A Human Rights Based Approach to International Financial Regulatory Standards
By Daniel D. Bradlow
Globalization and information and communication technologies pushed national financial regulators to establish international standard setting bodies (SSBs) which promote non-binding international financial regulatory standards. However, finance inevitably has social and human rights impacts and the SSBs and their members are not meeting their responsibility to account for these impacts in their international standards. This failure means that financial regulators and institutions may underestimate the risks associated with their operations leading to misallocations of credit, less safe financial institutions and less efficient and transparent financial markets. To avoid this problem, SSBs should adopt a human rights approach to standard setting. The benefits of doing so will exceed the costs. (more…)
Statement by the South Centre to the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit
At the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit , the South Centre highlighted Nelson Mandela’s battle against apartheid, which was a main obstacle to social development, and against actions by pharmaceutical companies to enforce intellectual property standards that would prevent access to HIV/AIDS drugs.
Statement by the South Centre to the Third High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases
Below is the statement by the South Centre to the Third High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) during the 73rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly held on 27 September 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Statement by the South Centre at the High Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis
Below is the South Centre statement at the High Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis during the 73rd session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly held on 26 September 2018 at the UN headquarters in New York.
Considerations for the Effective Implementation of National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance
By Mirza Alas and Viviana Muñoz Tellez
Effective design and implementation of national action plans (NAPs) is critical for the response to the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This policy brief describes the messages that the South Centre has transmitted to the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group (IACG) on AMR in the context of its public consultation, towards shaping its recommendations that will be submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General in the second half of 2019.
South Centre Statement to the WIPO Assemblies 2018
The South Centre is the intergovernmental organization of developing countries with 54 member States across Africa, Asia and Central and Latin America, that is supportive of multilateral work towards an inclusive, balanced and flexible international intellectual property system that benefits all countries and all types of users.
The South Centre is pleased to announce that it is scaling up its services to developing country governments in the area of intellectual property rights and public health, thanks to the support of Unitaid. The project “Expanding the use of TRIPS flexibilities to promote affordable access to medicines” will allow the South Centre to roll out a number of training activities at regional and national level and a global advisory service on the use of TRIPS flexibilities for public health.
South Centre Statement for the Informal Consultation on the Roadmap on Access to Medicines
The draft roadmap is an important work in progress that needs to be further detailed with clear deliverables and timelines. The roadmap will need to ensure complementarity of its work and the implementation of the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property (GSPOA).
The Causes of Currency Turmoil in the Emerging Economies
By Yuefen LI
Many emerging economies and developing countries are facing strong economic headwinds. Currency depreciation pressure is mounting for some countries. Argentina and Turkey are coping with currency crises, massive capital outflows and hyperinflation. To say their crises are completely self-inflicted is not correct. The exogenous shocks have played an important role. Other emerging economies and developing countries as a whole should be vigilant and try to defend their currencies and maintain financial stability. It is also high time to try to fix the flaws in the international financial system.
Towards the Adoption of a UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working In Rural Areas
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas has been constructed by an Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group over six years of open and transparent negotiations. The text has significant support from members of the Human Rights Council. Accordingly, member States of the Human Rights Council should adopt the Declaration through an upcoming Resolution at the 39th Human Rights Council Session (10-28 September 2018).
Exchange of Information: Indian Experience, Developing Country Implications
By Jahanzeb Akhtar
Exchange of tax-related information between countries is a critical tool for addressing information asymmetries between governments and taxpayers that facilitate tax evasion/avoidance. However, the existing system of information exchange has been essentially designed and implemented by the OECD, without the participation of developing countries. This policy brief thus discusses India’s experience with implementing information exchange for tax and other purposes, with lessons being drawn for other developing countries grappling with base erosion and profit shifting.
