Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn* KATHMANDU (IDN) — In December 2020, Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, former president of the Dominican Republic and President of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo, presented his vision about “The global and regional challenges of the 4.0 world,” where he highlighted the need to facilitate access to technology […]
More Women Researchers in Developing Nations Than in the Rich
By Jaya Ramachandran PARIS (IDN) — While women make up 33.3% of researchers in the global average, in South and Southeast Asia, several countries are achieving gender parity, according to data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics for 107 countries covering the years 2015–2018. This is the case for Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand, for instance. […]
Why Cybersecurity for Small Businesses is More Necessary Now Than Ever Before
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – Nearly one-fifth of small businesses experienced either a hack, virus or data breach in 2019, according to data from B2B site The Manifest. While this proves that small businesses are indeed vulnerable to cyber attacks, it also serves as a warning to others that makes proper […]
UNIDO Conference to Boost UAE as a Global Hub for the 4th Industrial Revolution
By Nour Salman, Emirates News Agency (WAM) ABU DHABI (IDN-INPS) – The UAE capital is set to host the 18th General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, with the participation of 800 ministers, officials and representatives from 170 member states, revealed Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and […]
3D Printing Ushers in A New Era With Industry 4.0
By J W Jackie RENO, Nevada, USA (IDN) – 3D printing is a mode for construction that is continuing to break out and pervade through numerous industries. Forbes reported that in 2019 80 percent of enterprises claim 3D printing is allowing them to innovate faster, reducing costs for production and allowing for greater flexibility of […]
Africans Vow to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization
Analysis by Jeffrey Moyo
HARARE (IDN) – The third Pan African Capacity Development Forum organized by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), in partnership with the organisation’s Pan-African and international partners, has vowed to boost industry together with infrastructure, in order to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation in line with the ninth goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As such, the organisation says it has invested more than $1 billion, building institutions in 45 countries on the African continent and supporting regional economic communities as well as continental organisations.
The SDGs were built on the eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015, dubbed the Millennium Development Goals.
Growing Doubts About ‘Free Trade’ in the United States
Analysis by Martin Khor*
GENEVA (IDN | SOUTHVIEWS) – “Free trade” seems to be in deep trouble in the United States, with serious implications for the rest of the world. Opposition to free trade or trade agreements emerged as a big theme among the leading American presidential candidates.
Donald Trump attacked cheap imports especially from China and threatened to raise tariffs. Hillary Clinton criticised the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) which she once championed, and Bernie Sanders’ opposition to free trade agreements (FTAs) helped him win in many states before the New York primary.
That trade became such a hot topic in the campaigns reflects a strong anti-free trade sentiment on the ground. Almost six million jobs were lost in the U.S. manufacturing sector from 1999 to 2011.
Wages have remained stagnant while the incomes of the top one per cent of Americans have shot up. Rightly or wrongly, many Americans blame these problems on U.S. trade policy and FTAs.