Doha: What the South Was Asking For
The suspension of the Doha negotiations on 24 July 2006 is a chance for the industrial countries to rebuild trust with the developing world. A prerequisite for further talks would be to take serious the positions of the South. A documentation of these positions.
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Blow to Cold War Liberalism: Lieberman's Defeat
The defeat of Senator Joe Lieberman in recent Democratic primary in Connecticut is a historic event. It is because of his support for President Bush and the Iraq War. That is what matters. A comment.
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Fair Trade and Development: The EU's Non-Policy
More and more consumers buy Fair Trade products. However, the EU falls short of providing meaningful support to Fair Trade. A new report, adopted unanimously by the development committee of the European Parliament, addresses these shortcomings in a comprehensive manner.
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The World Economic Cycle at a Critical Juncture
For the third consecutive year the IMF issued an overall extremely positive appraisal of the world economic development. Yet the impression that the lessons of failed economic policy have been learned is deceptive.
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G77/China: The System Lacks Good Global Governance
The controversy on the future of the United Nations continues. On 29 May 2006 a special Ministerial meeting of the Group of 77 and China focussed on system wide coherence, secretariat and management reform, mandate review, and financial resources of the UN. The Ministers' Statement in full length.
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South: No WTO Deal Against Food Security
In a joint communication the G33, the African Group, the ACP and the LDCs warned that they cannot agree to any WTO deal in agriculture which does not meet their needs of food and livelihood security and rural development.
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A Fair Deal to the World's Migrant Workers
Across the world, millions of people are on the move – doing jobs ranging from manual labour such as harvesting to high-skilled computer programming. Recently the ILO has launched new initiatives on the subject.
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The Prerequisite to UN Leadership in Development
Kofi Annan's panel on system-wide coherence has come in for considerable criticism. While sceptics see this as yet another ploy to bolster western dominance, symathisers consider it as the final opportunity for a meaningful role of the UN's development architecture.
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How European Governments are Inflating Aid Figures
A new study exposes how overall official European aid levels are being exaggerated by one third, through the inclusion of figures which most members of the public would be horrified to see counted in development aid statistics.
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Frontal Attack on the UN: Reform at the Crossroads
There is no doubt that the UN needs reform and the headings are tempting. But proposals that are now being pushed may very well in practice lead to a weakening in stead of a strengthening of the UN.
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How to Reform the IMF? How Much Weight for Europe?
The current debate about the future of the IMF, such as just recently at the spring meetings, is a historic opportunity for reform. Only those who benefit from the fund’s role as a debt collector and an instrument of disciplinary neo-liberalism might regret the current loss of importance.
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EU Council Meeting: More, and More Effective Aid
On 10-11 April 2006, EU Development Ministers will gather in Luxembourg for their twice-yearly Council meeting. The meeting provides the first occasion in 2006 to examine progress on promises made by the EU in 2005 towards eradicating poverty.
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The New Human Rights Council at the United Nations
On 15 March 2006, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to create a new UN Human Rights Council (HRC), in spite of the obstructive role of the US. On 19 June 2006, the new HRC will start its first session.
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Bolivia Faces Good Economic and Social Prospects
On 31 March 2006, the current Stand-by Agreement of Bolivia with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will expire – another step in Latin America’s long-lasting struggle for emancipation from IMF conditionalities. The prospects for living without the IMF are not bad.
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Early Alerts Consistently Ignored by Donors
Despite warning systems to predict impending food shortages, donors, governments and even humanitarian agencies consistently ignore early alerts. Questions over corruption and good governance in many drought-affected countries have been blamed for donors’ delayed response.
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A Spectre is Haunting Latin America
A spectre is haunting Latin America – the spectre of “populism.” Hardly a week goes by without a warning from pundits that the region may return to its “populist” past. Non-native English speakers would be forgiven for thinking that populism was a dreaded disease, like botulism.
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EU Spring Summit: Which Development for Europe?
When the European Council will meet 23 to 24 March 2006 in Brussels for its Spring Summit the renewed Lisbon Strategy on competitiveness will be once again high on the agenda. Yet European NGOs and trade unions regard the strategy as unbalanced and heavily biased towards business interests.
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Global Water Policy: How to Reduce Poverty?
The high-tech approach to water supply has failed to reduce global poverty. Small-scale water projects can reduce poverty more effectively, and at a lower cost. All that is lacking for the much-needed change in global water policy is political will.
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