Recently there have been two articles assessing the BRICS’ utility in global politics and international governance structures. 

The first published on Project Syndicate by Ana Palacia, former Spanish foreign minister, was entitled BRICS fallacy. The main focus of the argument is that the BRICS will not be able to provide global leadership simply because the US’s “enduring dominance” cannot be replaced by alternative power blocs. In recognising that the “international order is at a crossroads”, Ms Palacia stresses the importance of the US in the international system, which she hopes “would help to spur the US to rededicate itself to its international responsibilities” This is because “the BRICS remains  Read More

As the cock crows in the early hours of the morning, Address Makaya (39) knew it was time to leave the comfort of her blankets and get to work. Makaya, a farm labourer at the Zim-China Wanjing Agricultural Development Company, a joint venture of the Chinese and Zimbabwean Defence Forces (previously known as Agricultural Rural Development Authority [ARDA] Sisi Farm) had to rush to the fields and report for work. She and other farm workers were applying Temik in the tobacco fields that day.

As the morning turned into noon, Makaya started to feel dizzy and her body became weak; with sweating and blurred vision, she collapsed. She was rushed  Read More

At their annual summit in Russia in July this week, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) leaders will announce the world’s newest multilateral development bank – the New Development Bank (NDB), which will have US $100 billion as initial capital to fund infrastructure and sustainable development projects both in their own countries as well as elsewhere.

Obviously, the NDB should not become another World Bank which finances the same types of projects in the same countries, using the same tools and mindset. At the same time, its purpose should not simply be to symbolise emerging countries’ desire to show off their financial and political power. The reason for its  Read More

Unquestionably the most closely-fought in Nigeria’s turbulent history, Nigeria’s presidential elections on 28th March offer both promise and peril for Africa’s most populous country.

Let’s begin with the promise. Nigeria’s development potential is immense if it can harness the dividends of democracy and its demography. This is on show in these elections. About three quarters of Nigeria’s 170 million people are under-35 years old; half are under -18. The youthful demographic partly explain the passion in these forthcoming elections: many of the participants will be voting for the first time. Blissfully unconstrained by the troubles that have defined their country’s past, most of these young voters simply want a country  Read More

lobal Summitry is a new journal published by Oxford University Press in association with University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Rotman School of Management. The journal features articles on the organization and execution of global politics and policy. The first issue is slated to publish in summer 2015. We sat down with editors Alan Alexandroff and Don Brean to discuss the changing global summitry field and their plans for the journal’s digital scope, including audio podcasts, and videos.

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What new approaches will Global Summitry bring to its field?

Global Summitry is concerned with examining today’s international governance in all of its dimensions. The Journal,  Read More

One of China’s main extractive industries groups recently issued new guidelines on responsible business conduct, pointing the way to improvements in some of China’s most controversial overseas industries.

The government-affiliated China Chamber of Commerce for Minerals, Metals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters released a new framework document in October 2014 to regulate overseas mining investments and operations. It sets out guidelines for Chinese companies to improve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, and risk management systems covering environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

The Guidelines for Social Responsibility in Outbound Mining Investment are in line with a trend towards greater acknowledgement of corporate social responsibility in China’s foreign investment.

The annual meeting  Read More

There are reasons to think that Africa may be a place where prospects of Sino-European cooperation are promising. EU members – and above all France – continue to play an active role in crisis management in weak African states like Mali, Somalia, and the Central African Republic. China’s increasing investments on the continent have made it increasingly sensitive to African security issues, even if Western analysts argue that Beijing pays too little heed to human rights abuses and wars like the one in Darfur.

China’s increasing investments on the continent have made it increasingly sensitive to African security issues.

China has deployed a growing number of peacekeepers in UN missions across  Read More

Asian countries complement each other in terms of providing labour, technologies, different components needed in the manufacturing of products. Competitive and comparative advantages among Asian countries enable them to foster economic integration through trade and investments. Such approach enabled the shift from a more vertical economic model centred on economic monopoly to a more horizontal model with more diverse economic actors with more diverse economic interests and influence. It includes intra-regional trade and capital flows. However, greater regional trade has been possible with the reduction of tariffs between countries to enable movement of goods, labour and capital within Asia. What lessons on regional integration can Africa pick up from  Read More

Yesterday, the advocacy group ONE published its 2014 data report, in which it looks at international levels of official development assistance (ODA) and issues of financing development. For us, the report is a very valuable contribution to keeping track of ODA levels and driving the debate around future financing. For a second year in a row, the ONE Report also provides some very interesting insights into African domestic spending commitments.

In 2013 the EU and its Member States collectively invested €57 billion in ODA. This means we are back on a positive trend after two years of decreases caused by the economic and financial crisis. I am glad to  Read More

ANTI-AMERICANISM continues to blow across the globe. United States President Barack Obama has made little difference to the unnecessary war initiated by the George Bush-Tony Blair era. Instead of sending in troops, he has been solely responsible for using the ruthless and unethical drone warfare in Afghanistan and Pakistan and more recently in Iraq. The U.S.’ unrivalled military vigour, its corporations and popular culture merge into a “hyperpower” that influences indigenous cultures across the world.

Amitav Acharya, in his new book, The End of American World Order, examines the American experience and its worldwide impact through its far-reaching political and foreign policy, military action, cultural production and consumption,  Read More