Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks ..

 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed

February 25, 2021
Ottawa, Ontario

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, today spoke with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed.

Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Abiy discussed ongoing efforts in Canada and Ethiopia to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic, save lives, and support people and communities through the crisis. They agreed on the importance of continued international collaboration to ensure access to vaccines through such mechanisms as COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

The two leaders spoke about the importance of building back better to ensure a strong economic recovery that benefits everyone. They agreed on the need for continued international collaboration to address debt and liquidity challenges associated with the economic impacts of COVID-19, including through the Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond initiative at the United Nations.

The prime ministers also discussed the situation in Ethiopia, including the importance of humanitarian access and human rights in the Tigray region. Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed efforts to expand access for humanitarian assistance and journalists, to restore critical services and infrastructure, and to protect people. Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed Canada’s support for ongoing reforms intended to consolidate durable, inclusive peace and democracy in Ethiopia.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau and Prime Minister Abiy affirmed the deep and enduring friendship between Canada and Ethiopia, which was strengthened by Prime Minister Trudeau’s successful visit to Ethiopia and participation in the African Union Summit in February 2020, and ongoing collaboration as part of the coordinated global response to COVID-19.

Associated links

• Canada-Ethiopia Relations
• Prime Minister co-chairs high-level meeting to address economic devastation caused by COVID‑19 and announces new funding to fight the pandemic
• Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on situation in Ethiopia
• Prime Minister concludes productive visit to Ethiopia to promote partnerships

Le premier ministre Justin Trudeau s'entretient avec le premier ministre de l'Éthiopie, Abiy Ahmed

Le 25 février 2021
Ottawa (Ontario)

IMFBlog-The Great Divergence: A Fork in the Road for the Global Economy

 

