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14
April 2000 : news summary:
Inter.
Organisations, Agencies & Partnerships
‘The
young must become the UN’s reformers‘, FT, 6/4/00
~ Kofi Annan’s "ambitious" Millennium Report, which
is to set the agenda for the forthcoming Millennium Assembly,
depends on today’s youth to fulfil its goals.
Also: ‘Bouncing to a fairer world‘, The Economist,
8-14 April 2000
~ More about Annan’s report prior to the Millennium Assembly.
‘African
debt, European doubt‘, The Economist, 8-14 April 2000
~ Report on the first Africa-Europe Summit in Cairo.
‘EU
agrees to return the spoils of Africa’s corrupt regimes‘,
DT, 6/4/00
~ The EU have agreed an action plan at the recent Africa-Europe
Summit designed to recover billions stolen by corrupt African
regimes and return it to the country of origin. Combative measures
are also to be taken to tackle further corruption.
‘US
‘blocked trade perks for poor nations", FT, 7/4/00
~ World Bank and IMF proposals aimed at extending trade privileges
to poorer countries have been thrown out by after pressure form
US trade representatives.
‘Poorest
countries attack WTO aid package‘, FT, 11/4/00
~ WTO fails to win the trust of developing countries as they judge
proposals for their benefit as inadequate.
‘To
keep them destitute and starving‘, G, 13/4/00
~ Gorge Monbiot’s damning article arguing the huge disparity between
the policies of the World Bank and the image it would like to
project.
Various,
9-12/4/00
~ Washington prepares itself for an influx of activists protesting
at the annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank. Gordon Brown
accuses protestors of being ‘misguided’.
Also: ‘Protestors against the World Bank…‘,
FT, 12/4/00
~ Martin Wolf argues that protestors against the World Bank and
IMF appear to want the perpetuation of mass poverty.
‘Brown
seeks to strengthen IMF‘, FT, 12/4/00
~ In the defence of the IMF, Gordon Brown has stated that he wishes
to improve its ‘surveillance of the world economy’ so that it
can provide "a more effective early warning system"
in the event of future financial crises.
‘Independent
watchdog plan for IMF‘, FT, 10/4/00
~ An independent watchdog has been agreed for the IMF in an attempt
to stem the criticism aimed at it for its lack if accountability.
‘IMF optimistic on prospects for world economy‘, DT, 10/4/00
~ The IMF has revised it’s anticipated performance of the world’s
economy after several European countries experienced better than
expected growth.
Economic
Development
‘Growing
again‘, FT, 6/4/00
~ Comment on recovering Asian economy.
‘A survey of China: Now here comes the hard part‘, The
Economist, 8-14 April 2000
~ Survey looks at aspects of China’s economy.
‘Winners
and losers and the great divide‘, G, 10/4/00
~ Article discusses how globalisation fails to redistribute the
global wealth.
Aid
& Debt
‘Spring
stirs rush to scale debt mountain‘, FT, 12/4/00
~ Feature on the countries and institutions that operate debt
relief programmes.
‘Towards
National Public Expenditure Strategies for Poverty Reduction‘,
PB, 7/3/00
~ Report from the Overseas Development Institute on recent blueprints
and future challenges in providing national poverty reduction
strategies.
‘Brown
calls for taskforce on debt relief‘, FT, 5/4/00
~ Brown acknowledges need for more haste in debt relief initiative
by calling for a taskforce to work to this end.
‘Brown
in bid to speed up help‘, EXPoS, 9/4/00
~ Brown urges the IMF and World Bank to bring about new initiative
to fast track aid to those that need it, Africa in particular.
‘Third
World debt step‘, IND, 13/4/00
~ The IMF and World Bank have agreed to set up a joint body in
an effort to co-ordinate debt relief efforts.
‘Third
World heads focus on debt‘, FT, 12/4/00
~ Third world leaders attending a summit in Havana focused on
the need to ease the burden of ‘crippling and unpayable foreign
debt’ in order to help them adopt the democratic values and good
governance which could lead to economic development.
‘Self-help
group‘, FT, 7/4/00
~ The governments of 30 of the poorest countries have joined together
to form a new World Association of Debt Management Offices (Wadmo)
which will enable them to improve their debt management capacities.
‘Japan
decides to forgive debt of poorest nations‘, FT, 11/4/00
~ Japan follows suit of other G7 nations and has pledged to forgive
up to 100% of the poorest nations debts.
‘Germany plans debt write-off‘, FT, 13/4/00
~ Germany plans to follow suit with Japan and forgive 100% of
the debts owed to it by the world’s poorest countries.
‘Indonesia
starts debt talks‘, FT, 13/4/00
~ Talks have begun between Indonesia and the Paris Club of creditors
to reschedule debt repayments.
‘EU
hints at suspending aid to Zimbabwe‘, FT, 11/4/00
~ EU ministers have hinted that unless Mugabe fulfils his promise
to hold free and democratic elections in May, Zimbabwe’s aid may
suffer. Clare Short is forced to defend the government as Britain
is criticised for its slow response to international disasters
and for halving aid sent to Ethiopia while increasing the funding
for Zimbabwe.
Health
‘Food,
Nutrition and Agriculture‘, FAO, 1999
~ Publication consisting of articles tackling various aspects
of food security, nutrition and agriculture in the developing
world which assess and attempt to highlight ways in which the
challenges facing poorer countries may be approached.
