The Global 3 Fs Crisis and South Asia
In South Asia, an estimated additional 100 million persons have fallen into food insecurity and poverty since 2007, as fallout of the 2008 food price crisis and the global economic recession. Even before the food, fuel and financial crises (3Fs), roughly 300 million people were exposed to hunger and malnutrition.
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The EU Presidency Outlook for Development
Sweden takes over the EU Presidency from the Czech Republic during a crucial period for the renewal of EU institutions, and for EU leadership on issues impacting development. It enters the summer with the financial and economic crisis and climate change at the top of its priorities.
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Discussing Tax Havens: The Case of Luxembourg
Functioning taxation systems are of primary importance for development policy. This applies as much to the tax levy within developing countries as well as their capacity to prevent tax and capital flight. Gradually aid in the establishment of an efficient taxation system is gaining significance as part of bilateral development cooperation.
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"Dead Aid" or Recovering Patient?
Dambisa Moyo's book "Dead Aid" has created quite a storm within the development community, which struggles with an appropriate response. However, the reactions have been too defensive, according to Eveline Herfkens.
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Just Repeating Old Commitments Is Not Enough
The crisis, which originated within the world's major financial centers, has spread throughout the global economy, causing severe social, political, and economic dislocation and a rise in social conflict and distress. As Amnesty International warned, the world is sitting on a "powder keg" of social unrest.
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UN Sees Winter Landscape, No Green Shoots
The United Nations has downgraded its economic forecast for 2009. The world economy is expected to shrink by 2.6% in 2009. Approaching the end of May 2009, the economic landscape remains very winterly with no visible green shoots to be seen which could signal beginnings of a new spring.
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The Potential of Special Drawing Rights
The G20 recently endorsed the issuance of $250bn of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) by the IMF, but it made no arrangements for rich countries to transfer their allocations to poor ones. The idea was not even mentioned. Yet that is where the real benefits of an SDR issue would come from. A memorandum by George Soros
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Compensating Poor Food Importers
High food prices are putting the health and lives of the world's poorest at severe risk. A mechanism to compensate for the effects of higher import prices on the poor is needed and can be implemented immediately. It must be without conditions. A proposal by Kunibert Raffer.
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Supporting Global Expansion of Aquaculture
Globally, fish is by far the most traded agricultural commodity, and aquaculture is the fastest growing food production activity. Asia is the leader, with 80% of global production. However, with its Aquaculture Strategy of April 2009, the European Commission provides a red carpet to European industry.
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World Bank Suspends Controversial Labour Indicator
In an important shift in the World Bank's approach to development, only two days after this year's spring meetings the Bank announced the suspension of the controversial "Employing Worker" Indicator (EWI) and a commitment to re-examine and revise both the EWI and the "Paying Taxes" Indicator in its annual country-ranking exercise called "Doing Business".
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New Report: A Global Green Recovery is Possible
Measures of G20 members for economic recovery can trigger a boost of both sustainable growth and climate protection. This is the result of a report, authored by Ottmar Edenhofer and Lord Nicholas Stern. A global green recovery could deliver economic benefits, help to avoid dangerous climate change, and reduce sources of global and social instability.
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Proposals for Profound Reform of Financial System
With the world facing the first crisis of the modern age of globalization, a commission of economic experts chaired by Nobel Laureate and former Chief Economist of the World Bank Joseph Stiglitz calls for the creation of a new global reserve system and a global economic coordination council as part of a fundamental reform of the international financial architecture.
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Increased IMF Funding without Reforms?
The G20 summit meeting in London on April 2nd will have a lot on its plate and will certainly fall short of expectations. There is a world recession, the worst for more than 60 years, and the immediate problem of how to get out of it through fiscal and monetary stimulus. Then there is regulatory reform. And sadly, last on the agenda is aid for the poorest countries.
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On the Wrong Side of the Global Water Divide
Istanbul is currently hosting thousands of international water bureaucrats, which are convening for the 5th World Water Forum. Their official motto, "Bridging the Divides for Water", poses a daunting challenge. Almost one billion people still lack access to adequate and safe water supply.
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Call for More Say in International Finance Reform
Issuing their first-ever communiqué at a G20 finance ministers' meeting, Brazil, China, Russia and India have called for a bigger voice on international bodies - signalling their growing political resolve to influence global affairs. WDEV documents the communiqué in full length.
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On the Road to London and Beyond
The year 2009 is clearly representing a window of opportunity: The consequences drawn from the global financial crisis and the course set this year can decisively shape the face of global governance for the foreseeable future. An overview by Rainer Falk and Barbara Unmüßig
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South-South Cooperation in Times of Global Crisis
Developing country financial experts and government officials met for two days in early February at UNCTAD in Geneva to ponder ways to use recently much-expanded South-South economic cooperation to soften the blows from a severe financial crisis now spreading to their economies from the industrialized West.
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The Impact of the Global Crisis on Employment
The global economic crisis is expected to lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people joining the ranks of the unemployed, working poor and those in vulnerable employment, the International Labour Office (ILO) says in its annual Global Employment Trends report.
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