Think-Tanks

The Global South Is Swamped in Debt Pandemic

Viewpoint by Daniel Munevar *

Covid-19 is not the only pandemic ravaging across the Global South. A debt pandemic threatens to prevent developing countries' recovery, writes Daniel Munevar, an eminent debt justice advisor. This article was originally published in the Journal of International Politics and Society issued by the German Friedrich-Ebert Foundation's Brussels office.

BRUSSELS (IDN) — Without a doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic represents the most severe developmental setback in recent history. But while the virus is still ravaging across the Global South, it's not the only pandemic currently engulfing developing countries. In fact, a debt pandemic threatens to prevent them from achieving a meaningful—let alone sustainable—recovery.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 17 April 2021

Photo: Sudanese protestors gather in front of government buildings in Khartoum to celebrate the final signing of the Draft Constitutional Declaration between military and civil representatives in August 2019. VOA-Public Domain.

Two Years On, Sudan's Political Transition Remains Extremely Volatile

By Philipp Jahn and Gerrit Kurtz*

This article was first published in the Journal of the International Politics and Society, issued by the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Brussels office.

KHARTOUM (IDN) — April 11, 2019 was a day of great emotion in Khartoum. At noon, the then-Vice President Ibn Auf announced the arrest of President Omar al-Bashir. The residents of Khartoum celebrated the end of his 30-year rule by holding a sit-in in front of the military headquarters. In the evening, however, the mood shifted when the putschist military council announced two years of military rule.

: Europe Editor; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 10 April 2021

Photo: Waiting in line for vaccine. Credit: Raphael Alves/IMF Photos

The Global Pandemic Is Intensifying and Widening Inequality

By David Amaglobeli, Vitor Gaspar, and Paolo Mauro*

This article was first published on April 1 with the title Giving Everyone a Fair Shot. It is also available in عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | IMF Blog) — The COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying the vicious circle of inequality. To break this pattern and give everyone a fair shot at prosperity, governments need to improve access to basic public services—such as health care (including vaccination) and education—and strengthen redistributive policies.

For most countries, this would require raising additional revenue and improving the efficiency of spending. These reforms must be complemented by greater transparency and accountability, which can help increase overall trust in government and contribute to more cohesive societies.

: J C Suresh; SUSTAINABILITY; Health & Well Being; 04 April 2021

Photo credit: China Global Television Network, or CGTN.

Internal Conflict Over Carbon Neutral China by 2060

Viewpoint by Alexander Kallweit

Last year, President Xi Jinping announced ambitious climate targets. But China's reluctant state apparatus struggles to reconcile high growth and climate policy, writes Dr Alexander Kallweit, who heads the office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Beijing. Previously, he led the foundation's International Dialogue Department in Berlin. This article first appeared in the International Politics & Society Journal.

: Opinion Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 30 March 2021

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Leads A New Era for the WTO

Viewpoint by Yvonne Bartmann*

This article first appeared on International Politics and Society, an e-Journal published by Germany's Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung's office in Brussels.

GENEVA (IDN) — When problems proliferate, expectations tend to be high. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing many problems, indeed a whole raft of them. Accordingly, there’s a lot of pressure on its new Nigerian Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Not just because of the state of the WTO, but also because she’s its first female and first African leader. So it's on Okonjo-Iweala now to fix the WTO's many problems.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 02 March 2021

Photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump attends 'Namaste Trump' event in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Streamed live on 24 Feb 2020. Credit: Prime Minister's Office.

US and India: The Nexus Between Identity Politics and Economic Achievements

Viewpoint by Chandra Muzaffar

This article is being reproduced from the Website of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) presided over by Dr Chandra Muzaffar.

KUALA LUMPUR (IDN) – According to official estimates, Donald J. Trump obtained a little more than 74 million votes in the November 2020 presidential election losing to Joseph Biden who secured a little more than 81 million votes. Biden won by a comfortable margin, but Trump also performed remarkably well. What explains his performance? Analysis of his performance may reveal the growing influence of a certain combination of forces that may shape elections in not only the United States but also in other parts of the world in the coming years.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; OPINION; 13 February 2021

The Political Significance of the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty

Viewpoint by Thomas Hajnoczi

The writer is the outgoing Director of Arms Control at the Austrian Foreign Ministry. He negotiated the TPNW*

VIENNA (IDN) – With its entry into force on January 22 the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will become binding international law for the growing number of State Parties, for the moment 51 countries. Moreover, it is also having an effect on those states that do not intend to join it.

The nuclear-weapon states themselves testify to the TPNW's effectiveness by their campaign against it. They could have ignored it instead of pressuring countries not to sign and ratify.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 20 January 2021

Photo: Drivers of the colourful and traditional 'jeepneys' have been among the hardest-hit populations in the Philippines. Credit: Dan Olanday.

COVID-19 Worsens Human Rights Situation in Southeast Asia

Viewpoint by Champa Patel*

LONDON (IDN) – Southeast Asia already had a poor human rights record before the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite ASEAN’s rhetoric on democratic values and human rights, illiberal democracies have been on the rise, putting fundamental freedoms in the region under pressure. Most countries across the region continue to criminalise dissent using draconian often colonial-era laws, or new repressive legislation. COVID-19 has intensified these trends.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; COVID-19; 27 December 2020

Situation Report EEPA HORN OF AFRICA No. 15

Europe External Programme with Africa is a Belgium-based Centre of Expertise with in-depth knowledge, publications, and networks, specialised in issues of peacebuilding, refugee protection and resilience in the Horn of Africa. EEPA has published extensively on issues related to movement and/or human trafficking of refugees in the Horn of Africa and on the Central Mediterranean Route.