Xavier Carim is deputy director-general of International Trade & Economic Development at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). He was previously chief director in the ITED division responsible  for negotiating bilateral and regional trade agreements as well as negotiating at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Professor Roman Grynberg is a trade economist currently Research Fellow at Bostwana Institute of Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA). He is the former head of the Trade and Regional Integration Section and Deputy Director of the Economic Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat. He has worked extensively on trade issues confronting Pacific Island countries. Generally, Roman has a passion in helping the development of small states. In 2006, he published WTO at the Margin, Small States of the Trading Systems, Cambridge University Press. In 2007, he published Commodity Prices and Development (with S. Newton), at Oxford University Press, USA.

Dr. Matthew Stern is a trade economist with a wide range of public and private sector experience. He has worked for First National Bank; the South African Department of Trade and Industry; the National Treasury of South Africa; and the World Bank. He is the founder and a Director of Development Network Africa Economics (DNA Economics), a private economic consulting company based in Pretoria. Matthew holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Sussex.

Please note: Professor Grynberg's presentation will be uploaded shortly.
 

Dr. Matthew Stern's presentation is based on the following publication:

• Flatters, F., and M. Stern (2006). 'SACU Revenue Sharing: Issues and Options'. Policy Brief. Washington, DC: USAID/SEGA

http://qed.econ.queensu.ca/faculty/flatters/writings/ff&ms_sacursf_2006.pdf 

 Further information on registration, accommodation and required preparation can be obtained from the workshop conveners:

Dirk Ernst van Seventer - denves@xtra.co.nz

Rob Davies - rdavies@hsrc.ac.za  
 

The Conference will be hosted by the Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU) and Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)

As with most other emerging market economies, South Africa has not escaped the real economy effects of the global financial crisis. The impact on economic growth, foreign and domestic investment and the external balance of the economy was both severe and rapid. In addition the social welfare consequences of this crisis have been widely publicised with the economy shedding close to 900 000 jobs in the period since the third quarter of 2008. With the deficit-to-GDP ratio nearing pre-1994 levels, there remains a series of economic policy questions, issues and themes around both the impact of the global financial crisis on the South African economy, as well as the possible lessons that can be gleaned from this crisis for both policymakers and analysts. To this end, we invite papers predominantly, but not exclusively, within the area of understanding the impact of the economic crisis on the nature, level and trajectory of economic growth in South Africa. The conference aims to bring together researchers, policymakers, civil society and other social partners to critically analyse the work of peers and to dialogue on the value and the findings from a policy perspective. It is expected that the following areas and sub-themes would deserve attention at the conference:

• Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the time of Economic Crisis
• Exchange Rate Policy and Growth Path Dynamics
• The Poverty, Inequality and Labour Market Consequences of the Crisis
• Consequences for Social Security During a Recession
• The Role of Green Jobs and the Pursuit of a Green Economy in the time of Crisis
• Debating the Global Financial Architecture: Lessons for South Africa
• The Role of the Informal Economy: A Growth Lever During the Crisis?

http://www.dpru.uct.ac.za/  

See Annual Forum papers

About Professor Johann Fedderke
Johann Fedderke is a Professor at Pennsylvania State University. He holds the Helen Suzman Chair in Political Economy and a position in the Business School at the University of the Witwatersrand. He is also the Director of Economic Research Southern Africa (ERSA). Professor Fedderke's research interests centre on the determinants of economic growth, with a special focus on the role of institutions in long run economic development.

Professor Fedderke has an MPhil and PhD in Economics from the University of Cambridge, and has held tenured positions at the City University of London, the University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of Cape Town. He has served as Visiting Professor at the RAND Graduate School, Oxford, and the University of the Witwatersrand.

Professor Fedderke has published extensively and made substantial empirical and theoretical contributions to the field of economics in South Africa and beyond providing cross-country, panel and country specific time series evidence on the interaction of growth and institutions.

To download Professor Fedderke's presentation click here.

