Twelve South American countries have decided to deepen regional integration by investing heavily in intraregional infrastructural projects. But economic rationale collides with social and ecological goals.   Read more>>

‘A delicate business’ ( The Broker 8) emphasized that corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are often insufficient for alleviating poverty. There is a lot of debate surrounding the merits of CSR, and responses to the article were interesting. Some of the key questions and issues raised in these responses to the article are summarized here.   Read more>>

In the debate on how to combat poverty, policymakers frequently claim that multinational corporations can make a positive contribution by practising corporate social responsibility (CSR). But CSR initiatives are often no match for an issue as complex as poverty alleviation.   Read more>>

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is often seen as the best way to boost the economies of developing countries. But this is only true under strict conditions. If those conditions are not met, FDI can even hamper economic development.   Read more>>

Developing countries lower their taxes to attract foreign investment. Rich individuals and multinationals use tax havens to evade taxes. Both of these processes are eroding the tax base of many governments. Yet development policy makers and researchers have so far ignored how governments acquire the income needed to finance good governance, namely the issue of taxation.   Read more>>

The Economic Partnership Agreements between the European Union and 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will not cause markets in the South to be swamped with European imports, as opponents suggest. But they will result in dramatic reductions in government revenues.   Read more>>