By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS | 25 October 2023 (IDN) — The European Finance Ministers recently revised the European list of tax havens. They added Antigua, Barbuda, Belize and Seychelles to the blacklist and removed the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Cayman Islands and the Marshall Islands. The list includes Russia, Panama, and other […]
Will World Bank Boss Be Allowed to Reform the Bank?
By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 22 October 2023. (IDN) — “Economic growth in much of the developing world is retreating,” warned World Bank’s new President Ajay Banga in his keynote speech at a meeting of the World Bank (WB) and IMF (International Monetary Fund) from 9 to 15 October in Marrakech. Pointing out that the world […]
India Refuses to Be Coerced into Dumping Its Independent Foreign Policy
By M K Bhadrakumar * NEW DELHI. 1 October 2023 (IDN) — The sombre mood at the Council on Foreign Affairs in New York during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s talk on 26 September was only to be expected against the backdrop of the India-Canada diplomatic spat over the killing of a Sikh secessionist in […]
Washington Supports International Law When It Serves US National Interests
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 26 September 2023 (IDN) — There is little doubt that Russia broke international law with its attempted take-over of Ukraine and, earlier, of Crimea. It is not only observers in the West who say this but a good number of Russians. Nevertheless, the Kremlin is right to say the West […]
The Global South Gains Strategic Impact After BRICS XV Summit
By P.I. Gomes *The writer is a former Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean & Pacific States (OACPS). PORT OF SPAIN, Tobago. 22 September 2023 (IDN) — When the XVth Summit of the BRICS—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—concluded with the Johannesburg II Declaration, it agreed that six new members would join the group […]
Caribbean Leaders Want Urgent Reform of the Global Financial Structure
By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad. 21 September 2023 (IDN) — In a resounding call to action, leaders in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have urged the international community to swiftly embark on comprehensive reforms of the global financial system to create a conducive environment that empowers developing nations to address inequities and achieve the […]
Development Goals Need a Rescue Plan, Warns UN Chief
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 20 September 2023 (IDN) — When the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the 193-member General Assembly back in 2015, they were hailed as a panacea for some of the world’s economic, social and environmental ills. The SDGs were aimed at eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, ensuring […]
UN Chief Wants $500 Billion Annual Development Fund, Financial Reforms
By Arul Louis* UNITED NATIONS. 18 September 2023 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday renewed his call for the reform of the “outdated, dysfunctional and unfair” World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and for a $500 billion stimulus fund for the world organisation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Speaking at the opening […]
India Steers G20 Towards Supporting Global South’s SDG Push
By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE. 13 September 2023 (IDN) — In a rare demonstration of consensus, Russia and the US welcomed the New Delhi Declaration of the G20 summit on 10 September that did not condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, they focused on the development challenges facing the global community. Russian Foreign Minister […]
Globalisation of Markets Without Globalisation of Peace
By Andrea Riccardi Professor Riccardi is a historian and founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio. The following are extensive excerpts from his remarks at the opening of the International Meeting for Peace, ‘THE AUDACITY OF PEACE’. BERLIN. 10 September 2023 (IDN) — It is of significance—for women and men of different religions, who fill their […]