- A Fair Deal for the World
Publsihed at : The New York Review of Books. VOl. 49, number 9, may 23,2002
The author of Globalization and Its Discontents makes a review of the book "On Globalization" by George Soros.
- Access and Influence : Tensions and ambiguities in the World Bank's expanding relationship with civil society organizations
This study is part of NSI's Project on Civil Society Voices and the Multilateral Organizations. It focuses on the tensions arising from the World Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and on the complex history of civil society relations. It was ...
- Agreements between the WTO and the IMF and the World Bank
Because of the increasing linkages between the various aspects of economic policymaking that fall within the respective mandates of the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, ...
- An Evaluation of Proposals to Reform the International Financial Architecture
In this paper it is provided a preliminary assessment of some of the leading reform proposals of the international monetary system.
It offers some remarks on priorities for the reform of institutions, policies and practices associated with the prevention a ...
- Appeal to Minister of Finance Concerning the Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Seven Nations on February 9th
The Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the Group of Seven Nations will be held in Tokyo on February 9th. The “Poverty and Development Unit of the 2008 Japan G8 NGO Forum,” a network of Japanese NGOs, calls on the Minister of Finance ...
- Assessing World Bank Openness: A transparency Scorecard
Compared to 15 years ago, the WBG discloses significantly more information about its operations. Challenges to the secrecy surrounding rhe governance of IFI's have forced the Bank Group to routinely provide more access to institutional information and deci ...
- Barack Obama's historic victory
Richard Falk's article analizing the challenges that Barack Obama will face during his term.
- Beyond Meltzer
In March 2000, the US Congressional Committee set up to examine reform of the multilateral isntitutions, led by Allan Meltzer, presented its recommendations. The report proposes extensive reforms to these institutions which would completely change their na ...
- Bibliography - Best Sources on Financing Alternatives, and Tobin Taxes
Available bibliography related to Tobin-style taxes and sources on financing alternatives.
- Bretton Woods Institutions : a case for fundamental reform
In this paper it is argued that there is a need for a thoroughgoing review of the function and policies of the multilateral financial institutions. The IMF must be subjected to full multilateral control and revamped in ways to ensure that it focuses on pro ...
- Bretton Woods Institutions : Evolution, Reform and Change
Reforming the Bretton Woods Institutions will be a critical part of any effort to reform global economic governance as we enter the new millenium.
The acute financial crisis that threatens the middle-income countries and the chronic development crisis that ...
- CADTM finds the G8 announcements pathetic and denounces the fierce repression peaceful demonstrators fell victims to
In this press release the CADTM exposes its criticism to the G-8 leaders attitude and the fierce repression of the authorities.
- Capital Flows to Developing Countries of the International Financial System
This study has been prepared within the UNU/WIDER project on new Roles and Functions for the United Nations and the Bretton Woods Institutions, which is directed by Professor Deepak Nayyar, Unviersity of Delhi.
The paper begins with surveys of major featur ...
- Cereal offenders? G8 leaders on biofuel/hunger charges
How the G8 has contributed to the global food crisis, and what they can do to stop it.
- Challenge of Good Governance for the IMF and the World Bank Themselves
Over the last decade, the IMF and the World Bank have embraced 'good governance' as a set of principles to guide their objectives in member countries. Both institutions now face pressures to apply some similar standards of transparency, accountability and ...
- Chapter 9/11? Resolving international debt crises -- the Jubilee Framework for international insolvency
The Jubilee Framework has evolved as a result of debate, over many years, in both the north and the south on the most appropriate and most democratic mechanism for resolving debt crisis.
The debate has focused on whether Chapter 9 of the US legal code (whi ...
- Civil Society Voices and the International Monetary Fund
This is a report arising from NSI's Civil Society Voices and the Multilateral Organizations project. It examines the relations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with civil society organizations and reviews their initiatives toward the Fund.
- Commission on Global Governance
It focuses on global governance. It concludes by urging the international community to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations by beginning a determined process of rethinking and reform.
- Currency Transaction Tax, The. A bold idea for financing development
Global problems require bold solutions and the Currency Transaction Tax (CTT) is one such innovative idea. It proposes a small levy on foreign exchange transactions, using the money raised to finance development projects for the global public good.
- Declaración del taller regional sobre Ilegitimidad de la Deuda
The peoples of the South, creditors of the social, historical, cultural and ecological debt, are watching with hope and joy the new historical moment faced by Ecuador. The government has taken an unprecedented step forward in proclaiming its decision to ca ...