Dear maria, We just published a new blog—please find the full text below. Translations coming soon.   The Great Divergence: A Fork in the Road for the Global Economy By Kristalina Georgieva As G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meet virtually this week, the world continues to climb back from the worst recession in peacetime since the Great Depression. The IMF recently projected global GDP growth at 5.5 per cent this year and 4.2 per cent in 2022. But it is going to be a long and uncertain ascent. Most of the world is facing a slow rollout of vaccines even as new virus mutations are spreading—and the prospects for recovery are diverging dangerously across countries and regions. Indeed, the global economy is at a fork in the road. The question is: will policymakers take action to prevent this Great Divergence? As our note to the G20 meeting points out, there is a major risk that as advanced economies and a few emerging markets recover faster, most developing countries will languish for years to come. This would not only worsen the human tragedy of the pandemic, but also the economic suffering of the most vulnerable. We estimate that, by the end of 2022, cumulative per capita income will be 13 percent below pre-crisis projections in advanced economies—compared with 18 percent for low-income countries and 22 percent for emerging and developing countries excluding China. This projected hit to per capita income will increase by millions the number of extremely poor people in the developing world.   In other words, the convergence between countries can no longer be taken for granted. Before the crisis, we forecast that income gaps between advanced economies and 110 emerging and developing countries would narrow over 2020–22. But we now estimate that only 52 economies will be catching up during that period, while 58 are set to fall behind. This is partly because of the uneven access to vaccines. Even in the best-case scenario, most developing economies are expected to reach widespread vaccine coverage only by end-2022 or beyond. Some are especially exposed to hard-hit sectors such as tourism and oil exports, and most of them are held back by the limited room in their budgets. Last year, advanced economies on average deployed about 24 percent of GDP in fiscal measures, compared with only 6 percent in emerging markets and less than 2 percent in low-income countries. Cross-country comparisons also show how more sizable crisis support was often associated with a smaller loss in employment.   And it is not just divergence across countries. We also see an accelerated divergence within countries: the young, the low-skilled, women, and informal workers have been disproportionately affected by job losses. And millions of children are still facing disruptions to education. Allowing them to become a lost generation would be an unforgiveable mistake. It would also deepen the long-term economic scars of the crisis, which would make it even more difficult to reduce inequality and boost growth and jobs. Think of the challenges ahead: for G20 economies alone (excluding India and Saudi Arabia due to data limitations), total employment losses are projected at more than 25 million this year and close to 20 million in 2022, relative to pre-crisis projections. So again, we stand at a fork in the road—and if we are to reverse this dangerous divergence between and within countries, we must take strong policy actions now. I see three priorities: First, step up efforts to end the health crisis. We know that the pandemic is not over anywhere until it is over everywhere. While new infections worldwide have recently declined, we are concerned that multiple rounds of vaccinations may be needed to preserve immunity against new variants. That is why we need much stronger international collaboration to accelerate the vaccine rollout in poorer countries. Additional financing to secure doses and pay for logistics is critical. So, too, is timely reallocation of excess vaccines from surplus to deficit countries, and a significant scaling up of vaccine production capacity for 2022 and beyond. Insuring vaccine producers against the downside risks of overproduction may be an option worth considering. We also need to ensure greater access to therapies and testing, including virus sequencing, while steering clear of restrictions on exports of medical supplies. The economic arguments for coordinated action are overwhelming. Faster progress in ending the health crisis could raise global income cumulatively by $9 trillion over 2020–25. That would benefit all countries, including around $4 trillion for advanced economies—which beats by far any measure of vaccine-related costs. Second, step up the fight against the economic crisis. Led by G20 countries, the world has taken unprecedented and synchronized measures, including nearly $14 trillion in fiscal actions. Governments need to build on these efforts by continuing to provide fiscal support—appropriately calibrated and targeted to the stage of the pandemic, the state of their economies, and their policy space. The key is to help maintain livelihoods, while seeking to ensure that otherwise viable companies do not go under. This requires not just fiscal measures, but also maintaining favorable financial conditions through accommodative monetary and financial policies, which support the flow of credit to households and firms. The considerable monetary easing by major central banks has also enabled several developing economies to regain access to global capital markets and borrow at record-low rates to support spending, despite their historic recessions. Given the gravity of the crisis, there is no alternative to continued monetary policy support. But there are legitimate concerns around unintended consequences, including excessive risk-taking and market exuberance. One risk going forward—especially in the face of diverging recoveries—is the potential for market volatility in response to changing financial conditions. Major central banks will need to carefully communicate their monetary policy plans to prevent excess volatility in financial markets, both at home and in the rest of the world. Third, step up support to vulnerable countries. Given their limited resources and policy space, many emerging market and low-income nations could soon be faced with an excruciating choice between maintaining macroeconomic stability, tackling the health crisis, and meeting peoples’ basic needs. Their increased vulnerability not only affects their own prospects for recovery from the crisis, but also the speed and scale of the global recovery; and it can be a destabilizing force in a number of already fragile areas. Vulnerable countries will need substantial support as part of a comprehensive effort: The first step begins at home, with governments raising more domestic revenue, making public spending more efficient, and improving the business environment. At the same time, international efforts are critical to further scale up concessional financing and leverage private finance, including through stronger risk-sharing instruments. Another option under consideration is a new SDR allocation to help address the global long-term need for reserves. This could add a substantial, direct liquidity boost to countries, without adding to debt burdens. It could also expand the capacity of bilateral donors to provide new resources for concessional support, including for health spending. An SDR allocation served the world well in tackling the global financial crisis in 2009—it could serve us well again now. Following a comprehensive approach also means dealing with debt. The G20’s debt service suspension initiative (DSSI) quickly freed up vital resources. And the new Common Framework can go even further: facilitating timely and orderly debt treatments for DSSI-eligible countries, with broad creditor participation including the private sector. These treatments should involve debt service reprofiling to help countries facing large financing needs, and deeper relief where debt burdens have become unsustainable. With the first requests in, the Common Framework should be swiftly operationalized by all creditors—official and private. For its part, the IMF has stepped up in an unprecedented manner by providing over $105 billion in new financing to 85 countries and debt service relief for our poorest members. We aim to do even more to support our 190 member countries in 2021 and beyond. That includes supporting efforts to modernize international corporate taxation. We need a system that is truly fit for the digital economy and that is more attuned to the needs of developing countries. Here multilateral efforts will be essential to help ensure that highly profitable firms pay tax in markets where they do business and thereby strengthen public finances. These policy measures can help address the Great Divergence. Given their resources, advanced economies will continue to invest in human capital, digital infrastructure, and the transition to the new climate economy. It is vital that poorer countries have the support they need to make similar investments, especially in the job-rich climate adaptation measures that will be essential as our planet gets warmer. The alternative—to leave poorer countries behind—would only entrench abject inequality. Even worse, it would represent a major threat to global economic and social stability. And it would rank as a historic missed opportunity. We can take inspiration from the spectacular international cooperation that has given us effective vaccines in record time. That spirit is now more important than ever to overcome this crisis and secure a strong and inclusive recovery. Kristalina Georgieva currently serves as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. ****** Thank you again for your interest in IMF Blog. Read more of our latest content here. Take good care, Glenn Gottselig Blog Editor, IMF GGottselig@IMF.org

