Chatham House (Continuación)

News headlines announce the death of Tanzanian president John Magufuli at the business center in Kariakoo, Dar Es Salaam. Photo by AFP via Getty Images.

MundoÁfrica

An unprecedented transition process has been set in motion following the unexpected death of President John Magufuli early in his second term, with Tanzania’s former vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan sworn in to take office until the end of the current presidential term in 2025, becoming the country’s first female head of state.

Magufuli’s global notoriety peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to his discredited claims the virus had been eliminated from Tanzania and his outright rejection of modern treatments and vaccines. Indeed, the president’s overall leadership style was consistent only in its ability to divide opinion both at home and abroad.…  Seguir leyendo »

An honour guard ahead of the US-Japan defence ministers bilateral meeting on March 16, 2021 at the Japan Ministry of Defense in Tokyo. Photo by DAVID MAREUIL/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

MundoAméricaMundoAsia,

A week of highly choreographed and carefully sequenced diplomacy in Asia culminated with a meeting of the United States Secretary of State, the US National Security Advisor and their Chinese counterparts in Anchorage, Alaska. Chatham House experts analyse the outcome.

Defining moment in global divide between democracy and autocracy

Dr Leslie Vinjamuri

The Biden administration executed the week with laser precision to draw a circle around Asia’s leading democracies, deepen its alliances, underscore its commitment to democracy and human rights, and mount a defence of the rules-based order.

It has become crystal clear the global divide between democracy and autocracy is going to define America’s relationship with China, as well as underpinning the entirety of its approach to the Indo-Pacific region.…  Seguir leyendo »

Vials and a medical syringe in front of the EU flag. Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.

EuropaUnión EuropeaPolítica Inmigración, ,

During the last few weeks, the European Union (EU) has been widely criticized for its 'failed' vaccination strategy. But with all the focus on the general slowness of the EU in vaccinating the populations of its member states, another aspect of the EU's public health crisis has been ignored.

Undocumented persons are being left out of COVID-19 national vaccination programmes and Brussels remains alarmingly silent about it. This should come as no surprise as migration is a toxic issue and governments in EU countries are now under immense pressure to vaccinate their own citizens as soon as possible.

But the race towards herd immunity cannot afford the luxury of another EU standstill.…  Seguir leyendo »

British soldiers conduct a patrol outside Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. Photo by JOHN D MCHUGH/AFP via Getty Images.

Europa

Intended to provide a comprehensive answer as to the substance of what ‘Global Britain’ – a description in use by the UK government since 2016 – truly means, the long-awaited Integrated Review sends the signal that departing the European Union (EU) does not make for an introspective Britain with a diminished international role.

As an important landmark in the UK’s government’s definition of a post-Brexit international role for the country, it sets out a roadmap for exactly what will be the focus of Britain’s foreign, development, security, and defence policies for the next decade. But in terms of more immediate consequences, the Review is also an important piece of public diplomacy and shows the ‘government machinery’ of the civil service how resources should be allocated for these policies.…  Seguir leyendo »

Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir (centre) during his trial along with others over the 1989 military coup that brought them to power, at a courthouse in Khartoum. Photo by Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

MundoÁfrica, ,

The demand for justice was a major driver of the December 2018 Sudanese revolution that saw former President Omar al-Bashir removed after almost three decades in power, and ensuring accountability is now one of the biggest challenges facing the transitional government which replaced him.

Atrocities committed under the Bashir regime are already well documented, such as the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile.

The Darfur situation was referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the UN Security Council back in 2005, and arrest warrants were issued against Bashir and four others.…  Seguir leyendo »

Migrants from Hong Kong gather in Piccadilly Circus in London to express solidarity with pro-democracy activists charged under their country's National Security Law. Photo by May James/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.

MundoAméricaEuropa,

We do not know whether the sighs of relief at Donald Trump’s defeat in November were as audible and profound in 10 Downing Street as they were in chancelleries across Europe, but they should have been.

Trump’s brand of nationalist politics, his disdain for allies, and his soft spot for dictators were a massive challenge to all medium-sized democracies which look to America to underpin their defence, and for leadership in a world where the rules are coming under increasing challenge.

Joe Biden’s administration offers a new beginning for America’s friends and allies, perhaps especially for Britain. The platform for the UK’s revitalization in the era of Thatcher and Blair was becoming a leading member of the European Union, a European power in good standing with Washington with a global outlook and interests.…  Seguir leyendo »

Entrepreneur Jagmohan Kanojia displays his miniature kites supporting Joe Biden's election as US president in Amritsar, India. Photo by Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images.

InternacionalEconomía

After four years of the Donald Trump administration’s piecemeal approach to trade with Asia-Pacific, the US now finds itself on the outside of the region’s most important trade agreements, and in a difficult position to re-engage with key players for global economic growth, security, and technological innovation.

