Martina Magi (Laureata presso Università di Torino)
The global market is built upon transactions, these being carried out through money, assets or goods. Financial flows can be considered the main pillars of global economy. However, when we refer to global economy, we do not solely refer to legal and licit markets. The global market is also composed of grey areas, such as the so-called underground economy and criminal economy, where illicit activities and trades take place. The latter produce financial flows just like licit activities and trades do. When these flows cross state borders and, consequently, influence global economy they are renamed Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs), while similar flows at the national level would not be named “illicit” but “illegal”. In fact, while illegal financial flows are linked to activities which are classified as illegal by a national court or law, IFFs refer to activities which go against international rules and principles. Stating that a cross-border financial flow is illegal instead of illicit would be problematic as the definition of illegal depends on national laws and on the national perception of the phenomenon.
Vittorio Valli [1] (February 22, 2021)
ABSTRACT
If we look at the data on the Covid-19 deaths per million inhabitants we can see an immense gap between the West (Europe, US and Canada, Latin America) and Northern Eastern Asia. For example, as of 21 February 2021, the COVID-19 cumulative deaths per one million inhabitants in the major Western countries varied from 1883 in Belgium to 815 in Germany while they were 59 in Japan, 30 in South Korea, 3 in China and 0.4 in Taiwan. What are the main reasons of this enormous gap between the West and the three North-Eastern democratic Asian countries: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan? What are the main lessons that the extraordinary success of Taiwanese anti-covid-19 policies, the great one of South Korea and the substantial performance of Japan can give to Europe and the Americas? The answer is a mix of better policies and of deep demographic, cultural, institutional and historical differences. In the three Asian countries prevention was better than in Western countries and restrictive policies were prompter and more effective, even without the recourse to any generalized lockdown. Early severe screenings in ports and airports reduced the number of imported infections and well-organized tracing and isolation policies limited the diffusion of the pandemic avoiding the collapse of hospitals and other health institutions. Even though, up to now, the three Asian countries have done a relatively low number of tests (lower in Taiwan and Japan, somewhat higher in South Korea), the tests were much more prompt and targeted than in Europe or the Americas, and so the authorities were able, through careful tracing and isolation, to eliminate the COVID-19 local outbreaks almost as soon as they started, avoiding the two or three great waves of exponential growth of the epidemic which have plagued most countries in the West. Historical reasons such as the large exposition to other great epidemics (SARS, swine flu and MERS), contributed to better planning and prevention and to the strategy of maintaining more hospital beds for 1000 inhabitants in Japan and South Korea. Less individualism and more attention to collectivity contributed to the traditional habit of wearing masks and to respect the directions of health authorities and experts more. Less arrogance of political leaders and more courage towards myopic interest groups contributed to act more readily and severely in restricted zones, and so to reduce the heavy social and economic consequences of long and generalized lockdowns as it occurred in most Western countries.
Giorgia D'Alba (Laureata presso l’Università di Torino)
In the recent years Peru was defined “the rising star” of the Latin American continent by International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the economic stability, low inflation and steady growth recorded by the country over the past 20 years. Nevertheless, nowadays the Peruvian economy is waning as a result of an ongoing period of political instability - characterized by persisted constitutional crisis - in conjunction with the consequences of Covid-19 on the global and local economy.
Questo libro presenta la strategia di internazionalizzazione finanziaria della Repubblica Popolare Cinese (RPC) attraverso la Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), meglio nota in Italia come le Nuove Vie della Seta. Lanciata dal Presidente Xi nel 2013, la BRI persegue, oltre agli obiettivi di sviluppo delle infrastrutture di trasporto, del commercio e della comunicazione, anche la cooperazione finanziaria tra la Cina e il resto del mondo. E proprio la finanza è la vera linfa dell'intera iniziativa, la parte più innovativa e dirompente nei suoi aspetti operativi, istituzionali e politici.
di Alberto Ciancio, University of Lausanne and University of Pensylvania
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been one of the last regions to be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to developed countries, the populations of this region experienced a surge in cases and deaths prompting a drastic policy response to restrict social activities. However, there seem to be also important differences in the way the pandemic is unfolding in these countries. With the exception of the relatively rich South Africa, the number of cases is lower than in Europe or America. But the stark difference with the developed world it is in the number of deaths.
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OEET Seminar: Asian Development Outlook 2025. Trade Uncertainty Challenges Asia’s Resilience
We are glad to announce the presentation of the “Asian Development Outlook 2025: Trade...