The Elcano Royal Institute is a private entity, independent of both the public administration and the
companies that fund it, that was established under the honorary presidency of HRH the Prince of
Asturias on 27 December 2001. The Institute’s prime mission is to generate ideas on the
international scenario and on Spain’s strategic options in international relations that are of practical
use to politicians, the business world, academics the media and public opinion at large.
Introduction
In his monthly commentary on Spanish foreign affairs, William Chislett focuses on Afghanistan, Venezuela, Gibraltar and Spain’s forthcoming participation at the G-20 summit. Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero confirmed that the Spanish peacekeeping troops will stay in Afghanistan ‘as long as necessary’ and did not give a date for withdrawal. Rodríguez Zapatero also called on the Venezuelan authorities to investigate reports that members of the Basque terrorist group ETA are trained in the South American country. The preparations for the next meeting of the forum between Spain, Gibraltar and the UK were suspended by Gibraltar due to an ongoing dispute over territorial waters. Finally, Spain was formally invited to the next G-20 summit to be held on 11 and 12 November. Two main issues stand out on the domestic scene: the first general strike in eight years against the Spanish government’s measures to reduce the budget deficit, and the need for a pension reform. Especially important this month regarding the Economy, the Finance Minister Elena Salgado announced the Spanish government’s budget for 2011, which aims to cut the deficit by curtailing expenditure and increasing income tax for the rich.
The first highlight this month is the speech by the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs Minister Elena Espinosa at the European Seminar on ‘How to Reform the CAP to Improve Agriculture’s Contribution to the Europe 2020 Strategy’, organised by the Elcano Royal Institute and Notre Europe and held in Madrid on 24 June 2010. Also within Europe, William Chislett presents an analysis on the ‘Yes’ vote in the latest Turkish constitutional referendum and its consequences on the negotiations for its full entry into the EU.
Secondly, we present an analysis written by Professor Mushtaq H. Khan, from the SOAS Department of Economics, on the relationship between governance, growth and development and its relevant implications for Sub-Saharan African countries. The UK’s Open University Reader in Politics of International Development Giles Mohan also examines the link between aid and investment but in the case of Ghana and its oil economy.
Finally, from the Elcano’s Energy and Climate Change programme, Paul Isbell and Lara Lázaro-Touza examine the underlying, intermediate and proximate causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and argue that its main consequences and possible future developments ‘can shed light on the key issues and help understand accidental oil spills such as this’.
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Document of Interest Transatlantic Trends. Key Findings 2010
The 2010 edition shows that 78% of Europeans approve of U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policies and 55% find it desirable that the U.S exert strong global leadership. Only 49% approve of how Obama has dealt with Afghanistan and Iran.
Governance, Growth and Development (ARI) Mushtaq H. Khan
The promotion of ‘good governance’ has become one of the pillars of development policies proposed by a large majority of development aid agencies. It is based on the view that ‘good governance’ is a pre-requisite for development. The author critically reviews the relationship between governance, growth and development and draws implications that are relevant for Sub-Saharan African countries.
China in Ghana: Easing the Shift from Aid Dependency to Oil Economy? (ARI) Giles Mohan
The author examines recent changes in the Ghanaian aid and investment landscape as China has stepped up its relations with this donor ‘darling’. Recent oil discoveries further transform the financing scenarios and more established donors are concerned about the riskiness of this. These tensions reveal wider differences in approaches to development and the desires of many African governments which could herald big changes in the ethos and practice of development.
Document of Interest African Union - UN-OSAA - OECD - Economic Diversification in Africa: A Review of Selected Countries
This study of the African Union, the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN-OSAA) and the OECD looks at how African governments can diversify their economies and begins by examining some of the major determinants of diversification and examines how the private sector plays a key role by being at the forefront of innovation, research and development and production.
Document of Interest OHCHR - Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1993-2003
The Report of the Mapping Exercise documenting the most serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed within the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between March 1993 and June 2003 was released on 1st October. The document lists 617 of these crimes over the 10-year period by both State and non-State actors, and is the product of a mapping exercise that took more than two years.
Document of Interest IMF World Economic Outlook. Recovery, Risk and Rebalancing October 2010
According to the World Economic Outlook (WEO) -released in October 2010-, the ‘global recovery remains fragile, because strong policies to foster internal rebalancing of demand from public to private sources and external rebalancing from deficit to surplus economies are not yet in place’.
Document of Interest UNCTAD - Trade and Development Report 2010
The 2010 edition of the Trade and Development Report, subtitled 'Employment, globalization and development', focuses on the need to make employment creation a priority in economic policy, and also makes recommendations for a reorientation of macroeconomic policies and institution building aimed at strengthening domestic demand.
The Elcano Royal Institute does not necessarily share the views expressed by the authors of its Working Papers and other
texts which may appear on its Website or in any other of its publications.The Institute’ss primary goal is to act as a
leading forum for research and analysis and to stimulate informed discussion of international affairs, particularly with regard
to those issues which are most relevant from a Spanish perspective, and which will be of interest to policy-makers, business leaders,
the media, and society at large.