As the US sat on the sidelines, other major players – especially the European Union (EU) and the UK – have marched forwards in negotiating free trade agreements with key partners in the region. Meanwhile, regional integration in Asia-Pacific has advanced.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – a trade deal between 15 Asia-Pacific nations including China struck in late 2020 – and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – an agreement between 11 countries following the US withdrawal from the more ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – are the two biggest elements of the new Asia-Pacific trade architecture, and the US is part of neither.…  Seguir leyendo »

Myanmar migrants in Thailand protest against the military coup in their home country in front of the United Nations building in Bangkok. Photo by MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images.

MundoAsia,

Myanmar's military leadership has reverted to type and started killing large numbers of people. The generals have spent decades preparing for this moment and they are ready.

Hidden in their military cantonments and protected by soldiers, police and plainclothes thugs, they are suffering only the mildest inconvenience while the cities ring to the sound of protest. Why should they worry about angry crowds with witty placards when their side has live ammunition?

In the city streets, the people demand democracy, but the military, known as the Tatmadaw, is not about to back down because of some disruptions in Yangon and Mandalay.…  Seguir leyendo »

Boris Johnson chairs a session of the UN Security Council on climate and security at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London. Photo by Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images.

MundoAméricaEuropa, ,

When Joe Biden was elected as US president, many observers thought the UK would struggle to establish a close relationship with him, and that British diplomats feared being sidelined by the new administration – especially as Biden had referred to British prime minister Boris Johnson as a ‘physical and emotional clone’ of Donald Trump.

The UK’s main priority was to secure a free trade deal with the United States, but the Biden team had made it clear this would not be a priority for them. However, just over one month into the Biden administration, there has been a remarkable alignment between the UK and US.…  Seguir leyendo »

Responsible Behaviour in Outer Space Protects Everyone

ReflexionesPensamiento, Cultura y Ciencia

As a vital part of both national and international critical infrastructure, outer space is becoming a crowded field with a growing number of space-faring countries, private sector interest, and competition between global powers. And yet the Outer Space Treaty (OST) agreed way back in 1967 and subsequent agreements have not been developed with additional security measures to take account of these new factors.

Despite a clear need for new norms of behaviour and ‘rules of the road’, the Conference on Disarmament has failed to negotiate any new agreement since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996. The resulting gridlock grew from an inability of key states to overcome competing interests and diverging priorities and, as a result, negotiating any new binding treaty appears impossible.…  Seguir leyendo »

A mangrove tree along the shore of the Mu Ko Surin National Park, Thailand. Copyright © Education Images/Contributor/Getty Images.

ReflexionesNaturaleza,

In a critical year for climate change and environmental diplomacy, 2021 presents a real opportunity to kick-start a green recovery. The numerous international summits, conferences and meetings set to take place this year offer a chance to ramp up global climate action. To mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis, multilateral organizations and governments must exercise greater leadership and pursue a shared vision for global coordination.

In recent years, international climate cooperation has plateaued. While the US has rejoined the Paris Agreement, the outlook for international cooperation towards sustainability is still uncertain, particularly relating to the continuing impact of COVID-19.…  Seguir leyendo »

Protest against reforming the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in Bogota, Colombia. Photo by Daniel Garzon Herazo/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

MundoAmérica, ,

The creation of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP in Spanish) as part of the 2016 Peace Treaty between the Colombian State and the guerrilla group FARC has seen its work much criticized over claims from certain powerful factions that it has a hidden agenda to free former FARC leaders and imprison senior military commanders.

Investigations carried out by the JEP have been a major success of the peace agreement and the process that followed. But most of the right-wing section of governing party Centro Democrático have been working to cut its funding and complicate the implementation of the peace deal.…  Seguir leyendo »

Managing Global Liquidity Through COVID-19 and Beyond

InternacionalEconomía,

This briefing, which is published under the Global Economy and Finance Programme’s ‘Rebuilding International Economic Cooperation’ project, explores how policy responses to the COVID-19 economic shock have thus far prevented a systemic, global liquidity crunch. It outlines several policy areas that could benefit from international cooperation as the economic challenges associated with the pandemic evolve, and presents four recommendations for action.

When the pandemic erupted in 2020, policymakers successfully reused and, in some cases, scaled up emergency measures from the 2008 global financial crisis. There were also significant policy innovations, including a widening of the scope of US quantitative easing (QE), the introduction of domestic QE in emerging markets, and G20-sponsored debt service relief for poor countries.…  Seguir leyendo »

Jogging by the Hudson River during sunrise in New York, United States. Photo by Islam Dogru/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

MundoAmérica

After four years watching and wondering whether America had permanently vacated its role as a global leader, the rest of the world has witnessed an almost dizzying number of steps taken early on by the Biden administration to restore its international standing.

In the first month of his presidency, Joe Biden has taken the US back into the Paris climate accords and the World Health Organization (WHO), rejoined the United Nations Human Rights Council – albeit with a downgraded status to that of observer until the next election – and ended the travel ban placed on several Muslim-majority countries.

