The world economic situation is more favourable for developing countries than at any time since the early 1970s (see box in article). But a safe correction to the increasing imbalances would be much easier with more appropriate global exchange-rate arrangements, the just published Trade & Development Report (TDR; see reference) of the UN Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) argues. WDEV summarises the report.
Arbitrary exchange-rate shifts should be managed just as tariffs and export subsidies are, and in the absence of such controls regional cooperation may provide developing countries with some security against abrupt corrections. The authors of the TDR say that in recent years there have been several cases – for example in Germany, Japan and Switzerland – where current-account surpluses have been accompanied by a real depreciation of the exchange rate, rather than an appreciation, as conventional theory would predict. Such movements in the "wrong" direction tend to increase rather than reduce the underlying imbalances ...
The Superiority of the Financial Transaction Tax + Global Unemployment on Record Levels + New Beginning in European Development Policy? + Clean Development for the South
Global Economic Prospects for 2010 + Does Copenhagen Really Matter? + Quo Vadis, German Development Cooperation? + Mapping Social Protection in South Asia
The ITUC's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights has documented a dramatic increase in the number of trade unionists murdered in 2009, with 101 killings - an increase of 30% over the previous year. The new Survey also reveals growing pressure on fundamental workers' rights around the world as the impact of the global economic crisis on employment deepened.
Barely in office, German development minister Dirk Niebel unambiguously mapped out the road: he wants to ensure that development cooperation once again focuses on German interests. This position provoked-probably intentionally-protest from the greater part of the German development community.
Latvia and Estonia show us what Greece may look forward to if it follows the advice it gets from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union. As noted previously, Latvia has experienced the worst two-year economic downturn on record, losing more than 25% of GDP, a recent study shows.
A group of economists has written an open letter to European policymakers criticising their collective failure to address the Greek crisis as a European crisis. It sets out the various causes of the Greek crisis, of which poor fiscal management by that country is only one, and points out the European dimension of the problems. It calls for decisive and coordinated policies by European and national actors to stem the crisis.
The evaluation of the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank's support for gender issues between 2002 and 2008 is of significant relevance in the light of the Beijing+15 review and the launching of gender mainstreaming as crucial strategy for all institutions and organizations.