April 24, 2009
Center Director among World financial leaders discussing the future of global finance at the IMF

EAt the invitation of the Managing Director of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, YCSG Director Ernesto Zedillo joined a small number of world financial leaders for an informal discussion on the future of global finance. Taking place at the time of the spring IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C. where finance leaders from across the globe were gathered, the participants addressed some of the problems that have been exposed recently in the international economy. These included the role of the global financial and banking system to facilitate sustainable world economic growth; global imbalances; and the role of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), among others. Participants included the Finance Minister of Egypt; the Governor of the Bank of Israel; the Chairman and CEO of the Group of 30; Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India; the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of China Investment Corporation; President of the African Development Bank; President of the Asian Development Bank; the French Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment; Minister of Finance for Singapore; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Director of the National Economic Council of the US; President of the European Central Bank; President of CITI, Asia Pacific; and President of the World Bank.

March 22 and 23, 2009
Ernesto Zedillo participates in China Development Forum 2009
Center Director, Ernesto Zedillo, participated in the China Development Forum 2009 at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing on March 22. The theme of the forum was China's Development and Reform in the Global Financial Crisis. Zedillo addressed protectionism on a panel entitled "Striving for a Global Economic Recovery and Balanced Development." Participants in this year's event included among others, from China, the Vice Premier of the State Council, the Chinese Commerce Minister, the Chinese Minister of Finance, and the Governor of the Bank of China, and from elsewhere the Chairman of HSBC Holdings, the Secretary General of the OECD, the President and CEO of Hitachi, the Chairman of Rio Tinto, the President of Boeing, and the Chairman and CEO of CV Starr. Dr. Zedillo had the opportunity to question the Chinese trade minister about China's attitude during the Doha negotiations and the Minister's answer, although not the context in which it was given, was the main news the following day.

China Daily News
China Development Forum

March 14 and 15, 2009
Center hosts workshop on Global Trade and Financial Architecture
The Center hosted a meeting of the steering committee on global trade and financial architecture, entitled "Meeting the Challenges of Economic Integration for Poor Countries." The multi-year project is a joint initiative with the World Bank and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID). The group seeks to identify options to reinforce and reinvigorate multilateral economic cooperation in ways that make globalization more inclusive and sustainable. The workshop participants discussed and agreed areas for action including: bringing the Doha round to closure; mapping the macroeconomic consequences of the financial crisis; financial protectionism and regulation of the financial sector; monitoring trade effects of crisis response strategies; the political economy of export restrictions; legitimacy, governance, global illiquidity; and climate change.

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