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121. Revitalising the Green Climate Fund

Author:
Georgia Hammersley, Melanie Pill, and Roland Rajah
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Lowy Institute for International Policy
Abstract:
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a lynchpin for global climate solidarity and plays an important role in supporting climate action in developing countries. The Fund should, however, increase its focus on serving the most climate vulnerable countries, including in the Pacific Islands region, particularly through grant-based adaptation financing. Reforms are required to ensure that GCF support is targeted to where it is needed most and to boost countries’ direct access to funding. This includes adoption of country allocations following a prescribed formula to guarantee that support is well targeted and depoliticised. Major donors should continue to invest resources and diplomatic effort in the GCF through its upcoming replenishment, while scaling up their financial support over time in line with these reforms. Australia should rejoin the Fund to further its own strategic climate objectives. Canberra has a crucial role to play in making the GCF work for Pacific Island countries and in unlocking greater global climate funding for the region.
Topic:
Climate Change, Reform, Investment, and Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Political Geography:
Australia/Pacific

122. Growth Stories: the 'Knowledge Economy' and alternative economic narratives for a future government

Author:
Nick O'Donovan and Vicky Pryce
Publication Date:
03-2023
Content Type:
Video
Institution:
Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London
Abstract:
Since the early 1990s, successive UK governments have emphasised social investment in education and research, coupled with pro-market reforms, to foster high-productivity 'knowledge work' in industries such as computing and life sciences. At this seminar at the Mile End Institute, held on Tuesday 23 March 2023, Dr Nick O'Donovan (Head of the Future Economies Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University) explored how the 'Knowledge Economy' became received wisdom in economic policy circles. After presenting his recent book, Pursuing the Knowledge Economy, Nick discussed how it endured multiple crises and a decade-long slump with Vicky Pryce (former Head of the Government Economic Service) and Lord Wood of Anfield (Special Adviser to Gordon Brown). They concluded by discussing whether today's political leaders are willing to break free of the Knowledge Economy narrative and what alternative 'growth stories' they might tell in its place after the next general election.
Topic:
Government, Reform, Economic Growth, and Knowledge Economy
Political Geography:
United Kingdom and North America

123. Beginning of the End of Reformasi? Malaysia’s August 2023 State Polls

Author:
Bridget Welsh
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
East Asia Institute (EAI)
Abstract:
On August 12th, Malaysia held elections in six states, with voters from nearly a third of the country’s population eligible to vote. The results were a rebuke of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s eight-month leadership. The conservative Islamist ethno-nationalist opposition Perikatan Nasional, comprised of the Islamist party PAS and ultra-ethnonationalist Malay party Bersatu led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, gained 61 seats out of 245 and 49% of the popular vote. Given the unevenness of Malaysia’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery and the challenges of Anwar’s coalition ‘unity’ government, it is important to note that this coalition comprises his pro-reform Pakatan Harapan, his former political foe, the Malay nationalist United Malays National Organization (UMNO)-dominated Barisan Nasional (BN), and regional parties from Borneo. This alliance came together after the 2022 general election, which resulted in a hung parliament. Anwar’s preoccupation with promoting himself rather than focusing on policy programs made these election results somewhat expected. Little had been done to effectively communicate a cohesive program to the electorate or to shore up the legitimacy of a new friends-and-foes elitist government that holds the majority in parliament but remains unknown to the majority of voters. Instead, Anwar’s government relied on short-term populist initiatives that only served to fuel perceptions of seeking political security rather than leadership confidence in government.
Topic:
Reform, Elections, Domestic Politics, and Identity Politics
Political Geography:
Malaysia and Southeast Asia

124. The Condition of the Indian Working Class

Author:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Publication Date:
05-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Abstract:
This dossier offers a broad analysis of the living and working conditions of India’s large and diverse working class.
Topic:
Reform, Labor Market, and Working Class
Political Geography:
India and South America

125. Ukraine’s State-Civil Partnership to Reform the Security Sector

Author:
Julia Soldatiuk-Westerveld and Bob Deen
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations
Abstract:
Reforming Ukraine’s large security sector and overcoming its Soviet-era legacies has been a major challenge since independence. Ukrainian civil society has been vociferously demanding a transition towards a transparent and well-governed security sector that upholds the interests of the population rather than keeping it under control. This is also a priority for the Ukrainian Government and its international partners, as a prerequisite for further integration with the European Union and NATO. This report therefore analyses the changing role of Ukrainian civil society by investigating seven examples of key reforms of the security sector and puts forward recommendations for Ukraine’s international partners regarding their cooperation with Ukrainian civil society organisations (CSOs).
Topic:
Security, Civil Society, Reform, European Union, Partnerships, and Russia-Ukraine War
Political Geography:
Europe and Ukraine

