Archive
US-China Phase One Trade Deal: Challenges for Trade Expansion
After a year since the United States and China signed the phase one trade deal agreement, it is evident there are several systemic challenges to its full implementation. China’s decentralized governance, limitations in the deal’s dispute resolution mechanism, and failure to address structural issues in the bilateral economic relationship limit the prospects of reaching phase one goals of trade expansion. The consequent market distortions may negatively impact international trading partners, whereas China’s search for alternatives to US imports will hinder progress in subsequent negotiations.
Russia and the Arctic Council in 2021: a New Security Dilemma
Coming May, Russia will assume chairmanship of the Arctic Council until 2023. In a region so strategically significant, the challenge for Russia lies with rhyming its military build-up in the arctic with the cooperative nature of the council, whilst not letting the council jeopardize its freedom of movement in any way.
China in Mali and the Sudan: A Stepping Stone to Greater Chinese Influence in the UN?
China is pushing to become a bigger player in UN peacekeeping. Past involvements in conflicts in Mali and Sudan have shown that China is capable and willing to involve its own troops in UN missions. The decreased presence of other major contributors has allowed China to gain more influence within the UN. It is likely that China will capitalise on this, but at what cost?
Implications of the Moldova’s New Pro-Western Leadership
Moldova, an Eastern European post-soviet state stagnated by an internal frozen conflict, has had its aspirations towards greater cooperation with Europe and the West often challenged by its own old pro-Russian political elite. However, Maya Sandu’s election as President in late in 2020 marks a major shift in the state, just a year after she was ousted as Prime Minister by the PSRM (Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova) party over the appointment of a General Prosecutor.
The Energy Charter Treaty: a Threat to the European Union’s Climate Ambition
The 1994 International Treaty protects investors in the energy sector from States’ policy changes. This firmly blocks the EU’s available spending towards its long term goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Recovery from Covid-19 in Eastern Partnership Countries Faces Political Hurdles
With the support of the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced in December a scaling up of its financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. However, potential for economic recovery from the pandemic in the region is undermined by EU marginalisation of issues in corruption and Russian subversion capabilities. It is unlikely that sustainable private-sector growth will be realised until the EBRD fiscal approach is complemented with a strategy to address these political challenges.
Mali’s “Fresh Start” is Becoming a Pipe Dream as Colonel Malick Diaw is Elected Head of Interim Legislature
The Malian coup d’état, that came to fruition on the 18th August last year, was motivated by a need to end the corruption and bad governance that had brought the country to standstill and to address the instability that continues in the north of the country. In the aftermath, the Comité Nationale pour le Salut de Peuple (CNSP) followed through, conducting consultations with key stakeholders to develop its charter for transition. It vowed to return the country to civilian leadership within a “reasonable timeframe”. Nevertheless, as the CNSP has become comfortable in its position of power, cracks are beginning to show. Army personnel dominate the interim government and even with ECOWAS bearing down, the hope of a more transparent and democratic government is beginning to dissipate.
Middle East – The resurgence of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq
Islamic State (IS) rarely makes the mainstream media headlines these days. After losing the last of their territory during the Battle of Baghuz Fawqani in early 2019, the “caliphate was declared “defeated”. However, 2020 saw a significant growth in IS attacks in their traditional heartlands of Syria and Iraq, as well as a growing presence in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and across large parts of the African continent continent. Despite the loss of territory, the ideology of ISIS was not defeated, and although it’s difficult to put a precise number on their manpower, there is evidence that they are re-establishing themselves in the Middle East.
Documents Leaked to Reuters Raise Concerns about COVAX
COVAX Launched in April 2020, the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator partnership was convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance and The Coalition for
Empowering African Female Scientists To Reach Their Full Potential
Founded in 2008, Kenya-based African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), started off as a career-development program dedicated to widening the pipeline of African female scientists leading agricultural research and development. Inspired by the important work AWARD is doing to empower African women in agriculture, SHE SAID spoke to AWARD director Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg.
