THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION IN EMERGING COUNTRIES AND NEW MARKETS

Abstract

Several countries that in the past have been traditional beneficiaries of foreign aid and development cooperation are witnessing unprecedented processes of economic growth. The so called “African lions” or the countries of the “Emerging Africa”, India, Vietnam or Brazil are increasingly seen as attractive markets for foreign direct investments and the business community in general. Investors are competing to gain relevant positions within these markets, also as a way to compensate the crisis currently affecting traditional markets like Europe. Consequently, within these countries, new economic actors – companies, foundations, philanthro-capitalism,migrant entrepreneurs… - increasingly side or overlap with the traditional actors of international development cooperation. These processes poses relevant questions and challenges in terms of: i) the relationship between economic growth and social development, with particular focus on the issue of inclusiveness of the process of economic growth and accumulation; ii) the coherence between the initiatives of economic and development cooperation undertaken by national or local systems of cooperation; iii) innovation in the financing and implementing of development cooperation projects; iv) the relationship and the overlap between for profit and not for profit, between economic interests and international solidarity.