* Intellectual Property High on the G-8 Agenda: The wrong focus in Heiligendamm
Intellectual property rights are supposed to play a crucial role at the coming G-8 summit in Heiligendamm. The subject itself is politically highly explosive. The German federal government's G-8 agenda leans heavily toward the short-term interests of knowledge owners (= industrialised countries). Thus it contradicts its own claim to assume "responsibility for the political, economic and social shaping of globalisation", writes Klaus Liebig.
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* Retreat or a New Wave of Globalisation? The present world economic juncture
Whereas the prominent globalisation critic Walden Bello already sees the "retreat of globalisation" – 15 years after its advent –, the World Bank in its most recent report, Global Economic Prospects (see note), believes that a new globalisation wave is about to hit and the decisive issue is how to manage the globalisation of the next 25 years. Yet the protagonists, notes Rainer Falk, have more in common than generally assumed.
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* Foreign Direct Investment Trends: Record increase to be followed by slowdown
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows grew in 2006 for the third consecutive year to reach US$1.2 trillion, according to UNCTAD's first estimate for the year. The total is a 34 per cent increase from 2005, although still short of the record of US$1.4 trillion set in 2000. The continued rise in FDI largely reflects high economic growth and strong economic performance in many parts of the world. Such growth has occurred in both developed and developing countries. Michael Monks reviews the latest figures.
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* WDEV Special Report 1/2007: Climate Change and Human Rights (by Wolfgang Sachs)
Climate change is far from being just an ecological issue; it is also an issue of equity. Equity within a generation has at least two dimensions. First, it implies the fair distribution of burdens and benefits of fossil fuel use among nations. Secondly, however, it also implies the universal protection of human dignity by securing the fundamental rights of every human person to water, food, housing, and health. In WDEV's new Special Report (1/2007) Wolfgang Sachs focuses on the latter dimension; the author explores the links between human rights and climate change, without, however, losing sight of the broader framework of equity in climate politics
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>>> Background Papers: Multistakeholder Partnerships - Future Models of Multilateralism? (by Jens Martens)

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>>> WDEV Links of the Week: Zombie Economics (Th. Palley) + Alternative Finances: Rediscover Keynes (S. George) + Decent Work: How to realize? (Guy Ryder)

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World Economy & Development In Brief
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