International relations
Curse of Unfair Trade
IPN Opinion article
Fredrik Erixon, chief economist of the Swedish think-tank Timbro, argues that Western aid has "largely been counterproductive" for half a century. In a devastating critique of the billions of pounds that have poured into Africa since independence, he said: "It has crowded out private sector investments, undermined democracy and enabled despots to continue with oppressive policies, perpetuating poverty."
AIDS Drugs: Is patent the obstacle? [sic]
IPN Opinion article
Thompson Ayodele, director of the Institute of Public Policy Analysis in Lagos, Nigeria, argues that it is \"off target\" to blame patents for blocking access to medicines. He says \" The priority should be on increasing the economic well being of the people on the [African] continent\" by increasing trade and economic freedom -- not by increasing foreign aid.
Save the planet and the third world will pay
IPN Opinion article
Barun Mitra, co-author of Climate change and sustainable development (released 29 November 2004), writes "Not surprisingly, Kyoto does not sound convincing to the world's poor. For what this present debate over climate change has done is to divert attention from the core issue of mankind ó poverty."
Mitra discusses a salient economic lesson from history ó "increased consumption stimulates efforts at improving efficiency, which in turn contributes to conservation, economic and environmental... The Kyoto protocol seeks to reverse this relationship by focusing on reducing consumption through punitive taxes and so on, which will not ultimately help conservation goals."
Free trade is cricket
IPN Opinion article
It has been 15 years since an Indian cricket team toured Pakistan. For the people of these cricket crazy countries, the renewal of this sporting fixture is a gesture of the utmost political and diplomatic significance. But just as cricket matches are uniting the people in a new spirit of reconciliation, so free trade could prove a further catalyst to lasting peace and prosperity.
Biosafety Protocol Will Harm Poor Farmers and Undermines WTO
IPN Opinion article
The Global Freedom to Trade Campaign, a coalition of pro-globalization NGOs at the Cancun WTO Ministerial, believes that the Biosafety Protocol, which comes into effect today, will harm poor farmers.
Cancun Delusions
IPN Opinion article
The most important achievement of the Cancun WTO ministerial would be substantial progress toward truly free trade in agricultural goods. This is the central commitment of the so-called Development Round that was launched in Doha, Qatar two years ago. Freeing up global agricultural trade is vital because the majority of people living in the poorest countries are still farmers. Bringing these poor farmers into the world trading system will enable them to take the first steps up the ladder of economic development.
