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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Securing a future for the next generations – navigating today’s global challenges

by Frederik Matthys
In an era frequently described as ‘unprecedented’, the global landscape often seems daunting. Countries classified as democracies are increasingly outnumbered by those classified as autocracies, interstate conflicts have escalated, and the multifaceted impacts of climate change—from health crises to forced displacement—continue to intensify. Meanwhile, gender inequality persists, progress in poverty and inequality reduction has stalled, or even reversed in some contexts, and multilateral co...

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...

What are foresight methods and how can they secure our common futures?

by Aicha Robei
Future tools and foresight thinking are crucial instruments to improve decision-making for a common future. As a Youth Foresight Fellow with UNICEF, I firmly believe that utilizing foresight, a sophisticated approach for anticipation and strategic planning, is essential in tackling and lessening the impacts of climate change, conflict, and inequality.Foresight allows us to think about the speculated future based on models and data to solve problems and chart a path to a prosperous and nurturing...

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    Blog
    Just transitions and the importance of social protection reforms for ambitious climate action

    As greenhouse gases once again climb to record levels, countries are under pressure to make the move to a low-carbon economy. Policies that move in...

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

    The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for...

    Blog
    Time to rethink theory on the role of finance in development: The new structural financial economics framework

    The primary role of finance is to serve the ‘real economy’¬—the part of the economy that produces goods and services. Yet in practice, the financial...

    Blog
    Are Sovereign Wealth Funds fit for purpose in Africa?

    Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) have become a symbol of national success and a means for global, commercial and geopolitical influence. But how well do...

    Blog
    How climate change increases vulnerability to human trafficking in the Philippines
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    As COP28 unfolds, I share new findings on the impact of climate change on human rights violations and, more specifically, on human trafficking as...

    Blog
    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
    $1 trillion in the shade: The annual profits multinational corporations shift to tax havens continues to climb and climb

    About a decade ago, the world’s biggest economies agreed to crack down on multinational corporations’ abusive use of tax havens. This resulted in a 15...

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    From Monterrey to Addis Ababa, and what has happened since?
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    The importance of domestic revenue mobilization and taxation for sustainable development is widely acknowledged in global development discussions, but...

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    Global tax reforms, net-zero, and domestic revenue: Food for thought from the DRM programme
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    Domestic revenue mobilization (DRM) and taxation have gained prominence lately on the global agenda, most recently with the resolution for the United...

    Blog
    Empirical research is crucial for better tax enforcement in the developing world
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    I had the privilege to participate in the UNU-WIDER Winter School as one of the lecturers. In this blog, I explain my main takeaways for students and...

    Blog
    Fintech and domestic savings: A perfect match coming true in sub-Saharan Africa
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    Financial technology (FinTech) is a major force disrupting the structure of financial services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and enabling access of...

    Blog
    Sales recovered faster from the pandemic than employment: Evidence from tax administrative and survey data in Zambia

    Like most other countries, the government of Zambia introduced restrictions to control COVID-19, which considerably curtailed normal economic activity...

    Blog
    Putting it all together: Highlights from The puzzle of peace
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    ‘Understanding how to sustain peace means understanding conflict itself. Yet conflict and peacebuilding are often addressed separately’ – Patricia...

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    From offshore oil to offshore finance: How tax havens facilitate corruption in the extractive industries

    In many countries, news of an oil discovery or the award of an exploration license is rarely greeted with enthusiasm by the general public. Any hopes...

    Blog
    Virtuous circles and downward spirals: The power of ideas & the limits of technocracy
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    What will it take to shake loose the distemper of our times, and initiate a virtuous spiral of renewal? In a recent UNU-WIDER webinar, Alan Hirsch and...

    Blog
    From summits to solutions: what success means at COP26
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    At the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, world leaders discussed the need to scale-up ambition to address key global challenges...

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    Reducing wasted gas emissions is an opportunity for clean air and climate

    The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is seen as the last best chance for countries and companies to set out how they are actually...

    Blog
    Looking ahead to COP26
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    The long-awaited COP26 in Glasgow is about to start. Billed as the most important COP to date, it is widely seen as a last chance to avoid a global...

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    The value of non-renewable resources in the era of climate change
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    The economic decline of Nauru, an island in the Central Pacific, is a cautionary tale. Nauru was the highest GDP per capita country in the world in...

    Blog
    The zero carbon agenda and metals demand: some major dilemmas
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    The transition to net zero over the next few decades will involve a large increase in the global demand for many metals essential to the renewables...

