2 June 2000 : news summary:

Inter. Organisations, Agencies & Partnerships

Various, 26/5/00
~ Looks at the remaining hurdles to China’s entry into the WTO.

‘Secretary-General Issues Millennium Report‘, Go Between, April/May 2000, pp30-1
~ Summary of Kofi Annan’s ambitious Millennium Report which will set the agenda for the Millennium Summit in September.

‘UNDP Poverty Report‘, Go Between, April/May 2000, pp15-6
~ Article summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations of the UNDP’s new report.

‘UN must rethink its peace-keeping role, says Annan‘, IND, 29/5/00
~ UN need a "more muscular form of peace enforcement".

‘IMF must change, new chief tells world’s banks‘, DT, 31/5/00
~ The new MD of the IMF admits to the International Monetary Conference that the IMF is in need of reform.

‘Rights ‘still being denied‘, FT, 26/5/00
~ Report that many countries belonging to ILO deny workers the right to belong to a trade union.

Economic Development

‘Revival is beckoning marginalized Africa‘, FT, 1/6/00
~ A World Bank report claims that the new century gives Africa a chance to "reverse the region’s marginalisation".

‘Growth is good‘, The Economist, May 27 – June 2 2000, p122
~ Anti-capitalist protesters argue that global capitalism will only serve the interests of the rich; a World Bank paper* claims that growth helps the poor as much as it does the already well off.

‘Zimbabwe economy at risk from farm policy‘, T, 30/5/00
~ After elections Zimbabwe will see an even faster decline in its economy unless it reforms its policies on land and ‘macro-economic management’.

‘Ethiopia’s economy pays heavy price for border war‘, FT, 30/5/00
~ War has reversed the benefits of liberalisation.

‘Peace and political will needed to transform Sri Lanka‘, FT, 31/5/00
~ Sri Lanka’s civil war has had a huge adverse effect on its economy.

‘Ecuador: Greenbacked but green‘, The Economist, May 27 – June 2 2000, pp70-2
~ Since the military coup in Ecuador, President Naboa has been surprisingly effective in government however he still faces a number of challenges.

Aid & Debt

‘World Bank questions debt relief campaign ‘, FT, 26/5/00
~ A senior World Bank official has claimed that the Jubilee 2000 campaign could affect its lending capacities.

Health

‘Unclean bill of health‘, G, 26/5/00
~ Examines the S. African governments complex stance on its growing Aids crisis.
Also: ‘South Africa’s president and the plague‘, The Economist, 27/5 – 2/6 2000, pp73-4
~ Assesses the effects present and future of Aids in S. Africa and the implications of Mbeki’s confused Aids policy.

‘Aids: the big mistake‘, ST, 28/5/00
Questions where HIV came from; was it the consequence of a medical error?

Education

‘UNESCO/World Bank study on education‘, Go Between, April/May 2000, pp18-9
~ Developing countries are at risk of falling even further behind in the knowledge economy unless action is taken to improve higher education.

Business, Trade & Development

‘Investors are moving out of Africa‘, FT, 29/5/00
~ Africa seen as too risky an investment by many as conflicts and political instability continue.

‘West must drop trade barriers to Third World‘, IND, 30/5/00
~ World Bank executive warns of the responsibilities of developed nations.

‘China caution on opening up to competition‘, DT, 27/5/00
~ China will not hurry to open its doors to foreign investment after WTO entry.
Also: ‘China trembles as it opens the doors‘, INDoS, 28/5/00
~ What challenges arise from China’s permanent normal trade relations (PNTR)?
Also: ‘China’s walls will crumble but only one brick at a time‘, FT, 30/5/00
‘Vote of confidence for trade‘, FT, 31/5/00
~ The US decision to grant China PNTR refocuses attention on WTO reform and trade liberalisation.

Environment

‘Forest corruption report covered up‘, G, 29/5/00
~ A report by the EC and WWF implicating Governments, multinationals and international financial institutions in widespread corruption and failure to enforce conservation laws that is devastating the world’s tropical forests has been concealed for fear of repercussions.

‘Populations fear unite nations‘, T, 1/6/00
~ UNEP forum unites nations with warning that overpopulation is placing too much pressure on the environment.

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