The new South has a cover story on why developing countries should also be eligible for compensation by transnational companies responsible for environmental disasters. The recent $20 bil fund set up by BP for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should be a model for companies to compensate for disasters such as in Bhopal, the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Niger Delta.

The Bulletin also focuses on ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), a TRIPS-Plus treaty being negotiated by 11 members that would be harmful to health and consumer interests and to developing countries. The Bulletin analyses ACTA and carries statements by India, China and Brazil at the WTO on why TRIPS-Plus enforcement is harmful.

Other articles make comments on the austerity policies of developed countries, and on why a climate deal needs to be based on equity in “carbon space”

This latest issue of South Bulletin focuses on why China and other East Asian developing countries require a rethinking of the growth strategies, as the global economic slowdown has exposed their over-reliance on exports.

The articles include estimates on the dependence of China on exports for its growth (much higher than previously estimated), why the trade surplus of China with the US is much smaller than widely thought, and the way forward for future growth in China. Another aricle discusses why other East Asian countries face deeper problems and also need a policy re-thinking.

The Bulletin reports on the latest June climate talks in Bonn:  how developing countries suffered a setback in a new text, and how the talks reveal continuing deep differences.Another article reports on a dire warning by climate scientists why the "paltry pledges" of the Copenhagen Accord are driving the world to a temperature increase of 3 to 4 degrees.

The global climate talks are back on track, months after the chaotic ending of the Copenhagen Conference.

This issue of South Bulletin (26 May 2010) focuses on the UNFCCC talks in April and gives a brief preview of what to expect in the UNFCCC talks in the first half of June 2010.

Although enough confidence was built among the UNFCCC member states to resume negotiations, the talks ahead will be very tough as preparations are made for the next Conference in Mexico in December.

This issue of South Bulletin focuses on the WTO’s Doha negotiations. The Doha talks have missed many deadlines. The latest deadline is 2010, but it will most likely also be missed.

The Bulletin gives a brief report on the Stocktaking Exercise held at the WTO at the end of March. It was supposed to catalyse movement in the talks but instead became an occasion to confirm that there was nothing new in the impasse.

Another article analyses the “rise and decline” of the Doha talks, tracing the history from its controversial start in 2001 to the present impasse. On the way, the Doha programme lost its development goal and instead became an opportunity for developed countries to pressurise developing countries to open up their markets.

This latest issue of the South Bulletin focuses on some key question in the minds of many today:  Is the recession over?  Will we really have a global recovery?  What policies are needed to ensure the world does not slip into another recession?

The world economy is still weak and may remain so for some time because there is insufficient global “effective demand”.  For a real recovery to take place, there has to be a boost to global demand, without creating new financial bubbles.

The South Bulletin No. 44 (8 March 2010) carries a main article on the workshop held by South Centre on the current economic situation; Three eminent economists have warned developing countries not to be misled by reports that a global economic recovery is underway; Most developing countries are yet to benefit from recovery; And the South as a whole has to re-examine their development strategies in light of basic economic changes in developed countries.

This first issue of 2010 (dated 8 Feb 2010) focuses on the Copenhagen Climate Conference and After. 

The Bulletin not only analyses what happened at Copenhagen but more importantly on the Way Forward.

Out of the messy conclusion of Copenhagen must emerge a resumption of the UNFCCC Climate Talks so that there can finally be a successful outcome in 2010.