- Declaration with civil society demands on World Bank
The demands contained in this document are based on African countries and civil societies experiencies of the effects of the impact of World Bank policies and programmes. These demands are largely borne from the workshops organised by SANGOCO, SACC and COS ...
- Double majority decision making at the IMF
Many have championed the use of double majorities at the IMF board in order to increase the ability of developing countries to influence decision making. The acceptance of this idea by incoming IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Khan is welcome, but i ...
- Draft Statment on Wolfowitz
This document focuses on the institutional crisis of the World Bank related to its president mr. Paul Wolfowitz. European civil society backs Wolfowitz resignations calls and urges comprehensive reform of World Bank governance.
- Economía de guerra
Federico Mayor Zaragoza article, published in El País. He analizes the international system and its economic framework.
- Ensuring that international economic and social institutions become integrated with and accountable to the UN
In spite of the enormeous power which the Bank, the IMF and the WTO wield around the world they are not answerable to anybody except their shareholders. The major sharehoders are the governments of the seven richest industrialised countries. This lack of i ...
- Existing System and Missing Institutions, The
In : Nayyar, D. (ed.) (2002) Governing Globalization: Issues and Institutions. Chapter 14.
- For richer For Poorer? : G8 Proposals for IMF Reform
This paper focuses on recent statements made by the Bush Administration, particularly as these relate to the proposals put forward in the Meltzer report, and other reform proposals being advanced by the G8 in relation to the role of the IMF. Most official ...
- Global Democracy Initiatives: The Art of Possible
Democracy is an open-ended process that is produced by actors but not under the circumstances of their own making. Global Democracy Initiatives examines the major global democracy initiatives: how are they justified; who supports them; are they politically ...
- Global democratic governance and the reform of International Institutions
Paper centered on the Reform of the International Institutions, UN, IFI's and WTO.
- Global Economic and Social Governance and the Role of the UN : Recommendations for the Financing for Development Conference
The so-called "systemic issues" do not have as much to do with the substance of global policies as with the process for making them. Along these lines, an examination of the relationship between the main trade, financial and monetary policy-making organiza ...
- Global Governance and the Public Domain : Collective goods in a "Post-Washington Consensus Era"
As a consequence of the financial crises of 1997-9, the question of "global governance" appears to have come into its own as as "agenda" for thinking about the rules and norms which underpin the present global order. One of the dominant understandings of t ...
- Globalisation and Its Discontents
Review of this powerful, unsettling book which gives us a rare glimpse behind the closed doors of global financial institutions by the winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics.
When it was first published, this national bestseller quickly became a touc ...
- Globalism's Discontents
Few subjects have polarized people throughout the world as much as globalization. Some see it as the way of the future, bringing unprecedented prosperity to everyone, everywhere. Others, symbolized by the Seattle protestors of December 1999, fault globaliz ...
- Globalization and the logic of international collective action : Re-examining the Bretton Woods Institutions
In : Nayyar, D. (ed.) (2002) Governing Globalization: Issues and Institutions. Chapter 9.
The author explore the role of the Bretton Wood Institutions from the perspective of global public goods and externalities.
- Good Governance and the World Bank
The World Bank's 'good governance' agenda is concerned with the relationship between the state, the market, and the civil society in loan-receiving countries. The Bank argues that in order to be effective, the state must play a critical role in managing an ...
- Governance in International Organisations : the case for reform in the Bretton Woods institutions
'Good governance' is now a central item on the agenda of the IMF and the World Bank in their dealings with member states. This paper defines 'good governance' and examines the experiences of other international organizations which have attempted to balance ...
- Governing Globalization : Issues and Institutions
The forces of globalization are causing rapid changes in trade and financial flows, and the movement of people across the world has become a major issue in need of urgent action. National economies have become closely interrelated, particularly through the ...
- Helsinki process on global governance
This paper is in response to a request to provide ideas, comments and suggestions on the Helsinki process on Global Governance and how it should proceed. I was involved in preliminary discussions on the Helsinki Process during my visit to Helsinki in May 2 ...
- High-level panel on IMF board accountability
In light of the many calls for the reform of the International Monetary Fund, the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition convened a panel with diverse backgrounds to assess how the governance and performance of the IMF could be improved.
- IMF confidence crisis
As International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank officials engage in their joint semi-annual meetings in Washington, the Fund has a nettlesome new task: convincing its shareholders (most of the world’s governments, represented at the meeting by Finance ...
