By Rachel Thrasher From February 26-29 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will meet for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). Like many international institutions, the WTO faces the challenge of meeting its original mandate amid multiple global crises, and MC13 presents a vital opportunity for trade ministers […]
Despite the fact that the climate crisis requires great international collaboration and coordination when it comes to policymaking for mitigating emissions, the most recent report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) demonstrates conclusively that country leaders have not taken nearly enough action. The obstacles to climate action are myriad – political, […]
By Ying Qian Many developing countries continue to suffer from the impacts of debt distress that were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic years. It is estimated that 61 emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) are in or at high risk of debt distress, and that more than $812 billion in debt needs to be restructured […]
Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have an opportunity at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February 2024 to grant an extension to the much-embattled Waiver to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The Waiver, proposed more than three years ago, was intended to allow countries and their pharmaceutical firms […]
By Rebecca Ray Emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) need an immediate, stepwise infusion of investment for climate and conservation goals: $1 trillion in international capital for climate investment and over $2 trillion annually to meet the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the International High Level Expert Group on Climate Finance. […]
A cycle of extreme weather, financial instability, unsustainable debt levels and high costs of capital are limiting fiscal space at precisely the moment that a dramatic, stepwise increase in environmental investments is needed if shared climate and development goals are to be met in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). What is the fiscal picture […]
By Rachel Thrasher As the World Trade Organization (WTO) member states prepare to meet in Abu Dhabi in February for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), arguably one of the most important decisions they face is whether to extend the much-embattled Waiver of certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) […]
Since the establishment of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in 2001, there has been a concern that the now-global rules governing intellectual property (IP) protection would present obstacles to securing access to medicines for populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A few years later, the […]
By Yaechan Lee China’s emergence as a critical player in the international economic order has considerably shaken up the existing dynamic, leading to its advancement in some respects, but contest in others. How can researchers measure the extent to which China participates in the three institutional pillars of the Bretton Woods System (BWS) – the […]
China’s full integration into the Bretton Woods System (BWS) since it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001 raised questions about exactly how China relates to the BW institutions and the international economic order that they support. Existing studies debate whether China is supporting the BWS institutions and the order as a ‘responsible’ […]