Recent months have seen increasing interest in the idea that Rio+20 could be the launch pad for a new set of ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). But what would SDGs cover, what would a process to define and then implement them look like, and what would some of the key political challenges be? This short briefing [...]
Any global framework for development which is agreed after 2015 will be a political deal between states. This paper looks at recent trends in policy and politics in emerging economies and traditional donors to assess where a consenus might lie. It suggests some principles for a post-2015 agreement which emerge from recent policy developments
Paper from ODI and UNDP, authored by Claire Melamed and Andy Sumner, summarising the evidence on the impact of the MDGs, and looking at current trends in poverty and in global governance that will affect the shape and the scope of any future agreement on global development.
Why resource scarcity will be a game changer for global justice agendas, and what aid donors, NGOs and other development opinion formers need to do about it. WWF / Oxfam report by Alex Evans.
The Rio 2012 sustainable development summit is at risk of being the latest in a long line of damp squibs on environmental multilateralism – but could still make real progress, if it focuses on greening growth and building resilience to shocks and stresses, and above all faces up to the issues of fair shares that arise in a world of limits.
How national and international governance systems need to be reconfigured to meet the challenges of food security in a world of tighter supply and demand balances and increasing volatility. Report for Oxfam’s new Grow campaign by Alex Evans. (May 2011)
Article on scarcity of resources in Pakistan and what it means for the country.
Text of speech by Alex Evans to Institute for New Economic Thinking annual conference at Bretton Woods; the YouTube video is here. (April 2011) Download Speech
Article published on China Dialogue on reasons for the new food price spike, including potential implications of the current drought in China. (February 2011) Download Article
Eight critical uncertainties for development over the next decade, and ten recommendations for what ActionAid – who commissioned this report – should do to prepare for them
Article published in World Politics Review on current American foreign policy
Report asking how organisations can prosper in what will be a turbulent period for world order
Center on International Cooperation report on what forms of multilateral cooperation are needed to manage scarcity of resources
Background paper on whether resource scarcity and climate change will cause increased violent conflict
Chatham House report on how the UK’s new coalition government should upgrade and reform the way Britain conducts foreign policy
Introductory remarks by David Steven at a Brookings Institution seminar on risk and resilience in the global system (March 2010)
Talk given by David Steven at Gresham College on risk and resilience in the UK housing market, as part of a Long Finance Roundtable meeting (March 2010)
Report by David Steven in response to the FSA’s Mortgage Market Review
Brookings Institution report by Alex Evans, Bruce Jones and David Steven on how globalisation could fail – and how it could be made more resilient. Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary World Economic Forum in Davos.
Report by Alex Evans and David Steven analysing the post-Copenhagen context on climate change, including a proposed 12 point action plan. Written for the Brookings Institution / NYU Center on International Cooperation Managing Global Insecurity programme.
World Food Programme report on the state of the science on what climate change means for hunger, plus policy recommendations. Authored by IPCC Impacts Chair Martin Parry with Mark Rosengrant, Tim Wheeler and Global Dashboard’s Alex Evans (December 2009)
Presentation by Alex Evans to a seminar organised for the UN Department of Political Affairs by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (August 2009)
Article on risk and resilience by Alex Evans and David Steven – part of a special in World Politics Review on risk and resilience in a globalized age (July 2009)
Report by Alex Evans and David Steven exploring the future international institutional requirements for managing climate change, and including three scenarios for climate institutions between now and 2030. Commissioned by the UK Department for International Development. (May 2009)
Article by Alex Evans and David Steven exploring resilience as a political agenda – part of a special edition of Renewal on the transformation of foreign policy (February 2009)
Climate and cities think piece, co-authored by David Steven and the British Council’s Peter Upton (29 January 2009)
Chatham House pamphlet by Alex Evans on how scarcity issues will shape the outlook for global food production, and the actions that policymakers need to take at the international level and in developing countries to ensure food security in the 21st century
Paper by David Steven, presented to “Reforming International Institutions – Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century,” a conference organized by the United Nations University and the British Embassy in Tokyo (Jan 2009).
