets page and then CSDR for sovereign debt rating by country. Ratings are listed by region and then by country for foreign and local currencies, for both short term and long term debt. Sources include Moody's and S&P. Recent updates are highlighted.

Political Risk Yearbook

Offers political and economic risk analysis for 106 countries. Each Country Report focuses on vital political and business information: finding developing markets, determining current movements, preparing for capital investments, or making judgments about corporate security.

Factiva

Use Factiva Intelligent Indexing to precisely search across hundreds of sources. For exammple, use the code NS=GRISK to find "news... about accidents, natural disasters, political and economic upheaval, civil unrest and war. News that potentially will lead to stock market volatility, debt defaults or large insurance losses". To find articles on Developing Economics and Crime/National Security use these codes: re=DVPCOZ and ns=GCNS

Country Reports on Terrorism

U.S. law requires the Secretary of State to provide Congress, by April 30 of each year, a full and complete report on terrorism with regard to those countries and groups meeting criteria set forth in the legislation. Beginning with the report for 2004, Country Reports on Terrorism replaced the previously published Patterns of Global Terrorism.

Labor Force Demographics

Demographic Yearbook

Published by the United Nations Statistics Division, this is the single most comprehensive source of international demographic information available anywhere. Includes data on general population characteristics, fatality and mortality, infant, fetal, and maternal mortality, marriage and divorce rates, and household population characteristics for over 230 countries. Also available in paper, SSL Reference, HA1 +U54, MUDD Govt Documents ST/ESA/ STAT/SER.R/.

Foreign Labor Trends

Annual series of labor conditions and trends in foreign countries. Each issue contains information on political and economic background, industrial relations, pay and bargaining, employment legislation, exchange rate mechanisms, employment, unemployment and training, union membership and mergers, international affairs, and statistical appendixes.

United Nations Statistics Division Common Database

Provides selected statistical series for all countries and areas and selected series from more specialized international data sources. Information provided on data sources, definitions and classifications. See also paper copies of the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics (SSL Reference, HC10 I68x) and Year Book of Labour Statistics SSL Reference, HD4826 I57).

World Development Indicators

Provides over 500 time series of economic and socio-economic data from more than 230 countries, incorporating data from the World Bank publications World Tables, Social Indicators of Development, World Population Projections, the World Development Report, and the World Bank Atlas.

Development Assistance

For links and additional information on international economic development, please see Development Studies.

Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Aid Recipients

Provides comprehensive data on the origin, volume and type of aid flows to over 180 recipients from OECD countries. Includes data from the OECD's Official Development Assistance Office, as well as other official and private funds from multilateral agencies and other donors.

United Nations Development Programme

"UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners". This site contains the Human Development Report which provides international data on national accounts, macroeconomic indicators, urbanization, income and military expenditures, etc. It specializes in socio-economic indicators, including data on profiles of human distress, food security, child survival, caloric intake, education, crime and health. Its own specialized index ranks 174 countries on a scale of human development. nternational data on national accounts, macroeconomic indicators, urbanization, income and military expenditures, etc.

World Development Indicators

Provides over 500 time series of economic and socio-economic data from more than 230 countries, incorporating data from the World Bank publications World Tables, Social Indicators of Development, World Population Projections, the World Development Report, and the World Bank Atlas.