Past Highlights

When the Drugs Don’t Work – Antibiotic Resistance as a Global Development Problem

14 Mar 2019

2019/02 – Dag Hammarskjoeld Foundation (DHF); research paper; Author(s): Maarten van der Heijden et al

Why is there a need to address antibiotic resistance in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals? Because antibiotics play a crucial role in many more areas of life than most people imagine. However, antibiotics are starting to lose their effectiveness due to resistant infections, and the consequences will be far-reaching if decisive and rapid action is not taken globally and systematically. Antibiotic resistance seriously jeopardises the achievement of several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, antibiotic resistance must be included in the work on sustainable development, and should be seen as a strong additional reason to urgently increase the work on the Sustainable Development Goals. The Dag Hammerskjoeld Foundation has published a report on how antibiotic resistance is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals.

continue: When the Drugs Don’t Work – Antibiotic Resistance as a Global Development Problem (external link)

Social Protection in East Africa - Harnessing the Future

05 Mar 2019

2019/02 – OECD Development Centre (OECD/DC); research paper; Author(s): Oecd

This study by the OECD Development Centre is now available in open access. It identifies possible futures and explores new paths for action in six countries in East Africa – Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It highlights seven grand challenges that confront social protection policy makers in the region and discusses which policy directions are most appropriate for tackling today’s social protection needs and preparing for those of tomorrow. A number of these challenges, such as rapid population growth and urbanisation, persistent informality, low domestic resource mobilisation and climate change, are common to sub-Saharan Africa as a whole; the methodology and approach used here will be applicable to many other countries across the region.

continue: Social Protection in East Africa - Harnessing the Future (external link)

Europe's Approach to Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: Good Practices and the Way Forward

14 Feb 2019

2019/02 – Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI); research paper; Author(s): Ingeborg Niestroy et al.

This study examines the governance frameworks put in place for SDG implementation in all EU Member States, and the resulting country fiches constitute the first comprehensive comparative overview of these. The analysis shows that EU Member States are integrating SDGs into national strategies. While Member States have taken steps to enhance horizontal policy coordination, there is a continuing need for better mainstreaming sustainability. Member States innovate with SDG budgeting, science-policy interface, and stakeholder participation mechanisms for making these strategies more operational. Parliaments show increasing activity on the SDGs and the EP could benefit from enhanced collaboration. The EU could learn from and support these initiatives.

continue: Europe's Approach to Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: Good Practices and the Way Forward (external link)

State of Power 2019 - Finance

31 Jan 2019

2019/01 – Transnational Institute (TNI); research paper; Author(s): Ann Pettifor et al.

Despite causing the worst financial crisis in decades, the financial sector emerged even stronger. The Transnational Institute's eighth flagship State of Power report examines through essays and infographics the varied dimensions and dynamics of financial power, and how popular movements might regain control over money and finance. In addition, it includes six compelling infographics that tell you everything you need to know about financial power. Who controls banks? Investment Funds? Where are they based? How is power concentrated? What difference does this make to corporations in general? How do banks influence public policy? How do financial institutions remain impune? What alternatives are there.

continue: State of Power 2019 - Finance (external link)

Continental drifts in a multipolar world - Challenges for Africa-Europe relations in 2019

17 Jan 2019

2019/01 – European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM); research paper; Author(s): Alexei Jones; Lidet Tadesse Shiferaw; Philomena Apiko

This year's ECDPM challenge paper analyses the institutional and political processes and dynamics that will influence the ability of the African Union and EU to work together on issues of common concern in a spirit of partnership between equals. In addition, it identifies windows of opportunities to revamp the EU-Africa partnership in 2019. This paper examines some of those and looks ahead at what to expect in the coming year. We pay particular attention to converging and diverging interests, across member states, between the member states and their respective continental organisations – the EU and the African Union, and between the two continents themselves.

continue: Continental drifts in a multipolar world - Challenges for Africa-Europe relations in 2019 (external link)

