Perspectives from Charles Abugre: Navigating African Debt & Role of Young Scholars

Описание: On the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, African countries face another debt crisis, a situation mirroring the 1970s. Economic contractions, declining raw material prices, and disrupted imports exacerbate this crisis. Initiatives for debt relief have delivered limited results, leaving many countries needing help. The IMF and World Bank interventions have yielded increased indebtedness, austerity measures, and debt defaults. Geopolitical tensions further complicate debt restructuring. With 24 African countries at risk of debt distress, urgent action is needed to prevent further setbacks to development goals. Reforms in debt restructuring mechanisms and global financial systems are imperative for sustainable solutions.

IDEAs is planning an international conference from March 27 to 29, 2024 in Accra, Ghana to discuss these pressing issues. It will be attended by experts, policymakers, members of civil society and others. As 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the G77 New International Economic Order agenda (NIEO), this gathering will also provide an opportunity to discuss its legacy as well as current proposals along the same lines aiming to reshuffle the international financial architecture.

To join online on Zoom, register at https://bit.ly/4cu6Mre.

The main speakers include

Wednesday March 27, 2024
Keynotes by Prof. Adebayo Olukoshi on ‘the African Debt Crisis – Past, Present and what the future holds’; Prof. José Antonio Ocampo on ‘What’s Wrong with IMF’s Debt Sustainability Analysis and Orthodox Adjustment Strategies’; Prof. Jan Kregel on ‘Debt and development finance in Challenging times’.

Thursday March 28, 2024
Country Case studies from Africa (Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia) Asia (Sri Lanka) Latin America (Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico) & Moderated, roundtable discussion among Ghana’s political actors.

Friday March 29, 2024
There will be a Panel on ‘Towards an Alternative External Debt Restructuring Template’ another Addressing Trade and Capital Account Vulnerability with the conference closing that afternoon with a Roundtable with policymakers.

Some of the eminent IDEAS experts attending the conference and speaking are Jayati Ghosh, Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Dzodzi Tsikata, C.P. Chandrasekhar, Ndongo Samba Sylla, Ahilan Kadirgamar & Charles Abugre.

More details at: https://www.networkideas.org/debt-cri...