(August 23, 2004) U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan backs a permanent U.N. body that would provide reparations for victims of wars.
Elephants and the Nam Theun 2 dam
(August 23, 2004) The Nakai plateau allows elephants to maintain widespread seasonal movements on a landscape scale. The proposed Nam Theun 2 dam would destroy these special conditions, forever.
Tiny Laos in the spotlight over landmark power project
(August 22, 2004) Despite assurances by the foreign investors, the International Rivers Network and several other groups maintain the planned dam could pollute or choke waterways in the untamed region and displace impoverished farming communities.
Mega told to swear in anticorruption judges
(August 21, 2004) The Supreme Court has asked President Megawati Soekarnoputri to swear in Anticorruption Court judges to speed up the trial of corruption cases.
World Bank reviews policy on oil
(August 20, 2004) The World Bank has adopted new financing regulations aimed at preventing corrupt leaders from shoring up their regimes using oil and gas revenue, it announced this week.
Cambodia hopes to woo investors
(August 20, 2004) Cambodia has promised reform in an effort to attract foreign investors. Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government will reduce costs for businesses, cut bureaucracy and strengthen the rule of law. Dramatic falls in foreign direct investment, criticisms from the World Bank over corruption and a fall in the forecast growth rate prompted the move.
Editorial: Ending corruption helps end poverty
(August 20, 2004) A squeaky-clean reputation for business and government is usually an excellent guide to a country’s prosperity and economic openness. The Apec Business Advisory Council has put the fight against corruption at the top of its list of key issues.
Schroeder pledges to help rebuild Iraq
(August 18, 2004) Chancellor Schroeder said today that the German government is ready to "substantially" reduce Iraq’s debts to Germany to ensure more funds were put to the post-war reconstruction of the country.
Shady Acres
(August 16, 2004) Richard Bentley, the 18th-century English scholar, once observed that "no man was ever written out of reputation but by himself." It is so, too, with corporations. A striking demonstration of this is Acres International.
World Bank approves reform of extractive industries in Nigeria, others
(August 16, 2004) The Board of the World Bank Group has called for reforms of the Extractive Industries (mining, oil and gas) in Nigeria and other developing countries. The World Bank has endorsed the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
The Senate and corruption
(August 15, 2004) After two years, 130 countries including the Philippines completed the negotiation for a landmark United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
Review of the Fund’s strategy on overdue financial obligations
(August 13, 2004) In a review of countries in protracted arrears to the IMF, the Fund said emergency post-conflict funding for Iraq would be approved once it had paid off an $80 million debt to the IMF.
Under eye of U.N., billions for Hussein in oil-for-food plan
(August 13, 2004) Toward the end of 2000, when Saddam Hussein’s skimming from the oil-for-food program for Iraq kicked into high gear, reports spread quickly to the program’s supervisors at the United Nations.
Report calls for independent anti-corruption authority
(August 12, 2004) To curb corruption, public administration reform must include the strengthening of parliamentary oversight and accounting bodies like the Auditor-General’s office, and new laws.
Look beyond bias to explain investment dearth
(August 12, 2004) Who benefits from weak and corrupt governments? Companies that require cheap production and every opportunity to circumvent statutory obligations.
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