126. Rural Vulnerability, Employment and Social Safety Programmes in Egypt: How Far Could State Initiatives Go?

Author:
Hussein Suleiman
Publication Date:
04-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
IEMed/EuroMeSCo
Abstract:
This paper aims to assess the Haya Karima initiative, launched by the Egyptian government in 2019, which targets rural communities to achieve inclusive development and eliminate poverty. The paper examines the goals, interventions, and scale of the initiative and uses official data to provide indicators of its operations. Additionally, the paper analyzes rural vulnerability and poverty in Egypt, with a focus on employment opportunities and quality. Hussein Suleiman argues that while the initiative has been scaled up significantly, it has been inadequately planned and disproportionately focuses on infrastructure interventions that are unlikely to eliminate poverty. The paper proposes institutional reform as a necessary route to inclusive development and job creation in rural and urban Egypt, and recommends policy changes to address vulnerability and poverty in the country.
Topic:
Development, Poverty, Reform, Job Creation, and Economic Inclusion
Political Geography:
Middle East, North Africa, and Egypt

127. Why The Monetary Policy Framework in Advanced Countries Needs Fundamental Reform

Author:
William White
Publication Date:
08-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)
Abstract:
The objective pursued by most central banks in recent decades has been a low level of inflation. Since inflation was believed to respond to changes in unemployment, this implied a primary focus on labor markets and output gaps in the “real” economy when setting monetary policy. In contrast, “financial” sector developments were thought to be of no great importance.
Topic:
Economics, Monetary Policy, Reform, Inflation, and Labor Market
Political Geography:
Global Focus

128. El lugar de las reivindicaciones económicas dentro del proceso de paz, el escenario de transición y los movimientos de mujeres y feministas en Colombia

Author:
Diana Montealegre Mongrovejo
Publication Date:
09-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Centro Interdisciplinario de Estudios sobre Desarrollo (CIDER), Universidad de los Andes
Abstract:
El presente documento de política analiza las estrategias y posturas que emprendieron los movimientos de mujeres y feministas en torno a reivindicaciones económicas y de justicia redistributiva en el más reciente proceso de paz en Colombia (2012-2021). Por su estrecha relación con discusiones recientes sobre desarrollo y paz, se priorizan las reivindicaciones relacionadas con la Reforma Rural Integral y los Planes de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial. Metodológicamente se llevaron a cabo para este estudio entrevistas semiestructuradas además de la revisión de comunicados, informes y sistematizaciones de las organizaciones de mujeres y feministas. Lejos de mostrar a estos movimientos como homogéneos, con una sola voz o actuando entorno a estrategias unificadas, se analiza precisamente la diversidad de posturas políticas, puntos de encuentro, desencuentro y tensiones. Las recomendaciones formuladas están orientadas principalmente a la reflexión sobre el lugar de lo económico en las más recientes negociaciones de paz, el escenario de transición por estas habilitado y en los propios movimientos.
Topic:
Social Movement, Reform, Economy, Feminism, and Peace Process
Political Geography:
Colombia and South America

129. Leveraging IBSA for the G20 Troika Presidencies

Author:
Rajiv Bhatia and Manjeet Kripalani
Publication Date:
11-2023
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations
Abstract:
On December 1, 2023, India will hand over the G20 Presidency to Brazil. The G20 troika will now comprise the three IBSA countries – India, Brazil, South Africa – till November 2025. This trio has an agenda in common and with the G20, such as multilateral reform, energy transitions and digitalisation. IBSA should use its mechanisms and natural solidarity to advance the interests of the Global South.
Topic:
Reform, G20, Digitalization, and Energy Transition
Political Geography:
South Asia, India, Brazil, and South America

130. Anticorruption Reform: Learning From Experience Across Sectors

Author:
Tom Shipley
Publication Date:
12-2023
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Natural Resource Governance Institute
Abstract:
Even armed with a thorough approach for diagnosing corruption risk, anticorruption reformers may struggle to decide on next steps. Solutions to corruption problems do not always readily present themselves. The politicized nature of the issues also means generating real momentum behind reform can seem daunting. To help reformers with these choices, this NRGI briefing brings together eight case studies from other sectors. Cases were selected where positive changes can be demonstrated, even if the reform process is often incomplete. NRGI and the author also selected reforms which have potential replicability in the extractives sector, while recognizing that the details will look different. The case examples are organized by reform categories, as shown in the table below. The briefing presents a short summary of each case and provides links to further materials, as well as accurate and up-to-date a summary as possible in each case, with the caveat that circumstances frequently change in anticorruption work. The briefing concludes with five lessons on anticorruption reform which can be drawn from across these cases. The aim is to show what can be achieved and support users of the diagnostic tool to learn from experiences outside the extractives sector. The tool provides guidance to multi-stakeholder groups to identify forms of corruption harming a country’s extractive sector. Developing an anticorruption action plan is the sixth step in the tool and a key outcome of the diagnostic process. The action plan should follow from a broader discussion on strategy, through which users make choices on the issues to tackle, the people and agencies to engage, and how to brand reforms (see section 6.1. in the diagnostic tool, “Strategizing”). To ensure the action plan provides a sound basis for reform, users of the tool should apply the following key principles: Engage all relevant stakeholders throughout the action planning process to secure buy-in for reforms. Set clear and specific objectives which balance feasibility and ambition. Ensure clear ownership and incentives, and lines of responsibility for actions. Set clear indicators and conduct regular monitoring to assess progress. Build in flexibility and be prepared to adapt plans to changes in the context. The diagnostic tool includes templates and guidance for users when developing an action plan.
Topic:
Corruption, Reform, and Stakeholders
Political Geography:
Global Focus