Sarantaporo.gr και Homo Digitalis καλεσμένοι..

Sarantaporo.gr και Homo Digitalis καλεσμένοι σε ραδιοφωνική εκπομπή του Πρώτου Προγράμματος της ΕΡΤ







Πότε: Παρασκευή 26/02/2021, Ώρα 19:00-20:00
Πού: Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία, Πρώτο Πρόγραμμα, Ραδιοφωνική εκπομπή «Ασκώ τα δικαιώματά μου, τηρώ τις υποχρεώσεις μου, στην Ευρώπη του αύριο»
Συχνότητα: 91,6FM - 105,8FM
Live Streaming: https://radiostreaming.ert.gr/ert-proto

Την Παρασκευή 26 Φεβρουαρίου 2021 και ώρα 19:00-20:00, ο Βασίλης Χρυσός από το Aσύρματο Kοινοτικό Δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr και ο Στέφανος Βιτωράτος από τη μη κερδοσκοπική οργάνωση Homo Digitalis θα έχουν την ευκαιρία να παρουσιάσουν στην ραδιοφωνική εκπομπή του Περικλή Βασιλόπουλου «Ασκώ τα δικαιώματά μου, τηρώ τις υποχρεώσεις μου, στην Ευρώπη του αύριο», του Πρώτου Προγράμματος της Ελληνικής Ραδιοφωνίας την μεταξύ τους συνεργασία με στόχο την ενίσχυση της πρόσβασης των πολιτών στο διαδίκτυο, με την ανάπτυξη ευρυζωνικών δικτύων πολιτών.

Η ΑΜΚΕ Sarantaporo.gr οικοδομεί μια σύγχρονη ασύρματη τηλεπικοινωνιακή υποδομή, ένα ευρυζωνικό δίκτυο πολιτών κοινωφελούς χαρακτήρα, το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr, το οποίο σήμερα εξυπηρετεί 11 χωριά της ευρύτερης περιοχής του Σαρανταπόρου Ελασσόνας και περίπου 3.500 κατοίκους. Η συγκεκριμένη πρωτοβουλία βραβεύτηκε πρόσφατα από την Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή με το πρώτο βραβείο στα European Broadband Awards 2019, τον κορυφαίο θεσμό ανάδειξης και βράβευσης σημαντικών πρωτοβουλιών ανάπτυξης της ευρυζωνικότητας σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο.

Η Homo Digitalis είναι η πρώτη Μη Κυβερνητική Οργάνωση στην Ελλάδα με αντικείμενο την προστασία των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην ψηφιακή εποχή, με πλήθος πρωτοβουλιών και δράσεων σε Ελλάδα και εξωτερικό. Πρόσφατη θεσμική παρέμβαση όσον αφορά την ανάπτυξη ευρυζωνικών δικτύων πολιτών οι προτάσεις που κατατέθηκαν στα πλαίσια της διαβούλευσης για το νέο Κώδικα Ηλεκτρονικών Επικοινωνιών, όπου προτάθηκαν συγκεκριμένα μέτρα που μπορεί να λάβει η Πολιτεία, ώστε να στηρίξει σε θεσμικό και οικονομικό επίπεδο, καθώς και σε επίπεδο ευαισθητοποίησης των πολιτών, τα κοινοτικά δίκτυα ευρυζωνικότητας στην Ελλάδα, κυρίως σε απομακρυσμένες περιοχές της χώρας που δεν έχουν εναλλακτικό τρόπο πρόσβασης. Αυτή είναι άλλωστε μια κατεύθυνση που προτείνει και η πιο πρόσφατη ειδική έκθεση της ΕΕ για την ευρυζωνικότητα.
Διαβάστε το post στην ιστοσελίδα μας
Η πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο είναι ανθρώπινο δικαίωμα