‘Scientists
cannot control the world‘, DT, 5/4/00
~ The development of a revolutionary contraceptive device that
could have huge benefits for women in developing countries has
suppressed by ‘big business and politics’.
Education
‘Education
isn’t working‘, Third Sector, April 6 2000
~ Campaigners for worldwide education rights push Blair to adopt
global leadership role.
‘Read
the World‘, G, 11/4/00
~ Looks at Western governments ‘broken promises’ on education
for all in developing countries.
Government
Various,
6-12/4/00
~ Clare Short is forced to defend the government as Britain is
criticised for its slow response to international disasters and
for halving aid sent to Ethiopia while increasing the funding
for Zimbabwe. Short claims that media have distorted the figures
spent on aid.
Business,
Trade & Development
‘Indian
right- and left-wingers unite against globalisation‘, TWNF,
March 2000
~ Political differences were put aside for the Solidarity Convention
of People Against Globalisation who recently spoke out in opposition
to "anti democratic globalisation".
‘Globalisation‘,
The Economist, 8-14 April 2000
~ According to a new index, created by consulting firm A. T. Kearney,
Singapore has the ‘world’s most global economy’.
‘Give trade a chance to aid developing countries‘, IND,
10/4/00
~ Feature debates the perils of protectionism and argues that
trade liberalisation holds the key to helping the world’s poor.
Mentions a CEPR policy paper which contains an ‘impeccable agenda
for trade reform’.
‘Human
rights weigh heavier with investors‘, FT, 6/4/00
~ A survey carried out by UK based Ashridge Centre for Business
and Society, has found that the human rights record of a country
has a significant bearing on corporate investors.
Also: ‘Human rights are a vital business issue‘,
T, 7/4/00
~ Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, comments
on the increasing demand for human rights concerns to figure strongly
in corporate policies.
Various,
12/4/00
~ The British government have taken an unprecedented step by requesting
that Premier Oil cease all operations in Burma in light of its
horrendous human rights record and to increase the pressure on
Burma’s militant government but Premier Oil remains defiant.
Also: Various, 13/4/00
~ The Confederation of British Industry has joined in the criticism
of FO minister John Battle after he made calls for companies to
abandon operations in Burma.
‘Investors
wary of developing economies‘, FT, 5/4/00
~ The World Bank has announced in its annual Global Development
Report that after the 1997-8 financial crisis, international investment
in the capital markets of developing countries is slow but growth
can still be predicted.
Also: ‘Crisis hit economies ‘have bounced back and may
see boom", IND, 5/4/00
‘Monsanto
opts to work with the grain‘, FT, 11/4/00
~ US biotech firm, Monsanto has surprised the international community
by giving away ‘free knowledge’ of the much sought after genetic
structure of rice which will help scientists produce rice with
a much higher yield, a discovery that would benefit developing
nations.
‘Rare
species trade ban under threat‘, T, 11/4/00
~ Differing opinion on whether trade in endangered species should
be banned or limited to control trade, profits and contribute
towards conservation causes debate at the 11th Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
‘US
lobbyists line up ahead of China vote‘, FT, 7/4/00
~ Opposition to normalising trade relations with China gathers
momentum as a rally is planned ahead of the vote by US Congress.
‘Initiative
seeks to close North-South "Digital Divide"‘, Terra
Viva, March 2000
~ Joint venture of World Bank and Japan’s Software Corporation.
An investment fund entitled ‘Softbank Emerging Markets (SBEM)
will be employed to create ‘start-up Internet companies’ throughout
up to 100 developing countries.
Environment
‘Warriors
hunt for a fairer future‘, OBS, 9/4/00
~ Masai tribes people are empowering themselves by creating their
own conservation areas on their land and are beginning to reap
the financial benefits from tourism.
Various,
13/4/00
~ In a report on the first of the Reith Lectures on sustainable
development, given this week by Chris Patten, South East Asian
governments were attacked for there poor environmental record.
‘International
Highlights: Global water issues under the spotlight‘, ENN,
March 2000
~ Feature assessing the present and future global water issues
and the recent World Water Forum (WWF) and Ministerial Conference
that culminates in a Hague declaration.
Also: ‘Water in the Netherlands: an integrated approach‘,
ENN, March 2000
~ The Dutch contributed to the WWF with its expertise in sustainable
water management which could be transferred to poorer countries.
‘Programme
Summaries‘, GECKO, Spring 2000
~ The Global Environmental Change Programme launches three Programme
Summaries presenting research that is central to the Programme’s
work. The themes covered are: Risky Choices, Soft Disasters. Environmental
decision making under uncertainty; Who governs the Global Environment?;
Producing Greener, Consuming Smarter. The reports are available
online at
[ www.gecko.ac.uk
]
‘Greenpeace activists confront BP at artic oil site‘, Greenpeace
News Release, 10/4/00
~ Update on Greenpeace attempt to halt progress of BP Amoco’s
offshore oil project in the artic ocean which according to government
estimates has a 24% chance of causing a major oil spill.
‘Grain
damage‘, G, 12/4/00
~ Filipino rice growers ‘fighting for survival against the threat
from landowners and seed giants’ show resistance to GM crops.
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