https://hdl.handle.net/10419/190848 2026-10-09T05:23:53Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/341198 Title: China's economic footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean Authors: Kiryakova, Elena; Jackson, Karen; Nadin, Rebecca Abstract: China is the second largest trade partner and top sovereign creditor in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and in 2023 was the third-largest source of new foreign direct investment (FDI) project announcements. Over half of the region's countries have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2018, seeking to benefit from expanded infrastructure investment and broader economic cooperation. But China's expanding economic and financial footprint in LAC is unfolding against a backdrop of increasing global economic fragmentation, supply chain reconfiguration and geopolitical realignment. The geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and China, alongside retaliatory trade policies, could reshape the trade and investment landscape in the LAC region. Tighter US scrutiny of Chinese exports may divert Chinese trade towards LAC economies, where regulatory environments are more permissive. This report tracks Chinese trade, lending and project-level investment across 33 LAC economies from 2013 to 2024. It finds that China has been steadily building economic and financial links across the region for more than a decade, predating the region's formal integration into the BRI. Understanding the scale, composition and trajectory of these links is essential for policymakers navigating a rapidly changing international economic environment. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/341199 Title: Reforming multilateral development banks: Perspectives from client countries Authors: Prizzon, Annalisa; Zeka, Fatlum; Gyuzalyan, Hayk; Aghjoyan, Arpine Abstract: Drawing on nearly 650 government and MDB officials across 125 countries and 250 in-depth interviews in 12 countries. This report arrives at a moment of significantly reduced aid budgets, escalating financing needs, rising sovereign debt, geopolitical tensions and a fragmented development finance landscape. Since the first MDB client survey in 2021, successive G20 presidencies and MDB shareholders have launched multiple reform initiatives. This study takes stock of their effects - from the perspective of the countries these institutions exist to serve. The analysis covers financing, policy advice, technical assistance, development effectiveness, inter-MDB coordination, project pipeline quality and project-cycle speed. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/341200 Title: Cross-border digital payments and identity in Nigeria under the AfCFTA Authors: Agarwal, Prachi; Mendez Parra, Maximiliano; Mba, Sand Kalu; Aworanti-Ekugo, Lola; Olajide, Ayobami Abstract: As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) transitions from ambition to implementation, Nigeria stands at the forefront of the continent's digital transformation. Recognised as an AfCFTA Digital Trade Champion and boasting one of Africa's most vibrant fintech ecosystems, leading real-time payment infrastructure and rapidly expanding digital identity systems, Nigeria is uniquely positioned to shape how the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol (DTP) becomes a reality. But infrastructure alone is does not guarantee success. This report examines why Nigeria's thriving domestic digital economy has not yet translated into frictionless continental trade. Drawing on extensive desk research, stakeholder roundtables in Abuja and Lagos, and a survey of key ecosystem actors, it finds that the constraint is not weak infrastructure, but fragmentation.. Corporate identity systems remain underdeveloped and siloed. Regulatory processes are not sufficiently aligned. Verification and compliance checks slow transactions that should move in seconds. As a result, businesses - especially SMEs which account for 96% of Nigerian businesses - face delays, duplication and unnecessary costs when trading across African borders. The report sets out a practical roadmap for change. It calls for stronger inter-agency coordination, interoperable and reusable corporate digital identity systems, SME-friendly cross-border payment pathways, and deeper continental cooperation -including mutual recognition of digital credentials and regulatory passporting. Crucially, the solution does not require building new systems from scratch. It requires connecting, harmonising and scaling the robust infrastructure Nigeria already possesses. Nigeria has the scale, capability and continental influence to shape Africa's digital trade future. The question is whether its systems can be aligned quickly enough to unlock that opportunity. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/341175 Title: Advancing gender rights at the Human Rights Council in times of backlash strategies from the 59th session Authors: Khan, Ayesha; Michalko, Ján Abstract: In a context of high polarisation and long-term tensions over advancing gender equality, this report examines how negotiations at the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2025 achieved some key successes, and managed to hold the line on gender rights in the face of backlash. Based in Geneva, the Human Rights Council is the leading intergovernmental human rights body that crafts global frameworks and advances normative standards on human rights. Geopolitical pressures, alongside growing financial and political constraints, are increasingly shaping gender-related negotiations - making it much harder for Member States to advance (or simply hold the line) on gender equality. While the UN has always been a primary arena for politicised contestations over gender rights, today, polarisation and tensions are at a peak. So, can multilateralism prevail? And, what kind of strategies can negotiators employ to successfully navigate debates around gender equality in this new challenging context? Based on interviews, direct observations and text-tracing of negotiations for four key gender-related resolutions (including on violence against women and girls, female genital mutilation, sexual orientation and gender identity, and sport), the analysis reveals tactics and counter-tactics of both gender expansive and gender restrictive actors who seek to influence the outcome of the sessions. To the surprise of many negotiators and civil society representatives, productive multilateralism was preserved, and the report identifies five critical strategies for success that can be taken forward into 2026 and beyond. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z