Global Policy and Development: About Our Work

Development policy faces new challenges at the beginning of the twenty-first century: key areas include energy and climate-change policy, the stability of international financial markets, demography and migration, the social dimension of globalisation, dealing with violent conflicts, putting human rights into practice, and issues of statehood and governance.

Without a development policy which targets the potentials of developing countries and, at the same time, creates a development-friendly international framework no progress will be made in these key areas of global policy. More important than ever is a dialogue on questions of future global policy within the framework of which social-policy actors from the industrialised countries, the major emerging economies and the developing countries, on a mutual basis, assess and implement opportunities for a fair coordination of interests.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung's Global Policy and Development department provides a platform for discussion and consultation. It is able to draw on the expertise and contacts of its own bureaus at the headquarters of international organisations in Geneva and New York, the only political foundation which has such facilities. Via events and publications positions and scenarios are developed on the most important issues of the future; North-South dialogue is fostered; and awareness of global connections and joint solutions is reinforced in Germany and Europe.

In Focus: International Organisations

The FES in Geneva

works in cooperation with international organisations resident in the city in the areas of world trade policy (World Trade Organization), international social policy (International Labour Organisation/UNCTAD) and international human rights policy (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights).
The FES Bureau in Geneva on the internet.

The FES in New York

serves as liaison office for the international institutions for security policy and the international financial architecture, as well as development financing, and closely follows policy-formation processes at the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions.
The FES Bureau in New York on the internet.