Publications - Economic Governance
Dossier
Genes, Bytes and Emissions: To Whom Does the World Belong?
An important addition to the growing international dialogue about the commons can be found in the new anthology, Genes, Bytes and Emissions: To Whom Does the World Belong? The essays in this book are now available online in English. more»
Trade and Investment Policy Paper #1
“Pre-established” Regulations and Financial Services – May 20, 2010 - The World Trade Organization is negotiating “disciplines” on domestic regulation, one of which requires regulations to be “pre-established.”  Established before what?  If this means, before government can apply regulations to an existing financial institution, the discipline would limit the government’s authority to change “too big to fail” policies or increase developmental lending mandates to serve businesses that are rural, small, or owned by women. Max Levin, Harrison Institute for Public Law more»
Trade and Investment Policy Paper #2
Plain Language Guide: GATS Negotiations on Domestic Regulation – May 20, 2010 - The World Trade Organization is negotiating “disciplines” on domestic regulation, which is essential for both development and environmental protection.  Often ambiguous, some of the draft disciplines can be interpreted as a radical departure from the practice of most nations.  They could change the course of regulation and development, particularly within federal systems and in small and vulnerable economies, where government systems are changing. Robert Stumberg, Harrison Institute for Public Law more»
Trade and Investment Policy Paper #3
The State of Play in GATS Negotiations: Are Developing Countries Benefiting? – As with many of the other WTO negotiating areas, talks on “trade in services” present serious challenges to developing countries. One challenge is the fact that – whereas tariffs are a primary barrier to trade in goods – domestic laws and regulations are the primary barrier to trade in services.   Hence, when governments make commitments to liberalize services in different sectors such as, energy, environment, basic services, domestic laws and regulations governing these services need to be re-examined to ensure that they do not conflict with WTO rules.
South Center more»
Trade and Investment Policy Paper #4
“Pre-established” Regulations and Development Permits – May 20, 2010 - The World Trade Organization is negotiating “disciplines” on domestic regulation, one of which requires regulations to be “pre-established.”  Established before what?  If this means, before a development permit is sought, the discipline would limit the government’s authority to change environmental or community impact standards before a permit is issued.  If so, this discipline could constrain changes in climate policy or environmental regulation of existing extraction industries. Loukas Kozonis, Harrison Institute for Public Law more»
Trade and Investment Policy Paper #5
Could a Foreign Investor Use GATS Disciplines in a BIT Claim? – May 20, 2010 - The World Trade Organization is negotiating “disciplines” on domestic regulation that could be more powerful than negotiators realize.  They could transform the GATS, the General Agreement on Trade in Services, into the first trade agreement that foreign investors enforce through claims against governments for hundreds of millions of dollars.  If so, the magnitude of disputes could change the course of development for a small state or a vulnerable economy. Emily Sweeney-Samuelson and Solomon Ebere, Harrison Institute for Public Law more»
Trade and Investment Policy Paper #6
Free Trade Agreements Versus Bilateral Treaties – May 20, 2010 - The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the changes that are taking place in the international normative framework on investment through surveying the European Union and United States’ Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with developing countries. more»
Policy Paper
The World Bank Reboots – May 10, 2010 - The World Bank’s Investment Lending Reforms (ILR) will significantly shift the way in which the institution operates.  This re-issued paper contains updated information on the reforms and the implications of these reforms for people and the environment in recipient countries. Nancy Alexander more»
report
Are the World Bank’s Anti-Corruption Efforts Corrupted? – April 21, 2010 - In 2009, the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) released an unprecedented 700-page evaluation which found evidence that the institution is failing to adequately address the risks of fraud and corruption in its assistance programs. Nancy Alexander, Beatrice Edwards and Bruce Rich more»
report
Standing in the Way of Development? – Between January 2007 and June 2009, the IMF claims that it was more flexible in terms of providing greater policy space to low-income countries to boost spending in the face of fuel, food and financing crises.  To examine this claim, scholars at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) examined the empirical evidence in 13 countries.  Learn about their findings in this report. Bhumika Muchhala, Nuria Molina and Nancy Alexander more»
report
Fostering Impunity or Accountability? Sweeping Changes at the World Bank-IDA – January 2010
In this report, Nancy Alexander discusses the responses of the World Bank to the current economic crisis. By Nancy Alexander more»
article
The case for a green economy that works for all – According to an estimate of the U.S. Congressional Research Service, the global financial crisis destroyed 40% of the world’s GDP. Since then, stock indices show a significant recovery of the lost wealth; however, analyses are likely to show that, on the whole, the response to the crisis (government stimulus packages and especially bank bail-outs of worldwide estimated $14 trillion) redistributed wealth upward. In the U.S., unemployment has exceeded the 10% mark and one out of every nine people receives food stamps. By Klaus Linsenmeier more»
Study
Foreign Investment and Sustainable Development - Lessons from the Americas – March 2008
Working Group on Development and the Environment in the Americas more»
Report
Integrated Solutions to the Water, Agriculture and Climate Crises – March 2009
The dramatic convergence of multiple crises — global warming, hunger and depletion of natural resources such as water - compels us to challenge the dominant industrial agriculture model and consider a new way forward. by Shiney Varghese (IATP) more»
Study
Reforming the World Bank:Will the Gender Strategy Make a Difference? – Summer 2005
This Study assesses the effectiveness of the Bank’s Gender Strategy and recommends how to strengthen the Strategy. By Elaine Zuckerman and Wu Quing more»
Primer
Gender Guide to World Bank and IMF Policy-Based Lending – December 2006 - "Sevetny persent of the world's poor are women...Any policies that aim to reduce poverty must address the female face of poverty today." By Suzanna Dennis and Elaine Zuckerman more»
Study
Gender Justice. A Citizen's Guide to Gender Accountability at the International Financial Institutions – July 2007 - "Although publicly-funded International Financial Institutions (IFIs) have missions to reduce poverty and promote economic growth, IFI projects often ignore gender inequality and increase poverty, prostitution, and HIV/AIDS, particularly among women and girls." in cooperation with CIEL and Gender Action more»
article
Gender and Financial Crisis: Chinese Aspiring Equitable Response – April 2009
In this analysis, Lanyan Chen analysis China's consequences of the aftermath of the financial crisis with regard to women. By Lanyan Chen more»
policy Paper
Gender Implications of the Financial Crisis in the United States – August 2009
"The United States is a women’s success story in many ways... Yet for the past two decades at least, policies in other countries are catching up with and exceeding those in the United States, so that we can no longer consider ourselves the leader in women’s achievement or economic well-being." By Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy Research more»
article
The Current Economic and Financial Crisis: a Gender Perspective – Summer 2009
This paper shows how the mortage debacle in the US affected not only the world economy, but also, and most seriously women and the poor. By Rania Antonopoulos, Levy Institute more»