New development goals on health need more work to be realistic
The next chapter of the global development agenda – the Sustainable Development Goals – will shift the global focus and debate around health systems.
China–Africa Co-operation: Capacity Building and Social Responsibility of Investments
The increasingly visible Chinese economic presence in Africa has led to analyses that run the gamut from highly laudatory, ie, considering Chinese investments as a contribution to African development, to strongly critical, ie, considering them as exploitative.
Shifting Security Challenges in the China–Africa Relationship
China’s involvement in African security has deepened in recent years, with growing multilateral engagements with the AU and the UN.
WTO 2.0: Will the WTO be able to reinstate its centrality in the global trading landscape in the 21st century?
That the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been in the grip of a systemic crisis since 2008 is well known. Notwithstanding relatively minor successes at the Bali Ministerial in December 2013, the WTO’s negotiating function remains effectively stalled. The Nairobi Ministerial, set to take place in December 2015, is not likely to yield systemic solutions, notably to break the Doha Round impasse.
The United Nations at 70: South Africa’s role in global peace and security
Today, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will convene for the 70th time since its inception in 1945, at the UN headquarters in New York. UNGA takes place every year and is one of the few times during which heads of state from all over the world attend to discuss matters of global import.
Cancelled APRM Summit Sends Distressing Signals
The sudden cancellation of an Extraordinary Summit on the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) raises serious concerns about the future of this important home-grown African governance and accountability tool. Nairobi was scheduled to host the APRM Forum of Heads of State and Government on 10-11 September 2015.
Next Time Better? Conducting the APRM’s ‘Second-Generation’ Reviews
Reviews conducted under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) are intended to occur at regular intervals, helping countries conduct an ongoing assessment of their governance.
Mining licence controversies continue to jeopardise industry
In the midst of a global commodity price bust and a rapid Chinese economic slowdown, South African mining companies are struggling to keep shafts operational. Exacerbating this difficulty is a generally strained relationship between mining firms and the government over mineral rights.
Glimpses of the ‘magnificent land’: Exploring parts of China with delegates from Africa
For the outside visitor, whether first-timer or a more regular one, urban China repeatedly produces the same effect: surprise, then fascination, often followed by disbelief. From sizeable motorways packed with bumper-to-bumper traffic, to cranes populating the skyline with innumerable iterations of high-rise buildings, its cities are a direct reflection of China’s rapid (and on-going) development path.
Fossil Fuels are Dead, Long Live Fossil Fuels: Botswana’s options for economic diversification
Botswana is at a critical historical juncture. It has enjoyed a stable democracy since 1965 and strong, quality economic growth for the last few decades. However, the diamond revenues on which the country depends are likely to decline in the near future. Economic diversification is therefore a pressing policy concern.