Trade costs of border controls in the Schengen area (Gabriel Felbermayr, Jasmin Gröschl, Thomas Steinwachs, VOX)

The refugee crisis has placed Europe’s Schengen Agreement under stress, with some calling for the reintroduction of identity checks and other border controls. This column presents new estimates of the potential costs of such controls. On average, the removal of controls at one border acts like the removal of a 0.7% tariff. The controls currently notified to the EU Commission could lower EU GDP by around €12.5 billion. The full demise of Schengen would be about three times as costly.

http://voxeu.org/article/trade-costs-border-controls-schengen-area

Fighting deflation with unconventional fiscal policy (Francesco D'Acunto, Daniel Hoang, Michael Weber, VOX)

The Eurozone faces zero inflation paired with low economic growth. With monetary policy hobbled by the zero lower bound, it is time to think more broadly. This column discusses the theoretical and empirical evidence on ‘unconventional fiscal policy’. Such policies aim to increase growth and inflation in a budget-neutral fashion, while keeping the tax burden on households constant.

http://voxeu.org/article/fighting-deflation-unconventional-fiscal-policy

The eye, the needle and the camel: Rich countries can benefit from EU membership (Nauro F. Campos, Fabrizio Coricelli, Luigi Moretti, VOX)

One common concern about membership of the EU is the notion that poorer members have more to gain than richer ones. This column focuses on the countries that joined the EU in 1973 (Denmark, UK and Ireland) and in 1995 (Austria, Finland and Sweden). The authors estimate that these rich countries benefited substantially from joining the EU. Furthermore, while the benefits from EU membership to poorer countries tend to be mostly in terms of per capita income, for richer countries the benefits tend to be mostly in terms of productivity.

http://voxeu.org/article/how-rich-nations-benefit-eu-membership

Data Moving Across Borders: The Future of Digital Trade Policy (Amy Porges, Alice Enders, E15 Initiative)

This paper examines how trade policy institutions can mobilise to support the new digital economy of the 21st century. The paper begins by outlining the core enablers of the digital economy and the intersection between cross-border data flows and policy measures with non-trade objectives, such as privacy. The main focus is on how digital and digitally enabled businesses operate domestically and across borders.

The paper then examines the WTO’s substantial past and present contributions to laying the foundation of digitally enabled trade and investment, including the WTO’s established legal acquis in its agreements as interpreted since 1995. Finally, the authors discuss how the WTO could support digital trade going forward, the TPP’s significance for digital trade, and the challenges for negotiations on a plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).

http://e15initiative.org/publications/data-moving-across-borders-the-future-of-digital-trade-policy/

A Proposed G20 Initiative for the International Trade and Investment Regimes on Sustainable Development and Climate Change (Daniel C. Esty, E15 Initiative)

Sustainability moved decisively towards being a core value of the global community in 2015. In September, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that provide depth and clarity to the international community’s ambitions for economic, environmental, and social progress over the next 15 years. In addition, 195 countries came together in Paris in December and concluded a new climate change accord that lifts the trajectory of the global response to the build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere and commits the nations of the world to significant actions to reduce the threat of climate change. The breadth and depth of these commitments to make sustainability a fundamental element of the global community’s “collective journey” creates both challenges and opportunities for the international trade and investment regimes.

As a critical forum for global economic governance, the G20 (with strong leadership from China as the host nation for the 2016 G20 Summit) could provide important direction to the World Trade Organization (WTO), countries engaged in regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements, and managers of both public and private banks and funds that seek to promote economic development on the importance of conducting their activities in a manner that reinforces the SDGs and the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. This paper offers an array of ideas on how to weave the concept of sustainability into the fabric of international cooperation on trade, investment, and development – including the institutions of global economic governance.

http://e15initiative.org/publications/proposed-g20-initiative-ensure-international-trade-investment-regimes-reinforce-global-communitys-commitment-sustainable-development-climate-change-action/

Food security and nutrition in the 2016 globalized economy (Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, E15 Initiative)

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of acting as a discussant at the Geneva launch of IFPRI’s 2016 Global Food Policy Report. The focus of this year’s report is on food systems in the context of the international community’s new commitments on sustainable development and climate change. IFPRI’s report is a great analytical contribution, backed up by first-hand modelling and monitoring of factors and trends determining the possibilities of food security and nutrition in the world of today, and emphasizing what might need to be done to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ahead of the 2030 deadline.

http://e15initiative.org/blogs/food-security-and-nutrition-in-the-2016-globalized-economy/

Tunisia's security first approach (James Denselow, Al Jazeera)

Tunisia may be getting a grip on the holes in its domestic security, but emergency powers becoming permanent pose a challenge to the ideals that underpinned the country's 2011 revolution.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/tunisia-security-approach-160428060109076.html

Money from Heaven? (Koichi Hamada, Project-Syndicate)

The world economy is struggling. The single currency is fettering, not freeing, the eurozone; Japan is smarting from the slowdown of America’s normalization of monetary policy; and emerging markets worldwide are suffering the consequences of China’s economic mismanagement. But adverse global conditions, however troubling, should not lead central bankers to neglect the risks of untested policies – above all the “helicopter drops” that many are now proposing.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/helicopter-money-japan-stimulus-by-koichi-hamada-2016-04

The Case for Burning Ivory (Chris Alden, Ross Harvey, Project-Syndicate)

Kenya is about to destroy its entire stockpile of elephant ivory. More than 100 metric tons of “white gold” – both illegally harvested (confiscated from poachers or traders) and naturally accruing (from natural mortality) – will go up in smoke this weekend. In China – where the majority of the world’s ivory is consumed or stockpiled – the recently reported price is $1,100 per kilogram, putting the total value of the material to be burned at roughly $110 million.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/kenya-ivory-stockpile-destruction-by-chris-alden-and-ross-harvey-2016-04

Rescue Helicopters for Stranded Economies (J. Bradford DeLong, Project-Syndicate)

For countries where nominal interest rates are at or near zero, fiscal stimulus should be a no-brainer. As long as the interest rate at which a government borrows is less than the sum of inflation, labor-force growth, and labor-productivity growth, the amortization cost of extra liabilities will be negative. Meanwhile, the upside of extra spending could be significant. The Keynesian fiscal multiplier for large industrial economies or for coordinated expansions is believed to be roughly two – meaning that an extra dollar of fiscal expansion would boost real GDP by about two dollars.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/helicopter-money-fiscal-stimulus-by-j--bradford-delong-2016-04

The Next Global Boom – and Bust (Simon Johnson, Project-Syndicate)

The mood at the International Monetary Fund-World Bank spring meetings here earlier this month was grim. The latest IMF forecast for global growth has been revised downward yet again – suggesting the world will grow at an annual rate of just over 3% this year and again in 2017.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/bank-debt-global-boom-bust-by-simon-johnson-2016-04

Saudi Arabia’s Reform Path (Ishac Diwan, Project-Syndicate)

Nearly two years after oil prices began their precipitous decline, leading global producers are facing the prospect of major adjustments that will have far-reaching economic, social, and political consequences. While such adjustments will surely be enormously challenging – especially for middle-income countries like Saudi Arabia, which lack the massive wealth funds of, say, the United Arab Emirates – they present these countries with an important opportunity to consider more productive ways to organize their societies.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/saudi-arabia-vision-2030-reform-plan-by-ishac-diwan-2016-04

Don’t Do Stupid Economic Stuff (Jean Pisani-Ferry, Project-Syndicate)

On August 30, 2013, the United States was about to launch air strikes on Syria, where more than a thousand civilians had died in a sarin gas attack perpetrated by the army of President Bashar al-Assad. But a few hours before the strikes were to commence, US President Barack Obama canceled them, surprising America’s allies. Instead, US diplomats engineered a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whereby Russia would take responsibility for removing chemical weapons from Syria. The Syrian civil war went on, without the US becoming directly involved.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/improving-economic-policymaking-processes-by-jean-pisani-ferry-2016-04

