Development Studies
ELDIS - is a free gateway to information sources on development and the environment. It provides descriptions and links to a variety of information sources, including online documents, organisation's WWW sites, databases, library catalogues, bibliographies, and email discussion lists, research project information, map and newspaper collections.
Institute of Development Studies - Housed at the University of Sussex, offering a research gateway into the field of international development. Users can view rsearch reports, working papers and other documents.
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development)
The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. We work with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change. We measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment. We analyse and compare data to predict future trends. We set international standards on a wide range of things, from agriculture and tax to the safety of chemicals.
The UN provide a wealth of information on their activities in development via the WWW. Of particular interest are the United Nations Human Development Reports.
'The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.'
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is an international trade agreement that came into effect in 1995 and operates under the umbrella of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The aim of the GATS is to gradually remove all barriers to trade in services. The agreement covers services as diverse as banking, education, healthcare, rubbish collection, tourism or transport.
'The World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance. In Fiscal Year 2001, the institution provided more than US$17 billion in loans to its client countries. It works in more than 100 developing economies with the primary focus of helping the poorest people and the poorest countries.'
See also: World Bank : Countries a portal for resources and tools on development issues in specific countries.
Established in 1966, ADB is a multilateral development finance institution dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific.
Fair Trade and Trade Justice:
Oneworld.net: Guides - Oneworld.net is a major charity, campaigning on development and fairtrade issues. Guides are available on specific topics as well as by country.
Trade Justice Movement - 'The Trade Justice Movement is a group of organisations who are concerned with the negative impact of international trade rules on the poorest people in the world, on the environment, and on democracy. We call for fundamental change to the unjust rules and institutions governing international trade, so that trade is made to work for all.'
World Development Movement - 'The World Development Movement is campaigning to tackle the underlying causes of poverty. We lobby decision makers to change the policies that keep people poor. We research and promote positive alternatives. We work alongside people in the developing world who are standing up to injustice.'
Link to this page: http://www.richmond.ac.uk/s/1052.aspx