Θεωρούμε ότι η πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο είναι δικαίωμα όλων των ανθρώπων, το οποίο πρέπει να διασφαλίζεται αξιοποιώντας υπάρχουσες δημόσιες υποδομές και πόρους, προκειμένου να προσφέρεται ισότιμη πρόσβαση των πολιτών στην ψηφιακή εποχή. Εν μέσω της πρόσφατης κρίσης του κορονοϊού η ψηφιακή απομόνωση γίνεται ακόμη πιο δυσβάσταχτη, λόγω των αυξημένων αναγκών για τηλεκπαίδευση, τηλεργασία και online πρόσβαση στην πληροφορία και τις κρατικές online υπηρεσίες από τους πολίτες.

Γι’ αυτο, σε συνεργασία με το Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλίας, τους κατοίκους των χωριών και φορείς της περιοχής δίνουμε τη μάχη, ώστε να εξασφαλίσουμε στοιχειώδη πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο για όλους τους κατοίκους των απομονωμένων χωριών, καθώς και σε επαγγελματίες της περιοχής, στους οποίους δεν υπάρχει εναλλακτική δυνατότητα πρόσβασης στο ίντερνετ από κάποιον εμπορικό πάροχο.

Τα κοινοτικά δίκτυα πολιτών γεφυρώνουν το ψηφιακό χάσμα

Στην εποχή του κατ’ οίκον περιορισμού που βιώνουμε εν μέσω της πανδημίας κανένας πολίτης δεν επιτρέπεται να μένει αποκλεισμένος στη σκιά της ψηφιακής απομόνωσης. Τα κοινοτικά δίκτυα σε όλο τον κόσμο, όπως το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr, προσφέρουν στους πολίτες τη δυνατότητα να γεφυρώσουν το ψηφιακό χάσμα χτίζοντας τις δικές τους τηλεπικοινωνιακές υποδομές ως κοινό αγαθό.

Σχετικά με το Sarantaporo.gr

Το Sarantaporo.gr Αστική Μη Κερδοκοπική Εταιρεία είναι ένας μη κερδοσκοπικός οργανισμός με σκοπό την ανάπτυξη ασύρματου ευρυζωνικού δικτύου κοινωφελούς χαρακτήρα, την προαγωγή των ψηφιακών δεξιοτήτων και τον διαμοιρασμό της γνώσης και της προσπάθειας για την αναβάθμιση της ποιότητας ζωής της τοπικής κοινωνίας της ευρύτερης περιοχής του Σαρανταπόρου Ελασσόνας.

Ως νομικό πρόσωπο συστάθηκε τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2013, αλλά ως ομάδα δραστηριοποιείται εθελοντικά από το 2010 στην ευρύτερη περιοχή του Σαρανταπόρου Ελασσόνας, οικοδομώντας ένα κοινοτικό ασύρματο δίκτυο που συνδέει 11 χωριά της περιοχής, παρέχοντας ταυτόχρονα ελεύθερη πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο για τους μόνιμους κατοίκους, τους φορείς και τους επισκέπτες της περιοχής.

Το 2019 το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr διακρίθηκε με το 1ο βραβείο στον ευρωπαϊκό διαγωνισμό ευρυζωνικότητας European Broadband Awards.

Θέλετε να βοηθήσετε;

Αν επιθυμείτε να στηρίξετε τη δουλειά μας μπορείτε να μας ενισχύσετε με μια χρηματική δωρεά ή προσφέροντας εξοπλισμό και εθελοντική εργασία στην ομάδα μας. Οι ανάγκες μας σε εξοπλισμό την τρέχουσα περίοδο αφορούν σε τηλεπικοινωνιακό εξοπλισμό (routers, APs, servers) και υπολογιστές ή smartphone σε λειτουργική κατάσταση για τους μαθητές της περιοχής μας.

Δείτε εδώ πως μπορείτε να κάνετε μια χρηματική δωρεά στον οργανισμό μας μέσω κατάθεσης σε τράπεζα ή μέσω PayPal. Για προσφορές εξοπλισμού, παρακαλούμε επικοινωνήστε με το info@sarantaporo.gr.

