Issue 13 - June 2006

• BANK SECRECY ACT: OPPORTUNITIES EXIST FOR FINCEN AND THE BANKING REGULATORS TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE FRAMEWORK FOR CONSISTENT BSA OVERSIGHT
  United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). April 28, 2006
  
  The U.S. government's framework for preventing, detecting, and prosecuting money laundering has been expanding through additional pieces of legislation since the passage of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) in 1970. In recent years, noncompliance with BSA requirements has raised concerns in Congress about the ability of federal banking regulators to oversee compliance at depository institutions and ensure that these institutions have the controls necessary to identify suspicious activity. In light of these concerns, AO was asked to determine how federal banking regulators examine for BSA compliance and identify and track violations to ensure timely corrective action. GAO also was asked to determine how enforcement actions are taken for violations of the BSA.
  
  http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06386.pdf [pdf format, 135 pages]

• CHOICES MATTER: IFC SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2005
  International Finance Corporation (IFC). April 2006
  
  The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group. IFC provides loans, equity, structured finance and risk management products, and advisory services to build the private sector in developing countries. This report describes how IFC responds to global challenges such as climate change, poverty, corruption, HIV/AIDS, participation of women in private-sector development, and the preservation of natural resources. The report also provides a good deal of information about how sustainability is integrated into decision-making throughout IFC's investment cycle.
  
  [Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
  http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/p_2005SustReport_full/$FILE/2005SustReport_full.pdf [pdf format, 76 pages]

• THE CONDITION OF EDUCATION 2006
  U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). June 1, 2006
  
  The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated report that provides an annual statistical portrait of education in the United States. The report is issued by U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The 50 indicators included in the report cover all aspects of education, from student achievement to school environment and from early childhood through postsecondary education. The report shows that U. S. public schools now have the most diverse student population in their history. In addition, more individuals are enrolling in postsecondary education, and more bachelor's degrees have been awarded than in the past.
  
  Full Report: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006071.pdf [pdf format, 409 pages]
  Brief Report: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006072.pdf [pdf format, 26 pages]

• THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION 2020, IN-DEPTH ANALYSES: BIO/NANO/MATERIALS/INFORMATION TRENDS, DRIVERS, BARRIERS, AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
  RAND. June 1, 2006 .
  
  This study of 29 countries found that by 2020: In Scientifically Advanced Countries: People in the United States and Canada, Germany (representing Western Europe), South Korea and Japan, Australia and Israel will benefit the most from advances in technology. In Scientifically Proficient Countries: China, India, Russia and Poland could also make significant advances, along with simpler ones. In Scientifically Developing Countries: Countries such as Mexico, Turkey, Brazil, Colombia, etc. - are poised to take advantage of modestly sophisticated technology applications. In Scientifically Lagging Countries: At the low end in terms of capacity to implement technology applications are countries - represented by Fiji, the Dominican Republic, Georgia, etc. - that are burdened by problem-plagued political systems, a lack of resources or infrastructure, and class disparities.
  
  [Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
  Full Report: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2006/RAND_TR303.pdf [pdf format, 315 pages]
  
  

• THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION 2020, EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: BIO/NANO/MATERIALS/INFORMATION TRENDS, DRIVERS, BARRIERS, AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
  RAND. June 1, 2006 .
  
  [Note: RAND has published this Executive Summary as a separate monograph. We include it here as a separate record.]
  
  [Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
  http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2006/RAND_MG475.pdf [pdf format, 44 pages] .

• A POTENTIAL INFLUENZA PANDEMIC: AN UPDATE ON POSSIBLE MACROECONOMIC EFFECTS AND POLICY ISSUES
  Congress of the United States. Congressional Budget Office. May 22, 2006.
  
  This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report updates information provided to the Congress in December 2005 concerning the possible effects of an influenza pandemic on the U.S. economy. The report is an excellent summary of the preparations in the United States and the costs associated with epidemiological projections. It addresses issues including: federal-local coordination; the production and distribution of vaccines and anti-viral drugs, ventilator equipment and other supplies; and hospital capacities. Alternative projections from several independent studies are presented.
  
  http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/72xx/doc7214/05-22-Avian%20Flu.pdf [pdf format, 22 pages]

• TRUSTED PARTNERS: SHARING TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE U.S.-UK SECURITY RELATIONSHIP
  Pierre Chao and Robin Niblett. Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). May 26, 2006.
  
  The United Kingdom and the United States are each other's closest ally and security partner. The UK and U.S. governments have also drawn similar conclusions about the new threats of the twenty-first century. There are, however, significant differences in viewpoints about the extent to which defense-related technologies can and should be exchanged between the two countries. From the perspective of each country, the authors present the basic "irritants" that hinder further cooperation. This paper argues that the US and UK need to come to agreement on a broader framework for the exchange and transfer of defense technologies between the two countries. This framework would not be limited to one particular program, but would serve to enable the two sides to work together in a predictable, efficient, and secure environment into the future.
  
  [Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
  http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/060526_usukpartnersreport.pdf [pdf format, 45 pages]

• THE WORLD HEALTH REPORT 2006: WORKING TOGETHER FOR HEALTH.
  World Health Organization (WHO). April 2006.
  
