EQ2: What are the impacts of superpowers on the global economy, political systems, and
the physical environment?
World Economic Forum
- Swiss non-profit organisation working across national borders (IGO).
- Promotes public-private co-operation.
- Aim:
o Improve state of world by bringing together business, political, academic, and
leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industrial agendas.
- Founded in 1971.
- Helps resolves disputes and promote global thinking.
- Discusses issues of corruption and terrorism.
- Together with economic systems and social issues (health).
- Members think internationally and encourage governments to promote global links.
- TNCS gain a lot from global policies (low tax).
- No problem free: it’s mainly made up of men.
World bank
- Founded at Bretton Wood, 1944.
- Role is to finance development.
- Focuses on addressing the effects of natural disasters, as well as on humanitarian
emergencies.
- Main role: help capitalism function – by making loans to developing countries for
development projects.
- Aim to eliminate poverty and implement sustainable goals.
- Decision making structure is like the IMF. – ‘free-market’
- Has good aims;
o like eradicating poverty
o Diseases like AIDS, HIV, Malaria.
o Reducing child mortality
o Ensure environmental stability.
- Bad decisions
o Structural reform in the 80’s lead to a loss of education, nutrition, & standard
of living in many 3rd world countries.
o August 2007: world bank finances Olam International (Singaporean trade
group) – which was involved with illegal trading of timber in Congo.
o Also funded mangrove destruction in Latin America to make way for shrimp
farms. This had an impact on habitats and local economies.
World trade organisation
- Promotes free trade and reduce trade barriers, by negotiating free-trade agreements
and ensuring that its members maintain its rules.
- Operates on one country, one vote which is fairer to developing countries. However,
no votes have ever been taken.
- Decision making is by mutual agreement, but most bargaining favours the EU and
USA.