In The News

Uncertain Future for Free Trade

Ernesto Zedillo September 15, 2004
WTO members in Geneva recently ratified the Doha Development Agenda July 2004 Package, a group of measures designed to carry out the goals of the 2001 Doha Round. Ernesto Zedillo, director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization and former president of Mexico, suggests that despite laudatory talk from the key negotiators, the recent Geneva agreement contributes little toward advancing...

Is Equity in Trade an Attainable Goal?

Susan Ariel Aaronson September 15, 2004
As developing countries struggle to survive in the competitive global market, many wonder if the current system is inherently biased against them. Groups like Oxfam International, a prominent development organization, aim to remedy what they regard as structural failures in the world economy by reforming trade relations among nations. Globalization scholar Susan Ariel Aaronson suggests that...

Gathering Nuclear Crisis Calls for a Drastic Policy Overhaul

Ramesh Thakur September 10, 2004
As a growing number of countries flirt with nuclear capabilities, it may be time to reconsider the effectiveness of the current arms-control doctrine. Political scientist Ramesh Thakur asserts that the inconsistencies in the application of non-proliferation policy, as developed by the US and the other four Security Council members, may bring about its collapse. The five nuclear powers, argues...

Measure first, then cut

September 9, 2004
Bad regulations rarely make headlines, but a new study by the World Bank, "Doing Business in 2005," shows that excessive red tape is one of the chief obstacles to growth in almost all poor countries. Pointless regulations often foster corruption, as firms and individuals have a greater incentive to bribe officials not to enforce them. Entrepreneurs suffer the most, not only from...

Too Much Consensus

September 2, 2004
Deciphering world policy jargon is often a daunting task. Fortunately, Foreign Policy magazine clarifies a few key ideas in its "Field Guide to the Consensuses." After the 1990 Washington Consensus, John Williamson's expression of support for market theory, the world has witnessed the births of a few other "consensual" ideas. The Beijing Consensus, antithetical to its...

Commonwealth Ministers Move to End Teacher "Poaching"

Polly Curtis September 1, 2004
Friction between rich and poor Commonweath nations has increased amidst accusations of teacher "poaching." Representatives from thirty nations are meeting to discuss the international recruitment of educators. Many member nations have expressed frustration with the practice of developed countries recruiting teachers from those less developed. In several regions, the need is striking...

U.S. and Russia Still Dominate Arms Market, but World Total Falls

Thom Shanker August 30, 2004
The US and Russia continued to dominate the global arms market last year, especially when measured in sales to developing nations. According to a new Congressional Study, the US lead in worldwide weapons sales in 2003, signing more than $14.5 billion worth of arms, or 56.7 percent of the global total. Russia ranked second with 16.8 percent of all arms deals. Despite these sizable sales the...