Επικοινωνία

Για οποιαδήποτε άλλη πληροφορία μην διστάσετε να επικοινωνήσετε μαζί μας:

Υπεύθυνος Επικοινωνίας:
Χρυσός Βασίλης, vchryssos@sarantaporo.gr

Διαβάστε επίσης:
Τι είναι το Sarantaporo.gr
Ασύρματο Κοινοτικό Δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr
Στο Sarantaporo.gr το 1ο βραβείο του European Broadband Awards 2019
“Ψηφιακή καινοτομία με θέα στον Όλυμπο”, Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών
"Ενα κοινοτικό δίκτυο στους πρόποδες του Ολύμπου", Η Καθημερινή
Είπαν και έγραψαν για εμάς
Πρόσφατο ενημερωτικό βίντεο
Ευχαριστήρια μηνύματα προς το Sarantaporo.gr από μαθητές χωριών του Δήμου Ελασσόνας
Απόσπασμα της εκπομπής "Κάθε μέρα Ελλάδα" της ΕΤ3 για το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr στις 12/12/2019
Συνεργασία της Homo Digitalis με το Sarantaporo.gr
Παρουσίαση του Sarantaporo.gr στο TedxLesvos 2018
Δείτε την εκπομπή "Αντιδραστήριο" της ΕΤ3 με θέμα το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr
FundAction’s ‘Rethink’ grant supports Sarantaporo.gr expertise sharing to Tzoumerka
Επιχορήγηση της ISOC προς το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr
Το ασύρματο κοινοτικό δίκτυο Sarantaporo.gr αναβαθμίζεται!
Ντοκιμαντέρ για τα ασύρματα δίκτυα Sarantaporo.gr
«Το δίκτυο είχε τη δική του ιστορία», Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών
Ανοιχτή επιστολή προς τους φορείς χάραξης πολιτικής της ΕΕ για τα κοινοτικά δίκτυα

Το άνοιγμα της κρουαζιέρας ..

26.02.2021


Το άνοιγμα της κρουαζιέρας συζητήθηκε σε τηλεδιάσκεψη ανάμεσα στον Υπουργό Τουρισμού κ. Χάρη Θεοχάρη και σε εκπροσώπους του κλάδου



Οι προοπτικές της κρουαζιέρας στην Ελλάδα, ιδιαίτερα κατά το άνοιγμα του κλάδου αμέσως μόλις το επιτρέψουν τα επιδημιολογικά δεδομένα, βρέθηκαν στο επίκεντρο της τηλεδιάσκεψης που είχε ο Υπουργός Τουρισμού κ. Χάρης Θεοχάρης με εκπροσώπους εταιρειών και μελών της Διεθνούς Ένωσης Κρουαζιέρας (CLIA).

Ο κ. Θεοχάρης επισήμανε ότι «πέρυσι η Ελλάδα πρωτοστάτησε στην παγκόσμια επανέναρξη της κρουαζιέρας. Συνεχίζουμε, ακόμη πιο δυναμικά, προς την ίδια κατεύθυνση, σχεδιάζοντας το φετινό άνοιγμα. Η κρουαζιέρα, ως μία από τις βασικές μορφές τουρισμού για τη χώρα μας, είναι πολύ σημαντική για την ελληνική οικονομία. Ως εκ τούτου απαιτείται μεγιστοποίηση της συνεργασίας και της προσπάθειας προκειμένου η κρουαζιέρα να ανοίξει με ασφάλεια το συντομότερο δυνατόν».

Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση έδωσε ο Υπουργός Τουρισμού στην προώθηση των ελληνικών προϊόντων, τα οποία και θα πρέπει να προτείνονται στους τουρίστες κρουαζιέρας με φροντίδα των πλοιοκτητών. Ο κ. Θεοχάρης απηύθυνε παραίνεση προς τους εκπροσώπους των εταιρειών να αυξήσουν τις προμήθειες τροφοδοσίας των πλοίων τους με προϊόντα από Έλληνες παραγωγούς. Όπως υπογράμμισε ο Υπουργός, «κατ' αυτόν τον τρόπο θα αυξηθεί και η προσφερόμενη ‘Ελληνική Εμπειρία’ σε κάθε κρουαζιερόπλοιο».