How long can Aleppo endure destruction? (Abdulrahman al-Rashed, Al Arabiya)

The Syrian regime is deliberately choosing their targets for airstrikes. Hospitals and civilian neighborhoods have been bombed violently and residents have been left defenseless due to the international embargo.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/30/How-long-can-Aleppo-endure-destruction-.html

The world cannot let Aleppo be slaughtered before our eyes (Brooklyn Middleton, Al Arabiya)

The slaughter of Aleppo is underway. At least 212 civilians have been killed, including at least 57 children, since April 18. The bloodshed is certain to increase in the coming weeks as the regime and allied forces launch a major offensive to attempt to retake rebel-held territory in the city. The past several days have proved utterly brutal in Aleppo and a number of videos show footage of all too familiar scenes: Dust covered babies and tiny children being pulled from rubble, horrifically mangled bodies, and devastated civilian infrastructure. In one especially barbaric attack, the Assad regime intentionally targeted Al Quds hospital, massacring at least 55 people. Among the dead at the Doctors without Borders-supported facility was one of Aleppo’s very last paediatricians. Meanwhile, reports indicated rebels have intensely shelled government-held areas of the city, killing at least 71.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/30/The-world-cannot-let-Aleppo-be-slaughtered-before-our-eyes-.html

Vision 2030: Saudi Arabia is not all about oil (Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran, Al Arabiya)

Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s interviews with Bloomberg and Al Arabiya news channel, and his launching of Saudi Vision 2030, clarified his image as someone who has worked silently in recent months to develop an ambitious plan for the future. He has laid out a roadmap to realize society’s aspirations, including the economy, culture, arts and entertainment. The people heard him say what they wanted to say.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/30/Vision-2030-Saudi-Arabia-is-not-all-about-oil.html

Egypt must preserve its lifeline by tackling the water crisis now (Ehtesham Shahid, Al Arabiya)

The Nile has been a lifeline for Egypt at least since the time of the pharaohs. Yet, despite the world’s largest river travelling for over 4,000 miles in the vicinity, water is now considered “scarce” in the country with the highest population in the Arab world.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/30/Egypt-must-preserve-its-lifeline-by-tackling-the-water-crisis-now.html

Sinai: An enduring risk (Omar Ashour, Al Jazeera)

"[Multinational Force and Observers soldiers] are outgunned by the terrorists [Sinai Province or SP] right now, and it's a dangerous mission," said retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling. "They [SP insurgents] have mortars and artillery that they have been firing on the base camps."

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/sinai-egypt-160424074317507.html

Rebuilding the EU or breaking free from it? (C J Polychroniou, Al Jazeera)

The European debt crisis of 2010, which still has many peripheral nations in its grip and has led to what appears to be a permanent state of fiscal austerity, has exposed to the world the highly flawed and dangerous architecture of the European Monetary Union and the anti-democratic nature of European Union institutions.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/rebuilding-eu-breaking-free-160426064426541.html

What of India and China relations? (Rupakjyoti Borah, Al Jazeera)

The ties between China and India, the world's two most populous countries, have a long and chequered history dating back thousands of years. The two neighbours fought a short border war in 1962 and since then, although much water has flowed down the Yangtze, a sense of mistrust has consistently dogged their bilateral ties.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/india-china-relations-160427112839371.html

Mongolia makes the most of the middle position (Anthony Rinna, Sino-NK, East Asia Forum)

On 14 April 2016 the foreign ministers of Mongolia and Russia signed what they termed a Medium-term Strategic Partnership Development Program in Ulaanbaatar. Plans to establish a strategic partnership between Mongolia and Russia date at least to September 2014, when the presidents of the two countries met in the Mongolian capital.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/04/30/mongolia-makes-the-most-of-the-middle-position/

Ethiopia’s outsized importance to African security (Anna Newby, Brookings)

Is Ethiopia a rising star in Africa? By some measures, yes: As the second most-populous country on the continent (after Nigeria), it has achieved GDP growth rates above 10 percent for a decade. It is home to the African Union headquarters and a key U.S. ally in the fight against al-Shabab militants in Somalia and in counterterrorism efforts more broadly. In a region where sectarian and ethnic tensions have a tendency to flare up, Ethiopia has achieved remarkable social cohesion. All this, after suffering decades of conflict, drought, famine, and poverty, among other challenges.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/04/29-ethiopia-security-economics-newby

Africa in the news: Buhari to sign 2016 budget, malaria incidence in Africa down, and Machar returns to South Sudan (Christina Golubski, Brookings)

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/africa-in-focus/posts/2016/04/29-buhari-2016-budget-malaria-machar-south-sudan-golubski

Breaking up the big banks won't stop another financial crisis (Aaron Klein, Brookings)

In debating whether or not to break up the big banks, there is a key misconception that has to be put to rest by both sides: another financial crisis will occur, regardless. Financial crises are part of the economic framework of capitalism, whether they are based on Dutch tulip mania in the 1600s, the Panic of 1907 with runs on banks and trusts,, the savings and loan debacle of the 1980s, or the subprime mortgage meltdown of the last decade. History is clear, there is no magic solution to end financial crises based on the size or number of banks in a country.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2016/04/29-breaking-up-the-big-banks-wont-stop-another-financial-crisis-klein

New episode of Intersections podcast tackles multidimensional poverty (Fred Dews, Brookings)

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brookings-now/posts/2016/04/intersections-multidimensional-poverty

Closed borders will make Europe collapse (Carlo Bastasin, Brookings)

Migration, inequality, middle class decline, the euro crisis, mistrust of the establishment—there is no shortage of explanations for the angry message voters in European countries are delivering with their ballots. However, most of the time, we dismiss the message as a temporary burst of irascibility that will eventually self-modulate. For at least 20 years, we have deemed public irritation as a negligible price for democracy.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/04/29-european-borders-nationalization-bastasin

Governing the modern city (Kemal Derviş, Bruce Katz, Brookings)

In an increasingly urban world, tackling global challenges means working in cities.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/metropolitan-revolution/posts/2016/04/29-governing-modern-city-dervis-katz

Racial disparities in education debt burden among low- and moderate-income households (Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Dana C. Perantie, Samuel H. Taylor, Shenyang Guo, Ramesh Raghavan, Brookings)

Evidence now demonstrates significant variation in education-debt levels by race and household income, with Black and lower-income students accumulating higher levels of education debt compared to their White and upper-income peers.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2016/04/29-racial-disparities-in-education-debt-burden-among-low-and-moderate-income-households

Mahathir should focus on institutions, not personalities (Shankaran Nambiar, MIER, East Asia Forum)

Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s former prime minister, seems to have missed the mark with the Citizen’s Declaration that he has so vigorously supported. The bulk of the Declaration is directed at Prime Minister Najib Razak and his alleged wrongdoings in connection with the beleaguered 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Therein lies its fatal flaw.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/04/29/mahathir-should-focus-on-institutions-not-personalities/

The primary season: end of the beginning (Eric B. Schnurer, Aspenia online)

With the recent voting in the Northeastern states, we have finally reached, if not the beginning of the end, at least the end of the beginning. It’s been clear for a while that, despite a stronger-than-expected challenge from socialist Senator Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee. Although some remain in denial, the vote totals Donald Trump has piled up these past weeks make it all but certain that he will be Clinton’s opponent in the fall. That will make them the two major-party nominees with the highest disapproval ratings in American history.

http://www.aspeninstitute.it/aspenia-online/article/primary-season-end-beginning

Brexit, se ci lasciamo (Antonio Armellini, AffarInternazionali)

