Aiding Trading of Abetting? Promoting Conflict-Sensitive Business
Publisher: International Institute for Sustainable Development and The World Conservation Union
Author(s): International Institute for Sustainable Development and The World Conservation Union
Date: 2006
Topics: Programming
The liberalization of global trade and investment has led to an unprecedented upsurge in foreign direct investment (FDI) worldwide. Nearly all international trade is conducted by companies and facilitated by financial institutions; the market actors. Their investment choices and conduct can have a crucial impact on security in the developing world.
At its best, increased business investment in fragile states has been positively correlated with reduced conflict risk: raising economic growth and living standards. However, investment has not everywhere delivered on its much-vaunted promises of improved growth, opportunity and prosperity. Indeed, in some cases, it has caused quite the opposite.