Africa and the Global Economic Crisis
By William Minter | 2 April 2009
“The Group of 20 (G20) is making a big show of getting together to come to grips with the global economic crisis. But here’s the problem with the upcoming summit in London on April 2: It’s all show. What the show masks is a very deep worry and fear among the global elite that it really doesn’t know the direction in which the
world economy is heading and the measures needed to stabilize it.”
—Walden Bello, Foreign Policy in Focus
The G-20 have completed their meeting in London today, with a communique promising new action to deal with the global economic crisis. But few, including the participants, are likely to be fully satisfied with the results. And there are parallel discussions taking place not only among protesters but also in multiple other
fora, including the United Nations General Assembly, which some are now referring to as the G-192.
This AfricaFocus Bulletin, the second in a series of three posted today, contains excerpts and links to several related commentaries, particularly highlighting the expert commission appointed by the president of the United Nations General Assembly. It is available on the web at http://www.africafocus.org/docs09/gec0904b.php
The other two Bulletins in this series are available at http://www.africafocus.org/docs09/gec0904a.php (also distributed by e-mail) and http://www.africafocus.org/docs09/gec0904c.php (only on the web, with the full text of the Commission of Experts recommendations).
Interactive Thematic Dialogue of the UN General Assembly on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development: http://tinyurl.com/dbql9h
The Commission of Experts of the President of the UN General Assembly on Reforms of the International Monetary and Financial System: http://tinyurl.com/cp3w5k
The G20 ought to be increased to 6 Billion By Daniele Archibugi, 2009-03-31: http://www.opendemocracy.net/node/47639
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on related issues, see: http://www.africafocus.org/econexp.php