Come andrà a finire il voto sulla permanenza del Regno Unito nell’Unione europea. L’ambasciatore Antonio Armellini delinea i due scenari opposti, ragioni e conseguenze. In questo articolo si ipotizza una vittoria del fronte a favore dell'uscita. Nel prossimo, immagineremo il trionfo di chi vuole rimanere nell'Ue.

http://www.affarinternazionali.it/articolo.asp?ID=3431

Hong Kong riscopre la democrazia ateniese (Elisabetta Esposito Martino, AffarInternazionali)

Da inizio aprile si è diffusa una nuova fragranza nel Porto Profumato: quella della democrazia ateniese. Joshua Wong ha fondato un nuovo partito politico, battezzato Demosisto, insieme al gruppo di giovanissimi con cui, nell’autunno 2014, aveva dato vita al movimento Occupy Central, animando le strade di Hong Kong con una protesta che, anche dopo lo sgombero dell’ultimo accampamento, avvenuto nel dicembre dello stesso anno, non si era mai definitivamente spenta.

http://www.affarinternazionali.it/articolo.asp?ID=3432

India in the SCO: a win-win proposition (Ashok Sajjanhar, Gateway House)

India’s forthcoming membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be a benefit the SCO, Central Asia, Russia, China, as well as itself. While India will be able to promote its own security, strategic, trade, economic, and energy interests in Central Asia, the SCO will benefit from India's rapid growing economy and its experience in counter-terrorism.

http://www.gatewayhouse.in/india-in-the-sco-a-win-win-proposition/

Bringing 1 Billion Indians the internet they want (Rajan Anandan, Sputh Asia Monitor)

There are more than 350 million Indians online, and each month, millions more use the Internet for the first time. Whether in the big cities or villages, people across the country are excited to make the latest technology a part of their lives. A connected India with access to the web will help businesses grow, power education for the next generation, and create growth for the economy.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16644

Hidden chemical war in Sri Lanka (South Asia Monitor)

With some terrorist groups and even countries resorting to the barbarism of chemical warfare and the world facing its biggest threat, we today mark the day on which the conference of State parties decided on November 11, 2005, that a Memorial Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare be observed on April 29 each year. This is the date in 1997 on which the Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force. This commemoration will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare and to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism. The Third Review Conference of State Parties to the Chemical Convention was held from April 8 to 19, 2013 at the Hague in the Netherlands and it adopted by consensus a political declaration that confirms the “unequivocal commitment” of the State Parties to the global chemical weapons ban. It also made a comprehensive review of CWC implementation since the last Review Conference in 2008 that also mapped out the OPCW’s priorities for the coming five years. Making a statement at the conference, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed that progress in achieving the total destruction of chemical weapons must be complemented by efforts, to gain universal adherence to the Convention. According to OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) has now been in force for more than 17 years.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16654

Bangladesh. A citizen's concern (Israfil Khosru, South Asia Monitor)

On Saturday morning, April 16, veteran and prominent journalist/writer Shafik Rehman was arrested by plainclothes DB men posing as reporters from a major Bangla television channel.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16651

Nepal. Tapping our potential (Atindra Dahal, South Asia Monitor)

Whenever any Nepali national visits foreign countries, there will be avalanches of worthless advice through the media and focus on ‘collecting optimum benefits’ from very visit. A large pool of crude scholars ink a lot to offer free advice ahead but it is shameful that most of them exhort the delegates to either ask for monetary help or project based assistance. These have posed a question as to whether Nepal can expect development on its own.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16652

Pakistan's new poverty estimate (Syed Mohammad Ali, South Asia Monitor)

Poverty is easy enough to recognize by those who experience its multidimensional deprivations on a daily basis, or even by those who invariably confront its glaring pervasiveness. However, measuring poverty is not as straightforward as we might think. The number of poor people can shrink or expand drastically by changing the definition of what it means to be poor.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16653

The Afghan Tirade (South Asia Monitor)

The Afghan Taliban have initiated their Spring Offensive with vicious attacks like the one in Kabul, killing over sixty. And the Afghan government and media have turned their guns on Pakistan. Islamabad has been accused of providing Afghan Taliban support to launch attacks inside the country. The Afghan government is no more interested in seeking Pakistan’s assistance in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. Instead it wants Islamabad to launch a military operation against them while handing over to it the Taliban who happen to be in Pakistan. In an interview with Times of India Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai has shown dissatisfaction with the quadrilateral dialogue demanding that all the four countries take action against the Taliban. He has meanwhile asked for Indian help.Border incidents between Pakistan and Afghanistan are taking place followed by protests from both sides.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16650

The Kerala model of governance (Pulapre Balakrishnan, South Asia Monitor)

The only thing new about the approaching election in Kerala is the speculation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has had no seats in its legislature thus far, may actually open its account this time. However, apart from the frisson that the very thought brings to some political pundits, such an outcome is going to be of little consequence to the people of the State. For neither of the two fronts that have governed Kerala at five-year intervals these past three decades is going to have any truck or barter with the BJP. Given the wafer-thin margin that has historically decided who governs the State, it is possible that electoral success of the BJP may alter the revolving-door pattern according to which the United Democratic Front (UDF) is now set to yield place to the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The far more important question for the electorate though is whether the front that comes to power has the will or the incentive to deal with the issues that confront Kerala.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=govd&nid=16645

Odd-even is not Enough (Sumit Sharma, South Asia Monitor)

Unless all polluting sources are fought, road rationing alone will bring us only limited benefits

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=development&nid=16657

The fire rages on (Malvika Singh, South Asia Monitor)

The blatant disregard that Indians have for their heritage and history was evident in the image of the devastating flames that gutted the National Museum of Natural History in New Delhi. This could happen anywhere in India because of people's careless attitude towards maintaining and preserving the remnants of our past. Indians are far more interested in cutting corners, with no concern about the quality of the work done. They only wish to save or make money by any means. As the citizens of a modern nation, we have failed miserably to protect India's diverse cultures and traditions.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=cult&nid=16658

A trade policy agenda for India - I (Rajeev Kher, South Asia Monitor)

These are difficult days for trade policymakers. The global economic scenario stays insipid, significantly impacting the trade environment. Despite a steep decline in oil and commodity prices, manufacturing has remained tepid. India has lost its manufacturing competitiveness in several product areas and the fact that efficiency in delivery of services can lead to manufacturing competitiveness seems to have missed the adequate attention of policymakers.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=eco&nid=16655

India-Pakistan foreign secretaries’ bilateral meet sidelines Kabul (South Asia Monitor)

The multilateral meeting dealing with the security of Afghanistan became a sidelight as India-Pakistan foreign secretaries’ bilateral meet took centre stage

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16659

The Saudi Vision 2030: How India can make the most of it (Monish Gulati, South Asia Monitor)

The Saudi Arabian government this week unveiled a long-term economic blueprint for adapting to a low-oil-price future. The plan, reportedly the brainchild of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is titled ‘Vision 2030,’ and includes regulatory, budget and policy changes that will be implemented over the next 15 years with the aim of making the kingdom less reliant on crude oil and providing it a "prosperous and sustainable economic future.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=sl&nid=16634

ASPI suggests (Amelia Long, David Lang, ASPI The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/aspi-suggests-29apr/

Pushing a new model for public–private cyber partnerships (Liam Nevill, ASPI The Strategist)

At the heart of the new Australian Cyber Security Strategy is a new paradigm for public–private engagement on cyber security. Business has been elevated from ‘partner’ to ‘co-leader’ in the new ‘National Cyber Partnership’ to jointly drive implementation of the Strategy. The Strategy quite rightly appreciates the criticality of engaging the combined skills, expertise and capabilities of the public and private sectors to manage cyber threats and reap the economic rewards of connectivity.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/pushing-a-new-model-for-public-private-cyber-partnerships/

Europe’s unprecedented border management challenge (John Coyne, ASPI The Strategist)

According to Frontex, the EU’s border management agency, last year there were over 1.8 million illegal border crossings detected along Europe’s external Schengen borders—six times the detections reported in 2014. Europe’s external border security measures are now under immense pressure, while its internal border controls are all but non-existent.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/europes-unprecedented-border-management-challenge/

Australia needs to strengthen its strategic interests in Antarctica (Anthony Bergin, ASPI)

We sometimes forget that we assert sovereignty over 42 per cent of the Antarctic continent, roughly the size of mainland Australia minus Queensland.

