April 2019 - BlueBlox

Africa – Quietly Building an Empire

April 16, 2019September 23, 2019 DorothyOur Opinion

Trade revolutions? Africans are doing it for themselves. The global trade landscape is tense. America and China are still locked in a trade war and India appears to be next on Trump’s hitlist. In the EU, trade agreements are fraught […]

When Elephants Fight

April 4, 2019September 23, 2019 DorothyOur Opinion

How conflicts between powerful countries threaten emerging markets When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. – African proverb During his 2016 US election campaign, a key pillar of President Trump’s platform was that the US has been “cheated” in […]

ITC
WTO
World Bank Africa
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New global trade alert system launched to boost market access for developing countries

8 November 2016

(Geneva) – A new online alert system designed to help government agencies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) keep track of the latest information on regulatory requirements for international trade was launched today (8 November) by the United... [...]

Equipping TISIs to drive membership and increase revenues

7 November 2016

Enhancing the efficiency of Trade and Investment Support Institutions (TISIs) from across East Africa and beyond was the focus of a two-day workshop held by the International Trade Centre (ITC) in collaboration with the Zanzibar National Chamber of Commerce,... [...]

Myanmar to launch Kayah State as tourist destination at World Travel Market 2016

7 November 2016

(Geneva) – A little-visisted region of Myanmar is to be launched as a new tourist destination at the World Travel Market 2016, an important tourism trade fair, in London between 7 and 9 November. The launch of Kayah State as a tourist destination is... [...]

Asian exporters to gain better access to Chinese market

3 November 2016

Exporters in Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Nepal are better positioned to access the Chinese market following training from the International Trade Centre (ITC).A series of training workshops organized in each... [...]

ITC and Expertise France launch EU-funded Libya Entrepreneurship Programme

3 November 2016

(Paris, Geneva and Tripoli) – The International Trade Centre (ITC) and Expertise France today launched the Libya Entrepreneurship Programme, which will provide six-week online training courses for young and aspiring entrepreneurs in Libya. The programme... [...]

Dates fixed for WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference

16 April 2021

The WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) will take place from 30 November to 3 December 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland, the chair of the organization’s General Council confirmed on 16 April. [...]

Workshop on Information Technology Agreement to be held in September 2021

15 April 2021

A WTO workshop to discuss developments in information and communications technology (ICT) will take place on 16 September in Geneva, according to a decision made at the meeting of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) Committee on 15 April. The workshop will examine how trade in ICT products has helped countries around the world combat COVID-19. It will also allow government officials to engage with the private sector and representatives of the IT industry on trade covered by the ITA and how the Agreement is used as a development tool. [...]

Virtual seminar to explore TRIPS and trade in knowledge

15 April 2021

The WTO is organizing a virtual seminar on 20 April 2021 to explore the burgeoning trade in knowledge within the framework of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The webinar is part of a series of events to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the TRIPS Agreement, and to reflect on the impact and evolution of the most comprehensive multilateral treaty on intellectual property protection and enforcement. [...]

Participants in talks on services domestic regulation share implementation experiences

14 April 2021

At a virtual meeting held on 14 April 2021, WTO members participating in the negotiations on services domestic regulation shared how they have implemented disciplines at the national level. The chair of the negotiations, Jaime Coghi of Costa Rica, and a number of delegations also provided updates on recent outreach activities. [...]

Chair Summary following “COVID-19 and Vaccine Equity: What Can the WTO Contribute?”

14 April 2021

DG Okonjo-Iweala provided this summary at the end of the event. [...]

World Bank support to the Statistics Sierra Leone and the Mid-Term Census

19 April 2021

World Bank support for statistical capacity building and open data initiatives is provided in response to high demand by our member countries, their constituents, and our development partners across the globe. Better data is fundamental to making the right policy decisions that help reduce poverty. The World Bank is working with Sierra Leone to help produce quality and credible data that will contribute to the attainment of the national development goals of the country. Under the Harmonizing and Improving Statistics in West Africa Project (HISWA), a US$30 million grant was allocated to Sierra Leone to strengthen its statistical system. One… [...]

The Gambia Secures More Funds for COVID-19 Vaccines

19 April 2021

BANJUL, The Gambia, April 16, 2021—Today, the World Bank Board approved $8 million additional financing from the International Development Association (IDA) to provide The Gambia with safe and effective vaccine purchase and deployment. “With this additional financing, the World Bank is helping The Gambia strengthen their pandemic response and health care systems, as well as scale up its vaccination campaign, with a total contribution of $19 million towards the implementation of the Government’s National COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan,” said Feyi Boroffice, World Bank Resident Representative for The Gambia. The additional financing for Gambia COVID-19 Vaccine Preparedness and Response Project… [...]

Côte d’Ivoire : un engagement plus fort en faveur d’un accès équitable et informé au vaccin contre la COVID-19

19 April 2021

WASHINGTON, 16 avril 2021—La Banque mondiale a approuvé ce vendredi un nouveau financement pour faciliter l’acquisition de nouveaux vaccins contre la COVID-19 et booster la campagne nationale de vaccination afin de limiter la propagation du coronavirus en Côte d’Ivoire. D’un montant global de 100 millions de dollars, ce financement additionnel qui intervient dans le cadre du Projet d’appui au Plan national de riposte à la COVID-19 vise à permettre à la Côte d’Ivoire de diversifier ses sources d’approvisionnement en vaccins contre la COVID-19, d’assurer un déploiement efficace au niveau national et de soutenir les efforts de sensibilisation générale à l’importance… [...]

