The ongoing power shift within the global economy calls into question the established structures of multilateral decision-making. Mainly two factors are responsible for the growing governance gap in international affairs. As the emerging powers of the South gain new prominence, the G7/G8 summit of the leading industrial countries, correspondingly, loses in significance. And as ever before, the United Nations do not provide effective mechanisms for policy coordination and collective action in economic and social affairs. A Briefing Paper by Andrew F. Cooper and Thomas Fues.
In order to simultaneously enhance the effectiveness and legitimacy in global governance two complementary tracks need to be undertaken in tandem: First, the UN’s ECOSOC has to be reformed in a way which allows it to function as an effective platform of global policy advocacy and coordination on economic and development issues. Second, the present G20 of Finance Ministers and Central Bankers needs to be elevated to the level of heads of state and government to become a Leaders’ 20 Summit or L20.
Access to the articles is free of charge during the pilot phase. But as of April 2006, the beginning of the regular subscription period, a special authorization will be required. Subscribers will receive a username and a password with their subscription.
After decades of isolation - imposed by major OECD countries out of concern for the country's human rights violations - Myanmar is emerging as a new darling of the "West" - judging by the accelerating succession of visits by senior officials and gurus. New groups of investors are waiting to enter the country as soon as possible.
Persistent high unemployment, the euro area debt crisis and premature fiscal austerity have already slowed global growth and factor into the possibility of a new recession. Now the United Nations have downgraded significantly its forecasts for the world economy in the next year.
Eastern European states are in for a new round of the crisis. The external control of the banking sector and high reliance on external credit has landed the countries of Eastern Europe in a vulnerable position. Now, credit flows from Western banks are drying up again. Hungary has been the first country in the region to ask for IMF support again.
While the G20 efforts to manage global aggregate demand, exchange rate management and stronger regulation of the international financial sector have not worked out quite as planned, in Cannes the Group was further solidifying its role in directing the system of multilateral institutions.
In November 2011, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is celebrating its 50th anniversary.The new Minister, Dirk Niebel of the (neo)-liberal FDP has launched a 'radical change of course'. In the recent edition of the Reality of Aid shadow report the change is analyzed.