So the Turnbull government's Antarctic strategy and 20-year action plan released this week is important. It responds to the essential elements of a report to the federal government nearly two years ago by Tony Press, a former director of the Australian Antarctic Division.

Press found the pre-eminence we've traditionally held because of our historic polar connections and scientific and diplomatic leadership can no longer be assumed.

If we're not a big player in Antarctic affairs then our polar agenda will be driven by others. There's now, for example, a risk of being left behind by China. China's setting up its first air squadron in Antarctica this year. Last year it announced it was preparing to build a fifth research station on the continent.

China's building a second icebreaker ship and has made it clear to domestic audiences that possible resource development is its interest in the region. It's expanding its fishing for krill in the Southern Ocean, the largest unexploited fishery in the world.

So, does the government's new Antarctic blueprint provide a useful framework to understand what we must do in the frozen continent or is it just a snow job?

https://www.aspi.org.au/publications/opinion/australia-needs-to-strengthen-its-strategic-interests-in-antarctica

Moment of transformation for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf (Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Al Arabiya)

Positive change is taking place in my part of the world and for that I am grateful to the leaderships of all GCC member countries, and especially to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for their decisive and foresighted geopolitical and economic policies. A new era of unity, self-reliance and self-defence is fast unfolding.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/29/Moment-of-transformation-for-Saudi-Arabia-and-Gulf-countries.html

Is soft power the key to Iran dominating the Middle East? (Majid Rafizadeh, Al Arabiya)

The mainstream media and politicians have emphasized Iran’s hard power, military capacity and its army’s role in the Middle East, which is part of Tehran’s expansionist policies. The emphasis is warranted.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/29/Iran-dominating-the-Middle-East-New-soft-power-methods-.html

The skewed Middle East equation (Khalid Abdulla-Janahi, Al Arabiya)

The Egypt Economic Development Conference that was held in Sharm al Sheikh in March last year was a dramatic show of international investor support for Egypt’s ambitious economic plans that aim to restore security and stability to the Arab world’s most populous and, arguably, most important country.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/29/The-skewed-Middle-East-equation.html

Elect a Lebanese president by majority (Nayla Tueni, Al Arabiya)

A futile dialogue about legislation and its validity has been ongoing in Lebanon. The dialogue is not based on logic, the constitution, or the interests of the state and its people. There are conditions and counter-conditions as each party plays to win a political round.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/29/Elect-a-Lebanese-president-by-majority.html

Vision 2030 and solar energy: A timely development (Ahmed S. Nada, Al Arabiya)

Much has already been said about the potential for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to harness the power of solar energy. In the years that I’ve been in the solar energy industry, rarely a conference goes by that does not have a segment dedicated to talking about the country and how renewable energy must be factored into its future.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/29/Vision-2030-and-solar-energy-A-timely-development.html

What of India and China relations? (Rupakjyoti Borah, Al Jazeera)

The ties between China and India, the world's two most populous countries, have a long and chequered history dating back thousands of years. The two neighbours fought a short border war in 1962 and since then, although much water has flowed down the Yangtze, a sense of mistrust has consistently dogged their bilateral ties.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/india-china-relations-160427112839371.html

Momentum builds for Pakistan to act against corruption (Tom Hussain, Al Jazeera)

As a young democracy, Pakistan has yet to achieve an equilibrium of power.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/momentum-builds-pakistan-act-corruption-160427082558348.html

Overcoming Market Obstacles to New Antibiotics (Jim O'Neill, Project-Syndicate)

From the strict perspective of some investors, astute financial management by a company to bolster its share price is a good thing. By this narrow logic, when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, we should be unconcerned if drug firms’ share prices are boosted not by new discoveries, but by financial maneuvers, such as share buybacks or tax inversion.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/market-obstacles-to-new-antibiotics-by-jim-o-neill-2016-04

Japan’s Economic Quandary (Martin Feldstein, Project-Syndicate)

The Japanese economy is a paradoxical mixture of prosperity and failure. And, in a significant way, its prosperity makes its failures difficult to address.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/japan-budget-cuts-deflation-risk-by-martin-feldstein-2016-04

The Improbable Reformers (Nina L. Khrushcheva, Project-Syndicate)

Over the last few years, Pope Francis has reinvigorated the Catholic Church’s core message with passionate criticism of unbridled capitalism and a new, more progressive worldview. In the United States primaries, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign is doing much the same for the Democratic Party – and for US politics more broadly.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/pope-francis-bernie-sanders-progressive-by-nina-l--khrushcheva-2016-04

Podcast: The Paper Tigers and Hidden Dragons of China’s Tech Sector (Elizabeth C. Economy, CFR)

Chinese President Xi Jinping has claimed that the direction of China’s technological development is “innovation, innovation and more innovation.” But besides prominent success stories like Huawei and Lenovo, how innovative are other companies in China’s tech sector? In this week’s Asia Unbound podcast I talk with Douglas Fuller, professor of business administration at Zhejiang University’s School of Management, about his upcoming book—possibly the best China book I have read all year—Paper Tigers, Hidden Dragons: Firms and the Political Economy of China’s Technological Development. Fuller paints the big picture of China’s tech sector and describes how heavy support from the state, which actually disincentivizes innovative behavior, has led to weak domestic tech firms in China. Hybrid firms that combine Chinese management with foreign financing and “irrational” firms like Huawei, which initially pushed away state support in favor of competing abroad, are the true “hidden dragons” driving Chinese innovation. However, the Chinese government’s faith in a “techno-nationalist paradigm” that prioritizes indigenous Chinese ownership and control puts these foreign-invested Chinese firms at a disadvantage when it comes to state procurement and support. Listen below to hear why, at least for now, it seems that China’s tech sector is not the innovation powerhouse that Xi might hope for.

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2016/04/28/podcast-the-paper-tigers-and-hidden-dragons-of-chinas-tech-sector/

Why North Korean Threat Is a More Urgent Issue for Next U.S. President (Scott A. Snyder, CFR)

Kim Jong Un has been intensifying his efforts to develop a long-range nuclear strike capability since the beginning of 2016. The more vulnerable he feels atop a weakening North Korea, the more he seeks a silver bullet to ensure the regime’s long-term survival.

This dynamic has been in play for decades, especially as North Korea pursued nuclear weapons to compensate for the loss of its powerful patrons in Moscow and Beijing and fell further behind a far more prosperous South Korea.

But Pyongyang’s insecurity has intensified even more under Kim, who, since coming to power in 2012, declared his father’s bequest of a nuclear program as a crowning achievement,changed the constitution to declare North Korea a nuclear state, and declared nuclear and economic development as his twin priorities.