- IMF: Shrink it or Sink it
The International Monetary Fund is perhaps at its most vulnerable state in years. It is suffering a triple crisis--a crisis of legitimacy, a budget crisis,and a role crisis--that is unparalleled in its 62 years of existence. These circumstances provide cri ...
- Improving Accountability and Governance in Global Financial Institutions
The objectives of first meeting of the working group on improving accountability and governance
in global financial institutions included identifying: urgent areas for reform in the governance of the
global financial system (specifically to rank these in t ...
- Is the Tobin Tax Practicable?
The dominant issue of the day is whether the Tobin tax is practicable. In current discussions, the Tobin tax is put forward as a partial solution to the problems of managing international financial crises. On one hand, if the Tobin tax can be only partiall ...
- It's democracy, stupid
None of the problems thrown-up by globalisation: the strong getting stronger and exploiting the weak who grow weaker; an unpredictable and turbulent global economy, and an increasingly life threatening environmental issues - can be effectively tackled with ...
- La Argentina en el túnel del tiempo
Politic practices, economy and Argentina's present situation from the point of view of Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.
- Las lecciones de Argentina
The Argentina collapses lead to one of the major bankruptcy in years. However, the nature of this failure is still unsure. While some argue the FMI was too indulgent, others insist on its severe behaviour. This paper focuses on the economical crisis of Arg ...
- Leadership Selection Reform at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
The leadership crisis at the World Bank is undermining not only the World Bank but potentially the International Monetary Fund. We therefore call for timely adoption of reform of the selection procedures at both institutions.
- Marlborough House Statement on Reform of International Institutions
Commonwealth Heads of Government met a summit to talk on the reform of international institutions as World Bank, IMF and UN and their effective implementation.
The Commonwealth leaders conveyed their intention to redefine the purposes and governance of Bre ...
- More instruments and broader goals : moving toward the post-Washington consensus
This lecture was taught at the 1998 WIDER Annual Lecture.
The essay provides a thorough critique of the "Washington consensus", a set of beliefs that has become highly influential and it shows that while certain elements of the Washington consensus might h ...
- Need for a Global Governance Equality Reform, The
One of the main issues is the fact that MDB are not seen any more as actors to be respected as they lack of accountability and transparency mechanisms in their relationship with our governments.
By carrying out the recommendations provided in the present p ...
- New capitalism?
Article written by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, José Saramago, Roberto Savio, Francisco Altemir, Jose Vidal-Beneyto y Mario Soares about the financial crisis and the solutions that have been presented.
- Nou capitalisme?
Article written by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, José Saramago, Roberto Savio, Francisco Altemir, Jose Vidal-Beneyto y Mario Soares about the financial crisis and the solutions that have been presented.
- Odious lending: debt relief as if morals mattered
This new research from NEF says that the time has come to look again at foreign debts forced wrongly on developing countries - so-called 'odious debt' - and shift the spotlight onto the 'odious lenders' - the bankers who made large loans to illegal regimes ...
- Open statement on steps to democratize the World Bank and IMF
Following the Monterrey conference on Financing for Development a number of official discussions are underway about changing the governance regime of international institutions. Civil society organisations and others have long pointed out that the World Ba ...
- Options for democratising the World Bank and IMF
The recommendations set out in this paper represent second-best measures, albeit necessary ones. Christian Aid believes that IFI governance will only be just when an equitable allocation of votes and an equitable capacity of developing countries in the IFI ...
- Organizational reform and the expansion of the south's voice at the Fund
In this paper it is argued that a variety of organizational changes are both feasible and could substantially increase the ability of developing countries to articulate policy alternative and advance change. It refers particularly on changes in the recruit ...
- Other axis of evil, The
We need to be aware that neo-liberal globalisation is attacking the social order on three fronts. The economic front is the most important since it affects all humanity. It is presided over by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World T ...
- Paris Declaration: Towards Enhanced aid effectiveness?
This document provides an overview of the Paris Declaration and highlights donor commitments that purport to improve aid effectiveness. The papers present critiques to the Declaration and pose challenges to donor countries, local and national governments a ...
- Proposal to reform the system of international institutions. Future scenarios
Paper drafted by the Ubuntu forum ad hoc secretariat and John Foster on the occasion of the Seminar on future scenarios for the reform of the System of International Institutions which took place in Barcelona on 12 and 13 March 2004, under the framework of ...
