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Greetings from Global Policy Forum,

The United Nations buzzed with activity this past week. Hundreds of NGOs came to New York to attend meetings of the Commission on Sustainable Development, where they participated in discussions on the environment, primarily the impact of tourism and the protection of the oceans. (The latter discussion follows on the recent publication of "The Ocean, Our Future," The Report of the Independent World Commission on the Oceans, of which GPF board member Richard Falk of Princeton University was an important member. Copies of this excellent report can be obtained from Oxford University Press)

In addition, the Bretton Woods Institutions put in one of their periodic appearances at UN headquarters. Following their spring meetings in Washington DC, Bretton Woods chiefs came to meet with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Thursday, April 29. ECOSOC Council President, Ambassador Paolo Fulci of Italy, chaired a Bretton Woods panel that included IMF Managing Director Michal Camdessus, World Bank President James Wolfensohn, Development Chairman Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda - the Minister of Finance of Thailand, and Interim Development Committee Chairman Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the Italian Minister of the Treasury. The first such meeting took place in April 1998, also in New York. This time, participants discussed "recovery of emerging markets" (the supposed lessening of the crisis in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe) and possible new global structures to monitor money flows and provide additional liquidity (new emergency measures).

On the previous day, during the conclusion of meetings in Washington, IMF director Camdessus had stated that the world financial crisis was "over." But on this occasion, Camdessus insisted that the crisis was still not officially over, though it had greatly abated. Camdessus' optimism, and that of his Bretton Woods colleagues, contrasted sharply with the experience of hundreds of millions of people in the affected economies, where unemployment and poverty continue to rise. As always, the bankers insisted that their primary concern was the alleviation of global poverty. World Bank President Wolfensohn, charming and pursuasive as always, hailed the new "coordination" between the UN and the Bretton Woods Institutions and affirmed that a "better relationship" was now in place.

Several things are clear from these meetings: (1)the Bretton Woods Institutions are no longer contemplating fundemental reforms as they were during the depths of the financial crisis -- only cosmetic changes are likely unless the crisis again deepens,

(2)neo-liberalism remains alive and well and the "Washington consenses" still rules at the Bank and the Fund,

(3)the Bank and the Fund plan to continue to expand into the social policy arena, eroding the work going on in this area at the UN, and

(4)at the UN, there is increasing support among delegations for "policy coherence" with the Bretton Woods bankers, meaning in practice the dismantling of social democratic or Keynesian programs in favor of neo-liberal or market-oriented ones.

On yet another economic front, the second informal consultation meeting on Financing for Development with NGOs took place on Friday April 30. NGOs and delegations turned out in considerably fewer numbers than at the first informal consultation, held a month earlier, partly because leaflets and email messages had announced the wrong location. At Friday's meeting NGO leader Doug Hunt made a strong statement on behalf of the Finance, Investment and Trade Caucus of CSD. FIDH (International Federation of Human Rights) and the UN Quaker Office also spoke at some length, while a representative from Tebtebba Foundation in the Philippines gave a statement on the importance of indigenous peoples rights.

Our postings this week continue to provide dissenting views on the Kosovo crisis. As European governments confront mounting public ire at their war policy, mainstream pundits bemoan the "loss of support" for NATO and even top policy makers face a crumbling consensus among their ranks. President Clinton appears to be trying to blame Secretary of State Albright for the Kosovo mess, while the CIA and the Pentagon insist that they are not responsible for the chaos and suffering.

In the midst of this carnage and cynicism, NGOs are again taking the lead for a more humane policy. Our friends Bill Pace and Cora Weiss, respectively Secretary General and President of the Hague Appeal for Peace, are leading a large international gathering that will take place at The Hague on May 11-15, calling for a renewed commitment to peace. One of the primary messages of the Hague meeting is that the United Nations Charter must be the world's primary instrument of international law.

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