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2016/04/28/why-north-korean-threat-is-a-more-urgent-issue-for-next-u-s-president/

Carnage in Syria and President Obama’s Legacy (Elliott Abrams, CFR)

Here’s what’s going on in Syria.

http://blogs.cfr.org/abrams/2016/04/28/carnage-in-syria-and-president-obamas-legacy/

Thy Neighbor’s Keeper: Improving Global Humanitarian Response (Stewart M. Patrick, Theresa Lou, CFR)

A record-setting sixty-million individuals are currently displaced due to violent conflict. While the world’s attention has been gripped by the million who have reached Europe’s shores over the past year, the global crisis of displacement is vastly greater in scope. In anticipation of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2016, the International Institutions and Global Governance program held a workshop to diagnose shortcomings of the current humanitarian regime and propose recommendations for its reform. Here are five important takeaways.

http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2016/04/28/thy-neighbors-keeper-improving-global-humanitarian-response/

Reducing and Managing U.S.-China Conflict in Cyberspace (Adam Segal, CFR)

Last week, the Financial Times ran a story that suggested China was sticking by its September 2015 commitment to not engage in cyber-enabled economic espionage. It quoted officials from private sector security firms, who pointed out they had seen a marked decline in the number of intrusion attempts from Chinese actors. Despite the seemingly positive news, there are still tons of skeptics.

http://blogs.cfr.org/cyber/2016/04/28/reducing-and-managing-u-s-china-conflict-in-cyberspace/

The World Next Week: April 28, 2016 (CFR)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Russia, Spain faces a deadline to form a government, and the fifth anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death passes.

http://www.cfr.org/politics-and-strategy/world-next-week-april-28-2016/p37823

Rousseff's Impeachment: What's Next for Brazil? (Matthew M. Taylor, Danielle Renwick, CFR)

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has likened efforts to remove her from office to a coup d'etat. Her impeachment trial, which could begin early next month, comes amid an economic recession (Brazil's economy shrank 3.8 percent last year), a corruption scandal that has ensnared many of Rousseff's political allies and foes, and single-digit approval ratings. While claims of a coup have been challenged, the political circumstances are extraordinary, says CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow Matthew Taylor. A majority of lawmakers in Brazil’s Congress, which voted for her impeachment, have themselves been charged with corruption, Taylor says. He adds that her possible replacement by Vice President Michel Temer would bring new challenges in creating a governing coalition, since he is nearly as unpopular as Rousseff.

http://www.cfr.org/brazil/rousseffs-impeachment-next-brazil/p37820

Buy (IDDM) or Buy (Indian): Thorns of a Dilemma (Amit Cowshish, IDSA)

All defence acquisition proposals were required to be classified under one of five categories until the incomplete version of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016, released on 28 March 2016 on the opening day of DefExpo 2016 at Goa, added yet another category to the list. Termed ‘Indian (Designed, Developed and Manufactured)’, or Buy (IDDM), this category replaces ‘Buy (Indian)’ as the most preferred category in the hierarchical order of procurement categories. Besides these two categories, the hierarchy of categories consists of ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’, ‘Buy and Make’, and ‘Buy (Global)’, in that order.

http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/buy-iddm-or-buy-indian_acowshish_290416

India’s Space Security Policy: A Proposal (Ajey Lele, IDSA)

Several advancements made in the field of space technology over the last few decades have significantly benefitted mankind. Today, space technology is considered critical to human survival and progress. Since space offers numerous socio-economic benefits, the number of states investing in satellite technology has grown over the years. Satellites are now being used for many purposes: meteorology, television broadcasting, mobile telephony, navigation and internet. Space systems are increasingly being used in multiple fields, such as financial management, education, tele-medicine, scientific research and disaster management, to gather real time information and increase efficiency and connectivity. Satellite technology is also playing a crucial role in measuring greenhouse gas emissions globally. In fact, space is rapidly emerging as an important component of the global economy.

http://www.idsa.in/policybrief/indias-space-security-policy_alele_280416

Mapping India in Japan’s infrastructure agenda (Titli Basu, IDSA, East Asia Forum)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Partnership for Quality Infrastructure in Asia (PQI) aims to consolidate Japan’s regional clout among the emerging Asian economies. PQI, which is often viewed as a competing formulation vis-à-vis the Chinese mega infrastructure designs, is critical to achieving the goals of Japan’s national growth strategy.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/04/29/mapping-india-in-japans-infrastructure-agenda/

The market makers: Local innovation and federal evolution for impact investing (Alaina J. Harkness, Emily Gustafsson-Wright, Brookings)

Announcements of new federal regulations on the use of program-related investments (PRIs) and the launch of a groundbreaking fund in Chicago are the latest signals that impact investing, once a marginal philanthropic and policy tool, is moving into the mainstream. They are also illustrative of two important and complementary paths to institutional change: fast-moving, collaborative local leadership creating innovative new instruments to meet funding demands; federal regulators updating policy to pave the way for change at scale.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/metropolitan-revolution/posts/2016/04/28-market-makers-harkness-gustaffson-wright

Top ideas to retire in public sector IT management (Jack Karsten, Brookings)

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/techtank/posts/2016/04/28-top-ideas-to-retire-it-management

Don't believe the headlines: Educational standards are not collapsing (Brad Hershbein, Brookings)

If you believe this week’s headlines, math and reading scores are on the slide. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for 12th graders just released show falls of 1 point in both average math and reading scores between 2013 and 2015. And since 2005, both the math and reading scores have essentially been flat.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2016/04/28-educational-standards-are-not-collapsing-hershbein

AUDIO: The keys to police reform (Fred Dews, Brookings)

The shooting of Michael Brown by police in Ferguson, Missouri and similar incidents in New York, Baltimore, and elsewhere have sparked new attention and heated debate about race, police methods, and police reform. In his new book, "Handcuffed: What Holds Policing Back, and the Keys to Reform" (Brookings Institution Press, 2016), Malcolm Sparrow examines these issues and how the current crisis in policing can be traced to failures of reform.

Sparrow, a professor at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a former British police detective, was recently interviewed by the Brookings Press's editorial director, Bill Finan, about the book. Listen:

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/brookings-now/posts/2016/04/handcuffed-the-keys-to-police-reform

Hutchins Roundup: Housing market, intergenerational transmission of poverty, and more (Anna Malinovskaya, David Wessel, Brookings)

Studies in this week’s Hutchins Roundup find that housing market cycles reduce investment in education, children from low-income families tend to have less developed socio-emotional skills, and more.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2016/04/28-hutchins-roundup

Five years after Busan—time to raise the bar in aid transparency (Jeffrey Gutman, Brookings)

Spring has sprung and once again Publish What You Fund has issued its Aid Transparency Index (ATI). Once again most of the multilateral development banks (MDBs) receive high grades rated as very good. And once again I ask whether those grades are well deserved? At the heart of my question is whether aid agencies are disclosing sufficient information during the critical implementation stage of a project.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/future-development/posts/2016/04/28-aid-transparency-index-gutman

On the soda tax, Clinton and Sanders contradict themselves (Vanessa Williamson, Brookings)

Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary last night, but the fight there revealed a fundamental question that will continue to vex Democratic candidates in the months and years to come: when is it acceptable to pay for progressive policies with regressive taxes?

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/04/28-soda-tax-clinton-sanders-contradict-williamson

Family support or school readiness? Contrasting models of public spending on children's early care and learning (Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, Brookings)

In the United States, public policy and expenditure intended to improve the prospects of children from low-income families have focused on better preparing children for school through Head Start and universal pre-K. This school readiness approach differs from the dominant model of public support for early care and learning in Northern Europe, which places more emphasis on supporting families. It also differs from other government programs in the U.S., such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, that support low-income parents of young children by boosting income. Empirical comparisons of the impact on school achievement of boosting family income vs. providing free pre-K for four-year-olds, summarized in this paper, suggest that supporting family income is a more cost effective expenditure. A policy midpoint between more money for families vs. more money for pre-K is more money for families to spend on their young children. All these policy options should be on the table and subject to test as the nation moves towards increased attention to and investment in the early years.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2016/04/28-family-support-or-school-readiness-whitehurst

Forgotten the sense of history (Marco Emanuele)

Forgotten the sense of history, we are "non-persons". In the dominant simplification we seem to have lost the depth of the historical truth, leaving us win from our historical incapacity, which is irresponsibility and indifference.

