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Sustainable Futures

Blog Header: Sustainable Futures. Debates to shape a collaborative multipolar world

  • The Baden Baden communique demurs on historical lessons of free trade

    Photo: Containerschiff
    Promoting free trade and investment

    Unlike the statement made by the G20 Finance Ministers last year, which asked members to resist “all forms” of trade protectionism, the communique released at this weekend’s G20 meeting in Baden Baden contains no such statement, nor does it refer to a commitment to a multilateral trading system. While there is no need to rush to any judgement, as we wait to see the final communique from the G20 leader’s summit in July this year, it may be useful to reflect on some of the lessons learnt about the role of free trade.

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  • Ending Global Poverty: An Attainable Goal

    Image: Favella
    Ending poverty is not impossible

    We and millions of European and other ‘Western’ citizens are living in times of abundant pessimism and turbulence, dominated by social discontent, uncertainty over the future, and rising populism.

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  • Why G20 Finance Ministers Have A Stake in Resisting Protectionism

    Photo: Baden-Baden
    The G20 in the spa-town Baden-Baden

    According to consistent press reports, drafts of the communiqué prepared for the G20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governers at their forthcoming meeting at Baden-Baden on 17 and 18 March 2017 have dropped clear statements rejecting protectionism and competitive devaluation of currencies. Apparently, generic language about keeping “an open and fair international trading system” is to be substituted. Does this matter?

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  • The G20 should champion the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

    Photo: UNO HQ
    G20 are committed to the 2030 Agenda

    One major objective of the German G20 Presidency is to make progress on realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) it enshrines. The 2030 Agenda is essential in order to tackle the most pressing domestic and global challenges the world is facing. Therefore, the 2030 Agenda should be understood as providing overarching guidance for all workstreams of the G20. By identifying collective and individual action, the G20 can contribute considerably to the implementation of the Agenda.

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  • Der entwicklungspolitische Journalismus muss sich öffnen!

    Image: Medien als Spinnennetz
    Gebraucht wird faire, kritische Berichterstattung

    Es gibt im Grunde keinen Flecken mehr auf dieser Erde, über den man sich im World Wide Web nicht schlaumachen kann. An Informationen mangelt es längst nicht mehr, entwicklungspolitische Medien können da nicht mehr viel hinzufügen, dafür werden sie nicht mehr gebraucht. Ihre Aufgabe besteht heute darin, Orientierung zu schaffen in diesem Überangebot an Information.

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