WIDERAngle

Expert commentary from our network

About

The WIDERAngle publishes expert commentary and analysis of the latest research in global development. The WIDERAngle supports UNU-WIDER’s missions to undertake research and policy analysis on the most pressing concerns affecting humanity and provides a forum for knowledge sharing, discussion, and debate.

 

To see past newsletters, visit our WIDERAngle archive.

 

Write for the WIDERAngle

We accept submissions that represent sincere efforts to advance knowledge on topics related to the promotion of sustainable and equitable development for all. Although many of our writers are established in their fields, we particularly encourage submissions from early-career researchers, policy professionals, and writers who represent Global South countries and perspectives.

 

For guidelines on WIDERAngle submissions, please refer to our Guidelines for submissions.

 

Send submission queries to editorialteam@wider.unu.edu.

 

EDITORIAL TEAM

Executive Editor: Annett Victorero

Managing Editor: Timothy Shipp

Assistant Editor: Tristan Reid

 

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Two poems by Neide Sigaúque

by Neide Sigaúque
On 15 May, poet Neide Sigaúque was commissioned to perform two poems on the themes of the WIDER Development Conference The world at crossroads – securing the future generations held in Maputo, Mozambique.One cannot sleep here, let alone dream I am Neide Sigaúque,A womanfrom the southern side of the Third World,Mozambique, 'land of the good people'.I was born in an independent country —independently of my parents' liberation struggle,today dependent on external aid.A country with an economy...

Counting (on) the labour market to secure a just transition

by Haroon Bhorat, François Steenkamp
The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for all. The Agreement necessitates a transition away from fossil fuel-based economic production, particularly the use of coal as a source of energy. In 2021, coal constituted 36% of global primary energy supply, while accounting for 40.3% of global CO2 emissions.Whilst the use of coal as a primary energy source varies across countries, South Africa is...

Quantifying the economic impact of conflict traps

by Joan Margalef
As we look towards securing a brighter future for coming generations, we must address the complex challenges that threaten sustainable development and global stability. Among these challenges, conflict stands out as a particularly destructive one. In our latest research, we find that a country that falls into conflict is expected to lose 20% of its GDP per capita after 30 years, compared to if it had always been at peace. Even for small countries, this represents a substantial economic loss...

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    Blog
    What are foresight methods and how can they secure our common futures?
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    Future tools and foresight thinking are crucial instruments to improve decision-making for a common future. As a Youth Foresight Fellow with UNICEF, I...

    Blog
    Realizing socioeconomic rights with a limited budget
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    The South African constitution is considered progressive and transformative in intention due to its inclusion of socioeconomic rights, such as the...

    Blog
    Climate resilient development needs effective co-operation
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    The rise of resilience policy in sustainable development Climate resilience is an increasingly popular response to development in a time of polycrisis...

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    Sustainable Cities Discussion Forum: Cities have important role in mitigating climate threats
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    'Our window to avoid climate catastrophe is closing rapidly, and yet there are still many reasons for optimism.' This statement sums up a recent third...

    Blog
    From Africa rising to rising debt in Africa: The looming debt crisis
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    Africa’s rising public debt continues to attract increased attention regionally and internationally. The narrative about Africa seems to have...

    Research Brief
    Community development planning
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    Responding to crises: What can we do? What’s next?
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    Although sometimes over used, the word 'crisis' accurately describes many challenges of today's world, such as climage change, war and refugees...

    Blog
    Celebrating 30 years of research for development
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    The celebration of the 30th Anniversary of UNU-WIDER presented the ideal opportunity to look back, take stock, and plan ahead. Where else can a group...

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    Economic Lessons from Recent Research for Achieving SDG8
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    This article is part of UNU’s “17 Days, 17 Goals” series, featuring research and commentary in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development...

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    Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen on the Sustainable Development Goals
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    World leaders are now meeting at a special UN summit from 25–27 September to formally adopt the SDGs, which will then be implemented from 1 January...

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    The Future of Development – Aid and Beyond
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    Just over a year ago, in March 2014, UNU-WIDER published a report entitled: What do we know about aid as we approach 2015? It notes the many successes...

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    Institutions and Impact – Some Reflections on the UNU-WIDER Method
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    I have spent much of the last two years on behalf of UNU-WIDER engaged in thinking about these two issues, but only on this current trip to Toronto...

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    Finn Tarp on Growth and Inequality
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    In this episode of In Focus, we tackle the issue of growing inequality in Africa amidst impressive economic growth rates with Prof. Finn Tarp...

    Blog
    WIDER Annual Lecture 18: Managing Structural Transformation
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    18 December 2014 Roger Williamson At the UN headquarters in New York on 18 November 2014, Peter Timmer, emeritus professor from Harvard, showed how...

    Blog
    WIDER Annual Lectures – Taking Stock
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    ​I am looking forward to WIDER Annual Lecture 18, held 18 November in New York not only because I expect that Peter Timmer will make a distinguished...

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    New Winds at UNU-WIDER – An Interview with Channing Arndt
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    25 June 2014 Professor Channing Arndt is a US citizen who recently started as a Senior Research Fellow at UNU-WIDER. He was especially attracted by...

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    Illegal Fishing by Small-Scale Fishers in Ghana: Findings and Policy Suggestions
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    27 May 2014 Wisdom Akpalu The number of fishers and fishing vessels in the capture fishery sector, especially the artisanal marine fishery sub-sector...

