STWR - Share The World's Resources

As poor countries are disproportionately affected by the financial, food, climate and security crises, the Non-Aligned Movement's call for greater international cooperation must no longer be drowned out by the rhetoric of the G8 and the G20, argues Rajesh Makwana.

As governments look increasingly unlikely to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals, the combined food, fuel and financial crises are deepening global poverty. During this critical time it is vital that donor nations recommit to funding the humanitarian work of the United Nations, argues Robert Perkins.

The terms of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty are skewed to promote military and corporate power. Most member states have signed up to the treaty, which casts doubt on the widespread belief that the EU represents a progressive alternative to US politics, argues Steve McGiffen.

The global economic crisis has deepened world poverty to the point where a growing collective of social movements is seriously challenging the free market order. We are at an important historical juncture where alternatives to economic globalisation could emerge, argues Immanuel Ness.

At the first comprehensive debate on Responsibility to Protect (R2P), a controversial principle agreed upon by UN member states in 2005, concerns were raised at the General Assembly over the preservation of state sovereignty and the potential misuse of the right of forceful intervention.

Poor countries have fought hard for a UN summit on the financial crisis but rich countries prefer to control the world economy as the exclusive G8. It is no surprise that the UN fails to play an effective role in global governance when the richest countries prevent it from doing so, argues Nick Dearden.

Diplomats, NGOs and business groups met at the United Nations in May 2009 for the highest level forum on Sustainable Development. But what is the history of the Commission on Sustainable Development, and what is this forum designed to achieve? A backgrounder by STWR.