The United States and the Bretton Woods institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, had failed to adequately address the international financial crisis. The only realistic way out of the global crisis was to proceed democratically, in an inclusive manner, and there was no better place to do that than in the framework of the United Nations. A panel held at the UN headquarters in New York on 30 October 2008 concluded that quick-fixes and half-measures behind closed doors were not enough. A WDEV summary of the event with Joseph Stiglitz and others
The panel has been convened by Miguel d’Escoto Brockman, President of the General Assembly who told a press conference that the current financial crisis presented opportunities for change. In particular, he spoke about the plans to form a high-level task force to review the global financial system. The composition of that body would be made public in the near future, and work was under way to formulate the terms of reference for that body ... ... this article comes up in Issue 6/Nov-Dec 2008 and is for subscribers only. For direct log in >>> click here.If you have no subscription >>> pick your option or >>>
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.