The problem is in our cultural approach, linear - simplifying - separating. We must return to complexity, to simplicity (essence of life), to integration. The common history is history-in-common and its truth is built in the dialogue; the sense of history is in our ability (responsibility) to be a synthesis of  the (complex) human experience which continues through us.

To know the sense of history we must understand the "signs of the times" through a complex thinking which is a method for an open, and not just self-referential, reason.

Refugee crisis: When is a tragedy a massacre? (Richard Seymour, Al Jazeera)

The recent drowning of 500 refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean Sea was not only preventable, but arguably caused by policy. A policy known colloquially as "Fortress Europe", designed to make the journey to Europe as difficult as possible for asylum seekers.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/04/refugee-crisis-tragedy-massacre-160426110904507.html

How Long Riyadh Is Going to Continue Escalating Tension with Tehran? (Hassan Ahmadian, Iran Review)

Saudi Arabia has managed to include priorities of its regional policies in the final statements of the latest meetings of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council [(P)GCC], the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This is by itself a diplomatic win. However, in a period of transition and confrontation, diplomacy is just a small portion of the big picture. In fact, Saudis, by giving priority to escalating tension with Iran, have set aside regional diplomacy as an option. Riyadh has even used multilateral diplomacy within the aforesaid institutions in line with its own policy to foment tension with Tehran. The “Salman Doctrine” is the name given to this development by Saudi strategists. The question, however, is what are the characteristics of this new approach and what will be its benefits and costs for Saudi Arabia, in particular, and for the entire Middle East region, in general?

http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/How-Long-Riyadh-Is-Going-to-Continue-Escalating-Tension-with-Tehran-.htm

9/11 Attacks Boomerang to Their Protagonists (Ardeshir Zarei Ghanavati, Iran Review)

Before the recent visit to Saudi Arabia by the United States President Barack Obama, the New York Times published a report about the role of Riyadh, including some of Saudi officials and princes, in terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, causing tensions to escalate in relations between the two countries. Concurrence of this report with a discussion at the US Congress about the contents of 28 pages of a detailed report on the 9/11, which had so far remained confidential and its release had been prevented by the US government, poured fuel on those tensions. What stirred wrath of Riyadh leaders was the contents of the New York Times’ report and later remarks by some members of the Congress, including Bob Graham, a former senator, who has played an axial role in the 9/11 investigations.

http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/9-11-Attacks-Boomerang.htm

US Deception Obstructs International Trade with Iran (Iran Review)

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the US has resorted to “deception” to obstruct international trade with Iran despite a nuclear agreement.

http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/US-Deception-Obstructs-International-Trade-with-Iran.htm

Expect Clinton vs. Trump (Seema Sirohi, Gateway House)

It is beginning to be clear that the 2016 U.S. presidential race will see Donald Trump go head-to-head with Hillary Clinton. As these two contenders near the stage, Trump’s “America First” has started to ring differently, while Hillary’s “traditional” approach must be adjusted to cater to the financial needs of the American people.

http://www.gatewayhouse.in/expect-clinton-vs-trump/

Whither BRICS? (Rajiv Bhatia, Gateway House)

Although the BRICS caravan is passing through difficult, uncertain times, its major leaders appear determined to continue the journey as doing so is in the collective interest. The world is likely to hear more - not less - about BRICS in the foreseeable future.

http://www.gatewayhouse.in/whither-brics/

Generalising the middle income trap (Mark Fabian, ANU, East Asia Forum)

The middle income trap has recently come (back) into vogue as a theoretical construct for understanding why some countries seem to stagnate at the middle-income level. The middle-income range is relatively common among contemporary emerging markets globally, so it is not surprising that ‘trap’ discussions focus on this income bracket. But middle income trap theory also holds some very valuable lessons for development policy more generally, at all income levels.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/04/28/generalising-the-middle-income-trap/

A road map to develop an export powerhouse (Jayanta Roy, South Asia Monitor)

India should move beyond special economic zones and attempt to build modern Freeports

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=eco&nid=16620

Researching education (Anurag Behar, South Asia Monitor)

Almost everyone agrees that we need good research to help improve education. There are two kinds of research that can be done and have been done. The first one asks research questions from within the field of education. This is informed by educational thought and epistemic issues, the aims of education and its practices, and the perspectives of the students, teachers and communities involved. The second kind takes the aims, concerns and practices of education for granted, and investigates issues in education from the perspective of other disciplines. The anchors and lenses of such research is of that discipline and other areas of social policy, not the field of education. This kind may also have relevance and is usually done by economists, political scientists, sociologists and scholars from similar intellectual backgrounds. In our present Indian context, there is too little of the former and so the second kind gets disproportionate attention of policymakers and the public. Since education is not the primary perspective of such research, it also often focuses on issues of peripheral importance to the reality of education.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=cult&nid=16615

To save humanity (Marco Emanuele)

Pope Francis calls into question our established certainties. As the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the simple words and gestures of Francis demonstrate the importance of being witnesses of life. In a world in which dominate unreality and inhuman, we have the responsibility of finding the human sense and also to imagine innovative paradigms to understand and to govern the "signs of the times".

Pope Francis invites us to be visionary, to go out from the "eternal present". As human beings, before believing in God but in the human relation with each other of us, we are "transcendent realities".

What happened, out of the worlds-of-life, of our certainties on peace, development, freedom ? We are in a world in which dominate permanent war, domination, security anxiety. The theme is to re-find a way, necessary and urgent, to save humanity and, in it, to save ourselves.

Change the course of water wars (Shankar Roychowdhury, South Asia Monitor)

China has plans to construct four run-of-the-river hydroelectric power plants on the Yarlung Tsangpo.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=development&nid=16621

Facilitating terrorism in Kabul (Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, South Asia Monitor)

For the second time in nine months Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has lashed out at Pakistan in the aftermath of a Taliban orchestrated terror attack in Kabul. On August 7 last year, deadly bombings targeted an army complex, police academy and an American special forces’ base in Kabul, killing at least 51. On April 20, at least 64 were killed as Taliban militants targeted a security team protecting government VIPs in the Afghan capital – the deadliest terror attack in Kabul in at least five years.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16616

Boost agriculture in Nepal (South Asia Monitor)

Two years back the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) had introduced the Agriculture Mechanization Promotion Policy, but this has yet to be implemented. The strategy has several good points as, if properly implemented, it can provide a boost to agricultural productivity by, among other things, reducing the cost of production. Over the years the number of youths opting to migrate to foreign countries for jobs has been going up, resulting in an acute shortage of labour in agriculture. As a consequence, the cost of production is growing in an unprecedented manner. The shortage of labour at home has also reduced the agricultural productivity of the country, with a consequent fall in farm output. Not surprisingly, many areas in the rural sector are now barren. A solution to this plight that is costing the country dear is the implementation of the agriculture mechanization policy.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16617

Mortal fundamentalism (South Asia Monitor)

Bangladesh is under attack from religious fundamentalists. The recent killing of a leading gay rights activist is a brutal reminder of how frail constitutional freedoms are, particularly the freedom of expression. The United States has rightly condemned the killing as a “barbaric attack”. There have been a series of attacks on Bangladeshi bloggers and activists in recent months.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16610

May day in Sri Lanka: What for? (South Asia Monitor)

As we prepare for what is perhaps the most party politicised May Day in recent decades, it is significant that today is the World Day for safety and health at work. Even at this late stage we hope that party political leaders -- specially the SLFP led UPFA which seems to be split down the middle -- will be able to refocus attention on workers’ rights and the dignity of labour instead of trying to whip up racial or religious tension. The main SLFP led UPFA under President Maithripala Sirisena is hoping to draw a huge crowd for its rally in Galle -- but the so called Joint Opposition also appears to be confident of drawing a large crowd to Kirulapane with a former powerful minister alleged to have already distributed some Rs. 17 million to party organisers to bring or buy people for the dissident rally.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16618

Europe: tired ritual (Marco Emanuele)

Increasingly, Europe shows its absence as a historic and strategic project.

