For years, only a small and enlightened elite and some NGOs looking beyond their tiny projects have been calling for a New Bretton Woods – a global conference to restructure the global economic and financial system. Yet suddenly such demands have become almost mainstream, and developments have accelerated tremendously. However, the World Financial Summit to be held in Washington DC on 15 November will be at best be a starting point of a process, at worst we will observe another public relations exercise. By Rainer Falk
It is particularly the Europeans who seem to be rushing into action. They have agreed on five measures to re-regulate financial markets: new rules for rating agencies, an overhaul of existing accounting standards, the expansion of control and oversight mechanisms to all financial market segments including hedge funds, a code of conduct for managers of the financial industry and – last not least – strengthening the International Monetary Fund ... ... this article is part of WDEV Issue 6/Nov-Dec 2008 and for subscribers only. For direct log in >>> click here.If you have no subscription >>> pick your option or >>>
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.