Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Asean's moment of truth is now
Oped, Mari Elka Pangestu & Tan Sri Rebecca Fatimah Sta Maria, Published on 05/11/2025
» For decades, integration into the global trading system has been vital to economic growth and development. Now, however, integration implies vulnerability, as powerful actors -- beginning with the US -- wield tariffs, export restrictions, and financial sanctions. For Southeast Asia, this turn of events represents both a warning and a call to action: countries must work together to shape their own destiny or others will decide their fate for them.
When disasters create unlikely alliances
Oped, Zoltán Grossman, Published on 15/03/2025
» Disasters are tragic and frightening events, whether emerging from the climate crisis, armed conflict, or health catastrophe. They reveal deep social inequalities and compel fear and insecurity. But times of catastrophe can also serve as opportunities to turn toward collective resilience and mutual aid and build unlikely alliances between communities.
Gutting aid, US cedes soft power game to China
Shaun Tandon of Agence France-Presse, Published on 12/02/2025
» WASHINGTON - When President Donald Trump froze nearly all US foreign aid, Cambodia was forced to suspend workers removing dangerous mines from the country -- until China stepped in with the necessary funding.
More affordable climate finance
Oped, Rebecca Ray & Ulrich Volz, Published on 14/03/2024
» Emerging-market and developing economies (EMDEs) will need an estimated US$2.4 trillion (86 trillion baht) in climate investment annually to meet climate goals, according to the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, with $1 trillion coming from external sources. Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require even more financing: an increase of $3.5 trillion in new investments annually by 2030. These are daunting figures. But they are also non-negotiable.
Securing a greener future for all
Oped, Rebecca Sta Maria, Published on 18/11/2022
» With November's cluster of multilateral meetings -- G20, COP27 and the Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting, for instance -- there is some good news: we don't have to create high carbon emissions to produce economic growth.
The plastic problem
Life, Kanokporn Chanasongkram, Published on 18/07/2022
» Last week I was at a shopping centre, where I had a quick lunch at the food court. After enjoying the meal, I had to dump two plastic food bags for the sticky rice and grilled chicken skewers, and a single-use plastic bag that carried them.
Apec bonds will prevail in crisis
Oped, Rebecca Sta Maria, Published on 01/06/2022
» The establishment of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) saw the region experience a period of enthusiasm for multilateralism and economic partnerships among governments with different, even contrasting, political and ideological shades. For three decades, ultimately too short a period, it was a given that free trade and economic cooperation would lead to growth, prosperity and improved living conditions for billions of people.
Shifting paradigms a big challenge
Oped, Rebecca Sta Maria, Published on 06/12/2021
» Last week, officials from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) met in Phuket for an informal meeting -- the first gathering of Apec delegates under the 2022 host, Thailand, and the first physical Apec event since early last year. As chair, Thailand will lead the region's focus on collaborative economic advancement through digitalisation and innovation, sustainable and inclusive growth, underpinned by effective Covid-19 management.
Starmer takes on anti-Semites
News, Editorial, Published on 28/06/2020
» The leader of the Labour opposition in the UK, Sir Keir Starmer, has been widely applauded for making his gutsiest move since winning the position nearly three months ago after sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey from his shadow cabinet for sharing a tweet which contained a ludicrous anti-Semitic, anti-Israel conspiracy theory.
City planning in the post-Covid-19 era will be very different
News, Patricia Viel, Published on 02/05/2020
» Our cities will not be the same after Covid-19. Nor should they be. In Italy, as elsewhere, the public-health crisis has put us on the defensive. Our hospitals have been inadequate. And our cities, having been planned to meet our needs at a particular moment that looks nothing like the present, have fuelled contagion.