The US is now processing asylum claims and allowing asylum seekers to cross the southern border into the US, while Biden has also pledged $2 billion in support for COVAX, the global plan to ensure equitable distribution of a vaccine, followed by another $2 billion over two years.…  Seguir leyendo »

Billboard encourages people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center in the capital Manama. Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images.

MundoAsia, , ,

Vaccine distribution is becoming a key strategic feature of China’s foreign relations. But critics have suggested that China’s so-called ‘vaccine diplomacy’ is merely a way to further entrench its presence in countries where it seeks diplomatic and economic influence and supplant its Western rivals.

Against the backdrop of rising Western scepticism about China's presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, media now portrays Beijing vaccine diplomacy as highly politicized. While undeniable that Beijing’s vaccine diplomacy bolsters its soft power and consolidates its influence, these narratives stifle positive responses from MENA countries towards China’s vaccine cooperation.

China’s vaccine diplomacy in MENA aligns with its broader strategy to cast itself as a global health leader.…  Seguir leyendo »

A person who has returned a positive test holds a mobile phone showing they have been told to self-isolate for a further eight days by the NHS COVID-19 app, on 9 January 2021 in Caerphilly, Wales. Photo credit: Copyright © Huw Fairclough/Contributor/Getty

ReflexionesNuevas Tecnologías,

Focusing on the dynamics between governments and big tech, on cybercrime, and on disinformation and fake news, this paper examines some of the risks that have been highlighted and aggravated as societies have transitioned at speed to a more virtual way of living.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been called the ‘great accelerator’ of digital transformation, with technology at the forefront of countries’ response to the crisis. The experience of the past year has underscored that tech governance must be based on human-centric values that protect the rights of individuals but also work towards a public good.

In the case of the development of track-and-trace apps, for instance, a successful solution should simultaneously be both respectful of individual privacy and robust from a cybersecurity perspective, while also effectively serving essential epidemiological goals.…  Seguir leyendo »

Reese Tan poses with his British National (Overseas) passport in his favourite part of Hong Kong, the shopping and eating district of Mongkok. Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images.

MundoAsiaEuropa, ,

Described by UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab as a ‘matter of principle’ and a ‘historic responsibility’, the UK’s decision to open an immigration pathway to citizenship for Hong Kong BN(O) (British National Overseas) status holders is unprecedented and unique – for its scale, its welcoming political rhetoric, and its geopolitical weight.

However, the rollout of this new visa scheme should not occur in isolation, because inconsistencies within British asylum and immigration policies can send a clear and unfortunate message that some refugees and migrants are viewed as more welcome than others.

Extending a safe haven to Hong Kong citizens at risk of political persecution is the right thing to do, but extending it to people at risk of persecution based on consistent, transparent, and solidary asylum and immigration systems is the better thing to do.…  Seguir leyendo »

A graphic artist paints a mural advert for US smartphone manufacturer Apple in Berlin, Germany. Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images.

InternacionalEconomía,

Just as climate change worsens existing vulnerabilities such as food poverty and water shortages, trade amplifies weaknesses in the social fabric.

In regions where people have fallen behind economically due to political neglect and technological change, it is jobs lost in the face of import competition that make the headlines.

The appeal of Donald Trump and Brexit had much to do with deep grievances felt by those attributing their social problems to the negative impacts of openness and competition from shores afar.

Yet the costs of doing away with globalization and our open-trading system could far exceed any benefits. This is why, in 2021, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will begin its metamorphosis into an organization that puts social issues at its heart.…  Seguir leyendo »

Catwalk show at the Ukrainian Fashion Week 2021 in the Mystetskyi Arsenal National Art and Culture Museum Complex, Kyiv. Photo by Pavlo_Bagmut/ Ukrinform/Barcroft Media via Getty Images.

Europa,

Britain’s high-quality education, vibrant research institutions and diverse eco-system of culture are often cited as pillars of its ‘soft power’ appeal, and to ensure these institutions weather the storm of Brexit is essential to the success of any ‘Global Britain’ strategy.

Such relationships establish trust, promote UK values, and pave the way for further political and diplomatic engagement by providing templates for education, cultural policy, and community development which others can follow, strengthening social cohesion and resilience.

The example of Ukraine demonstrates the UK’s soft power delivers. According to a survey conducted by IPSOS Mori in 2020, the UK government and its institutions rank first in terms of trust among young people in Ukraine.…  Seguir leyendo »

A British one pound sterling coin, a one euro coin and a US quarter dollar coin. Photo by DANIEL SORABJI/AFP via Getty Images.

InternacionalEconomía

As well as being a human tragedy, the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented economic shock for the world economy. Global output is estimated by the IMF to have fallen by 3.5 per cent in 2020, and all countries – big and small, rich and poor – have been hit.

There is now an increasingly clear route to bring the immediate crisis to an end by relying on a mass vaccination programme unprecedented in speed and scale. But implementation remains complex and risky, while the long-term consequences of the pandemic – impacts on health, acquisition of skills, and the accelerated spread of technology – remain highly uncertain.…  Seguir leyendo »