July 27, 2021

Can we afford to ignore migration post-2021?

Posted: 10:00 AM UTC

by Anna Knoll on July 27, 2021

++ SERIES: BUILDING THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK++ Policy debates in international development frequently forget to acknowledge that the actions of individual citizens are often as least as important as the large development interventions. In Haiti, benefits from remittances sent home by migrants equal nearly 20% of GDP – more than twice the earnings from the country’s exports. Similarly, the reduction of income poverty in Nepal from 42% to 26% in 15 years was not mainly due to foreign direct investments, nor due to Official Development Assistance, but rather due to outward labour migration and remittances. ...

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July 20, 2012

Could Dlamini-Zuma’s election revive EU-Africa relations?

Posted: 14:03 PM UTC

by Geert Laporte on July 20, 2012

African leaders from more than 50 countries met on 15 and 16 July for the African Union summit at the impressive Chinese-funded AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Boosting intra-African trade was the key theme of the summit, but the election of the AU Commission (AUC) Chairperson and its new top officials dominated the largest part of the meeting. Benin’s President Yayi Boni, currently holding the rotating presidency of the African Union, had the firm intention to break the stalemate that has been dragging on since January when AU member states could not reach agreement over ...

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July 19, 2012

Partnership, not parenthood as a basis for Europe’s relations with a new Egypt

Posted: 17:43 PM UTC

by Anthony Zielicki on July 19, 2012

++ GUEST CONTRIBUTION ++ As EU High Representative Catherine Ashton visits Cairo this week, both Europe and Egypt will think about how they can mould a new relationship. With a newly elected Egyptian President the EU must in turn create a new framework for cooperation with the country. The last thing that Egyptians want is to be told what to do by the EU.  As the Arab world’s most populous state stumbles on its path towards democracy and Europe itself struggles economically, can the EU really establish a new and mutually beneficial relationship with a ...

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July 5, 2012

EU negotiates future development funding: where will the money go?

Posted: 15:58 PM UTC

by Ulrika Kilnes on July 5, 2012

For those concerned with development and Africa, the three big questions during the EU budget negotiations are: “how much money is going to be available?”, “what is it going to be for?” and “which countries are going to get it?”. One year has passed since the EU institutions started the cycle of negotiations for its next multiannual financial framework (MFF) covering the period 2014-2020. A key round of talks took place last week. Negotiations between Member States’ ministers are mostly centred on the “big ticket items” of spending inside the EU – Cohesion Policy and ...

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June 29, 2012

Development: Between a rock and a hard place?

Posted: 13:55 PM UTC

by Paul Engel on June 29, 2012

This article was published in ECDPM’s Annual Report 2011. It seems fair to expect that 2011 will come to be seen as the year in which the contours of a new global consensus on development emerged. The traditional focus on aid alone was replaced by a more comprehensive view of international cooperation aimed at achieving solutions to national and global challenges. The best option for fast and safe international payment is cryptocurrencies. It helps international traders to ease their payment processes. Cryptocurrencies are used in online casinos too. Visit https://kryptoszene.de/bitcoin-casino-vergleich/ to find the best bitcoin casinos. It was also the year that South-South cooperation arose as a potential standard for good practice in development cooperation. Above all, it was the year in which Africa, with the Tunis Consensus on Development ...

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June 22, 2012

Southern Mediterranean NGOs and the quest for a new social contract in the region

Posted: 12:11 PM UTC

by Nicola Tissi on June 22, 2012

Few would question the importance of civil society’s role in the events of the Arab Spring, especially in Tunisia and Egypt. Non-state actors were a catalyst for change, particularly as they were vocal in calling for more democratic participation, for government accountability and for a legal framework ensuring the respect of human rights. However, now that transitions away from authoritarian rule have been set in motion (to different degrees), in many instances Arab civil society faces the difficult task to put forward a new, enduring, development agenda. This is all but an easy quest, and ...

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June 21, 2012

Private sector & development: can we blend great expectations with a willingness to fail?

Posted: 18:10 PM UTC

by Bruce Byiers on June 21, 2012

“Getting more bang for the development Euro” is not usually how we talk about “enhancing aid effectiveness”, but this was the title of a session from a recent Friends of Europe roundtable.  While involving the private sector more closely in development might therefore bring new jargon as well as additional finance, the discussion highlighted two other important issues: the high expectations that donors and the private sector have from one another, as well as the need for donors to manage potential failure and to improve their adaptability… Temper expectations Private sector representatives at the roundtable ...

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June 15, 2012

Private sector for development is the “new black”

Posted: 15:05 PM UTC

by Bruce Byiers on June 15, 2012

Promoting private sector development in poor countries and engaging with firms for achieving development ends is very much in fashion. In development circles, round tables and events discussing public-private partnerships are springing up more and more. Recently, a participant at one of these asked, “How much of this is actually new?” But further, what would have to happen to make any new engagement with the private sector more widely acceptable and effective? The private sector has always had a key role in development through providing jobs and incomes. It has also  “engaged” with governments through ...

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June 15, 2012

EU support to regional integration: between cuts and ‘unfailing’ commitment

Posted: 14:13 PM UTC

by Kathleen van Hove on June 15, 2012

Despite being hit by the current economic and financial crisis, Europe remains a strong advocate and keen supporter of deep regional integration, at home and abroad. In Africa, the arguments for fostering integration are manifold; from building larger markets that can attract Foreign Direct Investments, achieving economies of scale, enhancing competitiveness, to fundamental security considerations. Today there are a host of ambitious integration arrangements among African states, many of them overlapping in space and scope. However the track record is quite disappointing for a variety of reasons. What could the EU do to improve this ...

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June 8, 2012

A new conflict-free standard can build confidence in gold

Posted: 14:56 PM UTC

by Terry Heymann on June 8, 2012

++ GUEST CONTRIBUTION ++ Mining is a driver of development but despite its capacity to create wealth and alleviate poverty, it can also be a potential source of finance for armed conflicts in certain high-risk and fragile areas. A number of multilateral initiatives are under way to address this issue and to reduce the risks. The World Gold Council is pioneering in developing a “conflict free gold standard”, and ECDPM will hold a consultation to gather inputs from various stakeholders before the World Gold Council finalises the standard. In a guest contribution Terry Heymann, Director, ...

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