The world promised progress at the Glasgow climate conference. Now it has to turn those promises into reality. A former senior UN official describes what to watch for in the coming year.
Influential international actors like the World Bank and the IMF should focus on expanding social protection rather than focusing on eliminating the informal economy.
If done effectively, the reallocation could help African countries deal with COVID-19, climate change and their many other economic and social challenges.
Zambia’s new president will have to balance austerity and the high expectations of the many unemployed young people and struggling people who voted for him.
The IMF’s injection of US$650 billion worth of Special Drawing Rights into the global economy opens a window for African countries to reform their relationship with the fund.
Low-income countries that sought to spend more on health care during the pandemic have been hit with ratings downgrades, while others avoided borrowing entirely.
Global economic policy excludes low-income countries from the spending options that developed nations use to buffer their economies in times of crisis, and the pandemic has inflamed that inequality.
The continued entrapment of African countries in the global circuit of capital and its proclivity to large scale accumulation imperils the ability of many to cope with the pandemic.
South Africa’s National Treasury now proposes to reduce salaries. On the face of it this seems sensible. But the fundamental issue is the structure of the public service.
The IMF wants government intervention on climate change. It’s now abundantly clear Australia’s climate policies are at odds with even the most conservative approach to economic management.