I think that Europe can and must play a key role in the history of the world. That said, however, I underline that we call Europe the sum of national and self-referential interests and not the integration of  "countries" in dialogue. We call Europe a technocratic system, condemned by demographics and unable to face the historical challenges that surround it (the absence of an european strategy for the Mediterranean).

Between walls and all sorts of populisms, Europe is a tired ritual. We do not have an european citizenship and the visions of the "founding fathers" risk to become "museum memories". It's our responsibility, and it is absolutely necessary, re-think to re-found Europe; there are many dynamics to consider, trying to return to the "old continent" its quality of "laboratory" for a "supranational democracy".

The irony of small states in India (Neera Chandoke, South Asia Monitor)

The political crisis in Uttarakhand and subsequent developments have once again catapulted a number of rather familiar questions onto the political terrain. These range from political instability, to what was once inelegantly called ‘horse-trading’, to the containment capacity of the anti-defection law, to the regrettable tendency of parties controlling the Central government to inexorably expand their writ. There is, however, another concern that needs to be registered in this context, the readiness of State leaders to violate their own obligations as representatives of the political public, and vitiate democracy.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16611

The same standstill (Vivek Katju, South Asia Monitor)

The long interaction of the Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries in New Delhi on April 26 would have covered a lot of ground on the current state of bilateral relations. However, the fact that the two diplomats did not come together before the media and instead gave aggressive individual statements shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s December Pakistan initiative is in deep trouble.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16614

China’s water hegemony in Asia (Brahma Chellaney, South Asia Monitor)

It wasn’t geography but guns that established China’s chokehold on major transnational river systems in Asia

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=n&nid=16622

Stake-holders need to re-think, to end political dead-lock (N. Sathiya Moorthy, South Asia Monitor)

With the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) once again coming up with a resolution that said all and nothing - at least for now - it is becoming increasingly clear that domestic stake-holders and international players need to re-think and re-work strategies, if any. It could also possibly become a determining factor about their relative seriousness or otherwise towards finding a lasting settlement to the ‘political dead-lock’ of the past year and more.

http://southasiamonitor.org/detail.php?type=sl&nid=16609

Taiwan’s WHA Status in Limbo (Yanzhong Huang, CFR)

The World Health Assembly (WHA), the executive body of the World Health Organization (WHO), will convene on May 23-28 in Geneva. While member states have received invitations to participate in this year’s WHA, the only assurance Taiwan has received from the WHO Secretariat is that “internal operations were ongoing.”

http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2016/04/27/taiwans-wha-status-in-limbo/

The Peace Imperative: Creating Sustainable Peace through Gender Inclusion (Stewart M. Patrick, Erin Sielaff, CFR)

The United Nations is attempting to restart yet another set of peace talks inSyria and Yemen, two deeply conflicted states. After years of strugglingto foster a negotiated peace, hopes are high that these latest rounds will be successful. The more likely scenario is that they end like their numerous predecessors—in failure.

http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2016/04/26/the-peace-imperative-creating-sustainable-peace-through-gender-inclusion/

Podcast: Entrepreneurship: A Conversation with Elmira Bayrasli (Micah Zenko, CFR)

What is an entrepreneur? How do entrepreneurs in other countries, such as Turkey, Nigeria, Pakistan, Mexico, India, Russia, and China, differ from those in the United States? To what extent is entrepreneurship innate within the individual, or can be cultivated by the conditions, including governance or society, in which they grow up?

http://blogs.cfr.org/zenko/2016/04/26/podcast-entrepreneurship-a-conversation-with-elmira-bayrasli/

What to Do About Turkey (CFR)

Experts assess Turkey's relations with its neighbors, as well as its handling of the migrant crisis, and offer U.S. policy options moving forward

http://www.cfr.org/turkey/do-turkey/p37801

We need complex thinking (Marco Emanuele)

Each of us, immersed in a historical time characterized by radical changes, has the responsibility to know reality to understand it and to try to govern it. In the face of asymmetric threats, of the terror that wants to become "state", of the growing inequalities, the linear thinking and the political vacuum are a real danger.

We are globalized and indifferent because globalization is only a technocratic model without a global sense; in becoming more and more globalized, and increasingly less global, we also become more and more irresponsible towards the common history.

Think about complexity and in complex terms is a great cultural revolution; in fact, in reality all the problems are interrelated and there are no closed systems. The hardest thing is to realize it.

International support for rehabilitation of Chernobyl site (World Nuclear News)

A crucial project at the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant can now proceed to its final stages thanks to additional pledges by the international donor community at a conference in Kiev yesterday. On the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and President of the European Council Donald Tusk held talks by telephone during which Tusk underlined the EU's "comprehensive support" to Ukraine in overcoming the consequences of the disaster.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/WR-International-support-for-rehabilitation-of-Chernobyl-site-27041601.html

Suspended Bell Bend project clears environmental review (World Nuclear News)

Environmental impacts would not prevent the issuance of a licence to build and operate the proposed Bell Bend nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Army Corps of Engineers have concluded. However, other reviews in the licensing process for the project have been suspended.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Suspended-Bell-Bend-project-clears-environmental-review-2704164.html

Toshiba expects $2.3 billion write-down on Westinghouse (World Nuclear News)

Japan's Toshiba Corporation announced today it expects to take an impairment charge of JPY260 billion ($2.3 billion) for part of the goodwill of its US-based nuclear power subsidiary Westinghouse Electric Company.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Toshiba-takes-2.3-billion-write-down-on-Westinghouse-2604165.html

US producers call for suspension of federal inventory transfers (World Nuclear News)

An organization representing US uranium producers has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to cease transfers of excess uranium from federal inventory until the uranium market recovers from its current oversupplied state.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/UF-US-producers-call-for-suspension-of-federal-inventory-transfers-2604167.html

French and Russian nuclear utilities extend collaboration (World Nuclear News)

French utility EDF has signed an agreement to extend its cooperation with Rosenergoatom, the operator of Russia's civil nuclear power plants. The companies will cooperate in reactor operations, decommissioning and waste management.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-French-and-Russian-nuclear-utilities-extend-collaboration-2604164.html

How mobile is driving creativity in Africa (WEF)

Chanzo Capital is an early stage micro-VC firm that provides capital and mentorship to high-tech startups in Kenya, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa (the so-called KINGS of Africa’s digital economy). Eric Osiakwan, managing partner of Chanzo, is a tech entrepreneur and angel investor with 15 years of ICT (information and communications technology) industry leadership across Africa and elsewhere. He has worked in several African countries setting up ISPs (Internet service providers) and high-tech startups. He cofounded the Angel Africa List and Angel Fair Africa, and sits on the boards of several companies. “We Africans are going to lead the 21st century through technology,” he says in this interview with Knowledge@Wharton, which was conducted in Ethiopia at a leadership summit organized by the Wharton alumni club of Africa.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/how-mobile-is-driving-creativity-in-africa

Faith, the internet and improving the state of the world (Christopher Helland, WEF)

Our world is undergoing massive transformations thanks to developments in internet and communication technologies. As Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum has noted, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is well under way and there is a dire need to develop a “shared view of how technology is affecting our lives and reshaping our economic, social, cultural, and human environments.”

