Welcome to UNU-WIDER Seminar Organised in Collaboration with Think tank e2 and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

May 6th 2009 14:00 - 16:00
Press Room, Marina Congress Centre, Katajanokanlaituri 6, Helsinki


Trade or Aid in Policies towards Poverty?
Vesa Kanniainen (University of Helsinki, Department of Economics)

In his presentation, Professor Kanniainen addresses the challenges of global poverty and the role of public goods in alleviating it. He also examines the effects of globalization on poverty.

Global Economic Crisis: How to respond to the Development Emergency
Nina Kataja (Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)

The global economic crisis is in danger of turning into a development crisis as the effects of the economic downturn are spreading across the developing world. Urgent action is needed to counter these impacts. Development aid can mitigate the negative effects of the crisis on the poorest countries by creating fiscal space for critical public spending and by shoring up the private sector.  More effective use of aid and a stronger focus on results are also needed. The multilateral development banks have a key role to play in all these measures.

Development Prospects in Africa amidst the Financial Crisis
Wim Naudé (UNU-WIDER Senior Research Fellow)

This presentation surveys what is known about the current and expected future impact of the financial crisis on the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa. It identifies the need for responses to address the short-term alleviation of poverty, stimulate recovery and drive longer-term development. Seven (overlapping) broad requirements are highlighted:

1.    addressing rising 'twin' deficits,
2.    reversing falling trade and foreign investment,
3.    scaling up and implementing development partnerships,
4.    addressing violent conflict and political instability,
5.    broadening financial access,
6.    reforming the global financial system and
7.    remaining focused on the continued imperative for building and strengthening the institutional framework.

The current responses of governments, regional bodies and the international community (especially in light of the recent G-20 summit) are critically scrutinized against these requirements.


About the speakers:

Vesa Kanniainen studied at the London School of Economics 1972-73, working with macroeconomic theory and monetary economics, topics that he also taught as Visiting Assistant Professor at Brown University and Washington State University 1977-79. Most of his academic life he has been working at the University of Helsinki. His research includes dynamic investment models, including tax effects.  He has taught corporate finance as well as courses at Uppsala University, University of Munich and at Hamburg University. He is a research fellow at CESifo in Munich. His current research interests are ethics and economics, entrepreneurship, public finance, corporate finance, shadow economies and morality, and socio-psychology.

Nina Kataja is an Adviser for Development Financing focused on the operations of the multilateral development banks. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland she has held positions at the World Bank South Asia Region, UNHCR and several private sector corporations.

Wim Naudé is Senior Research Fellow and Project Director at UNU-WIDER. A graduate in development economics from the University of Warwick (UK) and North-West University (Potchefstroom, South Africa) his recent research focuses on spatial economic inequalities, entrepreneurship and African economic development. Previously, he has been Director of the Work Well Research Unit at North-West University, South Africa, and a Council Member of Statistics South Africa. He has also been lecturer and research officer at the Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford, has taught economics at Addis Ababa University, and has worked as policy researcher in a number of African countries.