Latest Publications

Refuting Hegel? Striking the Right Balance between Financing and Adjustment in International Adjustment

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:44:27 +0000

Pull Quote:

This evolution of the system was not accompanied by a corresponding change in international arrangements for dealing with financial crises.

“We learn from history that we do not learn from history.”

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

WTO Resilient But Changed After Ministerial

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:37:28 +0000

Pull Quote:

From a governance perspective, the WTO is clearly a different organization today than it was in its first decade.

The recent ministerial meeting, held in Geneva in December, demonstrated that while the Doha Round may be dead, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is resilient but changed as an organization. In fact, the meeting surprised many hardened observers by producing some tangible deliverables — four new accessions and a major new deal on government procurement — as well as a number of ministerial decisions. Do these results suggest that WTO members really do care about the WTO and that the mood has changed within the organization?

Policing in Palestine: Analyzing the EU Police Reform Mission in the West Bank

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:59:40 +0000

Police reform in the Palestinian Territories has faced many challenges. Rebuilding the police force in a post-conflict environment is not an easy task, and must take into account the community’s needs in order to build legitimacy. In 2006, the European Union Police Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support was established to support the short-term objectives of the Palestinian Civil Police and provide longer-term transformational change assistance. This issue paper discusses a number of questions to address gaps in the evaluation of police reform efforts.

Brazil as an Emerging Environmental Donor

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:56:52 +0000

Over the last 10 years, Brazil has expanded its own domestic development strategies to include offering assistance to other countries and their national efforts. Former President Lula da Silva has suggested that the country’s experience solving problems in unfavourable conditions make it a good partner for other developing countries. Approaching its external development assistance from the perspective of a recipient, Brazil endorses an egalitarian “solidarity diplomacy” that puts the focus on holistic development in its partners — with sustainable growth as the ultimate goal.

History Lessons for the Euro Zone

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:52:24 +0000

Pull Quote:

History has shown that the “unthinkable” can quickly become the “inevitable.”

Following S&P’s downgrading of European debt in early January, German Chancellor Angela Merkel used her keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to implore her euro zone colleagues to implement the budget austerity needed to secure their goal of a “fiscal compact.” While European interest rates fell in the wake of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision to provide a long-term funding facility for banks, unfortunately, the higher borrowing costs that will eventually result from lower credit ratings will make the goal of fiscal probity more elusive.

UN Panel Calls for Integration of Environment into International Economic Reforms

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:16:47 +0000

Pull Quote:

A country with a bankrupt environment is no more capable of success than one whose economy is broke.

A quarter of a century ago, the Brundtland Commission outlined the concept of sustainable development for the first time. It began its rather sobering report with the memorable phrase, “The Earth is one but the world is not,” to describe the interactions between the world’s environmental and economic and political systems. Sustainable development was to provide a new paradigm for economic growth, social equality and environmental sustainability.

Global Sustainability: Pursuing the Elusive Prize

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:08:06 +0000

Pull Quote:

Reforming financial markets so they play their historic role of investing in a resilient, sustainable economy for future generations is a notably brave feature of the panel’s message.

As the world’s political and business leaders head home from the World Economic Forum in Davos, it is right asking which of the world’s toughest challenges were identified, let alone solved, on the “Magic Mountain.” Timely, then, that today the UN launches the report of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability.

Strategic Support to Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan, 2001-2010

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:59:03 +0000

A lack of strategic direction and political agreement in security sector reform (SSR) in Afghanistan is an ongoing struggle. This issue paper focuses on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, in addition to police and army reform. Through two case studies, the paper considers the weaknesses of an SSR process driven by operational activities without a clear overall strategy. The Office of the National Security Council in the Afghan government, and its role in the lack of strategic direction in SSR, is examined.

Security Sector Governance in Pakistan: Progress, But Many Challenges Persist

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:49:00 +0000

The US Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound on May 2, 2011 brought into question the Pakistani army’s domination over nearly all aspects of the state. Pakistanis wondered how these events could have occurred right under the nose of the military. This issue paper examines the prospects for security sector governance in Pakistan and identifies the reforms necessary for the government to make meaningful strides in this area.

Financing Security Sector Reform: A Review of Official Development Assistance Data

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:41:17 +0000

International organizations and major aid donors have increasingly become more involved in the efforts to reform the security and justice institutions in developing countries over the past 20 years. This SSR Issue Paper focuses on the size of external support for SSR activities, showing that agencies often discuss the effectiveness of SSR programming without the benefit of a comprehensive system for tracking SSR assistance.