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Welcome to the Center for Global Development's Press Center!
The Center for Global Development’s communications team is standing by to assist reporters on deadline. Our experts can provide analysis, commentary, data, and unique expertise on the global development and economic issues that are driving the news cycle. You can search for experts by their area of expertise here. To arrange an interview or to be added to our press list, please contact Holly Shulman, CGD communications director, by phone or email at +1202.416.4040 and hshulman@cgdev.org.
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CGD in the News
November 6, 2018
Article
By Rinchi Marry
From the article:
Recently, Uber and Airbnb have been in a big discussion on “informal economy” even though they only have a small part of many other freelance types of work worldwide. However, these so-called informal economy seem likely more efficient while using technology. In fact, most of these freelance jobs are driven by technology.
...
According to the Center for Global Development, digital platforms have a big influence on helping freelance workers and budding enterprises for formalization. Even though it is not something totally new to most Africans, they need the services more than anyone else in the other part of the world since “they have no working experience in the formal sector, nor do they have mentors who have created a larger business”.
Read the full article here.
November 6, 2018
Article
By Julian Borger, Patrick Wintour
From the article:
The Trump administration has given details of a UN-brokered peace plan aimed at ending the war in Yemen, beginning with a ceasefire within 30 days and talks to be held in Sweden.
The US defence secretary, James Mattis, told an audience in Washington that Saudi Arabia and its Emirati allies were ready for a deal and that the talks between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi rebels were being arranged by the United Nations special envoy, Martin Griffiths.
The secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, issued a statement about three hours later, proposing specific terms for a ceasefire.
…
The former head of US disaster relief assistance, Jeremy Konyndyk, suggested the Trump administration was beginning to panic about what could happen in Yemen, and the growing congressional opposition to US backing for the Saudi coalition, especially after Khashoggi’s murder.
“UN envoy Martin Griffiths was in DC last week and his briefings must have turned some heads,” Konyndyk said in a series of tweets. “No administration wants a famine on its watch – and particularly one that would be so closely tied to the White House’s Saudi policy.”
Read the full article here.
November 6, 2018
Article
Hosted by Kate Midden
CGD blog, “US Regional Security amid the Caravan Debate”, by Michael Clemens and Kate Gough was mentioned on the Devex podcast, Long Story Short.
Episode description:
In response to an estimated 7,000 people making their way through Mexico from Central America — with the goal of reaching the U.S. border — U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut U.S. aid to the region.
In this episode, reporter Teresa Welsh and engagement editor Kate Midden explore why several thousand people across Central America have banded together for the journey, the differing U.S. government responses, and what cuts to aid could mean for the region.
Listen here.
November 1, 2018
Article
By Colin Stevens
From the article:
As Beijing continues to throw significant capital at its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), there is mounting evidence, from Djibouti to Sri Lanka, of how such allegedly benign investment can quickly turn into political influence and expansionism. The EU must act quickly to follow America’s example with regards to screening Chinese FDI, before the bloc ends up with Djibouti-style problems in its own backyard.
...
While Djibouti might be the most glaring example of China’s recent expansionism, it’s far from the only one. Last December, an insolvent Sri Lanka was forced into handing over control of the Chinese-funded port of Hambantota. Elsewhere, recent analysis by the Center for Global Development (CGD) concluded that eight nations around the world, from Tajikistan to the Maldives, were in severe risk of falling into exactly the kind of “debt-trap diplomacy” that has ensnared Sri Lanka. The West isn’t immune to such machinations, either; NATO member and EU candidate Montenegro featured on the CGD’s list of the eight most vulnerable countries.
Read the full article here.
October 31, 2018
Article
By BQ Desk
From the article:
India jumped 23 places on the World Bank’s Doing Business Index as the country made it easier to start a business, deal with construction permits and facilitated quicker cross-border trade.
It’s now ranked at 77, the highest in South Asia, up from 100 last year, according to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2019 report. “India, with six reforms, is among the top-ten improvers for the second consecutive year,” the report said.
The improved ranking will boost the sentiment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government ahead of the general election, at a time it’s facing flak for rising fuel prices and falling rupee. Last year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Modi wanted various ministries to target the top 50, which he thought was “doable”.
…
Methodology?
Earlier this year, World bank’s former chief economist had raised questions about the methodology to rank countries on the Doing Business Index.
Justin Sandefur, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, analysed the historical rankings and said India’s big leap in rankings were only visible due to a change in methodology. The World Bank has since defended its stance.
Read the full article here.
October 31, 2018
Article
By Nan Lwin
From the article:
YANGON—Even as Laos’s planned railway connecting southern China with northeast Thailand comes under scrutiny due to its huge cost and uncertain benefits, Naypyitaw has agreed to conduct a feasibility study on a high-speed railway project that would link two economic centers in Myanmar as part of Beijing’s grand infrastructure plan for the region.
Critics of the rail project warn that it could saddle Myanmar with unsustainable debts, and point out that the route passes through conflict zones. By approving the feasibility study despite these concerns, the government has again signaled its willingness to cooperate with China in its bid for economic supremacy in the region.
Two state-owned companies, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group (China Railway Group Ltd) and Myanmar Railways signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week to begin studying a proposed railway line from Muse, in northern Shan State, to Mandalay.
...
According to a March 2018 report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development, China is putting many countries involved in the BRI at financial risk through a series of “aid” activities and huge amounts of lending.
Read the full article here.
October 30, 2018
Article
By John Schellhase
From the article:
Among the many disruptions created by blockchain technology, the most profound may come in the way aid is delivered to people whose lives are upended by wars, famines, and natural disasters.
The influx of aid following a disaster shows the power of human generosity. Sadly, corrupt officials and middlemen often see it as an opportunity to enrich themselves at the expense of the displaced. The Center for Global Development estimated last year that about 5 percent of global aid, or $8 billion, is lost to theft and corruption each year. Measured against disaster victims’ relatively modest needs, it is a staggering sum.
Blockchain-based distribution systems won’t eliminate corruption, but their ability to confirm identity and execute secure digital transactions can ensure that a larger proportion of aid will reach its intended recipients.
Blockchain technology promises to change the way we store information, confirm transactions, exchange money, and protect our identities. The transparency and security of blockchain, or distributed ledger technology, can increase trust and lower costs for a variety of programs and projects. This is particularly true in countries with a weak or underdeveloped legacy of telecommunications and financial infrastructure.
Read the full article here.
October 30, 2018
Article
By Northern Trust Economic Research Department
From the article:
Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted its fall meetings in Bali, Indonesia. The economic outlook released as background for the occasion was titled "Challenges to Steady Growth." The report highlighted "mounting uncertainties—not only over economic policies, but also over the global framework of international relations within which policies are made."
Uncertainty is also mounting around the IMF itself. Rising nationalism around the world has fostered suspicion about the motives and actions of multilateral organizations. Using domestic funds to benefit other countries, or allowing an outside body to dictate domestic policy, runs counter to the broadening desire to put home country first.
...
According to a 2018 study by the Center for Global Development, 23 BRI participants are "at risk of debt distress." Pakistan, with the key China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, is the most vulnerable. China is reportedly financing about 80% of Pakistan's external debt on its own terms, with external repayments projected to rise by 65% to $12.7 billion in 2019. It seems extremely unlikely that Pakistan will be able to meet these obligations, leading it to reach out to the IMF for aid. The U.S., however, has expressed reluctance to have IMF funds make Chinese creditors whole.
Read the full article here.
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