  This report maintains that a serious shortage of health workers in 57 countries is impairing provision of essential, life-saving interventions such as childhood immunization, safe pregnancy and delivery services for mothers, and access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. This shortage, combined with a lack of training and knowledge, is also a major obstacle for health systems as they attempt to respond effectively to chronic diseases, avian influenza and other health challenges. The World Health Report recommends that in order to achieve the goal of getting "the right workers with the right skills in the right place doing the right things," countries should develop plans that include the following:
  
  [Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
  Full Report: http://www.who.int/whr/2006/whr06_en.pdf [pdf format, 237 pages]
  Overview: http://www.who.int/whr/2006/06_overview_en.pdf [pdf format, 16 pages]

• IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NPT SAFEGUARDS AGREEMENT IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
  Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Board of Governors. June 8, 2006.
  
  According to this report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran began a new phase of uranium enhancement during the week of June 2. The report also avers that Iran is pushing ahead with installing more cascades of centrifuge enrichment machines. The report says that on June 6th Iran resumed feeding UF6 uranium gas into its pilot 164-centrifuge cascade in Natanz on Tuesday after a pause of several weeks to do test runs of the machines without UF6. This report covers developments since IAEA's report of April 28, 2006. An earlier report by Dr. ElBaradei was submitted on 28 April to the Board and UN Security Council.
  
  Director General’s Report: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2006/iran_iaea_gov2006-27_060428.pdf [pdf format, 8 pages]

• NONIMMIGRANT OVERSTAYS: BRIEF SYNTHESIS OF THE ISSUE.
  Ruth Ellen Wasem. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. May 22, 2006.
  
  As the 109th Congress debates immigration control (border security and interior enforcement) and legal reform (temporary and permanent admissions), concerns arise over the capacity of the Department of Homeland Security to identify and remove temporary aliens who fail to depart when their visas expire. It is estimated that each year hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals overstay their nonimmigrant visas or enter the country illegally (with fraudulent documents or bypassing immigration inspections). The most recent published estimate based upon the March Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS) of the Census Bureau is that 11.1 million unauthorized aliens were residing in the United States in 2005. Reliable estimates of the number of nonimmigrant overstays are not available, and sample estimates range from 31% to 57% of the unauthorized population.
  
  http://www.ilw.com/immigdaily/news/2006,0530-crs.pdf [pdf format, 6 pages]
  

• INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CRIME: TREASURY'S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES RELATING TO SELECTED PROVISIONS OF THE USA PATRIOT ACT
  United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). May 2006.
  
  Money laundering and terrorist financing can severely affect the nation's economy and also result in loss of lives. To combat these transnational crimes, the Treasury Department (Treasury) and its component bureau, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), have key roles. Section 330 of the USA PATRIOT Act encourages the federal government to engage foreign jurisdictions in negotiations to ensure that foreign banks and financial institutions maintain adequate records to combat international financial crime. Treasury plays a lead role in facilitating such efforts. In accordance with its various responsibilities codified by section 361, FinCEN is to coordinate with its foreign counterparts--financial intelligence units (FIU). This report describes: (1) Treasury's approach for negotiating with foreign jurisdictions; (2) How FinCEN has contributed to establishing FIUs in foreign countries and enhancing the capabilities of these units; and (3) What actions FinCEN is taking to maximize its performance as a global partner.
  
  http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06483.pdf [pdf format, 62 pages]

• THIRD REPORT OF THE PROSECUTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT TO THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL PURSUANT TO UNSCR 1593 (2005) [DARFUR]
  International Criminal Court (ICC), Office of the Prosecutor. June 14, 2006
  
  The investigation team in the Office of the Prosecutor (the Office) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has collated information relating to alleged crimes in Darfur, Sudan into a Darfur Crime Database. The analysis of the data, relating to the period October 2002 - May 2006, shows significant variations in the crime patterns reflective of the different phases of the conflict, with violence escalating between October 2002 - April 2003 and peaking during the period April 2003 - April 2005. The Office has so far documented (from public and non-public sources) thousands of alleged direct killings of civilians by parties to the conflict. The available information indicates that these killings include a significant number of large scale massacres, with hundreds of victims in each incident. The Office has selected several of these incidents for further investigation and analysis.
  http://www.icc-cpi.int/library/cases/OTP_ReportUNSC_3-Darfur_English.pdf [English-language, pdf format, 11 pages]

• THE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE UNITED STATES
  Laura B. Shrestha. Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. Updated May 5, 2006
  
  The United States, the third most populous country in the world, accounts for about 4.6% of the world's population. Within the next few years, the U.S. population -currently estimated at 299 million persons - is expected to reach twice its 1950 level of 152 million. The population has also become qualitatively different from what it was in 1950. As noted by the Population Reference Bureau, "The U.S. is getting bigger, older, and more diverse." This report highlights some of the demographic changes that have already occurred since 1950 and illustrates how these and future trends will reshape the nation in the decades to come (through 2050).
  
  http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32701.pdf [pdf format, 31 pages]
  

Would you like to subscribe / unsubscribe to our Newsletter
and our other publications? Email us at info@americanembassy.org.cy

Please note that some of the above links contain copyrighted material

Disclaimer: Links from this web site to web sites outside the U.S. Federal Government are for the convenience of the user.  Such links do not constitute an official endorsement or approval of any private sector web site, product, or service. For more information please see the Department of State Foreign Affairs Network Disclaimers.