The trilogy analyses three themes of discussions carried out at the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round – (i) agricultural tariffs and subsidies, (ii) non-agricultural market access and services trade, and (iii) trade remedies and facilitation.
Today, two years after a defining political revolution began in Egypt, majority of the youth are still finding it difficult to find employment. Can Internet-based initiatives provide a springboard for economic growth and development in the country?
The fifth BRICS summit will take place from 26-27 March with South Africa - a late entrant to the grouping - playing host. Although sceptics have questioned the salience of this bloc, the group is essentially a work in progress. Expectations, therefore, must be modest and pragmatic.
Despite heavy opposition from several factions, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s propositions for altering the constitution have been approved. Although the alterations have democratic elements, the liberals and secularists bear responsibility in taking forward Egypt’s journey to complete democracy.
Several necessary criteria, like a free press, and judicial oversight appear to be overlooked by the international community while defining democracy in Egypt. Why do their strategic interests take precedence over important issues like women’s rights, a rule of law and human rights in this troubled nation?
Rivals Iran and Egypt have become the two most important powers in today’s West Asia. Yet, Iran is looking for neither a smooth victory nor a quick failure for Egypt’s rise. Tehran will remain the key regional player, while it’s too early to tell if Cairo is capable of overcoming Iran’s influence.
The series of Israeli offensives against Gaza, which began on November 4, ended when Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli government on November 13. The possibility of this ceasefire holding up, however, seems remote.
Originally formed to oppose polarities among nations following the Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement is as relevant today as it was till two decades ago. How can it play a role in reducing the violence, and in tempering regional and global rivalries in West Asia and North Africa?
Dynastic politics is as diverse as politics itself in South Asia. There may be some benefits to dynastic rule, but a political system founded on democratic principles rejects the very idea of dynasty.
The involvement of Islamists in democratic movements is usually dismissed as a mere ruse to attain political power. However, evidence suggests that people in Muslim-majority democracies support Islamist groups which challenge a dishonest government, rather than those who seek to establish Islamic autocracy.
