International Trade and Sustainable Development Pillars in sub-Saharan Africa: a Comprehensive Approach

Descripción del proyecto

Políticas comerciales para el África subsahariana

El paradigma del desarrollo sostenible busca satisfacer las necesidades actuales sin poner en peligro a las generaciones futuras. El comercio internacional, vital para el desarrollo sostenible, a menudo favorece a las naciones desarrolladas, exacerbando la desigualdad y el daño medioambiental, en contra de la Agenda 2030 de la ONU. En el desarrollo sostenible, las prácticas comerciales divergen de estos objetivos, lo que subraya la necesidad de mejorar el análisis de la política comercial. El proyecto ITSDPs, financiado con fondos europeos, pretende utilizar datos de panel secundarios de varios países procedentes de bases de datos internacionales para subsanar las limitaciones de estudios anteriores. También utilizará estadísticas descriptivas, un marco sostenible integrado y una regresión aparentemente inconexa para aportar información sobre los vínculos entre las políticas de comercio y desarrollo sostenible. El proyecto desarrollará políticas comerciales óptimas alineadas con la agenda de la ONU, mejorando el desarrollo profesional, el acceso a los mejores recursos, la empleabilidad y las futuras oportunidades de financiación de la investigación.

Objetivo

The sustainable development (SD) paradigm focuses on addressing the needs of current generations without jeopardizing future generations by balancing sustainable development pillars (SDPs) (economic, social, and environmental). International trade, a key driver of SD and inclusive growth, often favors developed nations, increases socio-economic inequality, and harms the environment, despite the UN 2030 agenda’s emphasis on a balanced approach to SD. Moreover, there are conflicting theories and empirical findings on trade-SDPs linkages. Existing studies focused on developed nations, failed to assess all SDPs, have methodological limitations, overlook econometric tests, dynamic relationships, and gender aspects, and are limited in scope, perspective, and case studies. The existing trade trajectory in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) does not align with the UN agenda, and trade’s impact on SDPs has not been examined well. Therefore, a comprehensive econometric analysis is needed to develop better trade policies. The project will use multi-country secondary panel data collected from international databases, address prior study limitations, use descriptive statistics and an integrated sustainable framework, and employ a simultaneous equation model, notably seemingly unrelated regression. It will offer insights into trade-SDP linkages, inform policymakers of balanced trade policies, and lay the groundwork for further studies. The project also aims to develop optimal trade policies that align with the UN agenda. The fellowship provides a unique opportunity to undertake an interdisciplinary project, contribute to the UN agenda, improve career development, gain international exposure, access world-class resources, network with experts, enhance employability, and attract future research funding. It will also strengthen VU’s global research networks, build internal capacity, promote interdisciplinary research, attract funding, boost academic reputation, and foster cultural exchange.