Speech by Alex Evans at the Tomorrow Network (25 November 2008)
Paper by Alex Evans and David Steven on financial reform and wider multilateralism, published ahead of the G20 ‘Bretton Woods II’ Summit (November 2008).
Speech by David Steven to RUSI Conference on UK Resilience (8 October 2008)
Chapter by Alex Evans and David Steven in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office publication, ‘Engagement: public diplomacy in a globalised world’ (July 2008). Download Chapter
Draft report by Alex Evans exploring multilateral system reforms needed in order to manage resource scarcity issues more effectively. The final version will be published in early 2010 (July 2008)
Speech by Alex Evans at UK Parliament (8 July 2008)
Speech by David Steven at the UNU G8 Symposium (4 July 2008)
Speech by Alex Evans to United Nations Association UK (7 June 2008)
Speech by David Steven to the UK Defence Academy’s Advanced Research and Assessment Group seminar on Strategic Communications, Public Diplomacy and Afghanistan (4 June 2008).
Speech by David Steven to the University of Westminster Symposium on Transformational Public Diplomacy (30 April 2008).
Briefing paper by Alex Evans, published through Chatham House’s food programme (April 2008).
Speech by David Steven to RUSI Conference on Critical National Infrastructure (16 April 2008).
Paper by Alex Evans and David Steven, commissioned by Gordon Brown and presented to heads of state at the Progressive Governance Summit (April 2008).
Chapter by Alex Evans and David Steven, as part of the British Council’s Transatlantic Network 2020 book ‘Talking Trans-Atlantic’ (March 2008).
Article by Alex Evans for the Environmental Policy & Law Journal (January 2008).
Report by Alex Evans and David Steven, written for the London Accord (December 2007).
New paper by Alex Evans on climate policy after 2012 from the Center on International Cooperation (October 2007).
Chapter on the FCO from Manchester University Press’s Alternative Comprehensive Spending Review, by David Steven (September 2007).
Note by Alex Evans and David Steven about how to restructure the UK’s foreign policy system in order to manage trans-boundary global risks better (April 2007).
Talk given by David Steven at the Wilton Park conference: The Future of Public Diplomacy. Focuses on strategies to drive public diplomacy to the heart of the foreign policy armoury (March 2007).
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I experienced a similar thing in Tanzania (although admittedly not as bad). Why do these governments make it so difficult for visitors? I’d be really interested to see if anything has been written on this.
I really don’t know that this is fair (although maybe I did get lucky). A resounding yes to the airport/situation disaster. And yes to sternly checking for yellow fever certificates even when not required. But I got a visa easily with a printed email from a british friend who lives in Salone as a letter, I find the public transport system within the penisula great and loved the podapodas.
Yes I will concede the roads point… although there are bizarre stretches of several miles of beautiful tarmac-ed roads for no apparent reason in the middle of nowhere in the south-west “upcountry.” The electricity point is only partly true, particularly in light of the new dam that’s been ten years in the making just opening last September and promising and end to power outs… and then electricity being off again now. BUT, it’s hardly primarily an inconvenience for tourists (ditto the hospitals). Basha (my favourite restaurant) and the fancy places along Lumley beach seem to do just fine for expensive expat food with a generator.
I had a great trip to Sierra Leone, no more hastle than I’ve experienced in many other places. And if it’s relevant, I’m as clearly foreign, and clueless, and hopeless at Krio as any other hapless tourist.
It’s outrageous. I cannot understand why those Sierra Leonians insist on living there.
This is not only unfair but also inaccurate.
- People often complain about visas being expensive, well compared to other countries maybe. However, rightly or wrongly international diplomatic representatives need these funds for their operational activities, so I don’t expect the fees to be dramatically reduced any time soon. Some countries are gratis, but obviously not yours. For the records, it’s very difficult to enter countries like UK or US, granted Sierra Leone is not UK or US – but its not Turkey either.
- I don’t know what the visitor requirements are for neighbouring countries, but I know Guinea is no piece of cake. People find this online application easy:
http://www.visitsierraleone.org/Services/Visas-and-Entry-Requirements/Visa-Application-Form.html
- Regarding the airport. I agree, it’s chaotic and I hate it. There’s no need for so many people hanging around. The sad thing is it doesn’t take much to correct that but its been this way for a while. There is new management for ground operations, maybe it will make a difference.