The Southern African Development Research Network (SADRN) was launched in August 2007 as a broad-based policy and research network. The programme is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and managed by Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS). SADRN was initiated with the purpose of capacity building with specific focus on research in the southern African region as well as to strengthen evidence-based policy-making.
The objectives of the programme are as follows:

• To increase the supply of policy-relevant research in SADC by creating a pool of suitably-skilled researchers based in institutions in SADC;
• To improve the policy-relevance of research through growing the capacity of policy-makers to be discerning research users;
• To develop an appreciation of evidence-based policy making by engaging policy-makers in the design, specification, implementation and review of research projects; and
• To build institutional capacity in key organizations in SADC by creating centres of excellence in focused thematic areas of research.

The programme has been implemented through three thematic working areas namely industrial policy, trade policy and pro-poor growth and services sector development. The programme is implemented by regional institutions, with the Botswana Institute for Development and Policy Analysis (BIDPA) responsible for the trade and poverty thematic working group and the University of Mauritius, which implements the services sector development theme while TIPS is responsible for the research coordination of the industrial policy theme.

SADRN has successfully produced 25 research papers across the three thematic working groups, as well as run a number of workshops and capacity building events aimed at both policy-makers and researchers. The key underlying issue around SADRN has been around the conflicting aims of the Programme to both build and utilise research capacity within the region. With this in mind TIPS, BIDPA and UoM together with Tralac are preparing a one and a half day seminar aimed at policy-makers in the SADC region. The objective of the seminar is to take stock of the lessons learned under SADRN, as well as other similar initiatives in the region, in order to inform an agenda for future support of policy capacity building interventions in the region.

For more information on the workshop contact tanya@tips.org.za   or call on 012 431 7900

The presentation slides for the workshop are available. Click on the links below to download:

Day 1 - 20 May 2010

• Information on SADRN - Ms Ximena Gonzalez-Nunez, TIPS
• Capacity Development for Evidence-based Development Policy and Practice - Mr. John Young, ODI
• SADRN Activities - Mr. Mmatlou Kalaba, TIPS Research Fellow
• Trade and Poverty Thematic Working Group - Prof. Roman Grynberg, BIDPA
• Services Sector Development Thematic Working Group - Dr. Boopen Seetanah, UoM
• Building Trade-related Capacity Some Observations - Ms Trudi Hartzenberg, TRALAC
• Reflections of Policy Research and Capacity Building Networks in Southern Africa - Mr. David Kalaba, TRAPCA
• Information on ERSA - Prof. Nicola Viegi, ERSA
• The Role of Policy Research Organisations - Prof. Rob Davies, TIPS Research Fellow
• Reflections by Policymakers - Mr. Tlohelang Aumane, Trade Ministry, Lesotho
• Reflections on Evidence based Trade Policy Formulation in Zambia - Mr. Humphrey Katotoka Ministry of Commerce, Zambia

Day 2 - 21 May 2010

• Building Capacity for Policy Research - Dr. Stephen Yeo, CEPR
• Think Tanks: East Africa and South Asia - Mr. Edward Adusei, CMS
• Confessions of an AusAID QAG - Mr. Matthew Stern, AusAid
• Information on IDRC - Mr. Paul Okwi, IDRC
• Relevance of Research in Informing Trade Related Policy in COMESA - Mr. Geoffrey Osoro, COMESA

About Professor Medhi Shafaeddin

Professor Mehdi Shafaeddin is a development economist and holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University. He is currently an international consultant affiliated to the Institute of Economic Research, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and is engaged in research and training. The former Head, Macroeconomics and Development Policies Branch, Globalization and Development Strategies of UNCTAD, he is the author of many articles on trade policy, industrialisation, economic reform and development policies in international journals.

Professor Shafaeddin's recent work includes: Trade Policy at the Crossroads: The Recent Experience of Developing Countries (Macmillan, 2005) and Competitiveness and Development; Myths and Misconceptions, Anthem Press, forthcoming.

Professor Shafaeddin's visit in South Africa is linked to a variety of events. He is the keynote speaker at the Fourth Annual Conference on Development and Change (ACDC) held at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS). He is also presenting at a high level policy workshop to be held at the dti. 

