MONDAY

TEST: WEEK 9

TEST

1. THEORY

Commonwealth of Independent States

2. ANALYTICS

Russia Needs Immigrants but Lacks a Coherent Immigration Policy

WEDNESDAY

3. CURRENT ISSUES

  • Summarise the video, speaker’s viewponits on the topic of the discussion
  • Comment on the ideas expressed in the Round table

download the video


4. THE WORLD THIS WEEK

VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR

KEY TERMS
designateto nominate or select; assign
respective relating individually to each; particular
comprehensive of large scope; covering or involving much; inclusive
expendituremoney spent; expense
stipulateto specify in terms of agreement
assumesuppose; postulate; posit; to take over the duties or responsibilities of
resolveto settle or solve (a question, dispute, etc.)
plenipotentiarya diplomat given full power to conduct business for someone else
statutory relating to or authorized by statute (a law passed by a legislature) 
elaborate to work out in great detail
FOCUS WORDS
shrinkсокращать, сокращаться, сжиматься
encounter сталкиваться, наталкиваться
adherentсторонник, приверженец
inevitableнеизбежный, неминуемый
albeit  хотя, тем не менее, даже хотя
stringent строгий, точный, обязательный, веский, убедительный
obtainполучать, приобретать, добиваться, достигать
forbid запрещать, не позволять
permitлицензия, пропуск
articulate ясно выражать, формулировать
PREPOSITIONS
  1. to shrink by 
  2. accompanied by 
  3. encounter X xenophobic attitudes
  4. with respect to 
  5. aware of
  6. access to
  7. with regard to 
  8. engage in 
  9. integrated into
  10. similar to
WORDS FOR REPORT
a clear age gap on the issue
compared with a smaller share
more likely to favor
the survey explored the public’s views about 
Overall,
In regard to the negative consequences, 
substantial majorities
no statistically significant difference by age 
GRAMMAR PATTERNS

National leaders must guide their ministries and step in as needed to resolve stubborn issues. 

Technical experts and policymakers must stay focused on analyzing excluded and sensitive products’ implications for intraregional trade and value chains, so that governments and industries can adapt accordingly.

The COMESA and EAC regions already have functional competition-policy regimes and institutions, which can serve as models for the CFTA.

The phase-two negotiations can be expedited by drawing on global, regional, and national models that have already proved effective. 

The annex discussions can be streamlined with a more efficient procedural framework. 

Another immediate priority is to persuade 22 countries to ratify the CFTA agreement so that it can enter into force before the end of 2018.

It is hard to say when the next 19 ratifications might arrive.

Now, similar roles might be assigned at the micro level to facilitate the process of formalizing individual annexes.

To expedite the process, the AU Commission should dispatch emissaries to aid national leaders in securing ratification from their governments or legislatures. 

The lessons from the first phase should come in handy for the second, assuming they are heeded.

Those talks need to be finalized, and their protocols submitted for adoption, by the time of the January 2020 AU Summit. 

Delegates could then refer areas where there is no immediate consensus to the ministerial level, thereby ensuring that all annexes are at least subjected to technical review. 

Contentious and unresolved issues could then be revisited later, perhaps with instructions from the relevant governments. 

If new proposals did not readily invite a consensus, discussions would revert back to the existing text. 

But time is pressing, and policymakers will need to maintain the momentum if they are to meet looming deadlines. 

If all of this happens, Africa will take a giant step toward achieving continental economic integration.

Though structural issues will remain high on the development agenda, the immediate priority is to finish the basic unfinished work needed to get the CFTA up and running. Securing ratification from each member state will require gentle pressure on governments, so that the agreement can enter into force sooner rather than later.