By Marina Zucker-Marques, Laurissa Mühlich, Barbara Fritz, Thomas Goda What once consisted of only the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has become a complex, multilayered and non-coordinated network of institutions aimed at supporting countries during times of financial distress. This network is known as the Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN), and comprises the IMF, regional financial […]
Since the 2007-09 global financial crisis, central bank currency swaps have become a crucial element of the Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN)—the set of institutions and arrangements that backstop countries in financial distress. These swaps, where credit lines between central banks aim to provide liquidity to stabilizing markets during turmoil, have two key advantages: immediate […]
By Leslie Elliott Armijo and Verónica Rubio Vega Sepehr What can an international relations (IR) perspective reveal about cooperation within regional development banks—and vice versa? From the viewpoint of Latin America, the most democratic region within the Global South and the only one where most countries have been independent polities for two centuries, there have […]
What factors help or impede international cooperation within regions of the Global South? A new working paper from Leslie Elliott Armijo and Verónica Rubio Vega Sepehr examines how variations in the geographic scope of a region can result in different types of power (im)balances among members, in turn generating important consequences for both the depth […]
By Jiaqi Lu The phasing down of carbon-based fossil energy in a just and orderly way is essential for mitigating the worst impacts of climate change. To ensure political feasibility, the Paris Agreement incorporates all existing types of measurements for climate commitments, including intensity, emissions peak, absolute emissions mitigation and share of clean energy, and […]
With the adoption of carbon neutrality policies, an increasing number of countries have implemented diverse measures to facilitate the energy transition away from fossil fuels. However, ascertaining the efficacy of these measures towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and carbon neutrality has emerged as a critical concern in recent years. In a new […]
The Global Financial Safety Net (GFSN) is a set of institutions and mechanisms that provide insurance against crises and financing to mitigate their impacts. It has four main elements: countries’ own international reserves; bilateral swap arrangements whereby central banks exchange currencies to provide liquidity to banking systems; regional financial arrangements (RFAs) by which countries pool […]
By Nabil Haque Over the last three decades, rapid industrialization and its ensuing pollution have led to a significant decline in environmental quality in Bangladesh. A 2023 report from the World Bank reveals the dire situation of water pollution in Bangladesh, with heavy metal and chemical pollution having far-reaching impacts on not only water supply […]
Bangladesh has experienced high environmental degradation with rapid economic growth. In the first decade of industrialization, factories operated without environmental clearances or monitoring and enforcement by regulatory bodies. Further, inadequate coordination among government departments led to the clustering of industrial activity near urban centers without longer-term planning or land zoning. Yet, Bangladesh also hosts the […]
In 2017, the Trump administration reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy (MCP) as the “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance” (PLGHA) policy, forbidding international organizations receiving US health assistance from promoting abortion. Existing evidence suggests that abortion rates rise under the MCP, but the direct effect of US funding restrictions on supply and use […]