The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

03 Jan 2019

2018/12 – Oxford Department of International Development (ODID); research paper; Author(s): Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (Ophi)

The Most Detailed Picture to Date of the World’s Poorest People presents the global MPI 2018, a newly revised index based on a short but powerful list of 10 deprivations. It now covers 105 countries in total, which are home to 77 per cent of the world’s population, or 5.7 billion people. Key findings are:

1.3 billion people live in multidimensional poverty.
83% of all multidimensionally poor people in the world live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Two-thirds of all MPI poor people live in middle-income countries.
Half of the multidimensionally poor are children aged 0-17.
85% of MPI poor people live in rural areas.
46% of those who are multidimensionally poor live in severe poverty.
In 2015/16, more than 364 million people are still MPI poor in India.
In India, 271 million people moved out of poverty in ten years.

continue: The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) (external link)

Mapping Just Transition(s) to a Low-Carbon World

14 Dec 2018

2018/11 – United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD); research paper; Author(s) The Just Transition Research Collaborative

Just Transition — the idea that justice and equity must form an integral part of the transition towards a low-carbon world — is increasingly being mobilized both to counter the idea that protecting the environment and protecting jobs are incompatible, and to broaden the debate to justice-related issues such as the kinds of jobs and societies we envision for the future. This report unpacks the different understandings, narratives and framings of Just Transition that underpin the concept’s growing popularity and uptake. Six short country case studies provide insights into how Just Transition is—or is not—being mobilized on the ground. The report calls for a progressive interpretation of Just Transition to promote transformative change and climate justice for all.

continue: Mapping Just Transition(s) to a Low-Carbon World (external link)

How to spend €89.2 billion: Early developments in international cooperation programming

03 Dec 2018

2018/11 – European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM); research paper; Author(s): Alisa Herrero Cangas; Andrew Sherriff; Mariella Di Ciommo; Sanne Thijssen

In the proposal for its next budget (2021-2027), the European Commission envisages a major restructuring of its external action architecture that reflects the EU’s ambition to pursue a more strategic, political and interest-driven external action. It includes the creation of a ‘Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument’ (NDICI) worth €89.2 billion, and of global scope. Up to 75% of funds are intended for political cooperation with partner countries and regions. This discussion paper by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) is an initial analysis of how the EU institutions are currently preparing for the next bilateral programming process. While there have been a number of encouraging developments, some potential policy-to-practice gaps need to be addressed early in the process, to ensure that the NDICI fulfils all of the EU’s external action aspirations.

continue: How to spend €89.2 billion: Early developments in international cooperation programming (external link)

The Brown to Green Report 2018

03 Dec 2018

2018/11 – Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI); Overseas Development Institute (ODI);

The Brown to Green Report 2018 is the world’s most comprehensive review of G20 climate action. It provides concise and comparable information on G20 country mitigation action, finance and vulnerability. It gives an overview of all G20 countries, whether – and how well – they are doing on the journey to transition to a low-carbon economy. The report draws on the latest emissions data from 2017 and covers 80 indicators on decarbonisation, climate policies, finance and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Providing country ratings, it identifies leaders and laggards in the G20. Developed by experts from 14 research organisations and NGOs from the majority of the G20 countries, the report covers 80 indicators

continue: The Brown to Green Report 2018 (external link)

The EU and the corporate impunity nexus

09 Nov 2018

17 Oct 2018 - 2018/10, Transnational Institute, Research Paper

This report includes a collection of case studies illustrating how corporate impunity works and highlighting the failures of current approaches, particularly to address human rights violations and provide effective remedy to affected peoples and communities. The studies reveal a pattern where European corporations outsource their worst impacts to the Global South, with the help of the architecture of impunity that legitimises and legalises the operations of Transnational Corporation (TNCs). At the core of this architecture is the infamous investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, a private arbitration system that allows TNCs to sue states whenever they consider that their future profits are threatened by new measures or policies aiming at improving social and environmental protection.

continue: The EU and the corporate impunity nexus (external link)

Return to top of page