- Put your money where your mouth is
World Bank Campaign Europe Statement:
We urge European governments to use these contributions to leverage reform at the WB during the current funding "replenishment" round, to ensure that the Bank becomes an agency that acts in the interest of the world's ...
- Reform Proposals for the Governance Structures of the International Financial Institutions
This paper contains recommendations about main issues for the reform of the governance structures of the International Financial Institutions such as voting structure and compostion of the board, transparency of decision-making processes, selection of the ...
- Reforming the IMF: Back to the Drawing Board
A genuine reform of the IMF would require as much a redirection of its activities as improvements in its policies and operational modalities. There is no sound rationale for the Fund to be involved in development and trade policy, or in bail-out operation ...
- Reforming the International Financial Architecture : Consensus and Divergence
This paper argues that the instability experienced by the international financial system in recent years not only reflects characteristics that are inherent in financial markets, but also flaws of the 'narrow' international financial architecture relating ...
- Response to the Federation of European Bankers Letter of March 2001
NIGD responds to the arguments offered in "Countering volatility in international financial markets: the Tobin Tax is not the answer" that is a position paper of the European Banking Federation refering to the Tobin Tax initiative.
- Rethinking Governance Handbook. An inventory of ideas to enhance participation, transparency, and accountability.
An inventory of best practices and innovative approaches to increase transparency, participation and accountability in global institutions.
"Its overview of best practices that international organizations might consider in striving to improve their govern ...
- Social Watch Report 2006: Impossible Architecture
Social Watch is an international coalition comprising 400 non-governmental organizations in some 60 countries. Its annual report is the world's most highly recognized independent study on social development.
The Social Watch Report 2006 explains the probl ...
- Structural Adjustment for the IMF : Options for Reforming the IMF's Governance Structure
Three aspects of the IMF's governance structure need to be adjusted so that it can operate effectively as an institution of global governance in the new global architecture. These are: representation and power in the IMF's governing bodies; transparency an ...
- Success or failure? Wolfensohn's reforms at the World Bank
In April 1997 World Bank President James Wolfensohn secured agreement from his board for a major reform initiative, the Strategic Compact. This reform was to be done via four main programs: reviving demand for Bank business, refocusing the development agen ...
- Summary of proposals to Reform the System of International Institutions
The aim of this paper, which gathers some of the most important proposals made to reform the system of international isntitutions, is to form a starting point for reflection on these issues.
- Tobin Tax Campaign
NIGD, the Network Institute for Global Democratization, organizes events and discussions on the Tobin tax. This site provides information about NIGD's activities and projects and the Draft Trety on Global Currency Transactions Tax (2002) is available to do ...
- Tobin Tax Campaign and Policy Network
This site provides links of groups and platforms active on Tobin tax all around the world.
- Towards a new International Financial Architecture
Statement submitted by the European Network on Finance and Development, presenting some proposals to disminish the impact of the financial crises.
- Transparency Charter for International Financial Institutions: claming our right to know
The GTI launched its Transparency Charter for International Financial Institutions: Claiming our Right to Know on 17 September 2006 in Batam, Indonesia, on the occasion of the International People’s Forum vs the IMF and the World Bank. The Charter is the G ...
- Treaty on Global Currency Transactions Tax : A Draft
By this Treaty, it is established a Currency Transaction Tax Organisation called "CTTO". It is aimed to curb financial instabilities in the global economy, to generate revenues to be utilised for the global common good, to monitor the application of a glob ...
- Un nouveau capitalisme?
Article written by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, José Saramago, Roberto Savio, Francisco Altemir, Jose Vidal-Beneyto y Mario Soares about the financial crisis and the solutions that have been presented.
- Under the influence. How the International Financial Institutions fund deforestation in Asia Pacific
In this report Jubilee Australia explores the links between International Financial Instituttions, deforestation and climate change.
- World Bank Ok with blood for Oil
It has been a year since the horror of the bloodshed in Sudan’s Darfur region--with over 200,000 dead in three years--began leaking across the border into Chad. It has also been a year since a simmering conflict boiled over into a full-scale confrontation ...
- World Democratic Governance
Almost 20 years after the "Washington Consensus", and nearly 10 years after the fall of the "Berlin Wall", the system of international instituttions has become polarised, split into two branches. On the one hand there is UN, on the other are the economic, ...
- ¿Nuevo capitalismo?
Article written by Federico Mayor Zaragoza, José Saramago, Roberto Savio, Francisco Altemir, Jose Vidal-Beneyto y Mario Soares about the financial crisis and the solutions that have been presented.