Κατά τη διάρκεια της τηλεδιάσκεψης συζητήθηκε το θέμα της παράτασης της σεζόν έως το τέλος του έτους. Οι εκπρόσωποι των εταιρειών κρουαζιέρας δεσμεύτηκαν να προσφέρουν τη μέγιστη δυνατή στήριξη στον Ελληνικό Τουρισμό, όχι μόνο φέτος αλλά και στα επόμενα χρόνια. Οι ίδιοι δήλωσαν επίσης ικανοποιημένοι από τη μέχρι στιγμής συνεργασία με το Υπουργείου Τουρισμού.

Από την πλευρά του, ο κ. Χάρης Θεοχάρης διαβεβαίωσε ότι θα βρίσκεται δίπλα στους επιχειρηματίες, της κρουαζιέρας και όχι μόνον, σε κάθε βήμα της προσπάθειας η οποία καταβάλλεται για την επανεκκίνηση του Ελληνικού Τουρισμού. Ο Υπουργός εξέφρασε την επιθυμία για τη συνέχιση της αγαστής συνεργασίας ανάμεσα στους αρμόδιους κρατικούς φορείς και τον ιδιωτικό τομέα, στο ίδιο επίπεδο και πνεύμα με την περσινή τουριστική περίοδο.

Η Διευθύντρια της CLIA για την Ανατολική Μεσόγειο κυρία Μαρία Δεληγιάννη ανέφερε ότι «η βιομηχανία της κρουαζιέρας έχει εργαστεί επιμελώς προκειμένου να εισαγάγει βελτιωμένα πρωτόκολλα για την προστασία των επιβατών, του πληρώματος και των κοινοτήτων τις οποίες επισκέπτονται. Η επιτυχία του ανοίγματος στην κρουαζιέρα, το οποίο πραγματοποιήθηκε πέρυσι στην Ελλάδα και αλλού, ήταν απόδειξη της αντοχής των βελτιωμένων πρωτοκόλλων. Η Ελλάδα είναι ένας σημαντικός προορισμός κρουαζιέρας και ανυπομονούμε να προχωρήσουμε στην ασφαλή επανέναρξή της, σε συνεργασία πάντα με τις αρμόδιες αρχές».

Ενδεικτικό της σημασίας που δόθηκε από τον κλάδο στην τηλεδιάσκεψη με τον Υπουργό Τουρισμού είναι το γεγονός ότι το «παρών» έδωσαν εκπρόσωποι από πολλές μεγάλες εταιρείες της παγκόσμιας βιομηχανίας της κρουαζιέρας και συγκεκριμένα από τις Carnival Group, Celebrity Cruises/Royal Caribbean, Celestyal Cruises, Costa Cruises, Marella Cruises, MSC Cruises, Mystic Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Ponant, Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises.Στο κλείσιμο της συνάντησης όλα τα μέρη συμφώνησαν ότι η επανέναρξη της κρουαζιέρας δεν μπορεί παρά να είναι μια συλλογική προσπάθεια. Και ακριβώς γι' αυτό απαιτείται συντονισμός μεταξύ της κυβέρνησης, των εταιρειών κρουαζιέρας και των λιμένων.

ΙΜF weekend Read:A FORK IN THE ROAD FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

The latest IMF analysis of global economics, finance, development and policy issues shaping the world //

