7 April 2000 : news summary:

Inter. Organisations, Agencies & Partnerships

‘Kohler outlines reform plans for IMF‘, T, 30/3/00
~ IMF’s new head denies the need for radical reform but says that he has "recognised the need to refocus the institution".
Also: ‘If we can’t abolish the IMF, let’s at least make big changes’
~ Report on the calls for change at the IMF.

‘US deficit threatens world prosperity says IMF‘, IND, 1/4/00
~ The IMF has announced that the overriding threat to world prosperity is the US trade deficit.

Various, 1/4/00
~ China’s talks with the EU over entry into the WTO suffered a breakdown after disagreements over its terms of accession.
Also: ‘US Representatives set date for China trade pact vote‘, FT, 4/4/00
~ The US House of Representatives have set the date, May 29th, for their vote on a trade pact with China, which is crucial to China’s accession into the WTO.

‘Police and protesters prepare for world trade clash‘, T, 3/4/00
~ Police make preparations for protesters in advance of the WTO and IMF meeting.

‘Our debt to Africa‘, OBS, 2/4/00
~ Comment on the first ever Euro-African summit.
Also: Various, 3/4/00
~ First day of Euro-African summit begins with reports of poor preparation but Colonel Gaddafi’s presence will help ease Libya’s relations.
Also: ‘Prodi opens way to west for Gadafy‘, G, 4/4/00
~ Gaddafi’s meeting with EC president Romano Prodi helps Libya back into the international community.
Also: ‘Plight of Africa ‘is Europe’s problem‘, says Prodi’, FT, 4/4/00
~ Because of the history between Europe and Africa Mr Prodi claims that Europe’s nations must accept their responsibility to help resolve its problems.

‘Ninth African Regional meeting of the ILO‘, World of Work, Feb 2000
~ Report on the ILO’s Ninth African Regional Meeting, the primary themes were labour rights; child labour; and AIDS and "decent work".

Various, 4/4/00
~ Kofi Annan outlines the future targets for the UN.

Economic Development

‘Financial Times Survey: Nigeria‘, FT, 30/3/00
~Financial Times broad ranging survey focuses on Nigeria.

‘Carnival time in Latin America?‘, The Economist, 1-7 April 2000, pp54-55
~ Looks at the recovering economies of Latin America.

‘Shell games‘, The Economist, 1-7 April 2000, p64
~ Article looks at the possibility of North Korea moving away from its economic and diplomatic isolation.

‘Asia pays the social price of boom and bust‘, G, 4/4/00
~ Policymakers in Asia are beginning to realise that greater social safety nets were needed to help alleviate poverty and that economic development alone cannot help.

Aid & Debt

‘Debt campaigners send plea to Blair‘, G, 1/4/00
~ Jubilee 2000 campaigners are urging Tony Blair to include the debt relief programme on the agenda for the next G7 meeting to be held in Japan in June.
Also: ‘Advocates of debt cancellation have lost the plot‘, FT, 30/3/00
~ Letter from the Director of the Centre for Accountability and Debt Relief.
Also: ‘Debt initiatives leaves poor nations short-changed‘, FT, 3/4/00
~ Examination of barriers that are hampering debt relief initiatives.

‘Tobin tax‘, Developments, FQ, pp32-33
~ Looks at the pros and cons of the concept of the ‘Tobin Tax’, a small tax on currency speculation designed to raise money for development.
Also: ‘We need a tax on the global gamblers’, IND, 31/3/00
~ Extract from a speech given at an international development conference by Liz Philipson, chairman of War on Want, on the opportunity to introduce the ‘Tobin Tax’.

Health

‘Mozambique – the fight against disease increases‘, WHO Press, 17/3/00
~ In the next 2-8 weeks is under huge threats of cholera and malaria epidemics for which the conditions would be ideal.