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    UNU-WIDER in Ghana – An Interview with Wisdom Akpalu
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    23 April 2014 Wisdom Akpalu joined UNU-WIDER as a Research Fellow based in Ghana in the beginning of 2014. Prior to joining the Institute he was an...

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    Growth Yes, but where’s the Transformation and Inclusion?
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    26 March 2014 Roger Williamson Africa is growing, with The Economist noting that 6 out of 10 of the world’s fastest growing economies for 2000-10 were...

    Research Brief
    Maximizing the Effectiveness of Foreign Aid in the Forestry Sector

    Forest degradation remains a leading environmental problem, given the scale of forest loss and the crucial role of forests to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Initiatives from the climate change policy arena, especially REDD+, are...

    Research Brief
    Supporting Design of Green Cities

    Development of green cities is one way to help address problems associated with climate change. Curitiba, Brazil, combines integrated sustainable urban planning and strong leadership, resulting in a reduced environmental impact since it began these...

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    A New Agenda for a New World
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    24 June 2013 Minister Gunilla Carlson Like every political agenda, the post-2015 agenda must be firmly based in a reality check. The current...

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    Positioning the Climate Finance in the post-2015 Development Agenda
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    24 June 2013 Aziz Karimov By the end of 2015, we will see a new global development agenda which will substitute the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs...

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    Development Agenda after 2015: Finishing the Job we have Started
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    9 May 2013 Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development Imagine a world where global poverty is at a record low; growth in Africa—at a record high...

    Research Brief
    How Can Aid Help Agriculture Become More Resilient to Climate Change?

    Review shows that global agricultural production must be increased by about 70 per cent by 2050 in order to provide sufficient nourishment for the world’s growing population. Focusing on tropical climates to 2050, climate change is likely to reduce...

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    The Polarized post-2015 Development Puzzle: The Poorest still Fall Behind
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    23 April 2013 Marikki Stocchetti 2015 will mark a moment of truth for the international community as the era of the Millennium Development agenda...

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    Aid in the Climate Change Combat
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    17 April 2013 Carl-Gustav Lindén In recent weeks there have been several large gatherings of experts dealing with how to tackle the complex climate...

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    We Need to Go to Zero!
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    Christian Friis Bach We need to unite the world in a strong effort to eradicate extreme poverty, promote sustainable development and ensure the right...

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    Achieving Development Depends on all Peoples Enjoying Human Rights and Democratic Rule in their Countries
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    Heidi Hautala Over the last decade the international community has striven to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Thanks to global...

    Research Brief
    Greenhouse Gas Emissions and China’s Agriculture Sector

    China is the world’s largest developing country and its huge population requires a similarly large agricultural sector to sustain it. A major challenge for China faces is working out how increasing demands for food can be met at the same time as...

    Research Brief
    Responding to Aid-Induced Dutch Disease

    In the WIDER Working Paper 'Aid and the Fiscal and Monetary Responses to Dutch Disease' Alan Roe looks at the ways in which aid-induced, and mineral export-induced Dutch Disease (DD) are similar, and the ways in which they differ. He argues that many...

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    Climate Change and Development Policy
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    James Thurlow UNU-WIDER recently hosted an international conference on ‘Climate Change and Development Policy’. We were motivated by the apparent...

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    Climate Change and Development Policy: Competing Aims?
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    Yongfu Huang The climate change crisis and development needs of the world's poor require us to acknowledge the necessity and urgency for both...

    Research Brief
    The Global Triple Crises – Finance, Environment and Food

    Three global crises -finance, environment and food The global economy is currently facing three crises which threaten to undermine the welfare and prosperity of present and future generations. The first is the financial crisis which originated in the...

    Research Brief
    Aid and Structural Change in Africa

    It is commonly acknowledged that developing economies are characterized by large differences in output per worker across sectors. For such economies the shift of resources from low productivity to high productivity is the key potential driver of...

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    Green Growth: A Win-Win Approach to Sustainable Development?

    Danielle Resnick and James Thurlow The concept of ‘green growth’ is one which has understandable political currency, highlighted by its prominence in...

    Research Brief
    The Second Best Solution

    Historically nations have developed at their own pace without assistance or aid. This kind of self-development has its obvious upsides, namely in guaranteeing the ‘ownership’ of countries over their development process. None the less, due to the...

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    Learning How to Promote Social Protection from Cambodia’s Garment Workers
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    Alisa DiCaprio Innovations in social protection systems design have moved forward quickly on the supply-side over the past decade. But the same degree...

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    Global Recycling Supply Chains and Waste Picking in Developing Countries
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    Martin Medina As world leaders gather in Copenhagen this month for the fifteenth United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) the challenges...

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    After the G-20 Summit: What Prospects for Global Development?
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    Wim Naudé In the run-up to the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit that was held in London on 2 April 2009, many institutions (including governments...

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    The Climate Change Challenge: Two Arguments for Acting Now
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    Kemal Derviş The debate on climate change has evolved in recent years from being about whether climate change is a serious problem, towards being...

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    Can the Southern Engines Sustain their Growth?
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    by Meghnad Desai The emergence of four economies from the ‘South’ as important players in the global economy has attracted attention. These four...

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    An Innovative Source of Development Finance: The Carbon Tax
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    by Nitin Desai With official development assistance falling short of needs, there has long been a search for ‘innovative’ means for financing...

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    Managing Resource Abundance
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    by Richard Auty At first sight, countries that are abundant in minerals and other natural resources should enjoy faster development. But between 1960...

    Displaying 44 of 44 results