For more information on the ACDC Conference, please consult: http://www.caleidoscop.org/Members/janina/news10/fourth-annual-conference-on-development-and-change-acdc-johannesburg-south-africa-april-9-11-2010 

Kate Philip is a development strategist. She has extensive experience in the development sector as a practitioner and in policy development, focused on issues of economic marginalisation, inequality, employment and enterprise development. From within TIPS, this has included providing support to GTAC in National Treasury on regional economic development strategies, to the Economies of Regions Learning Network, and to the Integrated Wild Coast Development Programme. She has provided advisory support to the South African Presidency on issues of economic marginalisation, and played a central role in the design and development of South Africa’s Community Work Programme.

Through the International Labour Organization, she is currently supporting the government of Greece in relation to its public employment programme, Kinofelis, and regularly participates in teaching a course on Innovations in Public Employment for the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin. She worked for many years in enterprise development in rural areas and small towns, as CEO of the Mineworkers Development Agency.

She has a PhD in Development Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Engineering News

Climate change is increasingly recognised as one of the defining issues of the 21st century, drawing all elements of society towards the promotion of a prosperous, low carbon future. Even in times of economic recession, climate change has not fallen off the radar, with many major economies rather viewing 'green' led investment as an engine for economic recovery.

South Africa has become increasingly involved in addressing climate change issues, from our involvement in international climate negotiations, the modelling of potential mitigation scenarios under the Long Term Mitigation Scenarios (LTMS) process, and the current development of a national Climate Change White Paper. A significant amount of work has also been done to consider the direct impacts of climate change on the South African environment, including physical impacts related to higher temperatures, sea level rise, increased risk of wild fire and concerns over future water availability.

Despite these efforts, less emphasis has been placed on the indirect impacts of climate change, including how industry could be affected by shifts in consumer preferences, how the evolving carbon regulation environment in South Africa might affect industry, and how business and the economy as a whole should respond to these challenges.

To address this gap, research is currently underway that considers the indirect effects that climate change could have on South Africa's economy, ranging from impacts on the tourism sector, aviation and food exports, through to commercial opportunities in low carbon technologies and the promotion of alternative carbon markets. The project is being led by Camco, an international consulting firm specialising in climate change solutions, in partnership with Trade and Industrial Policy and Strategies (TIPS) and the ComMark Trust, with support provided by the British High Commission.

As part of the project, a stakeholder workshop including representatives from the private sector, national and local government, non-governmental organisations and the donor community is to take place in Sandton in mid-August, in order to discuss and debate the economic risks and opportunities posed by climate change for South Africa. Key questions to be discussed at the multi-stakeholder workshop include:

• What commercial risks and opportunities do companies face from climate change?
• How can we address these issues?
• How will 'air miles' and the demand for low carbon goods impact South African manufacturing and exports?
• Is the tourism sector adequately prepared for pressures to promote 'local tourism' within industrialised nations?
• What opportunities are presented for trade in environmental services by climate change, including through land use improvements and carbon sequestration?
• How can industry respond to a carbon tax regime in South Africa, and are there alternatives?
• How can we fast-track activities that combat climate change and promote poverty alleviation and socio-economic development?

The research underway is premised on the understanding that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but could have significant implications for trade, investment and industry competitiveness. South Africa is a carbon intensive economy, and is therefore exposed to a number of potential climate change related liabilities. Nevertheless, risk is often the precursor of opportunity, and considerable scope exists for the South African economy to shift these potential liabilities into market enablers, as the LTMS and other studies have begun to explore.

The research will help to take the climate debate in South Africa forward, identifying economic opportunities presented by climate change and exploring synergies with national priorities relating to job creation, enterprise development and poverty alleviation. The notion of 'green jobs' has come increasingly to the fore in recent years, and highlights that a number of national efforts to address climate change could promote economic growth as well as support environmental protection.
Across the globe, companies are exploring opportunities in low carbon development in a bid to differentiate themselves and maintain market share. Effectively positioned, the South African economy could weather any severe 'climatic' storms, whilst maximising on commercial opportunities and new markets.

For media enquiries please contact:

Alex McNamara Camco South Africa
Tel: (0)11 253 3400 Cell: (0)79 699 3284 Email: alex.mcnamara@camcoglobal.com
To view the article published on the Engineering News click here

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