China is seizing an opportunity in the Middle East to improve its energy security and global influence, with Iraq a particular beneficiary This push has its risks, though, and Beijing’s neutrality will face challenges in a region fraught with long-standing rivalries and competing interests Chinese firms recently won the lion’s share of licences for oil and gas exp
Read MoreAuthors: Andrés Arauz, Rami Kiwan, Nihal El Aasar, Mohamed El Dahshan, Barik Schuber In 2021, the IMF issued and distributed $650bn worth of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores the unique characteristics of SDRs and provides an overview of the role of SDRs in the MENA region. Using four countries as case studies (Egypt, Iraq, Leban
Read MoreThe global target for climate warming has been set, this paper briefly discusses what caused global warming, gives samples of its major impacts, and how the world’s nations are dealing with them. The year 2019, is the year I became interested in environmental problems, and it is the year when COVID-19 broke out. For a moment, I thought the two problems were alike; they were
Read More1 December 2021; Baghdad - As Iraq becomes a Party to the Paris Agreement, the United Nations in Iraq is calling for solidarity with and support to people in Iraq in their efforts to confront climate change. Traditionally known as "the land between two rivers" or Mesopotamia, lush and fertile, Iraq is increasingly experiencing extreme climate events, compounding environmenta
Read MoreIntroduction Chairman Addison, thank you for your remarks. And thank you, Governors, Kristalina, and distinguished guests for joining us today. I wanted to provide an update on what the World Bank Group (WBG) has accomplished since last year’s Annual Meetings, particularly our response to COVID-19 and progress made on debt transparency. The COVID-19 pandemic’s toll has be
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