The pandemic and the Ukraine crisis have elevated global debt levels to new heights, beyond the stress nations were already facing before the pandemic. According to the recent IMF World Economic Outlook, the debt-to-GDP ratio in the median emerging market and the middle-income country was about 60 percent in 2021, as compared to 40 percent in 2013 at the time of the taper tantrum. Similarly, for low-income countries, it was double the amount in 2021 as compared to 2013.
The recovery from the pandemic has been largely uneven due to inadequate access to essential healthcare. By 2021, only half of the WHO member states reached the target of vaccinating 40 percent of their populations, and only 10 percent of the population in low-income countries have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Given that countries have varying capacities in addressing health threats and unequal access to public goods, health financing will become crucial in overcoming future health threats.
The Russia–Ukraine war has led to resurfacing of concerns regarding the illicit use of crypto-assets and its impact on the global financial stability. The crypto-assets are evolving quickly, thus G20 should play a key role in the regulation of digital assets through close global coordination with standard-setting bodies. The regulation of the assets must ensure supervision that creates necessary conditions for safe innovation.
Global Preventive Diplomacy Initiative Launched in New York Ahead of UNGA 80
New York, NY — The Global Preventive Diplomacy Initiative (GPDI) was launched at an exclusive event organized by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) on the top floor of New York’s iconic MetLife Building, bringing together diplomats, philanthropists, business leaders, academics, and thought leaders for a conversation on the future of conflict prevention and international cooperation. The launch came just days before the opening of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, which annually brings together heads of state and government for the High-Level General Debate — making New York the world’s diplomatic capital.
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Eighty years after its founding, the UN finds itself at a critical juncture. Its purpose is on trial, and its mission urgently requires recalibration. The world it inherited from the scorches of the Second World War no longer exists, yet many of the organisation’s practices remain rooted in a bygone era – out of sync with today’s realities and detached from those it was created to serve.
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CIRSD President Vuk Jeremić to SINA Finance: Multilateralism Will Evolve, Not Disappear
Below is the full text of the interview:
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