Issue No. 606, 1-15 December 2015
Developing countries confronted with financial vulnerability

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The era of financial vulnerability
The crash in stock markets in China and around the world shows up how developing countries are increasingly vulnerable to financial events or shocks, including outflows of foreign funds.
by Martin Khor

Development aid on the decline, warns new study
Development aid budgets in Europe are being diverted to cover the costs of hosting refugees.
by Thalif Deen

Philip Morris v. Australia: A big win for public health
Australia has warded off a legal challenge by tobacco giant Philip Morris against the country’s landmark “plain packaging” laws aimed at curbing cigarette consumption. But the broader danger posed by international treaties which enable corporations to contest such public interest measures remains.
by Kavaljit Singh

Opinion: Africa’s boom is over
To boost their development prospects, Africa’s faltering economies need to turn to industrial policy, but today’s trade and investment agreements are restricting their ability to do so.
by Rick Rowden

Opinion: FDI myths and realities
To derive benefits from inflows of foreign direct investment, developing countries need policy flexibility to manage such flows – flexibility that is fast being undermined by a slew of bilateral investment treaties.
by Yilmaz Akyüz

Opinion: Controlling capital
Combating inequality demands restrictions on the flow of capital across borders.
by Jesse Griffiths

Opinion: A universal basic income considered
A basic income for all could lift millions out of poverty – and change how we think about inequality, writes Ralph Callebert.

Analysis: The rise of financialization
Financialization has drawn into its expanding orbit non-financial firms and the average household, with detrimental impact on production, employment and inequality. The following extract from a Transnational Institute publication on financialization explores the consequences of this phenomenon, the factors behind its ascendancy, and how it can be resisted.