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/faith-the-internet-and-improving-the-state-of-the-world

Mastering Hypergrowth (WEF)

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating enterprise opportunities at a staggering rate. The impact of technology on global business has opened the door to business model innovation, redistribution of talent, new forms of stakeholder management and massive market expansion.

https://www.weforum.org/reports/mastering-hypergrowth

Latin America’s Moment (Richard N. Haass, Project-Syndicate)

Much of the world’s attention is understandably focused on developments in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. These regions represent the vast majority of global population and wealth, their geopolitics are the most stressful (and highly consequential), and in recent decades – if not centuries – they have accounted for most of what has constituted world history.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/latin-america-global-bright-spot-by-richard-n--haass-2016-04

New Politics for Clean Energy (Jeffrey D. Sachs, Project-Syndicate)

The diplomats have done their job, concluding the Paris climate agreement in December. And political leaders gathered last week at the United Nations to sign the new accord. But implementation is surely the tough part. Governments need a new approach to an issue that is highly complex, long term, and global in scale.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/clean-energy-implementation-politics-by-jeffrey-d-sachs-2016-04

Ban the Bomb Tests (Des Browne, Daryl G. Kimball, Kairat Umarov, Project-Syndicate)

The Nuclear Security Summit process, which concluded earlier this month in Washington, DC, shows what can be achieved when political leaders come together to concentrate on a global problem. The six-year initiative, focused on preventing nuclear terrorism, produced important outcomes on eliminating, minimizing, and securing dangerous nuclear and radiological materials.

https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/ban-the-bomb-tests-by-des-browne-et-al-2016-04

Why Egypt needs evolution, not revolution (Maria Dubovikova, Al Arabiya)

“The Egyptian regime lived in fear of opposition,” wrote prominent Egyptian activist Wael Ghonim in his book Revolution 2.0. He continued: “It sought to project a facade of democracy, giving the impression that Egypt was advancing toward political rights and civil liberties while it vanquished any dissident who threatened to mobilize enough support to force real change."

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/28/Why-Egypt-needs-evolution-not-revolution.html

Europe that betrays itself (Marco Emanuele)

We can say everything about Europe except that it is a "political community". Today's Europe demonstrates, once again, that history is not "teacher of life."

If there was really a european citizenship, if we had politicians able to have strategic visions and not only tactics limited to the eternal present, we could say that Europe is an extraordinary experiment of "supranational democracy"; unfortunately, we are "prisoners" of too many "if."

Europe is increasingly characterized by "walls" (material and cultural) that, wanting to defend the security of peoples, sacrifice their freedom. Rather than rethink the "good government", in the "political vacuum" of this historical time it seems to win leaders who seeking consensus in the "instincts" of the masses instead dialoguing with the "reason" of the citizens.

Europe could be a laboratory of the "complex politics" that has sense, dignity and ability to understand and to govern the vital historical processes that, beyond the technocrats and the most different populists, are inescapable and ask a new realism, a return to the reality of the worlds-of-life.

What Arab youths think (Chris Doyle, Al Arabiya)

Any survey carried out in the Arab world must have a whole bevvy of caveats, not least of all groupthink polls such as “What Arabs” or “What Muslims think?

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/28/What-Arab-youths-think.html

The mirage of sovereignty and the bluff of national unity (Eyad Abu Shakra, Al Arabiya)

Both Iraq and Lebanon are currently living two big “lies”: sovereignty and national unity, and as the days go by, not only are the politicians in the two countries proving their ability to bluff their people, but also their ability to bluff themselves.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/28/The-mirage-of-sovereignty-and-the-bluff-of-national-unity.html

Mohammad bin Salman and the end of the oil era (Turki Al-Dakhil, Al Arabiya)

Every cloud has a silver lining. Decision makers in Gulf countries who've made use of the massive amounts of oil over the years know well that the commodity will sooner or later be depleted. For over 50 years, they have formulated policies and strategies based on these circumstances.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2016/04/27/Mohammad-bin-Salman-and-the-end-of-the-oil-era.html

Green Card: A ray of hope for expats (Abdulateef Al-Mulhim, Arab News)

Emad is an Egyptian engineer. Ahmed is a Syrian accountant. Both are very close friends and their families are like one big family. Both the friends have been living in Saudi Arabia for the past 35 years. Their children grew up together. All their childhood memories were formed in Saudi Arabia and all their friends are in this country not in their respective home countries.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/916331

GCC-US Summit and the enduring partnership (Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg, Arab News)

On April 21, Riyadh hosted the second GCC-US summit. By all reasonable measures, the Riyadh summit was even a greater success than Camp David Summit last May, as it had the benefit of eleven months of extensive meetings between officials and experts on a wide range of security issues, including several ministerial meetings, and as such there was quite a bit of substance on the leaders’ agenda.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/916326

Securing Saudi future (Sabria S. Jawhar, Arab News)

For many year — decades, really, — the need for a comprehensive national plan was badly felt. We were the most crucial player in the Middle East, but to the international community we were just another Arab country.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/916321

Modi govt’s performance (Rajeev Sharma, Arab News)

The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just completed two years in office — or shall we say that it has finished 40 percent of its five-year tenure?

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/916311

Building the future Navy: the OPV’s (Mark Thomson, ASPI The Strategist)

The government’s recent decision to split the production of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) has been met with a mix of delight and dismay. Delight by those with an interest in the shipyards in Adelaide SA and Henderson WA, dismay by those who missed out. There was also more than the usual grumbling by those weary of multi-billion dollar defence projects being used to buy votes. But while the timing of the announcement was politically significant, in terms of the advice the government has been getting, it makes perfects sense to split production. Here’s the story.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/building-the-future-navy-the-opvs/

National security wrap (Ashleigh Sharp, Annaliese FitzGerald, Lachlan Wilson, Dione Hodgson, ASPI The Strategist)

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/national-security-wrap-18/

ASPI launches its Risk & Resilience program (Anthony Bergin, ASPI The Strategist)

The aftershocks are now continuing to rattle the survivors of a series of deadly Japanese earthquakes with the death toll now at 48.

http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/aspi-launches-its-risk-resilience-program/

Indian manufacturing lacks logistics (Saurabh Bandyopadhyay, NCAER, East Asia Forum)

The state of India’s manufacturing sector is concerning. Especially when compared to the massive transformation registered in this sector by other Asian countries in similar stages of development. Contributing around 16 per cent of India’s GDP, manufacturing remains far below its potential, which should be at least 25 per cent.

http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/04/28/indian-manufacturing-lacks-logistics/

Five things we “learned” from Trump’s foreign policy speech (Thomas Wright, Brookings)

Donald Trump gave his much-anticipated foreign policy speech at an event hosted by the Center for the National Interest today. It was contradictory in parts and repeated standard Republican criticisms of President Obama, but there was a clear message that is consistent with what Trump has said before. It was not the shift in substance that some predicted. There were several notable takeaways, most of which confirmed what we already knew.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2016/04/27-reviewing-trump-foreign-policy-speech-wright

Elections 101: Explaining myths about superdelegates (Elaine Kamarck, Brookings)

With the fervor in 2016 presidential election reaching new heights, the FixGov team decided to put together a video series on election basics. In this video I talk about some of the myths around the existence of superdelegates to the Democratic convention. For most of American history political parties nominated presidents in conventions composed almost exclusively of super delegates—primaries were either non-existent or “beauty contests” only—meaning that they didn’t matter in awarding delegates to presidential candidates. I also de-bunk some of the other myths about superdelegates such as the fact that the superdelegates have never, since 1984 when they were first in use, reversed the decision of the majority of voters in the primaries and caucuses.

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/fixgov/posts/2016/04/27-elections-101-myths-about-superdelegates-kamarck