This series invites scholars, policymakers, and leaders to discuss a wide range of issues related to social, political, and economic development, women's empowerment, and education.

This project will result in a book that will assess the region’s new political, economic, and social geography and the implications for the American policy.

The Roundtable on Nationalism in Europe was established in January 2002 to examine critical issues regarding trends in an evolving Europe and to understand their relevance to transatlantic relations. Specifically, the series discusses new forms of nationalism in Europe, and in particular, the various national aspirations and strategies that are emerging as enlargement of the European Union proceeds. During the spring, the roundtable series held three sessions discussing Russia, the Balkans, and Central and Eastern Europe. In fall, the focus will broaden to include Western Europe. Among the topics are the radical right and its agenda in Europe and "European" nationalism, which includes prospects for the Euro as a major world currency.

Founded in 2000, the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations works to promote a better understanding among policymakers, academic specialists, and the interested public of how economic and political forces interact to influence world affairs. Globalization is fast erasing the boundaries that have traditionally separated economics from foreign policy and national security issues. The growing integration of national economies is increasingly constraining the policy options that government leaders can consider, while government decisions are shaping the pace and course of global economic interactions. It is essential that policymakers and the public have access to rigorous analysis from an independent, nonpartisan source so that they can better comprehend our interconnected world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other governments. The center pursues its aims through:

• Research carried out by Council fellows and adjunct fellows of outstanding merit and expertise in economics and foreign policy, disseminated through books, articles, and other mass media;
• Meetings in New York, Washington, DC, and other select American cities where the world's most important economic policymakers and scholars address critical issues in a discussion or debate format, all involving direct interaction with Council members;
• Sponsorship of roundtables and publications whose aims are to inform and help to set the public foreign-policy agenda in areas in which an economic component is integral;
• Training of the next generation of policymakers, who will require fluency in the workings of markets as well as the mechanics of international relations.

ADVISORY BOARD Mr. Maurice R. Greenberg, Chair Mr. Richard N. Haass, Ex- Officio Ms. Lisa Anderson The Rt. Hon. Lord Browne of Madingley The Honorable Martin S. Feldstein Dr. Stanley Fischer General John R. Galvin, USA (Ret.) The Honorable Carla A. Hills The Honorable Winston Lord Mr. Donald B. Marron Mr. William J. McDonough The Honorable Peter G. Peterson Mr. David Rockefeller The Honorable Robert E. Rubin Mr. Richard E. Salomon The Honorable Brent Scowcroft Dr. Laura D'Andrea Tyson The Honorable Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León

This project will examine the fundamental international economic changes that have occurred globally in the past half century, discuss how they affect security and stability in the world, and explore how American foreign policy should respond.

This meeting series is designed to bring Council members together in a small seminar environment to discuss new and innovative thinking at the intersection of economics and foreign policy.

This series provides a forum for policy experts, U.S. and foreign government officials, and journalists to discuss specific items on the G8 agenda and to assess the progress being made in achieving the goals set forth at the June 2004 summit meeting.

This project examined the desirability of dollarization in developing countries as well as its role in promoting international financial stability.

The U.S. government and the multinational business community face an emerging foreign policy challenge: Under what circumstances should U.S. courts serve as an appropriate forum to hold corporations accountable for “human rights abuses” connected to their global operations? More broadly, what role should U.S. courts play in “globalizing” respect for international human rights standards and the rule of law in global economic activity?

This project attempts to take up this challenge by identifying the elements of a new framework of standards and the process by which it might be developed. It aims to define to what extent a new regime for defining the scope of transnational liability for multinational business conduct should include the following elements:

Jurisprudential rules that favor local solutions rather than recourse to U.S. (or foreign) courts;

Clearly defined and broadly accepted minimum standards for acceptable local relief—so that foreign courts (or policy makers) can determine whether plaintiffs have meaningful access to effective relief in their local courts;

Joint liability rules that acknowledge the closeness of commercial and investment relationships in the global economy;

Substantive standards that promote the progressive upward harmonization of business practices affecting environmental and labor conditions, or respect for civil and political rights; and

Linking foreign assistance or trade preferences to the effective administration of justice, including effective protection not only for private corporations in commercial disputes but also for victims of business practices that violate national laws or international norms.

This Study Group helps to inform an article written by Elliot Schrage, the project director, that analyzes the growing role and significance of American courts as arbiters of corporate conduct such as human rights practices of multinational corporations. Schrage offers policy recommendations that balance concerns for national sovereignty, respect for international standards, and the benefits of global economic integration.