May 25, 2018
Africa: Corruption Undermines "the Africa We Want" – Ramaphosa
Addressing an Africa Day celebration for the first time since taking office, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa spelled out his administration's foreign policy concerns on… Read more »
May 24, 2018
Africa: On Africa Day - Who Has Taken Up the Mantle of Pan-Africanism?
Pan-Africanism – the liberation of Africans through regional cohesion and solidarity – has played a crucial role in shaping the continent's development. Read more »
March 15, 2018
South Africa: Envoy Asks WTO To Heed Mandela on Just Rules for Global Trade
Xavier Carim, South Africa's Ambassador to the World Trade Organization and the outgoing chairman of the WTO's General Council, quoted words from a speech by his former president,… Read more »
March 19, 2018
Southern Africa: Will Ramaphosa's 'New Dawn' Ripple Across the Region?
The recent decision by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa to make his first official tour of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region so soon after taking… Read more »
March 08, 2018
Africa: Women-Friendly Trade - What Can Governments Do Better?
It's a familiar sight at border posts: women with baskets groaning under the weight of fresh produce, cheap manufactured goods or handicrafts ready to be traded on the other side. Read more »
December 20, 2017
Africa: Top Trump Administration Diplomat Addresses Africa's Toughest Issues
The current U.S. administration's top diplomat on African affairs, Acting Assistant Secretary Don Yamamoto, recently completed a 10-day trip to Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda… Read more »
November 02, 2017
Africa: What Africa Needs - Roads and Bridges, Cooking Oil and Cement
Roads and railways, bridges and harbours - that's what we need to invest in if we are to grow Africa's economies and provide jobs for the millions of young people who want to… Read more »
July 20, 2017
Africa: Faster, Better and Together - the Road to Inclusive E-Commerce in Africa
“Small is beautiful, small is powerful”. This is the creed embedded in the foundation of a global e-commerce giant: Alibaba. But the creed not only defines the genesis… Read more »
July 09, 2017
Africa: What the G20 Said on Africa
Excerpts most directly applicable to Africa drawn from the declaration of leaders of the G20 nations, issued after the leaders' summit in Hamburg on July 7 and 8: Read more »
July 03, 2017
Sudan: Economy Ready For Take-off After U.S. Sanctions - Govt
Sudan's government is confident that they are ready to enter the African and international markets when the U.S. sanctions – frozen for the past six months – are… Read more »
June 26, 2017
Africa: Making Things Happen at the Bank - 'Not a Talk Shop' - Akin Adesina
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is focusing on five areas to achieve the African and global goals for a prosperous continent since becoming president of the African Development Bank… Read more »
February 02, 2017
Africa: 10 Yays for the AU!
While the African Union gets a lot of flack for its inaction, they have taken *some* good decisions. We want to use Madam Chair's departure to highlight those... Read more »
November 07, 2016
Africa: Tobacco Control Week Starts in India
It’s in the heavily polluted capital city of India, Delhi, that the 7th Conference of Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control starts… Read more »
October 10, 2016
Africa: Africa Makes Progress On Trade and Economic Integration
African countries are boosting intra-regional trade and deepening economic integration at a time when politicians in the global North are raising doubts about the benefits of… Read more »
August 26, 2016
Africa: Japan-Africa Summit Gives Continent New Leverage
When the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) was launched in 1993 by Japan in co-operation with the World Bank, the United Nations and the UN Development… Read more »
June 21, 2016
Africa: The Global Forum on Nicotine calls for more Inclusiveness and Transparency in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)
The 16th Global Forum on Nicotine that took place in Warsaw on June 17th and 18th had three main themes: Evidence, Accountability and Transparency. This meeting gave an opportunity… Read more »
January 08, 2016
Africa: Nairobi Trade Talks Made History - Kenya Foreign Minister
At the start of 2015, the prospects for a successful outcome for the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Nairobi were dim. The pundits were forecasting… Read more »
December 14, 2015
Africa: Trade Talks in Nairobi Can Deliver a Transformed World
After a long and winding journey that started when the World Trade Organization first chose Nairobi as the venue for its 10th Ministerial Conference, known by the acronym MC10, the… Read more »
November 23, 2015
Africa: Trade Can Beat Poverty - Starting With Nairobi Conference
Travelling the globe for the World Trade Organization (WTO), I get asked the same questions everywhere I go: what is my view of the global economy and what is the next big trend? I… Read more »
November 10, 2015
Africa: Aiming for Pragmatic Deal in Nairobi 'Homecoming' Talks
Nairobi has been on the radar globally as the world discusses the upcoming Tenth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, known as MC10, to be held in the city in December. Read more »
October 26, 2015
Africa: Soft Power Through Banking - ExIm Bank Provides U.S. Valuable Influence - Paul Hinks
The debate over the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States tends to focus on big business and American workers: To opponents it represents "crony… Read more »
October 08, 2015
Africa: World Trade Talks Offer Historic Opportunity for Africa
As world leaders met at the recent United Nations summit to adopt global goals to end extreme poverty in 15 years, a determination to create broader and more participatory… Read more »
February 19, 2015
Africa: Will South Africa Speak Truth to Rising Powers Also?
When South Africa transformed from an apartheid pariah state to a constitutional democracy in 1994, this "negotiated revolution" created a compelling narrative that resonated… Read more »
December 23, 2014
Namibia: Regional Cooperation Key to Growth - Trade Minister
Calle Schlettwein served in a succession of government ministries as permanent secretary - the top civil servant post - since Namibia became independent in 1990. For most of the… Read more »
October 06, 2014
Kenya: Kenyan Exports to Europe Now Face Tariffs
Since October 1, Kenya has lost its free access to the European market due to the East African Community (EAC) failing to negotiate a free trade deal with the European Union (EU). Read more »