    Policy Brief
    Regional integration and Tanzania’s export performance
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    Unlocking the mystery of domestic savings: What difference do they make?

    The socioeconomic fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore discussions on domestic resource mobilization (hereafter DRM)...

    Blog
    Co-creation for fair and efficient taxation: Research recommendations to improve policies

    How can we determine the taxation of wage earners or multinational corporations in a fair manner? Will simplifying tax administration help increase...

    Blog
    What does COVID-19 mean for Africa?: Challenges, but also opportunities

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an exceptional social and economic crisis all over the world, with Africa among the hardest-hit regions. What are the...

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    Finding keys for development in Africa
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    Economics researcher Aimable Nsabimana shares the relevance and inspiration behind his recent work with UNU-WIDER on climate change and human...

    Blog
    Slow death or new direction for the UN?
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    For most of its 75-year existence, the United Nations has struggled to strike a balance between its lofty founding aspirations and realities on the...

    Research Brief
    Monetary policy and firm size in South Africa

    Monetary policy affects the real economy through various channels, including the interest rate, exchange rate, credit, and asset price channels. The credit channel has recently received considerable attention. Small firms are more sensitive to...

    Research Brief
    Economic transformation in Vietnam
    Research Brief
    Estimating tax gaps in the non-financial sector

    Many governments, particularly those in developing countries, have set an objective to improve tax revenue mobilization to offer more and better public services to their citizens. To develop effective revenue-raising strategies it is necessary to...

    Research Brief
    How important are management practices for micro, small, and medium enterprises in Vietnam?
    Research Brief
    Understanding elite commitment to social protection in Rwanda
    Blog
    Being the change you want to see
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    While growing up, I was troubled by the scale of the socioeconomic gap between the haves and the have-nots in the community around me. I saw cases...

    Research Brief
    A snapshot of poverty and inequality in Asia
    Policy Brief
    Eight lessons on small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam
    Research Brief
    Six factors that determine future development of economies and labour markets in Asia
    Research Brief
    The impact on jobs and earnings of offshoring in South Africa

    The success of an economy’s manufacturing sector is often critical to economic growth and development. As a major contributor to exports, site of innovation, adopter of international best practices, and engine of job creation, an internationally...

    Blog
    Indonesia's huge fires and toxic haze will cause health problems for years to come
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    Indonesia is currently in the throes of an environmental emergency. Thousands of hectares of forest are burning across the vast country, causing toxic...

    Research Brief
    Racial inequality and demographic change in South Africa

    Over the past 20 years, researchers have been looking at the economic lifecycle of individuals around the world using National Transfer Accounts (NTA) data. The focus of this research has been on understanding how societies produce, consume, share...

    Policy Brief
    Resurgent Asia

    In 1820, Asia accounted for two-thirds of world population and over half of world income. The subsequent decline of Asia was attributable to its integration with a world economy shaped by colonialism and driven by imperialism. By 1970, Asia was the...

    Research Brief
    A pre-prototype Social Accounting Matrix for Myanmar
    Research Brief
    Global mitigation policies and developing country economies
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    Narendra Modi’s performance on the Indian economy: Five key policies assessed
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    When Narendra Modi became India’s prime minister in spring 2014 the Indian economy was in the doldrums. There was a clear policy paralysis in India’s...

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    India’s General Elections 2019: The potential electoral consequences of demonetisation
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    In the campaign leading up to the Lok Sabha elections in spring 2014, one of the more important promises that Narendra Modi made was to ‘clean up’ the...

    Blog
    How can developing countries deliver effective public financial planning?

    In many less developed countries, there is little problem identifying the need for public investment in programmes aimed at improving things such as...

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    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...

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    Developing countries would benefit from improved tax collection: What can help?

    The ability to raise revenues from taxes – called “fiscal capacity” – is a crucial aspect for the functioning of any state. Being able to tax citizens...

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    Progressive research with amazing people in a beautiful sauna-crazy country: Pui Yi Wong - 2018 PhD Fellow

    In the fall of 2018 UNU-WIDER welcomed 11 doctoral students from around the world as part of our PhD Fellowship Programme. The students, from Ghana...

    Policy Brief
    Is global inequality rising or falling?

    When measured in relative terms, global inequality has been decreasing. However, in absolute terms it has been increasing. What does this mean for analysing and addressing inequality? While it remains vital to continue reducing the global incidence...

    Displaying 48 of 152 results