4 May 2018 - by Andrew MacKay

A4ID Law and Development Training Programme 2018 – Module 2 Open for Bookings!

A4ID’s Module 2 of the Law and Development Training Programme, on Finance and Development, is open for bookings.

Our Law and Development Training Programme has begun in earnest, with a fantastic opening session by Michael Woolcock of the World Bank. You can read an excellent write up of the module by our Pro Bono intern here.

On 19 May we will host Module 2, which focuses on Finance and Development. We will examine issues related to corruption, foreign direct investment, responsible project financing and tax justice, and have assembled an incredible range of expert speakers.

We welcome anyone interested to attend to sign up as an individual module. Details on logistics, costs and how to sign up are available here.

See below a full description of the topics and speakers:

Political Corruption and the impact on development

Dr Sarah Bracking, King’s College London

In this session we will study how corruption drains vital financial resources which might otherwise fund economic and social development. We will analyse the modern meaning and manifestations of corruption, and the impact of corrupt regimes and corrupt private sector actors on achieving development goals.

Focusing on recent anti-corruption campaigns aimed at political and economic elites, our expert speaker will investigate the development finance market, private sector corruption and whether foreign aid itself can fuel corruption. The session will end with suggestions on how lawyers can help people resist corruption and ameliorate its negative effects.

 

Foreign Direct Investment and development

Dr Stephen Gelb, Overseas Development Institute

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an important source of foreign capital for developing countries and is considered vital for building infrastructure, job creation, capacity building and economic development. This session starts by defining FDI, and relating it to other forms of international linkage such as trade, global value chains and indirect investment. We then turn to look at the impact of FDI – the benefits and costs for development, both macro-economic effects on investment, trade, employment and fiscal revenue, and longer-run effects on market competition and on productive capabilities through transfers of technology and skills. We then ask what attracts FDI into host countries, looking at why firms invest and how they decide where to invest. We will discuss legal and policy instruments available to host countries both to attract FDI, and to make it ‘work’ that is, to enhance development impact. Subject to time, we will also briefly consider outward FDI: the impact in, and possible policies of, the sending (home) country.

 

Setting the standard for responsible project financing

Helena Anderson, Ikigai Capital

In areas with weak regulation, large-scale construction projects can result in significant environmental and social damage, with no recourse to justice for those harmed.

As an example of responsible financing, this session will explore the Equator Principles, which were developed by the International Finance Corporation to manage and mitigate the social and environmental risks of projects and to promote responsible development.

 

Tax revenue – a challenge for development

John Christensen, Tax Justice Network

Increasing a country’s tax revenue is the best way to reduce dependence on foreign aid, with tax being the most sustainable source of finance for economic and social development.

This session will explore why tax is fundamental for development and will outline what is being done to implement effective systems for tax collection and to close the mechanisms which enable tax avoidance and evasion.

We look forward to hearing from anyone interested in attending. Please get in touch with Toby Collis, Learning and Development Manager at [email protected] if you would like to sign up or have any questions or queries.