Economics
1000+ Leading Economists, Policy Makers and other Distinguished Persons Call on Governments to Reject Protectionism and Eliminate Trade Barriers
IPN Press release
Top economists urge G20 to embrace free trade
IPN News coverage
Reuters reports on the Freedom to Trade launch in London on 1 April.
How South Africa can lead the world out of the global financial crisis
IPN Critical Opinion articles
Campaign against water privatization just doesn't add up
IPN Opinion article
Activists at the World Water Forum in Istanbul claim water is a human right and must never be privatised (although they didn't mention food, clothing, shelter or physical security): this stridency blurs policy while two million people a year still die from bad water and sanitation - and a billion lack clean drinking water. Corrupt privatization in Cochabamba created a headline story of the evils of private supply: knowing what went wrong helps deflect the stridency and create sensible policies.
Protectionism: Alluring but Deadly
IPN Opinion article
Widespread threats and fears of protectionism reflect the experience of the Depression in the '30s but the world economy is very different now: connected international production, consumption and investment mean that protectionists would be poking themselves in the eye. They would also be breaking WTO rules and other agreements that did not exist before. Dan Ikenson offers an optimistic but utterly realistic ray of hope amid the stories of doom and gloom.
Free Trade: Smash the Regional Barriers
IPN Opinion article
With all eyes on the G20's broken pledges to reject protectionism, it is worth remembering that African countries have more to gain in trade from opening their borders to their neighbours, boosting trade and removing a rich source of corruption. This writer looks beyond the G20 meeting to the African trade blocs meeting in Lusaka in early April where governments could do something for their own people.
2nd Annual International Property Rights Index (IPRI)
IPN Press release
Index of 115 countries measures link between private property rights and economic well-being
