Yesterday I wrote about the just-released UN High-Level Panel (HLP) report on post-2015 development goals. The focus of the report on global partnerships for inclusive development—extending beyond aid, to tackle the basic rules of the global economy—got me thinking about a relatively arcane but increasingly important set of rules called Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). BITs are treaties between governments that guarantee foreign investors a number of rights, including protection against expropriation and limitations on capital controls and performance requirements, with the goal of promoting foreign investment by protecting investors from unfair and arbitrary treatment by capital-importing governments. These treaties also give private foreign investors the unique ability to bring suits against sovereign governments in binding international arbitration, called an “investor right of action.” So, are these kinds of global economic rules good or bad for inclusive development?

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In a post this week on her blog (reposted on Devex), CFR senior fellow Shannon O’Neil analyzed trends in inequality across Latin America. The region has long been among the world’s most unequal, but O’Neil writes that this is changing. As she explains: Read more »

Brazil’s starring role among the booming quartet of emerging markets known as the BRICs is well documented: in a decade the number of people in relative poverty has fallen by half and the percentage of those living on $1.25 a day fell from 9.8 percent to 6.1 percent. Low inflation, strong reserves management practices, and robust economic growth have enabled this economic surge.

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Recently, CFR senior fellow Shannon O’Neil was interviewed on Jim Zirin’s Digital Age about Mexico’s relationship with the United States. Topics included the country’s burgeoning middle class, reform of telecommunications, and more. As O’Neil argues: Read more »

In two recent pieces, CFR fellows weigh political and economic developments in a pair of emerging giants: China and Mexico. In an excerpt on TheAtlantic.com from his recently released book, Democracy in Retreat, CFR fellow Joshua Kurlantzick analyzes the appeal to developing countries of China’s development model. As he writes: Read more »

Emerging Voices features regular contributions from scholars and practitioners highlighting new research, thinking, and approaches to development challenges. This article is from Katie Rock, a human rights attorney who is currently launching Activyst, a socially-conscious company that funds girls’ sports programs worldwide. Here, she discusses the benefits of girls’ involvement in sports and how to understand and overcome the obstacles to their participation.

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This week on their blogs, CFR senior fellows John Campbell and Shannon O’Neil discussed three of the world’s major emerging powers. Campbell reviews an article on whether Nigeria or South Africa is “Africa’s economic powerhouse.” As he writes: Read more »

Where is global income inequality headed?  

Question of the Week posts review important questions and controversies in global development by providing background information and links to a full spectrum of analysis and opinion. Today’s post discusses global trends in income inequality.

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Last week on her blog, in light of Mexico’s presidential transition, CFR senior fellow Shannon O’Neil wrote about President Felipe Calderón’s legacy in numbers, particularly in terms of development indicators. As she explains: Read more »

Two recent items discuss China’s involvement in different regions of the developing world. On her blog, CFR senior fellow Shannon O’Neil evaluates Chinese trade with, investment in, and loans to Latin America. These links are growing, O’Neil writes, though not as quickly as many suggest. She concludes: Read more »