Dear maria, In today's edition we explore how to avert a dangerous global divergence threatening recovery from the pandemic, Europe's response to the crisis, how Asia's recovery is uneven, tourism in a post-pandemic world, why biodiversity matters for economics, special drawing rights, and more.   But first, stay tuned for the launch of Finance & Development Magazine's March issue on Monday, March 1. The latest issue will explore the promise and peril of technology, which has only accelerated during the pandemic.  A FORK IN THE ROAD FOR THE GLOBAL ECONOMY As finance ministers and central bank governors of G20 nations meet virtually today to discuss the state of the global economy, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva is warning about a dangerous divergence across countries and regions. By the end of 2022, cumulative per capita income will be 13 percent below pre-crisis projections in advanced economies—compared with 18 percent for low-income countries and 22 percent for emerging and developing countries excluding China. Put another way, the convergence between countries can no longer be taken for granted. Before the crisis, we forecast that income gaps between advanced economies and 110 emerging and developing countries would narrow over 2020–22. But we now estimate that only 52 economies will be catching up during that period, while 58 are set to fall behind, the MD writes in a new blog. The fight against this great divergence should take place on three fronts: -The pandemic is not over anywhere until it is over everywhere. A coordinated effort to end the health crisis for all should accelerate vaccine availability for poorer countries -Efforts should continue to shore up the global economy from the harmful effects of the crisis. The key is to help maintain livelihoods, while seeking to ensure that otherwise viable companies do not go under. Meanwhile, monetary policy support should continue but be weighed against unintended consequences. -Support for vulnerable countries is paramount and should be a pursued through a comprehensive effort that scales up concessional financing, considers a new Special Drawing Rights allocation, and addresses debt concerns, among other things. EUROPE'S RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS MD Georgieva raised her grave concerns about a growing global divergence this week during a speech to the European Union Parliamentary Conference where she stressed solidarity and cooperation. "Currently, we are projecting global growth of 5.5 percent and 4.2 percent in the EU this year. But the path to recovery is highly uncertain and, most importantly, uneven.  Uncertain because of the ongoing race between the virus and the vaccines.  Uneven because of the difference in starting positions, economic structure and capacity to respond – causing inequalities to grow both across and within countries," she said. "The latter is my deepest concern: that the Great Lockdown of 2020 could morph into a Great Divergence in 2021."  Watch and read her full speech here.  ASIA'S VARIED RECOVERY The divergent and varied impact of the pandemic is on full display in the Asia-Pacific region, where countries face different paths to recovery. Output losses were close to zero in China and Japan but rise to more than 20 percentage points in the Philippines and even 30 points in East Timor.  The expectation is for strong growth in Asia-Pacific in 2021 and 2022; but the aggregate figures mask an enormous range of output losses, the IMF's Davide Furceri, Jonathan D. Ostry, and Anthony C.K. Tan write in a new blog. The divergence is especially sobering for the Pacific islands and other low-income countries in the region, where lives and livelihoods will depend on additional international support. While the divergent results from last year are history, they are not destiny. Policies to ensure wide vaccine distribution, continued support for workers and businesses, economic transformation, and international support will help shape a better future. TOURISM IN THE POST-PANDEMIC WORLD Tourism is a major global economic driver. Many economic sectors are dependent on its performance, such as retail, accommodation and dining, and transportation, and with its complex supply chain, tourism contributed over 10 percent of global GDP and 300 million jobs in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented collapse in economic activity and significant travel restrictions amid great uncertainty. The impact of the crisis is especially acute for tourism-dependent economies where, until recently, the expansion of the tourism sector was a key pillar of a sustainable development path. The dimensions of tourism in a post-pandemic world were discussed this week by an expert panel, which focused on substantive policy issues for countries with tourism industries effected by the crisis. The discussion was led by IMF Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Sayeh and featured María del Pilar Garrido Gonzalo, Costa Rica's Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy; Gebhard Rainer, CEO, Sandals Resorts International; and Trevor Weltman, partner at the Clickable Impact Consulting Group, Asia. The event also highlighted the findings of a new IMF departmental paper, Tourism in the Post-Pandemic World: Economic Challenges and Opportunities for Asia-Pacific and the Western Hemisphere. Watch the full event here. THE ECONOMICS OF BIODIVERSITY Nature should be counted as an essential capital asset in the same vein as roads, buildings, health, knowledge, and skills. The task ahead is finding ways to value nature's goods and services, both visible and invisible, in market prices, Sir Partha Dasgupta, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Cambridge, said in a conversation with MD Georgieva.  