‘Goldeneye?‘, Developments, FQ, pp25-27
~ Should vitamin A enhanced GM crops be allowed the chance to save lives in poor countries; leading experts on GM crops present a for-and-against style argument.
Also: ‘America finds ready market for GM food – the hungry‘, IND, 30/3/00
~ Last year America exported huge amounts of GM crops to the developing world in emergency aid, the only ‘unregulated export market open to US farmers’ and the only market where GM politics are not the main concern.
Also: ‘Unveiled the GM rice that could feed the world‘, G, 31/3/00
~ Report on the GM argument as debate grows over whether it should be used to address the world’s food crisis.

Education

‘Blair declines to lead fight for schools‘, G, 3/4/00
~ Tony Blair disappoints groups such as Oxfam and ActionAid as he reveals he will not be attending the World Education Forum in Dakar later this month. Several charities had been campaigning for Blair to take the initiative in the fight to address the world’s education crisis in the way Gordon Brown has over debt relief.

Various, G, 4/4/00
~ Guardian’s Read the World Campaign: Tony Blair on his governments commitment to education in the developing world; the negative effects of sanctions in Iraq; debate over the value of adult education in Africa; an emergency education programme put into effect in war torn Angola.

Government

‘Short will not expel Mugabe over farm redistribution‘, DT, 30/3/00
~ The government has decided against severing diplomatic links with Zimbabwe despite the present unrest.

Various, 31/3/00
~ Peter Hain, Foreign Office minister, has admits that Cook’s ethical foreign policy has failed.

Business, Trade & Development

‘Stephen Byers‘, Developments, First Quarter 2000, p5
~ Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry speaks about the challenges which face international trade in the 21st century.

"Responsibilities’ of globalisation – report‘, Shell World, March 2000
~ The World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s second report on Corporate Social Responsibility.

‘Business of Caribbean tourism‘, FT, 3/4/00
~ Financial Times survey covering all aspects of the tourism industry in the Caribbean.

‘Over paid, over-sexed, over there‘, Developments, FQ, pp28-30
~ Article examines eco-tourism and the difference that the type of tourism we indulge in can make to the host country.

‘ILO-STEP: Working with the innovative microinsurance movement in Sahelian Africa‘, World of Work, Feb 2000
~ Feature on ILO-STEP (Strategies and Tools against Social Exclusion and Poverty) programme is supporting a microinsurance scheme for health care for members.

"Junkie’ GM gene threat to Third World‘, OBS, 2/4/00
~ GM ‘terminator technology’ is a method of producing crops with ‘sterile seeds’ which forces farmers to buy seeds every year rather than collecting them from their existing crops and could be used to ‘hold Third World farmers to ransom.’ In response to a global outcry, large companies such as Monsanto and AstraZeneca renounced plans to develop the technology but evidence suggest that AstraZeneca is still involved.

‘Ivory Coast to abolish cocoa regulator‘, FT, 31/3/00
~ Coffee and cocoa producers are to be allowed greater control in the running of their industry, the government of the Ivory Coast has announced after complaints from producers that the regulator is responsible for low prices has led to its abolishment.

‘Business looks to break down wall of opposition to China trade vote‘, FT, 30/3/00
~ US businesses will have to raise support at the grassroots level if they wish to see China granted permanent normal trade relations.
Also: ‘Democrats attack move to upgrade China trade‘, FT, 31/3/00
~ Plans for the permanent normalisation of China’s trading relations is facing growing opposition from Democrats in US.

‘Beijing to speed up free-market reform‘, FT, 31/3/00
~ "A report outlining China’s economic policies for this year orders an acceleration of financial reform and endorses the free market programme of Zhu Rongji, the premier."

‘An astonishing week in Seattle‘, Developments, First Quarter 2000, p7
~ A report from the WTO ministerial meeting in Seattle last November gives some insight into what happened and whether or not anything was actually achieved.
Also: ‘Clare Short‘, Developments, FQ, p10
~ Clare Short’s speech to the assembly at the WTO Symposium in Seattle.

Environment

‘Renewable Energy‘, Developments, FQ, p22
~ India hopes to commit itself to generating more energy from alternative sources using investment from its private sector.

‘Trading pollution‘, Shell World, March 2000
~ Commentary from Shell on emission permits.

[ back to top ] [ subject headings index ]