- Regarding transfers – again, inaccurate and dramatic. There have been helicopter crashes in the past, yes. But this is a separate company with a clean record so far and much better crafts. It is expensive yes, but it’s the quickest. There are now at least FIVE different options to get to Freetown with. Helicopter, THREE boat services (Sea Coach, Allied Marine and Eco Taxi), and the good old ferry. You could also use a speedboat, though few people want to pay for that. The airport is on the other side of the river. the sooner we all get used to that the better. The problem is not with the location but with the transfer links, but there has been significant improvements in this area.
- It is FREE to extend your visitor’s visa. You should have insisted if you knew this to be the case. I have found the immigration office to be a lot friendlier than in the past years.
- The road network is being worked on and improving significantly. The road to Kenema is now fully tarmacked, Kambia is being worked on, so too the peninsula stretch and soon the road from the airport.
- Power is much much better these days.
- The only flights that you have to pay airport tax at the airport are the regional flights for example Arik. Even then it’s $40 not £50.
Frankly, Sierra Leone is no Turkey, Spain or Bahamas. It is still a work in progress and I expect things to improve. PLEASE do your research before coming so you know what you’re getting yourself into. There are people who enjoy going to places before it’s overrun with tourists and there are those who want the conveniences of a well run and oiled tourist industry. Sierra Leone is not the latter but we are trying.
What do you expect? It’s one of the poorest countries in the world, which was ravaged by a civil war that ended less than a decade ago.
The kind of tourist who wants to go is the kind who is up for a bit of adventure. When I worked there, friends of mine came in that vein and had a fantastic time. This is an odd article (for foreign investors I take the point, but again that’s hardly unusual).
Also – the helicopter doesn’t ‘regularly crash’, there has been one crash in the last five years.
This sounds a little bit like astronauts complaining because there wasn’t much air on the moon.
Just a quick update and some answers to the above: for Senegal, for example, you don’t need a visa at all, let alone have to pay so much for one. The electricity supply in Freetown (the capital of a country rich in diamonds, gold, bauxite etc etc)is anaemic (out in Lumley they have generators). The departure tax is due to go up to $65 this month.
And I’m not complaining about the country itself (although most Sierra Leoneans I met did). It’s a beautiful place and a great adventure. But if it wants to develop tourism (and it should), it is going about it in the wrong way. Oh, and I realise everything’s much more difficult for Sierra Leoneans, but this post was about tourism.
Sierra Leone is filty and the gutters stink so badly that you can not breath. Stop fooling people that it is a lovely place to visit no !!no
no it is not .Why don"t we face the reality by keeping the Country clean to monimise the mosiquitoes and flies before even thinking of anything to do with tourism be real for once.
Because it's home. Nowhere is perfect and I'm sure if given the choice no one would choose to live and experience aspects of our country. But this is the reality and someday things will change.
I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be
sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with
everyone. 0 The above thought is smart and doesn’t require any further addition.
It’s perfect thought from my side.
Smile Travel Insurance
I was watching BLood Diamond yesterday and saw the carnage in Sierra Leone. So the tourists WANT to come but the government wont let them. It is so disheartening that African governments are holding their people back like that. How else do they expect the economies to prosper?
Isn't it ironic that Sierra Leone is the poorest country in the world, while it has a rich set of natural resources and minerals, including diamonds, which have caused entire countries and corporations to get involved to fight over them? Diamonds are consumer products which cause suffering in the world, like gold, ivory, etc: http://www.financialcrisisnet.org/forum/Advertisi… Those who saw Blood Diamonds are familiarized with these concepts:
By the way, another product, a banal one, not a luxury one, like ivory or diamonds, is chocolate. Black people in Africa work as slaves. Their job is to pick cacao from cacao trees. You can find some videos about it on YouTube. After seeing it, I couldn't eat chocolate for months.
You could search some links to youtube videos about 'blood chocolate', if you want to know what I mean.