Third World Network

Third World Network
Name	Third World Network
Formation	1984
Type	Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Penang, Malaysia
Region served	Global South

Third World Network is an international non-governmental organization focused on development, trade, intellectual property, environment, and sustainable development. Founded in 1984, it operates from Penang and engages with actors at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The organization works with civil society, research institutions, and policy networks across Asia, Africa, and Latin America to influence international negotiations and public policy.

History

Third World Network was established during a period shaped by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Brandt Report, and debates following the North–South divide and New International Economic Order. Founders had previously been involved with campaigns around the Green Revolution, Non-Aligned Movement, and regional initiatives linked to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In the late 1980s and 1990s the group became active at the World Trade Organization and in discussions around the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, the Doha Development Round, and the TRIPS Agreement flexibilities contested in the World Health Organization during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. During the 2000s and 2010s it engaged with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change processes, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and campaigns related to the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals.

Organization and governance

The organization is governed by a governing board and advisory committees drawn from activists, scholars, and representatives linked to institutions such as University of Malaya, University of Oxford, Yale University, and regional think tanks like the Bangkok Research Center and South Centre. Its secretariat operates from offices in Penang and liaises with delegations to bodies including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization. Leadership has included figures who have previously worked with Amnesty International, Oxfam International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and networks like Global Policy Forum and Transnational Institute. Governance documents reference principles found in instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and procedures similar to those used by International Non-Governmental Organizations in multilateral diplomacy.

Activities and campaigns

The group conducts advocacy at intergovernmental forums including the WTO Ministerial Conference, the UN Climate Change Conference, and meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity and World Intellectual Property Organization. Campaigns have targeted policies under the TRIPS Agreement, access to medicines contested in negotiations at the World Health Assembly, and agricultural issues raised at the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Trade Organization Agreement on Agriculture. Environmental work has intersected with campaigns linked to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, debates around the Green Climate Fund, and controversies over biopiracy in dialogues related to the Nagoya Protocol. The network has partnered with organizations involved in movements such as the Anti-Globalization Movement, the Fair Trade Movement, and coalitions including Consumers International and People's Health Movement.

Publications and communication

Third World Network publishes briefings, reports, and analyses distributed to delegations at forums including the United Nations General Assembly, WTO General Council, and WHO Executive Board. Its periodicals and briefing papers have been cited in publications from Lancet, Nature, and policy reviews by the International Institute for Environment and Development and Brookings Institution. The organization maintains newsletters and online resources used by delegates from countries in the African Union, European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Group of 77. It has organized conferences and side events featuring speakers from institutions such as Harvard University, University of Cambridge, National University of Singapore, and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Funding and partnerships

Funding has come from philanthropic foundations and grant-making bodies including foundations with histories linked to Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and regional funders active in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The network partners with academic institutions, civil society coalitions such as Friends of the Earth, International Trade Union Confederation, and policy organizations like the South Centre and Civil Society Organisations that engage in multilateral advocacy. It has received project support in collaboration with agencies modeled after the United Nations Development Programme and through cooperative work with research centers affiliated to universities such as University of the Philippines and University of Cape Town.

Criticism and controversies

Critics have accused the organization of partisan advocacy in negotiations at bodies such as the WTO, the WHO, and the CBD Conference of the Parties, drawing scrutiny from trade think tanks like the Cato Institute and commentators associated with the Heritage Foundation and World Bank. Controversies have arisen over perceived alignment with movements in the Global South that oppose intellectual property regimes during debates mirroring disputes in the Doha Development Round and conflicts over access to medicines during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Some governments and private sector groups involved in pharmaceutical industry and agribusiness lobbying have contested its policy positions, while scholars from institutions such as London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University have debated its analyses in academic fora.

Category:Non-governmental organizations Category:International development