Food Issues in the Rio+20 Spotlight
By Martin Khor
Among the issues that caught the public imagination at the recent Rio+20 summit was the right of all people to good, nutritious food, and the need to support small farmers and promote ecologically sound agricultural methods. Martin Khor reports on the Sustainable Development Dialogue on Food Security.
Sustainable Development as an Answer to Economic and Financial Crises
Below is the speech delivered by Dr Yilmaz Akyüz, Chief Economist of the South Centre on the Sustainable Development Dialogue Roundtable on the Global Financial Crisis, UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, in Rio de Janeiro on 16 June 2012. (more…)
The Rio+20 Summit and its Follow Up
By Martin Khor
The Rio+20 summit from 13 to 22 June was disappointing to many, but it could still succeed through the mandated follow-up actions. The South Centre’s Executive Director gives an in-depth assessment.
Climate Change, Technology And Intellectual Property Rights: Context And Recent Negotiations.
This Research Paper discusses on contexts and recent negotiations in Technology Transfer, Sustainable Development and Climate Change. In terms of proprietary rights, the author categories technologies and related products into three domains: the Public Technologies; Patented Technologies and Future Technologies. (more…)
Mechanisms for International Cooperation in Research and Development: Lessons for the Context of Climate Change.
This Research Paper examines possible modalities of collaboration for research and development (R&D), understood as comprehensive of scientific studies and of activities for the generation of new processes and products and the improvement of existing ones . It briefly discusses, first, the various sources of technology for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. (more…)
Annex 1 Pledges, Accounting “Loopholes”, And Implications for the Global 2°C Pathway.
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has recently issued a report that examines four recent detailed studies of countries’ mitigation pledges under the Cancun Agreements, for the purpose of comparing developed (Annex 1) country pledges to developing (non-Annex 1) country pledges. (more…)
Proposals on the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD).
Twenty years after the Rio Summit 1992, the global sustainable development situation has deteriorated. The environment crisis has worsened. After a period of good development performances in some developing countries, the prospects for the global economy have worsened, with the financial-economic crisis now affecting Europe and the US, which has implications for developing countries. (more…)
The Foundations and Basis Of “Sustainable Development”.
The main framework of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) 1992, its related agreements (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) and its follow-up processes is to place the environment together with development in a single context. (more…)
Risks and Uses of the Green Economy Concept in the Context of Sustainable Development, Poverty and Equity.
There are many challenges and obstacles facing developing countries in moving their economies to more environmentally friendly paths. On one hand this should not prevent the attempt to urgently incorporate environmental elements into economic development. (more…)
Outline of Presentation by Executive Director, South Centre at Special Event at UNFCCC subsidiary bodies on Impacts on Developing Countries of Response Measures (Mitigation) by Developed Countries
The Executive Director of the South Centre made a presentation at the Special Event, organised by the Chairs of the Subsidiary Bodies on Implementation (SBI) and Science and Technological Advice (SBSTA). This is an outline of his presentation. (more…)
South Centre Submissions on Setting up the Green Climate Fund in UNFCCC.
A Transition Committee under the UNFCCC is discussing the design of a Green Climate Fund to operate under the Climate Convention. The South Centre is taking part in the Committee’s meetings as an Observer Organisation. In June 2011, the South Centre made four written submissions on the themes of the four Workstreams of the Committee. (more…)
Operationalizing the UNFCCC Finance Mechanism.
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have recognized the need to “urgently enhance implementation of the Convention in order to achieve its ultimate objective in full accordance with its principles and commitments” (Preamble, Bali Action Plan). (more…)
