In the United States as in Europe and other regions of the world, there's an increasing conviction- widely shared in the media, by political figures in major parties and by the public that "special interests" have come to dominate and distort the processes of government. The result, it is thought, is that few important issues are decided rationally and deliberately on their merits, and the people's work does not get done. AND THE AGENTS AND CONDUITS OF THIS NEFARIOUS INFLUENCE ARE SAID TO BE THE LOBBYISTS.

Government Affairs is an important strategic activity for companies to gain market access and to strengthen their position in any market by triggering new demand. When it is well designed and deployed, a Government Affairs plan becomes indispensable for anticipating strategic trends, building and maintaining a strong reputation, influencing public policy and finding common grounds with key stakeholders.

AALEP has signed a Memorandum of Understanding led by the Washington-based American League of Lobbyists for bringing together global ethical lobbying practices.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among signatory organizations representing professional lobbying advocates in various nations sets forth the mutual understandings and agreements among the signatories with regard to how they intend to work together to help strengthen and enhance the lobbying profession and the democratic process in their own countries and globally.

The 'Bringing Europeans Together Association' (BETA) has invited AALEP Chair, Mr. Christian D. de Fouloy as a guest speaker to their conference Model European Union 2012. BETA is a European politically independent, non-profit association that aims to inspire young people in order to promote intercultural exchanges and understanding and empathy across Europe and beyond. Model European Union is the flagship project of the Association.

On 26 April MEPs will vote on whether to open up their own law making procedure. The proposal is tabled in the Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO) by Mr. Andrew Duff, Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs, ALDE, President of Union of European Federalists. Mr. Andrew Duff's proposal aims at making all final legislative votes in committee subject to roll call with the result published in the minutes.

AALEP actively backs this reform!

Each year the U.S. based Ethisphere Institute makes a listing of the World's Most Ethical Companies. The evaluation process is based on such criteria as Ethics and Compliance Programmes; Reputation, Leadership and Innovation; Governance; Corporate Citizenship and Responsibility; and Culture of Ethics. There is no set number of companies that make the listing each year. Rather the World's Most Ethical Companies designation is awarded to those companies that have leading ethics and compliance programmes as they compare to their industry peers.

From 1929 to 1933,governments all over the world rushed to adopt self-destructive "beggar-thy-neighbour" policies, in a futile attempt to devalue each other's currencies and to reduce their imports in retaliation, forgetting that one country's imports are the other country's exports. The consequence was that the value of world trade contracted by two-thirds, going from $ 5.3 billion to $ 1.8 billion.

The idea according to which the EU should consider a 'Buy European Act' as a retaliation measure against the 'Buy American Act' recalls the protectionist policies that help to drag down the world's economy in the 1930s. The EU isn't going to find its way out of the recession by throwing walls up around particular industries or pursuing protectionist policies. 

Five Indian states have been going to the polls for the past couple of months (given the size of India, elections are conducted in stages). But the results were announced last Tuesday (6 March) and the impact has been immediate.

The elections were for the state assemblies, so the results should  technically not affect the composition of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. But the next general elections are due in 2014, and last Tuesday's results are an indication of how they will turn out.

Today is International Women's Day (8 March). It represents the struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men.

On this occasion AALEP is pleased to celebrate Women Lobbyists. Women have made great strides in recent years in lobbying and across the political and government board. As the ranks of women lawmakers have widened, more organizations have sought women lobbyists. Women lobbyists have some inherent strengths in this political game, because they are great mediators and facilitators. Indeed lobbying may be a more natural instinct for women.