The world is experiencing an important number of countries which are qualified as failed, failing or fragile States. One of the characteristics of poor countries lies in both the unhealthy governance provided by whatever is qualified as State and a lack of productive structure.
Documents in English
Is ACP economic sovereignty just “virtual reality”?
The OECD-led proposal for a Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) has run into difficulties because of disagreements among some of the key negotiating parties. The author of this article, who is responsible for special programmes at the Vienna-based United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), offers a sharp critique of the proposals (in their present form) from a developing country perspective.
Linking Migration and Microfinance
The Global Forum on Migration and Development: Progressing from Brussels 2007 to Manila 2008 –Addressing a Millennium Challenge Vienna International Center, Vienna, Austria,
China-Africa: a win-win strategy
I refer to the China-Africa Tie the knot (African Business, December 2006 issue). China’s President Hu Jintao’s visit to 10 African countries last month has inspired me to write to you to offer some views on this ‘new’ relationship
After G8 Gleneagles Summit : The Rhetoric of Commitments for Africa
The G 8 Gleneagles Summit (7-8 July 2005 in Scotland) was preceded by an unprecedented worldwide hope that leaders of the G 8 rich countries will deliver more than hope. Expectations from the international civil society and from African populations were just too high. Cancellation of the reported $ US 218,4 millions of the total debt stocks of sub-Saharan African countries did not occur even if according to the 2005 Development index, poverty reduction is not just about flows of mone
Africans speak out ahead of G8, calling for “trade not aid”
The world media has been obsessively focused on the upcoming G8 conference at Gleneagles. But despite the lack of reporting of African opinion on the issue of poverty, Africans are helping themselves, as Deborah Gabriel reports.
Should European taxpayers support Togo’s parody of election?
It is amazing to see the emerging frontiers of Democracy in Africa. Togo experienced the first “Coup d’Etat” in 1963 with the enigmatic murdering of the first elected President of Togo Sylvanus Olympio in the garden of the American Embassy. After 38 years of dictatorship led by the late Eyadéma Gnassingbé who officially died on February 5th 2005, Togo is now experiencing the leadership of Faure Gnassingbé, one of the sons. The presidential election on the 24 of April 2005 was heavily contested by a coalition of six political parties headed by a common candidate, Bob Emmanuel Akitani. The son of the first President of Togo, Gilchrist Olympio was prevented from running a constitution revisited many times to accommodate the army and those in power.
Leveraging the Africa Diaspora
Leveraging the Africa Diaspora, London Business School, Africa Club, Friday 22ndApril 2005
CREATING EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REMITTANCES
Marshall Plan for Africa: produce now, pay later
The launch of the report of the Commission for Africa (CfA) entitled “Our Common Interest” at the British Museum in London last month revealed that the CfA appears to be primarily concerned with injecting more equality in the manner that the West conducts business with Africa.
COMMISSION FOR AFRICA : Produce now, Pay later : Towards a real Marshall Plan for Africa
While attending the launching of the report of the Commission for Africa (CfA) titled “our common interest” in the impressive building of the British Museum in London on the 11th March 2005, I felt that something historical is taking place here with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in the driving seats. One should be clear. The report is on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). North Africa is not eligible.
Global Value Chains and Production Networks : Promoting Capability formation in South Africa
This paper is an attempt to “operationalize” suggested UNIDO policy instruments to benchmark countries’ competitive industrial performance, taking South Africa as an example. It draws from the experience of the African Productive Capacity Initiative adopted by the African Ministers of Industry. The Initiative would become the national pillars of the respective sub-regional and national programmes in Africa on productive capacity and should help to identify the comparative advantages of regions, countries, products in Africa, using the global and local value chains approach as well as South-South Cooperation. Competition, innovation and productivity growth should take into consideration objectives such as the reduction of poverty contained in the Millennium Development Goals and social cohesion.
The poor’s fragmented network : Setting up a decentralised cohesion fund
The fragmentation of communication infrastructures in Africa – for example the railways – has left the continent with a largely incomplete network of interconnections. This makes it virtually impossible to achieve the objective of space integration. Fragmented networks were implemented as means to control trade and ensure the export of raw materials leading to today’s extraverted economy. This intangible communication infrastructure needs to be properly interlinked, especially in rural areas, but has never really received adequate funding.
A future charter of interdependence?
Since its signature in 1975, the Lomé Convention has been seen by many as a unique and successful model of cooperation between ACP states and the European Union. Since the end of 1996, three years before the fourth Lomé Convention expires on 29 February 2000, a wideranging debate has been taking place on what could be a future charter of interdependence between groups of partners who have not yet been clearly identified.