Eliminating Human Poverty

Santosh Mehrotra is a human development economist educated at the New School for Social Research, New York, and the University of Cambridge where he did his doctorate. He was Associate Professor in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, before moving to the United Nations in 1991. For the past 15 years he has worked on the human impact of macro-economic policy. He led UNICEF's research programme on economic and social policy on developing countries at the Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, 1999-2002. He was a co-author of the Human Development Report (2002-2004) and Regional Economic Adviser for Poverty for the Asia region (2005-6). His books include: India and the Soviet Union: Trade and Technology Transfer (1990); Development with a Human Face: Experiences in Social Achievement and Economic Growth (with Sir Richard Jolly) (1997); Le Developpement a Visage Humain (2001); Universalizing Elementary Education in India: Uncaging the Tiger Economy (2005) (coauthored); The Economics of Elementary Education in India, ed. (2006); and Asian Informal Workers: Global Risks, Local Protection (with M. Biggeri) (2006). He is currently advisor to the Planning Commission, Government of India, and is involved in writing India's 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2011). Website: http://santoshmehrotra.orgEnrique Delamonica is an economist and political scientist educated at the University of Buenos Aires, Columbia University, and the New School for Social Research. For almost 15 years, as a consultant for UNICEF and UNDP and a policy analyst in UNICEF Headquarters, he has worked on the impact of macroeconomic policies on children, poverty reduction strategies, financing of social services and budget allocations, the analysis of trends in socio-economic disparities, child poverty measurement, and social protection policies. He has published widely, including two co-edited books on issues of social policy, particularly as they affect children. He has also taught economics, international development, policy analysis and research methods at New York University, Columbia University, the University of Buenos Aires, the Institute for Social and Economic Development (Argentina), and the New School. Currently he teaches at Saint Peter’s College in New Jersey.

• IntroductionPart I: Macroeconomic Policies1. Integrating macroeconomic and social policies to trigger synergies2. Macroeconomic policies and institutions for pro-poor growthPart II: Public expenditure on basic health services3. The inadequacy of public spending on basic social services4. The distribution of benefits of health and education spending5. Policies to enhance efficiency and improve delivery in the public provision of basic social services6. Governance reforms to address the systemic problems of state provision of basic services7. Promoting complementarity between public and private provisionPart III: Mobilizing domestic and external resources8. Taxation and mobilization of additional resources for public social services9. The consistency between aid and trade policies and the Millennium GoalsConclusion

'This book has an ambitious agenda. It offers a framework for conceptualizing macroeconomic policies on the assumption that people matter. The authors demonstrate a sure grasp of the complexities of policy-making to reduce poverty. This book offers an indispensable guide to policy makers and development practitioners.' Professor Ajit Singh, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge 'This book gets to the core of what will be needed to revive economic growth after the slowdown in much of the developing world over the last 25-30 years - by reversing the deflationary tendency of much contemporary macroeconomic policy.' Jomo K. S., Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs 'A vital reference for donors, NGOs and others wanting to see the MDGs achieved - but uncertain how much it will cost. The analysis and 30 country case-studies provide important evidence and hard analysis to fill the gap between over-simple estimates of costs and over-cautious pessimism on policies.' Sir Richard Jolly, former architect of the Human Development Report 'This book is the blueprint for eradicating world poverty in the 21st century. Forget Stiglitz, move on from Sachs: this book based on over a decade of committed work in UNDP and UNICEF marks the real turning point away from neo-liberalism in the global discourse about economic and social policy.' Bob Deacon, Professor of International Social Policy, Director of Globalism and Social Policy Programme, Sheffield University, UK 'This is an excellent, timely book...Innovative, clearly written, readable and draws on a comprehensive range of research.' Dr David Lewis, Reader in Social Policy, London School of Economics