Program on Social & Economic Policy
In 1999, the global economic system remained unstable and deeply troubled, though the worst of the Asian financial crises had abated by Annual. More than half the world's six billion people suffered from deep poverty and my many accounts poverty increased during the year.
The long-dominant neo-liberal policy "consensus" continued to erode, as World Bank Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz resigned and as tens of thousands of protesters challenged the WTO at its "Millennium Round" meeting in Seattle late in the year.
Global Policy Forum welcomed the new atmosphere, since we have been sharply critical of global economic policy. And we have been working hard to promote discussion about the need for new institutions, democratic policy making and just policy outcomes.
GPF focused on three major dimensions of this program in 1999. The "Finance for Development" Project monitored and developed policy for a United Nations initiative that will lead to a global conference in 2001. A second project examined the social and economic dimensions of security policy – such as the diamond trade and its connection to civil wars in Africa. A third project centered on broad information and policy research about the major global economic policy institutions and their impact on human development. Additionally, GPF continued to build vigorously its award-winning web site in the social and economic policy areas.
Financing for Development
The United Nations General Assembly decided in late 1998 to begin formal planning of a global conference on Financing for Development in the year 2001. In the first half of 1999, GPF organized the NGO community for input into this preparatory process, in coordination with the UN Secretariat. We first won NGO right to participation in the new Working Group of the General Assembly. We then won the right for NGOs to be involved in policy "panels" and "consultations." In partnership with Doug Hunt of the Citizens Network for Sustainable Development, we brought several NGO experts up from Washington DC to make presentations to the panels during March. We also organized broad NGO input into the consultation process. As a result, the governments are committed to involvement with NGOs throughout the process and leading NGOs are themselves more aware of the event and its importance to their work.
Social and Economic Dimensions of Security Policy
Because of our active involvement with the UN Security Council, GPF is keenly interested in the social and economic dimensions of security policy, particularly in the UN context. We organized a meeting with the President of the UN Economic and Social Council, Ambassador Paolo Fulci, to explore the changing relations between ECOSOC and the Security Council. We are interested in the economic roots of conflict such as poverty, resource scarcity (shortages of water, for example), and struggles over valuable raw materials such as timber, gold and diamonds.
During 1999, we became especially actively involved in the issue of conflict diamonds, which took on special significance in light of the Security Council sanctions on the sale of diamonds by the Angola rebel group UNITA. Throughout the year we cooperated with NGOs and delegations that sought to enforce these sanctions and to understand how the sanctions-busting operated.
Research & Web Development
GPF had a number of research projects during 1999 on other aspects of social and economic policy, including research on income inequality, on transnational corporations, on offshore finance, and on corruption. The new web site section on "Globalization," developed by Benjamin Holt, was one of the biggest additions to the site during the year.
Throughout 1999, we continued to build and enhance the Social and Economic Policy sector of the site in a variety of ways. We added a large number of documents, articles and essays on the World Bank, the IMF, and especially the World Trade Organization, as well as on the global economic crisis and the need for new policies and institutions. This part of the site attracted alone nearly a million hits during the year and some of its original essays and document selections were assigned in courses at a number of colleges and universities.
Outreach and Other Activities
During the year we had a number of meetings with NGO partners and delegations about social and economic issues. In particular, we were pleased to be asked to help organize a luncheon at the UN with Deputy German Development Minister Uschi Eid. GPF Director Jim Paul was asked to speak on economic policy issues at a number of forums, including a keynote speech at a conference on "New World Orders" at Smith College and another speech at a "Forum on United Nations Sustainable Development Programs" at American University. He served as panel chair at a major conference in Berlin on "International Financial Flows" sponsored by the Development and Peace Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme. Media work in this area continued to be active.
Global Policy Forum is supported primarily by contributions from generous individuals who join as members. GPF also receives grants from foundations and partner institutions. GPF is incorporated in the State of New York, registered as a charitable organization and recognized by the US Internal Revenue Service as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the revenue code.
