The European Union has offered steep cuts in farm tariffs as its contribution to the Doha “development” trade round, says Peter Mandelson. But developing countries could achieve even more trade benefits were they to cut their own manufacturing and services tariffs With a few months’ hindsight it is likely that the hard-won deal at the…

The digital revolution has highlighted the need for lighter, rather than tighter, intellectual property rights, says Ed Mayo Just when you think you live in a seamless global economy, you find that you can’t play the DVD you bought on your last trip abroad. Or, perhaps, that you don’t know if you are committing a…

Europe still has a long way to go if it is to have a shot at becoming the world’s most competitive economy. Central to this effort, says Angela Merkel, are Germany’s ambitious reforms The increasing pace of globalization and the relentless shift in Europe’s demographics are placing ever-increasing pressure on European economies to shore up…

In this frank interview, Pervez Musharraf tells Adrian Murdoch of his optimism about Pakistan’s economic prospects and geopolitical role. In particular, the president defends his unpopular policy of allying with America in its “war on terror”. However, the general is robust in his criticism of India over Kashmir, and insists that Pakistan bears no responsibility…

Nicholas Negroponte explains how he is able to produce a laptop for just $100 and how it will help educate the poorest and most remote child Eliminating poverty, stopping wars and saving the environment are such daunting tasks that it is arrogant or mad to think there is a single answer to any of these…

Cities play a crucial role in combating global warming, says Greg Nickels As the world works to implement the Kyoto Protocol, attention will continue to focus on what the US is doing – or not doing – to meet the challenge of global warming. While some have despaired, I remain hopeful, because the spirit of…

Technological advances and liberalized economies have opened up new models of global business, says Nandan Nilekani. Successfully exploiting them will require analysis, preparation and continued monitoring Over recent years, globalization has speeded up and is now widely recognized as a phenomenon in the world. Advances in technology, lower costs of communications and deregulated economies have…

Many predict that home networking will spark a revival for consumer electronics firms. Instead, says Eli Noam, it may make them obsolete The consumer electronics industry has been flat for several years. Hopes are now being pinned on the emergence of home networks. The theory goes that if consumers were able to “internetwork”, that is,…

Mexico must focus on public investment, education and public health for the neediest, says Andrés Manuel López Obrador a presidential candidate The economic and social policies that I have outlined for Mexico represent a clear break from the past 22 years. The government operates on the assumption that if it maintains macroeconomic stability, economic growth…

Sharper management is urgently needed to boost productivity in the UK, says Kevin Parry Writing previously in this magazine, Sir Howard Davies, director of the London School of Economics (LSE), outlined a hypothesis to explain Britain’s poor productivity record compared with that of other developed nations. British managers, he argued, are the culprits: they are…