Issue 4/Oct-Nov 2006

Contents

* Towards Heiligendamm: The German G-8 Agenda. Responsible, reliable, sustainable?
At the G-8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, to be held from 6-8 June 2007, the German government intends to focus on “shaping globalisation and helping Africa to develop”. At such a level of generality one can only agree. Yet the debate begins with the “How?” On this point the approach of the German G-8 agenda proves to be deeply flawed. And: the agenda does not even mention the long overdue reform of the summit architecture itself, writes Rainer Falk.
>>> more (free content)

* New Financial Instrument for Development: Real improvements but some dilutions
On the 20 September 2006, after more than two years of negotiations, the European Union (EU) agreed on a Budgetary framework for 2007-2013. This framework, known as Financial Perspectives, is made up of a series of instruments for instance the Development co-operation instrument and the European Neighbourhood and Partnership instrument. The instrument that covers EC financial assistance to developing countries is the Development Co-operation Instrument (DCI). Florent Sebban reports.
>>> more

* Counterrevolution or Reform at the UN? The cup is certainly more than half full
Although the American media generally depicted Kofi Annan’s end-of-term reform package for the United Nations as a failure, its achievements are by no means negligible. The cup is certainly more than half full. Frankly some of the “failures,” such as reform of the Security Council, were not only entirely predictable but relatively benign as well. Ian Williams gives an overview on UN reforms since the World Summit one year ago.
>>> more

* Human Development Report 2006: Power, poverty and the global water crisis
Focusing on the global water crisis, the Human Development Report 2006 takes up a subject which for several years has been widely and hotly debated. Thus, it is difficult to say something really new – but with its focus on equity issues and the situation of the poor the Human Development Report is markedly different from comparable reports, for example by the World Bank. A first assessment by Uwe Hoering.
>>> more

* Transnational Corporations from the South: Is FDI from developing countries better?
UNCTAD’s World Investment Report (WIR) 2006 is dedicated to foreign direct investment originating from developing and transition countries. Corporations from the Third World have been increasingly active as investors and in M&A business, primarily in other developing countries but also in industrialised countries. UNCTAD welcomes this as a contribution toward regional integration in the South but overlooks the problems attending the imbalance of capital flows. By Jörg Goldberg.
>>> more

* The Euro Solution: A levy on Euro for international development
In the last few years it has become increasingly clear that the Millennium Development Goals – the historic agreement in the year 2000 by all UN countries to halve world poverty by 2015 – will not be met, due to lack of financial resources. A significant funding gap exists. This has led many observers to consider whether ‘innovative sources of finance’ could provide the additional income required. Stephen Spratt presents the euro transaction levy (ETL).
>>> more

* European Round-Up
GCAP Plans for 2007 +++ WSF 2007 in Nairobi, Global Journey 2008 +++ World Bank Water Project in Pakistan Harms Livelyhoods +++ Mandelson's Trade Policy Against European Social Model +++ New Online Resources
>>> more

The online access to the articles is reserved for subscribers with username and password (please pick your subscription >>> here). Issue 4 is also available by e-mail (with the articles attached) here >>>

(C) 2006/2007/2008 - All rights reserved

Print this page