UN development strategy for the eighties

The recently held 11th Special Session of the UN General Assembly reached agreement on an international strategy for the Third Development Decade which is to be formally passed by the current 35th General Assembly. In the discussion it became obvious that the developing countries’ interest still focusses on a New International Economic Order. There are however grave doubts about the possibility of reaching, by institutional reforms, a real solution for the development problems to be faced in this decade.     

Critical analysis of the Barre-Plan

The Commission of the European Communities, in the spring of 1970, accepted “A Plan for the Phases Establishment of An Economic and Monetary Union”, based on the Barre-Memorandum of February 12, 1969, prepared by M. R. Barre, himself a former Commission member. This article deals with the still unanswered questions which according to the author were raised.     

The role of multinationals in the NIEO

In the context of the New International Economic Order (NIEO) the developing countries are expressing more and more frequently a wish for stricter control over the multinational enterprises. What should be the features of a Code of Conduct for Multinationals?     

The “pipeline” problem in bilateral financial cooperation

It has been observed since about 1976 that financial commitments to developing countries have been disbursed more slowly than in the past. At the same time there have been increasing complaints from recipients that the commitment, appraisal and disbursement procedures of the donor countries were excessively complicated, resulting in a delay of disbursements. The Western industrialized countries, both individually and jointly in the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, therefore initiated investigations into the importance to be assigned to this phenomenon as well as into the question of whether there are any possible ways of simplifying the administrative procedures. The following article sums up the results of such a study by the German Institute for Development Policy in respect of the Federal Republic of Germany.     

EC reform inch by inch

After ratification by member countries, the “Luxembourg reform package” worked out by the European Council at the end of 1985 is to provide the basis for the development of the European Community into the nineties. What are the challenges facing the EC? What opportunities do the Luxembourg reforms open up?     

A concept for an Open World Economy

One of the many new publications dealing with the reform of the International trade system is the report of the Trade Policy Research Centre “Towards an Open World Economy”. The following article analyses and criticlses the main proposals of the report.     

State and trends of economic East-West relations — A German view

The trade of the Western industrial states with Eastern Europe has been the object of keen political interest in the past year or two although it accounts for no more than 5–6 p.c. of the total foreign commerce of the OECD countries. The current discussion about the future of the economic relations between East and West focuses on the greatly increased indebtedness of the East European countries to the West. The following review was presented as the introductory paper at a colloquium on the state and trends of East-West relations which was held at the end of February at the invitation of the Senator of Economic Affairs of Hamburg.     

Aid and donor countries’ GNP

The authors try to test statistically whether the flow of resources between poor and rich countries has in fact conformed to the “1 per cent” target defined by the United Nations. Basis for testing several hypotheses are data published by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD.     

Tunisia’s development perspectives

Tunisia is at the beginning of the second decade of its development planning. The first decade (1961–1972) was put under the heading of Socialism. The influence of the socialist conception on development planning was reflected by a high share of public investments in total investments as well as intensified furthering of agricultural cooperatives.     

International raw material policy in the agricultural and industrial sphere

The demands in the sphere of raw material policy are a cardinal element of the “New International Economic Order” on which the developing countries are insisting. Dr Hermes, Secretary of State in the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, discusses the Common Fund and other issues concerning raw material policy from the German point of view.     

GATT’s role in East-West trade

After a phase of stagnation in East-West trade lasting several years, both sides have more recently been at pains to intensify economic relations between East and West, the reasons being both economic and political. What part can the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) play in this regard?     

For a Social Market Economy in North-South relations

The North-South dialogue on a New International Economic Order has reached deadlock. To revive it Prof. Sautter is counseling an offensive application of the basic principle of the Social Market Economy to the global economic relations between industrialised and developing countries.     

Periphery capitalism — Without question mark

This article is a rejoinder to Professor Marion Mushkat’s contribution “Pheripheric Capitalism?” which was published in INTERECONOMICS, No. 5, May 1975.     

The Harmonization and Convergence of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Standards

The goal of this article is to evaluate the future of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting in terms of the harmonization of reporting standards. The evolution and convergence of financial reporting standards are compared to that of CSR reporting standards. In addition, four globally recognized CSR reporting standards are evaluated. The content of each standard is reviewed, a representative from each standard organization is interviewed, and the standards are evaluated for decision usefulness. This research suggests that the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) would be the best standard to provide decision useful information. This analysis is reinforced by recent events in the transformation of CSR reporting standards and provides insight into the possible future development of CSR reporting standards.     

Trade relations between the US and China

President Nixon’s Intention to visit Peking is attracting tremendous Interest all over the world. The present article discusses past developments of US/Chinese trade and Its possibilities In the future.     

Problems of a code of conduct

UNCTAD’s Main Committee for Technology is to meet in November 1975 to discuss once again the subject of a Code of Conduct to be observed in transferring technical knowledge. What chances are there for such a Code to be adopted?     

Crisis management in exchange rate policy

The behaviour of the dollar exchange rate last year and the concerted action by central banks in the autumn of 1985 have given renewed Impetus to the demand for internationally co-ordinated exchange rate management. How should such attempts at co-operation in the economic and monetary fields be viewed?     

Foreign enterprises in Colombia

In its October-issue INTERECONOMICS published an article on Foreign Enterprises in Mexico. The present article deals with the role of multinationals in Colombia, their merits and the complaints about them. Colombia is of particular interest as a member of the Andes Pact.     

The need for Positive Adjustment Policies in the 1980s

In view of the close relationship between macro-economic performance, structural adjustment and international trade, the OECD Council established in 1979 a programme of work on Positive Adjustment Policies. Under this mandate, a Special Group of the Economic Policy Committee (under the chairmanship of Dr. Hans Tietmeyer, presently Secretary of State in the Federal Ministry of Finance in Bonn) was to review the macro-economic, structural and international implications of industrial, regional, manpower and other micro-economic policies, and to examine the adjustment policies of individual member countries. This work resulted in a Ministerial Declaration in 1982 on Positive Adjustment Policies and in a Final Report of the Special Group which is to be published shortly. The following article by Prof. Wolfgang Michalski, who directed this OECD project, is a résumé of the main conclusions.