G77: Each SDG Must Include International Dimension
Below is the statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China by its Chairman, Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji, at the second session of the General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (New York, 17 April 2013).
The attainment of food security and the move towards sustainable agriculture, including increased food production in developing countries, are among the most important issues in the SDGs.
This is a brief paper on conceptual aspects of poverty eradication as an issue for the SDGs.
In line with our overall approach to the SDGs, the issue of poverty eradication should have goals and targets for countries but also for the international dimension, which includes the Global Partnership for Development (that involves policies relating to global macro-economics, debt, trade, finance, and access to technology) and the means of implementation (i.e. finance and technology for developing countries).
This paper of the South Centre on the overall concept of the SDGs was presented by its Executive Director Martin Khor during the expert panel at the opening day of the first session of the UN’s open working group on SDGs held in the General Assembly hall on 14 March 2013. It had also been presented to a meeting of the G77 and China in New York as part of its preparation for the meetings of the UN working group on SDGs.
Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development
By Yılmaz Akyüz
The United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda should not simply extend MDGs, or reformulate the goals, but focus instead on global systemic reforms to remove main impediments to development and secure an accommodating international environment for sustainable development. This is a big, ambitious agenda which cannot be acted on overnight. An action plan for systemic reforms could be supplemented, but not substituted, by specific goals in some areas of economic and social development. This paper was presented to a brainstorming workshop of the G77 and China held in the UN in New York in February.
The successful East Asian model of “state-driven capitalism” is being threatened by proposals in the TPPA trade agreement to remove possible advantages of state-owned enterprises.
Investment Agreements: A New Threat to Health and TRIPS Flexibilities?
By Carlos M. Correa
The bilateral investment treaties (BITs) may be a threat to access to medicines as shown by a recent legal suit by a drug multinational against Canada for invalidating a patent.
His rivals called him a “pirate” but grateful millions whose lives were saved by his cheap generic medicines consider him a Robin Hood—Yusuf Hamied, leader of India’s giant company, Cipla.
The MDGs began life a decade ago. There were three dimensions to the significance of the MDGs. It was an explicit recognition of the reality that a large proportion of people in the world were deprived and poor.
Solar trade wars threaten the fight against climate change
By Martin Khor
Amidst the gloomy news in the deteriorating climate change situation, is this bright spark — the cost of solar energy has been going down dramatically.
Reflections on the IP System: A Development Perspective
By Carlos M. Correa
The South Centre held a side event during the 50th WIPO General Assemblies on the theme of “Reflections on the IP System: A Development Perspective” on 5 October 2012 at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva. Professor Carlos Correa, Special Advisor on Trade and Intellectual Property of the Centre, was the speaker of the event. Below is a summary of his presentation.
This article examines the situation in Latin American countries with respect to their laws and policies relating to compulsory licenses—and how Brazil and Ecuador have made use of such compulsory licenses for drugs.