the_bridge_tank, auteur sur The Bridge Tank

RCEP agreement and India

Posted on 22 November 20202 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Pranjal Sharma, member of the Bridge Tank’s board, wrote a paper for The Daily Guardian entitled “RCEP and India: Between the lines” on the 21st of November 2020. The RCEP is a multilateral trade agreement between Asian countries, started by China during the 2011 ASEAN meeting. China intends on using this agreement, which creates a coalition of trade partners, to counter the American and European influences in the global economy.

In this paper, Pranjal Sharma argued that India did not sign this agreement as it has been sceptical of regional trade agreements involving China, especially considering that Chinese cheap exportations have seriously affected many sectors in many countries, such as Indian engineered products. Joining such a trade agreement could harm Indian domestic producers even further. The Indian decision to remain out of the RCEP therefore is the country’s chance to develop its own manufacturing competitiveness, which could lead to India’s emergence as China’s new global rival.

US Presidential Election – What is the Global Outlook? Point of view of Jean-Claude Beaujour

Posted on 21 November 20204 October 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Jean-Claude Beaujour, Vice-President of the France-Americas Foundation and member of the Brigde Tank’s board, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former French Prime Minister and President of the Prospective and Innovation Foundation, Hubert Védrine, former French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kanwal Sibal, former Indian Ambassador to France, Alexandre Orlov, former Russian Ambassador to France, and André Chieng, President of Asian European Trade, took part in a webinar organised by the Prospective and Innovation Foundation. This event aimed at gathering American, Asian and European perspectives on the American presidential elections and its potential global consequences. This webinar took place on the 20th of November 2020.

Jean-Claude Beaujour argued that the election process and institutions had been respected in the 2020 election. He argued that Joe Biden’s election was mainly due to the support of the democrats, but also due to the handling of the coronavirus crisis by the Republicans as well as a will to not have Donald Trump as President. However, an important part of the American population still supported Donald Trump, which highlights the division of the society. Jean-Claude Beaujour also argued that Joe Biden’s priorities, once he officially becomes President, will be focused on domestic policies rather than changing the transatlantic relations, which will then have to be a European duty.

Biden and the new diplomacy: India will need to recalibrate its strategy to suit changing global realities

Posted on 20 November 20201 April 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Yoginder Alagh, member of the Bridge Tank’s board, wrote an article in the Indian Express entitled “Biden and new diplomacy: India will need to recalibrate its strategy to shifting global realities” on the 18th of November 2020.

In this article, he argued that the Biden presidency’s interactions with the political, environmental and global institutions would have major implications for India, particularly on the natural forests of Kashmir and the rights of Adivasis.

Indian lobby groups are still very active in Washington, whether they’re close to the Democrats (mostly the ones associated to NGOs of minorities) or to Trump supporters (mostly representing Hindutva groups). These lobbyists will play a key role in the representation and defence of Indian interests, in a changing context affecting the Americano-Indian relation as well as India’s place in international relations.

Participation of Irina Bokova in the “Africa Industrialization Week 2020” conference

Posted on 19 November 202019 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Irina Bokova, member of the Bridge Tank’s board and Chair of PhosAgro’s Sustainable Development Committee, took part in the online conference “Africa Industrialisation Week 2020” on the 18th of November 2020. She intervened in the panel entitled “The Future of Employment for Young Women and Men in Africa: Accelerating Job Creation in Agriculture and Agribusiness in the post COVID-19 crisis setting”. This session focused on tools for creating new jobs and reducing poverty among young Africans.

Irina Bokova argued that Africa’s economy needed development and support, especially during this global crisis. One of the main problems to be addressed soon is the soil degradation (which concerns 40% of the land in Africa, according to the FAO), linked to the ingress of contaminants from the fertilizers used by local farmers. She highlighted the partnership between the FAO and PhosAgro against this issue. Eventually, she encouraged more partnerships between governments, international governments, research laboratories, scientists, civil society and the private sector to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Among the other keynote speakers of this session were Maria Semedo, Deputy Director General of the FAO, Josefa Sacko, African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, and Ronald Guendel, Global Head of Food Security and Advocacy at Bayer AG.

