The outcome of the US presidential election on November 3 will have momentous consequences for America in terms of economic policy, racial justice, the judiciary, health care, and the overall quality of its democracy. But the election's international effects could be equally far-reaching and lastin
With the COVID-19 catastrophe having laid bare the vulnerabilities inherent in a hyper-connected, just-in-time global economy, a retreat from globalization increasingly seems inevitable. To some extent, this may be desirable. But achieving positive outcomes will depend on deep, inclusive and effect
The COVID-19 crisis represents an unprecedented test of human solidarity. Will the wealthy - or, indeed, all those with stable incomes or savings cushions - embrace measures to support the poor and economically insecure? Will the young, among whom the mortality rate is lower, make sacrifices to pro
Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, two of this year's recipients of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, are the latest among leading economists to remind us that gross domestic product is an imperfect measure of human welfare. The Human Development Index, published by the United Nations
The notion of an "international" civil service goes back a century, to the establishment of the League of Nations after World War I. Whereas civil servants had until then always served their countries or empires, the League's small secretariat would facilitate cooperation among member states. The f
Amid ongoing attacks by US President Donald Trump, the battle for the future of multilateralism has commenced. Previous demands for pragmatic reforms have escalated into pressure for the wholesale transformation - or even total destruction - of the global framework of multilateral institutions. Tru
It is often said that the unipolar world order, dominated by the United States, that emerged at the end of the Cold War has lately shifted to a "multipolar" arrangement, owing to the growing geopolitical "weight" of countries such as China, as well as many emerging economies. But the actual metrics
French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the United States last month was a study in contrasts. Despite the friendly dynamic, Macron's agenda and rhetoric were almost diametrically opposed to US President Donald Trump's. But Macron's leadership is subject to an even more fundamental challe
