Languages
Sunday, August 16, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Trade and poverty: Facts beyond theory
GHANA: Pollution Forcing Farmers Into Illegal Mining?
Environmental groups have for several years accused mining companies in Ghana of destroying the environment. In a strange twist of events, it now seems that farmers have turned to illegal mining as a result of the devastation of the pollution caused by mining activities.MALAWI: ''Trade Capacity Is Worse Despite Preferential Access''
Malawians still await the details of the impending economic partnership agreement (EPA) which their government is entering into with the European Union (EU).TRADE: EU Stands to Increase Market Share in Africa With EPAs
While the real impact of the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) on the economies of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will be ‘‘small’’, the pace of negotiations and of the liberalisation of their markets is too fast and will damage their economies, according to numerous French economists and development experts.ECONOMY-TANZANIA: Not Enough Money or Not Enough Opportunities?
Almost a decade on, Tanzania’s tiny stock exchange is still working hard to convince sceptical businesses it is a cost-effective way to raise capital and expand.TRADE: ”Divide and Rule” Manoeuvre Planned for WTO Doha Round?
Process issues have once again risen to the fore in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as members brace themselves for the release of a new set of negotiating texts for agricultural and industrial tariff liberalisation at the end of this month or early February.TRADE: Namibia Happy With EPA Deal – For Now
Namibia held out longer than the majority of its counterparts in Southern Africa before signing the interim economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union, managing in the process to squeeze some concessions from Brussels after intense diplomatic efforts.HEALTH: After Successful U.S. Suits, Nigeria Takes on Big Tobacco
Cigarette packs sold in Nigeria carry a health warning: ‘‘The Federal Ministry of Health warns that cigarette smokers are liable to die young.’’ But, says the government, this warning has not stopped many Nigerian youngsters from smoking.TRADE-AFRICA: Doha Round Stuck on Issues of Development (Again)
African negotiators are concerned that their development concerns have been sidelined in the much vaunted Doha Development Round of negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Whether the round, which has missed previous deadlines, will be concluded this year or not depends on several issues.CHALLENGES 2007-2008: U.S. Election Fever May Delay Doha Talks
A busy negotiating schedule is lined up for this year at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The question remains whether negotiators will have to continue passing the time as the powers-that-be in Washington are consumed by pre-election politics, or if the technical solutions which they have been working on could, in fact, lead to a conclusion of the Doha Development Round.ECONOMY-AFRICA: Controversial Proposals Expected at WEF Gathering
The seemingly incongruous presence of Bono, a pop singer rarely spotted without his wraparound sunglasses amid the sombre suits of business and political leaders attending the World Economic Forum (WEF), should ensure that the question of how to end African poverty features prominently in media coverage of the January 23-27 event.TRADE: EPAs Signed ‘‘Under Duress’’, Says South Africa
African governments have signed economic partnership agreements with the European Union ‘‘under duress’’, according to Dr Rob Davies, South Africa’s deputy trade and industry minister.Q&A: ‘‘The EU Is a Bandit in Trade Negotiations’’
A lively debate has been taking place in Ghana for some time now over the likely effects that an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union would have on the country. This has been thanks in no small part to the work of Tetteh Hormeku, one of Africa’s most vocal campaigners on trade issues.CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Regional Integration in Tatters Due to EPAs
The spectre of regional fragmentation is haunting the negotiations on the finalisation of interim economic partnership agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. This is despite one of the stated goals of the EPAs being ‘‘regional integration’’.CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Different Kind of Battle for Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone’s economy has, over the years, relied heavily on the mining sector in general and diamonds in particular. However, between 1991 and 2000 the country was comprehensively destroyed in a brutal civil war that engulfed the West African state.
MALAWI: ”Foreign Traders Are Taking Our Jobs”
Foreigners working illegally as small-scale traders are increasingly being regarded as a threat to their local counterparts in Malawi. The outsiders are setting up businesses which, local Malawians believe, are displacing them.TRADE-GHANA: Cocoa Industry’s Future Looking Sweet
After almost a decade of poor cocoa production during the 1980s, the Ghanaian government is upbeat about the subsequent growth in output of the product which is the country’s main export, providing more than 60 percent of foreign earnings.TRADE-AFRICA: EU is Using ''Bully Tactics'' to Push Through EPAs
‘‘We succumbed,’’ lamented a diplomat from Namibia. ‘‘We signed on the 12th of December. The pressure was too much. The private sector felt that they would be disproportionately affected. In terms of markets, they would be losing access for beef, grapes, fish and fish products.’’TRADE-GHANA: ‘‘How Would Mandelson Know What’s Good For Us?’’
There is only one freezer in Ken’s Frozen Foods. Agnes Modenu, the manager of this tiny shop, lifts its lid and takes out transparent bags of frozen chicken parts. All of the meat has been delivered to a nearby harbour after being imported into Ghana, she says.ZIMBABWE: Investment Dwindles in the Face of A Defiant Government
Recent international reports show Zimbabwe’s economic decline hastened by continued capital flight, with the troubled country cited as one of the worst investment destinations in the world.ZIMBABWE: Illegal Trade Booming – For The Sake of Survival
Easily portable, consumable goods from Zimbabwe are increasingly finding their way into neighbouring countries as cross-border traders search for deals to earn much-needed foreign currency.TRADE-ZIMBABWE: EPAs ‘‘Bringing in Old Issues Through Back Door’’
With an economy tottering on the brink of collapse and an unenviable political situation, civil society organisations in Zimbabwe have every reason to worry about the implications of the interim agreement on trade in goods that their country has just signed as part of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).« 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.
The Week with IPS
NEXT STOP - SDGs
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
