The Podium

International Affairs

Aid in Africa

For at least the last two decades, Africa has been a major priority for the UK’s foreign aid. Over half of that budget is spent on the continent, yet the fight against poverty and hunger is still to be won. How can that aid best be targeted to ensure meaningful outcomes? How can investment and development by companies large and small be encouraged and sustained? What role is there for technology – both new and established – to secure Africans a prosperous, healthy future?

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Do Economic Sanctions work?

Economic sanctions, from trade embargoes to more targeted “smart” restrictions, asset freezes and travel bans, are assuming an increasingly prominent role in international politics, often as an almost instinctive response when diplomatic efforts have failed and military action is either undesirable or unviable. But have these much-used tools proven effective in changing the behaviour of their intended targets? Is something more effective necessary and, if so, what alternatives or developments might be devised?

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