The current economic crisis has seriously impacted developing economies, the concerns are how developing countries have been impacted and what the sustainable resolutions are to cushion global economic crisis.
Access to Knowledge
( 5 Articles )
The main concern is the negative effects that derive from the increased privatization of knowledge leading to the increase in the costs and availability of knowledge goods and services.
Climate Change
( 34 Articles )
Developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who are already facing difficulties in alleviating poverty as a result of their economic situation, are especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Climate Change has to be viewed first and foremost as a development issue.
Commodities and Economic Diversification
( 17 Articles )
A large number of developing countries, mostly Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) heavily depend on a narrow range of traditional agricultural commodities or minerals and few markets for the bulk of their export earnings. Higher-value and processed goods make a very small share of the exports for these countries. Millions of people in these countries depend on the production of primary commodities, often dominated by subsistence farming for livelihood.
Cross-cutting Issues in Global Economic Governance
( 17 Articles )
The failure of today's global economic governance institutions to effectively promote the South's developmental agenda means the South must strive to improve the working of these institutions. The South has to articulate its own vision of global economic governance in order for it to be able to generate the resources that it needs to lift its peoples out of poverty.
Cross-cutting Issues in the Trade Negotiations
( 28 Articles )
Trade negotiations in the WTO and other fora often include areas that are horizontal in the sense that they relate to several issues. In a context where negotiating responsibilities (for instance agriculture, non agricultural goods, services etc.) are likely to be assigned to different entities or actors, the South Centre aims to provide broad overview of relevant issues from the perspective of developing countries and analytical support to help them better participate in these discussions.
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
( 38 Articles )
The work of the Trade for Development Programme (TDP) on EPAs emphasizes policy space and flexibility at the international trade level (multilateral and regional) to pursue national development objectives. This work is carried out through policy-oriented research and analysis; technical assistance and capacity building and an Outreach, Communication and Dissemination Strategy.
Environment & Sustainable Development
( 9 Articles )
Increasingly damaged and rapidly changing global environmental conditions may also make it more difficult for the South to shape and adapt their own domestic economic modes of production for optimum economic, social and environmental effect. Environmental protection is an important policy objective within the context of the development path of the South.
Governance and Intellectual Property
( 21 Articles )
Deciding on the shape and structure of the regulatory regime for innovation, access to knowledge, and intellectual property, the detailed rules that shape it, the balance of interests to be met and the measures by which it is judged requires the involvement of broad range of stakeholders and inputs than those from legal and technical groups, which are North-focused and acting under the strong influence of corporate lobbies, that make up the intellectual property today.
Human Rights
( 0 Articles )
Here a short description of this issue.
Innovation, Technology and Patent Policy
( 25 Articles )
The issues are particularly complex when it comes to new technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology and technologies in the information and communications sector (ICTs). As patents become more important in determining access to fundamental research, essential products and services, and to economic development generally, it is critical that patent policy be subject to closer scrutiny by policy makers and researchers.
International Financial Institutions Governance
( 6 Articles )
The conditionalities imposed by international and regional financial institutions constrain the economic policy tools that developing countries can choose from in pursuing their development objectives. Hence, any work on global governance must necessarily be linked to work relating to the global institutions that define and implement monetary, fiscal, debt, and development infrastructure policy. There is a need to look more deeply at how these institutions' agendas influence and are influenced by those of other global governance institutions and actors.
International Taxation, Investment a Financing for
( 26 Articles )
The establishment of global rules and policies to govern taxation policies is an emerging topical issue. Capital flight, lost tax revenues, tax competition, transfer pricing and the development of various forms of financial instruments are some of the issues of relevance to developing countries. The major international forums which currently consider international tax issues are within the UN, such as the ECOSOC, and the Financing for Development process.
Internet Governance
( 1 Article )
Increasingly, new information and communication technologies (ICT) such as the Internet are rapidly shaping how policies are made, disseminated, discussed, and implemented at the local, national, regional, and global levels. This is creating challenges for the global community in terms of shaping the rules and the structures necessary to ensure that the benefits of such ICTs are shared equitably and in a manner that supports the development prospects of the South.
Labour, Migration and Development
( 2 Articles )
Labour, migration and the development of the South are closely intertwined. The policies, standards and recommendations of global application that may be developed by the ILO, the IOM or the UN will have an impact on the way that migration flows are managed and the extent to which the human rights of migrant workers and their families are protected in the sending, transit and destination countries. Issues relating to the global governance of international labour and migration should, therefore, be addressed as part of the global governance work.
Other Issues Related to Trade Negotiations
( 12 Articles )
Developing countries have requested the South Centre to provide negotiating support and analysis on issues related to trade negotiations that are not part of its regular work programme. The following issues have been covered on an ad hoc basis by the research and policy analysis of the Trade for Development Programme (TDP), namely trade facilitation, WTO rules and Singapore issues.
Technology Transfer
( 2 Articles )
Experience with the implementation of international agreements with transfer of technology provisions, including the TRIPS Agreement, has been far from satisfactory. The importance of technology transfer has, on the other hand, actually increased rather than decreased and improving access by developing countries to existing and new technologies as well as promoting the development of their technological capabilities remains an important component of establishing a balanced and equitable system in the regulation of knowledge-based global markets. LDCs, in particular, remain in a dire situation.
The South and Global Governance
( 12 Articles )
The South needs to be able to articulate its own vision of global governance in political and economic spheres in order for it to be able to generate the resources that it needs to lift its peoples out of poverty. The South's vision of global political and economic governance should question the assumptions that underlie the globalization paradigm, and should lay stress on the need for global governance structures to genuinely promote poverty reduction and sustainable human development.
Trade in Agricultural Goods
( 36 Articles )
The liberalization of trade in agriculture and the withdrawal of the state from the provision of basic services have been associated with increased inequality, a deepening of rural poverty and food insecurity. In this context the international environment for trade in agriculture disadvantages the developing world while the agricultural sector in the North is highly protected behind tariff peaks, quantitative restrictions, safeguards measures and other non-tariff barriers to trade.
Trade in Non-Agricultural Goods
( 10 Articles )
The work of the Trade for Development Programme (TDP) on non-agricultural goods focuses on the implications of trade liberalization for developing countries' capacity to develop and sustain a robust industrial base, to diversify their economic structures, to participate in the dynamic sectors of world trade and generate industrial employment. This work also concentrates on the market access conditions met by developing country exports in international market and the ability of developing countries to use tariffs, subsidies, local content and performance requirements, export taxes and restrictions.
Trade in Services
( 40 Articles )
Services play a strategic role in development through its provision of basic infrastructure such as health, education, telecommunications and financial services. Hence, service provision is directly related to poverty reduction. The role of Government is considered critical by way of being a major provider of such services as well as in regulating it. Although services is a substantial portion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is one of the largest sources of employment in developing countries, the participation of most developing countries in international trade remains modest.
United Nations System Governance
( 19 Articles )
Since the 1990 Report of the South Commission, the South Centre has been consistent in pushing for a stronger UN system – one that reflects today's realities in terms of the geopolitical and economic importance of developing countries and the need to ensure that the UN responds effectively to the needs of the South.
World Trade Organization Governance
( 19 Articles )
The WTO continues to be the focus of much international policy debate and advocacy. It has a major influence in shaping economic policy at the global and national levels as a result of the economic paradigm that it promotes and the policy decisions that are made by its Members. Hence, WTO institutional reform issues continue to be of great importance and relevance to developing countries in the WTO.
