News
Swiss ODA: New priorities and more funding
During its summer and autumn sessions the parliament will make a decision on the Federal Council's new message regarding development cooperation and the corresponding lines of credit for the period 2013 to 2016. The development organisations welcome the programme priorities in the message. Besides, it is heartening that the Government is keen to increase the development budget to 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI) by 2015. ...>>
Rio+20: No change of course in sight
The UN Sustainable Development Summit Rio+20 will take place from 20 to 22 June in Rio de Janeiro. The draft of the final policy declaration has been ready since January. It is a compromise that should offer something to everyone and not scare anyone off. ...>>
Interview: 'We need prosperity without growth'
Dominique Bourg, Philosophy professor in Lausanne, is a specialist in sustainable development questions. In the following interview he outlines why he expects so little from the Rio+20 Summit, and the approach that would really have to be taken to solve the earth's critical problems. ...>>
Business and Human Rights: Closing legal loopholes
The «Corporate Justice» campaign is calling on the government and parliament for laws that oblige Swiss companies to observe human rights and environmental protection worldwide. One study shows how this could be done. ...>>
"Conditionalitis" and Development cooperation
Ahead of the consultations on the new line of credit (2013-2016), the critics are demanding that development cooperation should be made to serve Swiss interests. - A commentary by Peter Niggli, director of Alliance Sud. ...>>
The blemishes of the clean money strategy
Switzerland’s Finance Department must work out detailed provisions for a «clean money strategy» by June. The benchmarks presented by the Government are hardly suitable. Effective measures in favour of poor countries are still lacking. ...>>
UNCTAD Policy Dialogue: Human Rights and FTA
In preparation to UNCTAD XIII, that will take place from 21-26 April in Doha, Qatar, UNCTAD has organized a policy dialogue with representatives from academia, civil society and the private sector. At a round-table on “inclusive trade policy making process”, Isolda Agazzi from Alliance Sud has presented the request for human rights impact assessments before the conclusion of trade and investment agreements. ...>>
