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Sunday, June 14, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Trade and poverty: Facts beyond theory
HEALTH: “I Have Never Opposed Generics” – British Ex-Politician
Baroness Lynda Chalker, a former British government minister, has been at the forefront of the intellectual property rights crusade to pass laws against counterfeits in east Africa. These laws threaten the use of life-saving generics in countries that depend on such medicines for some 90 percent of their healthcare needs.WORLD: Inviting Africans to G8 Meeting “Is Just Window-Dressing”
Questions are being asked about whether the Group of Eight invitation to seven African states to attend its summit in Ontario, Canada, reflects its concern about the litany of unmet promises dating from its 2005 Gleneagles meeting -- or whether it merely amounts to another bout of window-dressing.
AFRICA: Cautionary Notes Sounded as South-South Trade Booms
An Indian textile engineer and entrepreneur called Raj Rajendran visited Rwanda in 1999. He was tasked to close down an unviable textile factory following the civil war. But he discovered propitious agro-climatic conditions, particularly volcanic soil -- ideal for the rearing of silk worms to produce raw silk.
AFRICA: “Help Small Fishers to Fish Less, Earn More”
Sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures are a headache for African fish exporters but aid for trade may help small-scale fisherpersons to meet these standards.
SOMALIA: Questions Abound about EU’s “Combating” of Piracy
Modern German justice had never handled a case of piracy until Jun 11, when 10 Somali seafarers, including children, were presented at a tribunal in the city port of Hamburg, some 300 km west from Berlin, on charges of robbing cargo in the Indian Ocean.KENYA: Pharmaceutical Companies Pushing Anti-Counterfeit Law
Much of the initiative behind the adoption of Kenya’s controversial anti-counterfeit law came from multinational pharmaceutical companies using their membership of a local manufacturers’ association to push the legislation.TRADE: “Cotton Dossier” Will Make or Break WTO’s Doha Round
The "cotton dossier" has become a litmus test for the "development dimension" of the languishing Doha Round trade negotiations, World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy admitted.TRADE: Resistance Persists Against Early Harvest in Doha Round
Although the issue of an early harvest for least developed countries (LDCs) has been raised time and again, there remains "a certain reluctance" to prioritise it in the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Round of trade talks, according to South African trade minister Dr Rob Davies.
AFRICA: Climate Change Assistance so Near and Yet so Far
Technology transfer and aid for trade could assist least developed countries (LDCs) suffering the effects of climate change. But negotiations in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are not helping to make this a reality, while aid for trade lands up at the wrong institutions, such as the World Bank.
ECONOMY: “G20 Meeting Should Address Plight of Poorest States”
The Group of 20 should show its concern about those that the global economic crisis "is leaving behind" by putting the plight of least developed countries on the agenda at its meeting later this month.JAMAICA: Communities Pay High Price for Soaring Crime Rates
This week's ongoing standoff in Jamaica, in which 73 people have been killed as police search for a wanted gang leader in the Tivoli Gardens neighbourhood of Kingston, is focusing renewed international attention on the island's seemingly intractable violent crime rate.
SOUTH AFRICA: Will Soccer World Cup Attract Human Traffickers?
A fierce debate has erupted over claims that the 2010 Soccer World Cup will fuel the trafficking of women from African and other countries to South Africa for sexual exploitation during the cup, which starts on Jun 11.AGRICULTURE: Africa Should Take Lessons from China — IFPRI
The model of agriculture applied by the People’s Republic of China during the last 30 years is an example that the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa should follow in their quest for development and growth and to eradicate poverty, according to agricultural experts.
Q&A: “Militarisation of Zimbabwe’s Diamond Fields Continues”
Almost a year after a review mission of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) found Zimbabwe guilty of "serious non-compliance" with the scheme’s minimum criteria on conflict diamonds, the militarisation of the southern African country’s diamond mining operations continues.
AFRICA: “EU Subsidises Companies Guilty of Illegal Fishing”
The European Union has for years been paying subsidies to the tune of one billion euro annually to industrial fishing companies based in its member states, including companies that have been caught fishing illegally in African waters.
EAST AFRICA: Global Players Behind Anti-Counterfeit Law Campaign
The international push behind Kenya’s controversial Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 dates back as far as October 2006 when the World Customs Organisation held its first intellectual property rights (IPRs) seminar in Kampala, the capital of neighbouring Uganda, focusing on East African governments’ enforcement of these rights.
Q&A: Can Democracy Survive the “Oil Curse” in Africa?
Africa’s economic boom, driven by oil, has undermined the idea that democracy is a prerequisite for economic development on the continent.
WORLD: “Poor Countries Should Have a Seat at G20 Table”
The global economic crisis highlighted the necessity of transforming global economic governance. But least developed countries (LDCs) have little voice in this process. It is time they are allowed a seat at the meetings of the Group of 20 industrialised and emerging economies.
MALAWI: “Commotion About Anti-Counterfeit Bill Is Unnecessary”
The Malawian government intends to pass a new bill against counterfeit goods by October which will also cover medicines. This step is being taken despite fears that such a law may cause more stock-outs in a country that is already riddled with drug shortages in medical facilities.
ECONOMY: Africa Has Less Say After Changes in World Bank Voting
The World Bank has described its recent increase of 3.13 percent in the voting power of emerging economies as a reform "to enhance voice and participation of developing and transition countries". But the shift has actually decreased a third of African countries’ share of votes.
WORLD: North Should Pay South Reparations for Climate Change
The North should pay reparations to the South for the effects of climate change.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Trade has historically been a geopolitical tool, creating significant economic imbalances in developing countries. However, many countries in East Asia and Latin America have been able to alleviate poverty due to increasing trade. Tackling poverty has proven to be much harder in low income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, and their dismal trade performance is one important reason for that. They remain at the margins of world trade and indeed of the world economy. These articles are aimed at informing readers about the complexities of trade and its varying effects on development, with a special focus on the consequences of the global economic crisis, the potential of fair trade and the gender implications of trade policies.
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