Introduction

Too often it seems that the realm of international conferences and declarations, which set targets to reduce poverty and hunger dramatically, agree to abolish all forms of discrimination against women, or slash greenhouse gas emissions, is far from reality. For the European Union (EU), as well, its promises to try to give every citizen a clean and healthy environment, or to build a partnership with developing countries based on complete equality and mutual respect seem to inhabit the same realm of fantasy. In fact, as former UK minister for overseas development Lynda Chalker observed, what is important for developing countries is not the policies made in Brussels, but their implementation on the ground. ¹