Conference: being a social democrat in Africa

Posted on 18 November 202031 March 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Martin Ziguélé, former Prime Minister of the Central African Republic, took part in the Bridge Tank’s conversation about being social democrat in Africa. He discussed with Joël Ruet and Stéphane Gompertz, former French Ambassador to Austria and Ethiopia and Africa Director at the Quai d’Orsay, about various subjects, including social justice, public finances, COVID-19 and Russia. Martin Ziguélé highlighted his political and financial experiences and how these would be an advantage to run for the presidency. He also underlined how important the fight against corruption was to him. He also mentioned the need for his country to develop and invest in education, especially after higher education, as well as secure the possession of fire weapons. Martin Ziguélé also called for more communication between African states, so that the voices of smaller or less economically developed countries can still be heard. He eventually called for the respect of the rule limiting the number of presidential mandates in other African states. This talk took place on the 17th of November 2020.

Suresh Prabhu speaks at the conference “Water and sanitation for all: the fight against pandemics”

Posted on 13 November 202019 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Suresh Prabhu, member of the Bridge Tank’s board, took part in the online conference “Water and Sanitation for All: The Fight Against Pandemics”, hosted online by the global social movement One Shared World, on the 12th of November 2020. On this occasion, he addressed over half a million people and confirmed India’s support to ensure clean drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene across the world. He committed to representing “poor people who have no voice, and so they can’t be heard” and to fight for water and sanitation for all.

Among the other keynote speakers were Shah Chowdhury, co-founder and President of Footsteps Bangladesh and winner of the 2020 AFS Prize for Young Global Citizens, and Jack Slim, Founder of the World Toilet Organisation and the World Toilet Day initiative.

The COVID19 vaccination campaign in Morocco – Point of view of Joël Ruet

Posted on 13 November 202031 March 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Joël Ruet was interviewed on 2MTV about the Moroccan vaccination campaign on the 12th of November 2020. He highlighted that Morocco has been very efficient in its handling of the COVID-19 epidemic since the start, by taking very early economic and lockdown measures. Vaccines, he argued, are the best weapon against this virus, and will help people to protect others, which will reduce and limit the COVID-19’s spread. The clinical study of the effects of this vaccine will also be helpful for the rest of the planet to understand the virus better.

The Bridge Talks: 2020 US election

Posted on 8 November 202019 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Jean-Claude Beaujour, lawyer and Vice-President of the France-Americas Foundation, took part in the Bridge Tank’s conversation about the 2020 American presidential election. He discussed with Joël Ruet about the American political system and its relation with a growingly divided society. Jean-Claude Beaujour highlighted the important role of economic wealth, religion, as well as the distinction between urban and rural areas, in the social and ideological division of the American society, which is also reflected by the split between the moderates and the Trump followers among the Republicans. This talk took place on the 7th of November 2020.

Driss Guerraoui Re-elected for a 4th term on the International Council for Social Protection

Posted on 8 November 202019 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Driss Guerraoui, member of the Bridge Tank’s board, was re-elected for a fourth mandate as member of the Administration Council and president of the Middle East and Northern Africa Region of the International Council on Social Welfare. This re-election took place on the 8th of November 2020.

Participation of the Bridge Tank to the T20 Summit of the G20

Posted on 2 November 202019 May 2021 by the_bridge_tank

Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Economics Prize Laureate and Chief Economist at the Roosevelt Institute, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former President of the Republic of Liberia, Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations, H. R. H. Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Foundation’s Centre for Research and Islamic Studies, H. H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nouriel Roubini, CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, H. E. Fahad Al Mubarak, Saudi Arabia’s G20 Sherpa, H. E. Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank, and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Prime Minister of Denmark and former CEO of Save the Children, were among the keynote speakers of the T20 Summit. This event was held between the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2020. It gathered over 70 world-leading thinkers, civil society organisations and international institutions, to exchange about climate and environment, women and youth, multilateralism, economic development and finance, sustainable resources, as well as technology and digitalisation.

This summit was concluding the T20’s research, divided into 11 task forces. The Bridge Tank particularly took part in the work of the second of these task forces, focusing on climate change and environment.