The event follows the recent release of The Dasgupta Review, a landmark report on nature's worth to society and the need to rectify institutional failures that have discounted its importance. "The first message is include nature in your deliberations, no matter where you are [or] which decision unit you serve. Secondly, for our purposes here, [the report] focuses attention on the public goods nature of much of the biosphere," he said. "The IMF is a paramount of an international institution concerned with the supply of a profoundly public good--it provides a global financial safety net. Likewise, the planet is a public good. The ocean is a public good. The world's tropical rainforests are a public good in the sense that they provide these huge numbers of complicated services and goods that mother nature offers us that we transform to our purposes." Watch the full event here. SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW What is a Special Drawing Right (SDR)? What is a general SDR allocation? How does that benefit IMF member countries in need? The answers to these questions and more are the topic of a new Q&A. The basics: The SDR was created in 1969 as an interest-bearing international reserve that could supplement the reserve assets of member countries. It isn't a currency, nor a claim on the IMF, but is potentially a claim on freely usable currencies of IMF members. The value of the SDR is set daily by the IMF based on a basket of international currencies comprising the U.S. dollar, Japanese yen, euro, pound sterling and Chinese Renminbi. Why now? In the wake of the massive economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, IMF members are debating whether to support a general allocation of SDRs, which would supplement member countries' exchange reserves. This could potentially increase the liquidity of poorer countries that are short of foreign exchange reserves and help them spend on what they need to address the crisis. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who represents the IMF's largest shareholder, supported an allocation of SDRs in a letter this week to the G20. Get more resources on SDRs by visiting this page. MARK YOUR CALENDAR: AFRICAN FISCAL FORUM The European Commission and the IMF will host the Ninth African Fiscal Forum, March 2-3, 2021. The Forum, which will be held virtually, aims to take stock of the health, economic and social impact of the pandemic on sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries and the reforms required to alleviate it, identify the resulting short and medium-term fiscal challenges faced by countries, and highlight the necessary fiscal reforms to address them. The Forum opens with a roundtable featuring IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva; Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission; Vera Daves de Sousa, Minister of Finance, Angola; Amadou Hott, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, Senegal; Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining Representing the Chairperson of the AU Commission; Tidjane Thiam, African Union Special Envoy for COVID-19; and moderated by CNN Business Africa’s Eleni Giokos. The event will assess the impact of the pandemic on sub-Saharan Africa countries and  highlight the necessary BRAVE fiscal reforms (Bold, Revenue based, Anchored, Vaccine compatible and Equitable) to address them. Find out more about the agenda here and watch the livestream of the event here. DISPARITIES IN REAL TIME "High-frequency data are critical when it comes to tracking the rapid economic destruction and disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic," writes IMF economist Wenjie Chen in our latest issue of F&D. "This information has also helped confirm, nearly in real time, the unequal impact of the crisis on particular populations, especially women." Chen's new study uses real-time data supplied by Indeed, one of the major providers of worldwide employment-related search engines for job listings. This gives us one-of-a-kind insight into the behavior of virtually all employers that post online job advertisements. The main advantage of Indeed’s online job posting data is that the information is close to real-time data and offers complete coverage of online job postings, whereas government survey data are limited to the employers surveyed. This real-time view of labor demand provides analytical backing for something that has become increasingly evident as the year has progressed: demand for jobs for women has fallen disproportionately more than for men, and low-skilled workers are likely to fall further behind. Interested in learning more? Read the full 1650-word piece here, download the PDF, listen to a podcast with Chen about these issues here. IMF AROUND THE WORLD The IMF Executive Board completed its second and third reviews of Mali's performance under a program supported by a three-year Extended Credit Facility arrangement approved in 2019. The IMF adjusted the program to give the economy space to recover from the pandemic The IMF also announced this week a staff-level agreement with Ethiopia for the first and second reviews of Ethiopia’s economic program supported by the Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility. The agreement is subject to approval by the Executive Board. IMF LENDING Check out our global policy tracker to help our member countries be more aware of the experiences of others in combating COVID-19. We are also regularly updating our lending tracker, which visualizes the latest emergency financial assistance and debt relief to member countries approved by the IMF’s Executive Board. To date, 80 countries have been approved for emergency financing, totaling over US$32 billion. Looking for our Q&A about the IMF's response to COVID-19? Click here. We are also continually producing a special series of notes—more than 50 to date—by IMF experts to help members address the economic effects of COVID-19 on a range of topics including fiscal, legal, statistical, tax and more. FINAL THOUGHT Thank you again very much for your interest in the Weekend Read. We really appreciate your time. If you have any questions, comments or feedback of any kind, please do write me a note. Sincerely, Adam Behsudi Deputy Editor, IMF Weekend Read abehsudi@IMF.org