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Kevin Watkins

Kevin Watkins

30 commentaries

Kevin Watkins, a former CEO of Save the Children UK, is a visiting professor at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at the London School of Economics.

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  1. Last Chance for the SDGs?
    watkins30_ Stanislav KogikuSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_sdgs Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Last Chance for the SDGs?

    Dec 2, 2024 Kevin Watkins thinks the fate of the 2030 targets hinges on the next International Development Association replenishment.

  2. How the G20 Could Help Eliminate Hunger and Extreme Poverty
    watkins29_Luis AlvarengaGetty Images_brazilfoodprogram Luis Alvarenga/Getty Images

    How the G20 Could Help Eliminate Hunger and Extreme Poverty

    Jul 23, 2024 Kevin Watkins urges the group’s members to harness their economic and political power to advance shared development targets.

  3. Food Sovereignty Increases Food Security
    watkins28_SEYLLOUAFP via Getty Images_sengal rice SEYLLOU/AFP via Getty Images

    Food Sovereignty Increases Food Security

    Jul 21, 2023 Kevin Watkins urges African policymakers to transform the agriculture sector and rethink part of their development model.

  4. Schoolchildren Deserve Free Lunch
    watkins27_Karen DuceyGetty Images_school meals Karen Ducey/Getty Images

    Schoolchildren Deserve Free Lunch

    Sep 2, 2022 Kevin Watkins shows why universal school-meal programs have become even more important for improving educational outcomes.

  5. Can the International Community Still Do Big Things?
    watkins26_EVA HAMBACHAFP via Getty Images_spring meetings imf EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images

    Can the International Community Still Do Big Things?

    May 9, 2022 Kevin Watkins laments the failure to mobilize financing to address the developing world’s multiplying crises.

  1. manlan17_bgblueGetty Images_phoneheart bgblue/Getty Images

    Fintech Must Embrace Universal Inclusion

    Carl Manlan & Adanna Chukwuma point out that developing financial products for people with disabilities is a major economic opportunity.
  2. krueger82_Ishara S. KodikaraGettyImages_sri_lanka_debt_crisis Ishara S. Kodikara/Getty Images

    The Urgency of Global Debt Reform

    Anne O. Krueger highlights the need for an international framework that prevents prolonged restructuring negotiations.
  3. rajan96_Pallava BaglaCorbis via Getty Images_indiaengineer Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images

    Economic Development in a Protectionist World

    Raghuram G. Rajan thinks poorer countries should be exploring new growth models, regardless of whether a new trade war erupts.
  4. anelson2_Jam Sta RosaGettyImages_alice_guo_poster Jam Sta Rosa/Getty Images

    China Takes Aim at Philippine Democracy

    Adam Nelson & May Butoy urge the US and its regional allies to focus on helping policymakers address five key vulnerabilities.
  5. johnson182_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_trump Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The Economic Consequences of Trump 2.0

    Simon Johnson explains why reality is unlikely to come close to matching the US president-elect's rhetoric.
  6. cferguson3_Getty Images Getty Images

    Our AI Near-Future

    Charles Ferguson

    Although AI has great potential to bring exciting changes to education, art, medicine, robotics, and other fields, it also poses major risks, most of which are not being addressed. Judging by the response so far from political and other institutions, we can safely expect many years of instability.

    offers a brief roadmap of how the technology will evolve and be deployed over the next few years.
  7. tharoor198_AnadoluGettyImages_kash_patel_maga Anadolu/Getty Images

    The Indians Dividing MAGA

    Shashi Tharoor shows how one immigrant group became central to the “civil war” within Donald Trump’s base.
  8. james225_AnadoluGettyImages_un_security_countil_meeting Anadolu/Getty Images

    Shock Therapy for Multilateralism

    Harold James considers what another Donald Trump presidency will, and will not, mean for global cooperation.
  9. rogoff257_Drew AngererGetty Images_trumppowell Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    Will Trump Fire the Fed?

    Kenneth Rogoff

    Despite Donald Trump’s assurances that he will not seek to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, there is little doubt that the US president-elect aims to gain greater influence over the Fed’s decision-making. Such interference could drive up long-term interest rates, damaging the American economy.

    worries about the incoming US administration’s plans to weaken the central bank’s independence.

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