Analysis
A scheme designed to net trillions from global tax havens is being scuppered
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- Written by Nicholas Shaxson (The Giuardian)
Switzerland and other offshore specialists are doing their best to frustrate international transparency in taxation
The world is seeing the first stirrings of an emerging new architecture of global transparency in taxation which could, if pushed forwards, help governments for the first time raise serious revenues from the estimated $21-32 trillion sitting offshore.
Read more: A scheme designed to net trillions from global tax havens is being scuppered
Does Third World Growth hurt First World Prosperity?
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- Written by Paul Krugman
As the fears of Japan's economic prowess fade, economic writers and corporate executives foresee a new threat: Third World economic growth. In this article, Stanford economist Paul Krugman argues that such fears about the impact of Third World competition are questionable in theory and flatly rejected by the data.
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A crisis of Solidarity
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Due to technical problems the monthly newsletter could not be sent to all usual readers. Apologies for this. In return, herewith the brief note that accompanied it.
It is just one more crisis to add to the long list of financial, economic, social, political, environmental crises we are living in.
What is happening?
On the one hand, countries that have built, fifty years ago, a political and economic union with solidarity mechanisms – however limited they were – between rich and poor countries, rich and poor regions, are now fighting in order to avoid payments to the budget of the European Union. The EU budget barely amounts to 1 % of national GDPs, but for some countries, it is too much. The US federal budget amounts to 23 % of its GDP.
Progress on IMF Conditionality
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- Written by Iolanda Fresnillo - Eurodad
A first reading of the press statements and overview paper from the IMF’s review of conditionality, completed in September 2012 might give the impression that the IMF has made a 180 degree turn in its conditionality policy, one of the most controversial aspects of the Fund’s role. However, the transformation doesn’t seem as complete as the IMF argues. Harmful conditions are still being imposed, not only to developing countries, but also in Europe, and the IMF claim to have increased its focus on poverty reduction and social protection seems uneven, both throughout countries and time. Has the IMF really change the way it sees and implements conditionality?
Earth First? Bolivia’s Mother Earth Law Meets the Neo-Extractivist Economy
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- Written by Eily Achtenberg - Rebel Currents
While the U. S. courts have granted civil rights to corporations, Bolivia has enacted a new law enshrining the legal rights of nature. The “Law of Mother Earth and Integral Development for Living Well,” promulgated by President Evo Morales on October 15, establishes eleven rights of Mother Earth, including the right to life, biodiversity, pure water, clean air, and freedom from genetic modification and contamination.
Read more: Earth First? Bolivia’s Mother Earth Law Meets the Neo-Extractivist Economy
Extreme Poverty is violence
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- Written by ATD Fourth World
“Extreme poverty is violence. Alongside the violence of deprivation exists another equally extreme form of it: the humiliation and contempt that denies a person’s humanity, ‘like we were not even humans’. This attitude leads to many types of violence: continual disrespect, humiliation, discrimination, verbal abuse, and denial of basic rights. This can go as far as physical blows at school, work, and in the street,” according to the final report of an “action-research project” developed by the International Movement ATD Fourth World on the connections between extreme poverty, violence and peace.
Social Protection and Access to Essential Services
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- Written by Tina Ebro
Report on the Plenary Meeting of the 9th Asia–Europe People’s Forum, Vientiane, October 2012.
Introduction: Multiple Crises
A multiple crisis has been buffeting affluent states such as the US and those of the European Union for the past five years. While the main focus has been on the financial aspects of the crisis, with its terrible effects on jobs and debt, in fact the crisis manifests itself in many ways. The multiple, overlapping global crises of food insecurity, volatile energy and climate change are just the most obvious manifestations of today’s grave problems. This has all led to a loss of confidence in the international economic system and agencies of global governance. The developing countries of Asia, which did not cause the crisis, are nonetheless severely affected by it. Many parts of Asia already experienced an economic recession in 2009–10 and all the indicators are that severe social catastrophes are imminent. This combination of interrelated crises creates huge challenges for social activists from both Asia and Europe, challenges that demand our immediate and concerted action.
Read more: Social Protection and Access to Essential Services
The Buoyant Billions: How middle class are the new middle classes in developing countries? And why does it matter?
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- Written by Andy Summer - CGD
Middle-income countries are now home to most of the world's extreme poor. At the same time these MICs are also home to a drastically expanding emerging middle class ... but are these middle classes also free of the risk of falling into poverty?
Right to Water
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- Written by Amnesty International
The UN Human Rights Council at its 21st session adopted resolution 21/2 on “The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation” by consensus. This statement reflects on the developments with regard to that resolution.
At the 21st session, for the first time all delegations accepted the reaffirmation of the right to sanitation. All States accepted the reaffirmation that the rights to water and sanitation are derived from the right to an adequate standard of living. Amnesty International welcomes these developments; however it would like to see the Council’s progress on the rights to water and sanitation reflect the content of these rights.
Transparency as Funding for the MDGs
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- Written by Ann Hoillingshead - GFI
In September at the turn of this century, the leaders of the world convened at the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations. The Assembly was the culmination of nearly a decade of United Nations summits and conferences to address development and poverty. It was in 2000, however, that the world’s leaders adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration, a commitment to a noble new partnership to drastically reduce poverty worldwide. All 193 member states of the United Nations and 23 organizations have agreed to achieve a set of eight goals by 2015.
