50 years of Development Planning in Africa: Retrospect and Prospects
By Carlos Lopes
A new era of development planning is emerging in Africa, says the new head of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, in this wide-ranging review. He gave this opening speech at the 50th anniversary conference of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP).
Africa Has Entered A New Season of Planning and Long-Term Development Thinking
By Adebayo Olukoshi
This article, originally a background note for the “IDEP at 50” Conference, traces the history of economic planning in Africa and concludes that there is now a “new season” of planning and long-term development thinking in the region. This analysis is by the Director of the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP).
SDGs: Poverty Eradication
This is a brief paper on conceptual aspects of poverty eradication as an issue for the SDGs.
In line with our overall approach to the SDGs, the issue of poverty eradication should have goals and targets for countries but also for the international dimension, which includes the Global Partnership for Development (that involves policies relating to global macro-economics, debt, trade, finance, and access to technology) and the means of implementation (i.e. finance and technology for developing countries).
Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development
By Yılmaz Akyüz
The United Nations’ Post-2015 Development Agenda should not simply extend MDGs, or reformulate the goals, but focus instead on global systemic reforms to remove main impediments to development and secure an accommodating international environment for sustainable development. This is a big, ambitious agenda which cannot be acted on overnight. An action plan for systemic reforms could be supplemented, but not substituted, by specific goals in some areas of economic and social development. This paper was presented to a brainstorming workshop of the G77 and China held in the UN in New York in February.
Waving Or Drowning: Developing Countries After The Financial Crisis
Not only has the “Great Recession” led to a “Great Slowdown” in developing countries, but also their longer-term growth prospects are clouded by global structural imbalances and fragilities that culminated in the current crisis. (more…)
BRICS Bank: Doing development differently?
By Bunn Nagara
A prospective new financial architecture being set up by the BRICS countries promises to reform and improve development finance for the world.
The First BRICS towards a South Bank?
By Devaki Jain
A member of the South Commission (1987-1990) reflects on the moves by the recent Summit of the BRICS to establish a BRICS development bank – an idea that the Commission had promoted.
Financial crisis deepens: will the lessons be learnt?
By Martin Khor
This time it is Cyprus’ turn to face bitter financial crisis as bank depositors get hit and capital controls are imposed. Will the lessons about these crises ever be learnt?
The Age of Austerity: A Review of Public Expenditures and Adjustment Measures in 181 Countries.
This paper: (i) examines the latest IMF government spending projections for 181 countries by comparing the four distinct periods of 2005-07 (pre-crisis), 2008-09 (crisis phase I: fiscal expansion), 2010-12 (crisis phase II: onset of fiscal contraction) and 2013-15 (crisis phase III: intensification of fiscal contraction); (ii) reviews 314 IMF country reports in 174 countries to identify the main adjustment measures considered in high-income and developing countries; (iv) discusses the threats of austerity to development goals and social progress; and (v) calls for urgent action by governments to adopt alternative and equitable policies for socio-economic recovery. (more…)
Why Chavez’s legacy will live on
By Martin Khor
The death of Hugo Chavez last week sparked an outpouring of grief in Venezuela and South America, but his legacy will live on in his policies and South-South initiatives.
Poor countries hit by US spending cuts
By Martin Khor
The government spending cuts in the United States as the President and Congress fails to reach a deal will also affect poor developing countries as the aid budget especially for food and medicines is reduced.
Growth in the South: Resilience, Decoupling, Recoupling
By Yilmaz Akyuz
Rapid acceleration of growth in developing countries (DCs) and the widening of their growth gap with advanced economies (AEs) before the outbreak of the global financial crisis were widely interpreted as decoupling of the South from the North. In the early days of the crisis, there were also widespread expectations that growth in the South would be little affected by the difficulties facing AEs. In fact, DCs slowed considerably in 2009 as a result of contraction of exports to AEs and financial contagion. However, they recovered rapidly, with growth rates in 2010-11 matching or exceeding the levels seen before the crisis, while recovery in the US has remained weak and erratic, and Europe has gone into a second dip. This has again revived the decoupling thesis, notwithstanding the sharp slowdown in many major DCs over the course of the current year.