What is IDA?

19 April 2021

What is IDA? The International Development Association (IDA) is one of the largest and most effective platforms for fighting extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. IDA is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s 74 poorest countries and is the single largest source of donor funds for basic social services in these countries. IDA aims to reduce poverty by providing grants, zero to low-interest loans, and policy advice for programs that boost economic growth, build resilience, and improve the lives of poor people around the world. Over the past 60 years, IDA has provided about $422 billion for investments in 114 countries. How is IDA funded? IDA… [...]

Resposta do Banco Mundial à COVID-19 (Coronavírus) em África

19 April 2021

Decorrido mais de um ano após o início da pandemia, o rescaldo de uma propagação mais lenta do coronavírus e uma menor taxa de mortalidade, aliado a ações decisivas dos países para salvar vidas e meios de subsistência, conjugado com uma recuperação mais rápida do que o esperado nos preços das commodities contribuíram para melhorar as perspectivas econômicas de muitas economias da África Subsaariana (ASS). No entanto, a pandemia continua a afetar a vida dos africanos, tendo empurrando até 40 milhões de pessoas para a pobreza extrema. Mulheres, jovens, mão de obra de baixa qualificação e aqueles no setor informal… [...]

What is IDA?

19 April 2021

Restoring Hope, Saving lives: COVID-19 Response Project in Yemen

19 April 2021

Challenge Years of conflict in Yemen have taken a massive toll on the already vulnerable health system. Only half of the country’s health facilities remain open, despite lacking essential requirements—including water, fuel, and oxygen—to be fully functional. Millions of Yemenis suffer every day from the lack of healthcare services. In 2021, over 20 million people (almost 80 percent of the population) depend entirely on aid to survive and get access to essential medical services, and over 2 million children are acutely malnourished. COVID-19 has exacerbated the situation, further limiting health access to the people in need. Since the first declared… [...]

استعادة الأمل وإنقاذ الأرواح: مشروع التصدي لجائحة كورونا (كوفيد-19) في اليمن

19 April 2021

التحدي لقد ألحقت سنوات الصراع في اليمن أضراراً بالغة بالنظام الصحي المتداعي حيث تُشير التقديرات إلى توقف نحو نصف المنشآت الصحية العامة في البلاد عن تقديم خدماتها، كما تشير إلى أن النصف الآخر يعاني من نقص المستلزمات الأساسية - بما في ذلك إمدادات المياه والوقود والأكسجين - لكي يعمل بكامل طاقته. ويعاني ملايين اليمنيين بصفة يومية من النقص الكبير في خدمات الرعاية الصحية. وتشير الإحصاءات إلى أن أكثر من 20 مليون شخص (نحو 80% من السكان في اليمن) يعتمدون في عام 2021 اعتماداً كاملاً على المعونات للبقاء على قيد الحياة والحصول على الخدمات الطبية الأساسية، كما يعاني أكثر من مليوني… [...]

الأردن - المؤسسة العامة للضمان الاجتماعي: نحو توسيع نطاق الشمول ونظام تقاعد أكثر كفايةً وعدالةً واستدامةً - ملخص تنفيذي

19 April 2021

تقدم مذكرة السياسة هذه وصفاً عاماً للتحديات والفرص التي يمكن أن يأخذها راسمو السياسات في الأردن بعين الاعتبار أثناء مناقشة وضع استراتيجية لتوسيع نطاق الشمول في نظام الضمان الاجتماعي، من خلال توفير سياسات تمويلية كافية ومستدامة وعادلة، وهو ما يتفق أيضاً مع مبدأ الاستدامة المالية طويلة المدى. تركز المذكرة على برنامج التقاعد لدى المؤسسة العامة للضمان الاجتماعي ، وتتضمن تحليلاً أولياً وتوقعات بموجب افتراضات محددة وبحسب البيانات المقدمة . وسيتم تقديم وصف عام ومجموعة من التوصيات المرتكزة على الممارسات الدولية الفضلى. وبالإضافة إلى تمارين المحاكاة على المستوى الكلي للتقاعد المشمولة في هذه المذكرة، يمكن توفير المزيد من تمارين المحاكاة على… [...]

Jordan - Social Security Corporation (SSC): Toward Coverage Expansion and a More Adequate, Equitable and Sustainable Pension System

19 April 2021

The note presents an overview of the challenges and opportunities that Jordanian policymakers could consider when discussing a strategy to expand coverage of social security, with adequate, sustainable, and equitable financing mechanisms, which is also in line with long term fiscal sustainability. The paper focuses on the pensions program of Social Security Corporation (SSC). Even with recent reforms, the system still faces a risk of financial unsustainability, given the current design (parameters, and qualifying conditions), the increased longevity of retirees, in addition to the decrease of the formal labor force participation. The aim is to help decision makers to look… [...]