Das Politikfeld Entwicklungszusammenarbeit befindet sich im Umbruch. In Deutschland wird im Vorfeld der Bundestagswahlen im Herbst 2017 die Rolle und Bedeutung der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit einen wichtigen Platz in der politischen Diskussion einnehmen. Fragen zu globalen Herausforderungen und politischen Entwicklungen wie der Agenda 2030 sollen auf unserer Blog-Plattform von unterschiedlichen Perspektiven unter dem Titel „Zukunft der deutschen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit“ öffentlich diskutiert werden. Bis zu den Bundestagswahlen werden dazu Stimmen von Vertreterinnen und Vertretern der Wissenschaft, der im Bundestag (derzeit und in der letzten Legislaturperiode) vertretenen Parteien, der Bundesregierung, des Europäischen Parlaments und der Europäischen Kommission, den entwicklungspolitischen Durchführungsorganisationen, der Zivilgesellschaft und der Privatwirtschaft beitragen.

Where is global trade and investment governance headed? A Tour d’Horizon

Photo: Trump Towers

Since the US created the post-World War Two liberal international order and is still the pre-eminent global power notwithstanding the growing Chinese challenge, it is uniquely placed to determine the trade and investment system’s fortunes. The answer to the question posed in the title, therefore, depends fundamentally on the medium-term trajectory of US politics, and the resultant US position in the world. Accordingly, in this blog I put forward my analysis of where the US political system is headed under President Donald J. Trump, how key countries are responding, and the ensuing implications for the global trade and investment system.

Can think tanks save the world – and should they?

Photo: Centro Cultural Kirchner
In mid-September, Buenos Aires hosted an interesting and innovative event, organized by a variety of think tanks: the Think20 Summit. A total of about one thousand participants from almost 70 countries dealt with the topics of the G20 summit, which will take place in Buenos Aires at the end of November. The Argentine government has made the future of work, sustainable food supply, infrastructure and gender justice its priorities.

T20 – Cooperation to overcome the challenges to multilateralism?

Photo: Buenos Aires Skyline

The T20 summit assembled 1000 researchers from 68 countries during the past two days in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to present policy recommendations on issues such as future of work, climate action, trade and social inclusion. A joint communique was handed over to G20 Chair and Argentinean President Mauricio Macri that called for more engagement to overcome the challenges faced by multilateral cooperation in all these areas.

Latin American cooperation towards the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires

Photo: Obelisk Buenos Aires

What might become of Latin America’s presence in the G20 following Argentina’s presidency? If previous attempts to forge a common platform for Argentina, Brazil and Mexico have not left a lasting memory, perhaps this time around it looks different? Indeed, the Sherpas decided to tighten dialogue since fall 2017 with the view to “translate different regional outlooks into a representative stance” that hopefully could spill over onto the next G20 presidency.

The ‘China Shock’ : Three Phases of China-enhanced Globalization

The rising living standards that have come with China’s opening in the 1980s initially lent widespread support to the view of trade as a key engine of economic growth, North and South. For low- and middle-income countries, the rise of China has been shown to be a boon during the 2000s. As a result, the impact of China on both the low- and middle-income countries has grown significantly, while the impact of OECD countries has significantly declined.