I support the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, to co-chair the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, which was set up in June 2012. The partnership aims to make aid, and other policies and finance from countries like the UK - such as trade, investment, remittances and technology - deliver as much poverty reduction in developing countries as possible. I’m an economist by training, and I used to be a Climate Change Negotiator. I am also a co-author of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change and a winner of the 2012 Observer’s Ethical Award for this blog. If you like my blog posts, do also follow me on Twitter - @hmryder.
Here in the UK, many news stories we hear about Somalia are negative. Somalia is one of the world's riskiest places, alongside countries like Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Twenty one out of the 28 countries that DFID …
As a bride-to-be, I remember having quite a few conversations about whether to change my surname after marriage. Apparently, grooms have been increasingly considering this question too. The pros and cons are regularly covered in magazines so there is no …
If you've ever watched the seminal British comedy Yes, Minister, you’ll know that "technical" and "bureaucratic" are 2 words often associated with civil servants. They are also 2 words often associated with international organisations, though I won't name any names... …
This year I've been lucky enough to be one of the Guardian's International Development Journalism Competition judges, which means I have had my first insight into what it is like to "judge". From Britain's Got Talent to The Voice, there …
The coverage of the Tax, Transparency and Trade "Three T’s" agenda for the G8 over the past few days has been excellent. On my twitter feed I’ve seen many commentators, Non-Governmental Organisations and others welcoming the outcomes. As a civil …
I have to travel a lot for my work, and over time I have refined my packing to be as compact as possible. I'm particularly proud of a small see-through plastic zip-up toiletries bag, which is a triumph of space saving. …
A good friend of mine has started advertising her flat on Airbnb, a website that allows anyone that has a spare bedroom, owns a second property, or just want to rent their place out while they are on holiday to …
Did you know that Wikipedia had several predecessors? According to this article, there were plenty, but one of the main reasons they didn't become as well known was because they didn't explicitly relate themselves to a product that people already knew …
A recent experience brought to life for me some of the issues facing developing countries trying to improve tax collection. I have lots of family in Kenya, and a few days ago, my dad received the news that a cargo …
A few months ago, DFID's Secretary of State Justine Greening announced the beginning of a new, non-aid based relationship with India focused on trade and the private sector. Around the same time, David Cameron, announced a focus for the UK's G8 presidency …
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