Co-hosted by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) and the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analyses (IBASE), this seminar brought together a group of international scholars and writers on issues of global governance and the reform of multilateral economic institutions, transnational corporations and international development NGOs.
The event, spread over two days, provided an opportunity for participants at the World Social Forum (WSF) to hear and debate their views. The presentations and discussions were centred on such questions as what can be done to make organizations like the IMF, World Bank and WTO more democratic, transparent and accountable, should they continue to exist; what can be done to regulate transnational corporations; are current trends associated with corporate social responsibility making a difference; and what can be done to increase the accountability of international development NGOs and improve their relations with actors in the South.
The workshop was held at:
Auditório do Centro Científico
Associaçao Médica de Rio Grande do Sul (AMRGS)
Av. Ipiranga, 5311
Porto Alegre, Brazil
The following speeches were made:
Globalization and Social Development after Copenhagen: Premises, Promises and Policies
Thandika Mkandawire
Can the South Save the Fund? Redefining the South's Role in the Governance of the IMF
Peter Evans
Financing for Development
Reinaldo Gonçalves
New Forms of TNC Regulation: How Useful are Multistakeholder Initiatives?
Peter Utting
Completing the Historic Transition to Democracy: Beyond the Regulation of Transnational Corporations
David Korten
Global Institutions: Where Do NGOs Fit In?
Deborah Eade