Use trade to pressure the regime in Cambodia

Clothing store in Cambodia

Cambodia is a major exporter of textile products and H&M is one of the largest buyers.

Of: Åsa Eriksson

In recent years, Cambodia has gone against a dictatorship. Independent media have been shut down, the opposition party has been banned and critics of the regime have been imprisoned. At the same time, we import clothes and other goods cheaply from the country. It is good that the EU is now changing its favorable trade agreement with Cambodia, writes the Social Democrats' trade policy spokesperson Åsa Eriksson.

March 23, 2020, Debate

New peace threats require new trade policies

Deforestation in Brazil and the debater Lina Arvidsson.

When we buy meat from Brazil, it increases the risk of deforestation. Therefore, the meat trade should be outside the EU's new free trade agreement with Mercosur, writes Lina Arvidsson. Photo: Vinícius Mendonça / Ibama (CC BY 2.0 License)

Of: Lina Arvidsson

The EU has, since its inception, lived on the idea that trade can ensure peace. In a changing world, the EU must tackle new threats to global peace - namely climate change. This requires a new trade policy. The free trade agreement with the South American countries in Mercosur may mark a turnaround, writes Lina Arvidsson.

November 13, 2019, Debate

Trade agreement with Cuba raises debate

Can a trade agreement with Cuba lead to a dialogue on democracy and human rights? Or is it the other way around? Photo: Mstyslav Chernov (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Of: Susanne Bartholdsson

For the second time this year, the government has submitted a proposal to the Riksdag to approve the new trade agreement between the EU and Cuba. The agreement is presented as a precondition for cooperation and dialogue with Cuba on democracy and human rights. But on the debate pages, opinions differ on the new trade agreement.

November 7, 2019, Current debate

The back of the minerals - conflicts, child labor and rape

Miners in eastern Congo. Photo: Enough Project. Flickr.com

Of: Louise Christianson

What do your mobile phone, your refrigerator and your computer have in common? In addition to making your everyday life easier, they also support conflicts in different parts of the world. Namely, they are made up of metals and minerals whose extraction contributes to conflicts, which has therefore been called "conflict minerals". Therese Sjöström, who is a researcher at Swedwatch, has visited mines […]

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September 24, 2019, Think piece

Swedish aid in the hot air after reports of corruption

Criticism of Swedish development assistance has been harsh on the opinion pages in the past week. But several have also gone on the defensive.

Of: Erica Fahlström

Revelations about corruption and proposals from the Moderates about a reduced aid budget. This has caused the debate about Swedish aid to be heated in the past week. Criticism about a lack of control is met with arguments that the aid is needed - precisely to fight corruption. "It is simply not the case that countries with lower aid budgets have better aid," writes Anna Tibblin from We Effect in Svenska Dagbladet.

September 11, 2019, Current debate

How can the US Secretary of State succeed in not mentioning the climate issue?

This week, the US Secretary of State said that the melting ice of the Arctic could open up for trade, among other things, where new transport routes can be made possible.

Of: Moa Zeidlitz

The EU election continues to shape the debate. But how much do our politicians really talk about the EU - in relation to how much the EU affects us? At the same time, the trade war between the United States and China is escalating, with continued ignorance on the part of the United States regarding the climate issue. Which in turn leads to a changed security situation in our world.

May 15, 2019, Current debate

The EU must prioritize global justice

Coal-fired power plants in Germany and floods in Somalia.

Despite the fact that the EU accounts for a large part of climate emissions, it is poor countries and people who are hardest hit by climate change, writes Malte Roos.

Of: Malte Roos

The EU has long been of great benefit to the Member States and their development. Now the EU must also look to the outside world and prioritize global justice over its own economic and security interests. It writes Malte Roos who is running for the European Parliament for the Green Party.

April 26, 2019, Debate

EU power over food and the Middle East

Jerusalem EU

The EU has a unique role to play in contributing to lasting peace in Israel and Palestine, writes a number of former ministers.

Of: Ravneet Singh

How the EU pursues its policy in the Middle East can be crucial to the possibility of achieving peace between Israel and Palestine. It writes a long line of former foreign ministers and heads of government in a debate article. At the same time, attention is being paid to the EU's new rules on food imports.

April 17, 2019, Current debate

Invest in agriculture in the African countries

Farmers in Kenya.

Investing in domestic agriculture is the only way to achieve welfare and development in Africa, says the debater. Photo: CIAT (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Of: Inge Gerremo

Many leaders in Africa have taken the easy way and imported cheap food from Europe and North America. To succeed in building a welfare state, it is necessary for African leaders - and the outside world - to invest in domestic agriculture, writes Inge Gerremo, expert on global food issues.

March 18, 2019, Debate

Should Sweden close the door completely to dictatorships?

Of: Daniel Rosell

Should Sweden really cut ties completely with dictatorships or try to influence them in a democratic direction? Even in a dictatorship like Azerbaijan, Swedish corporate collaborations can be a good way to open up to dialogue and then a seed for change, writes political scientist Daniel Rosell in a response to a debate article in Göteborgs-Posten.

December 15, 2017, Debate