As the WTO goes to Bali, it simply cannot be business as usual
Three years ago this author reflected on how the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ought to adapt and evolve in order to stay relevant. The focus was on the changes the multilateral trading system has faced over the years from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to the WTO we know today.
Balancing Development and Coastal Conservation: Mangroves in Mozambique
Despite their well-researched and widely recognised socioeconomic and ecological value, mangroves are among the world’s most threatened vegetation types.
Recommendations for new SADC Executive Secretary
At the 33rd Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held in Malawi in August Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax of Tanzania was appointed as the new Executive Secretary. SAIIA would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Tax on her new role in the region. Dr Tax inherits an organisation with a chequered past and a challenging future.
The Kimberley Process after South Africa: into uncharted territory
Contrary to the urgent calls for the reform of the Kimberley Process (KP), its year-end plenary took place in Johannesburg from 19 to 22 November 2013 without a breakthrough on the pressing reform questions. The outgoing chair, South Africa, will now handover to China in early 2014, with Angola in line to take the helm in 2015. Neither successor is likely to push hard on the reform front, underlying the extent to which South Africa’s own tenure had been a missed opportunity.
Policy Reform of SA’s Small-Scale Fisheries Sector: an Upstream Battle
World Fisheries Day, celebrated each year on 21 November 2013, comes at a time when the South African Parliament is considering legislation that many feel will finally give small-scale fisheries a rightful stake in the country’s marine resources.
China–South Sudan: Governance in Emerging Relations
Away from news headlines about oil, conflict and political instability, China has been developing a more involved engagement with the government of South Sudan and its ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Brazil
The preparations for the 2012 G-20 Leaders’ Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, coincided with negotiations around the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20), co-ordinated by Brazil.
The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for China
Greening economic development has become the consensus in China, although nobody is satisfied with the current situation.
The G-20 and Financial Regulation in Africa
In light of the recent global financial and economic crisis, financial stability is an overarching goal for the world economy.
Brazil’s Maritime Strategy in the South Atlantic: The Nexus Between Security and Resources
The recent discovery of significant deposits of oil and gas in the pre-salt layers off the Brazilian coast has triggered new interests and concerns within the South Atlantic geopolitical space.