World economic relations

The German Middle East Studies Association for Contemporary Research and Documentation (DAVO) is a scholarly, nonpolitical and nonprofit-making professional association open to all persons interested in the Middle East. The main aim of DAVO is to improve the exchange of information on Middle East studies between its members.

Middle East studies include disciplines relevant to the study of an area comprising all Arab states and territories, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, the Muslim states of the former USSR and Israel, as well as the impact of this region on the development of other parts of the world.

We are an independent, non-profit and non-governmental North-South Initiative. Since 1991, we have been active on the German, European and international level concerning issues such as trade, environment and North-South relations.

Without structural changes in the industrialized countries of the North, an ecological and socially just development worldwide cannot be achieved. We dedicate our commitment to those people in the South who
are particularly affected by the negative impacts of globalization as well as the consequences of our way of life and the structure of our economy.

The main topics of our work are:

• Climate protection, climate justice and acceptance of responsibility
• Food security through fair rules in world trade
• Binding social and ecological rules for multinational corporations
• Sustainable investment

We work in close coordination with organizations and people from developing countries, creating platforms for them and giving them support. In order to reach our goals we network with other organizations in Germany, Europe, the US and in the South. We also try to develop and implement intelligent solutions in targeted strategic alliances with constructive partners in companies and trade unions. Most of the funding
for Germanwatch comes from donations, membership fees and project grants.