African Politics and International Relations
Posted in Africa Notes, African Politics, International Law, International Organizations, IPE on Apr 25th, 2012
The WTO and Sustainable Development Lesotho Ambassador Mothae Maruping is the current chair of the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Development. ICTSD has a nice report of their recent meeting and its focus on sustainable development. One thought is how to integrate the WTO’s Aid for Trade program with the goal of developing a green [...]
Posted in Africa Notes, International Relations, IPE on Apr 25th, 2012
The BRICS have been very active in recent weeks. The significance of an alliance of Brazil, India, and China is not lost on many. But occasionally some have wondered whether Russia deserves to be in the group and South Africa’s entry last year raised a few eyebrows (and still does). The Summit Their summit in [...]
Posted in International Law, International Organizations, IPE, Noted on Jun 20th, 2011
The Doha Round still limps along. You know the WTO is in trouble when… … The Financial Times says negotiations are dead. In 2008 they argued that leaders should admit the talks are over. They haven’t really been optimistic since. … We start to argue that an assassination will save it. Jagdish Bhagwati, one of [...]
Posted in African Politics, Economic Development, IPE, Research Notes on Jun 13th, 2011
Oil Ghana has received a lot of attention over the past few years for the offshore oil finds. As the BBC reported earlier this year, Ghana’s economic growth rate is expected to double due to this find. Some of the most recent news on this: The debate as to whether Ghana will “escape” the oil [...]
Posted in African Politics, IPE, Noted on Apr 24th, 2011
My colleague here at Wesleyan, Masami Imai, recently pointed me to a new China White Paper (news video, full text). This is an important document for a number of reasons. First, the actual amount of Chinese foreign aid has been difficult to discern for researchers. This is due to a number of reasons, including: variations [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Organizations, International Relations, IPE, Noted on Aug 26th, 2010
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has been central to my research agenda for a long time now. I am currently in the process of completing a book manuscript that examines African participation and influence in global economic governance. I begin with the assumption that they have to work through coalitions, and then proceed to consider [...]
Posted in African Politics, International Organizations, International Relations, IPE, Noted on Apr 1st, 2009
The G20 has a lot of issues on its plate and at the top of the list, obviously, is the on-going financial crisis. I have already commented on the problems African countries face in getting their voices heard. On that point, Africa may have an ally in Pope Benedict who, recently returned from his Africa [...]
Posted in African Politics, IPE on Mar 23rd, 2009
Chris Blattman’s blog provides links to a useful debate: Should we give aid to governments or people? Easterly versus Barder. Both are worth checking out. Chris Blattman’s Blog: Should we give aid to governments or people?.
“IMF finally calls it – the world economy will shrink in 2009, and developing countries are hit harder than we thought Every revision of global growth predictions has been heading towards zero, and now the IMF, in its report to the G20 finance ministers’ meeting last weekend, has taken the next step. It predicts the [...]
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