CIPE Insights - Center for International Private Enterprise

What Entrepreneurs Teach Us

CIPE Insight | Kim Eric Bettcher

CIPE’s efforts to nurture enterprise ecosystems and create better conditions for business are core to its broader democracy mission in emerging economies. We assist entrepreneurial communities to empower individual entrepreneurs, open collaborative spaces, and develop their agendas for start-up-fr...

When B5+1 is More Than 6: Connecting Business for Regional and Global Prosperity

CIPE Insight

Central Asia is considered to be one of the “least connected” regions in the world, in terms of cooperation and trade among the five constituent countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). They are heavily reliant on trade outside the region, with approxima...

CIPE at 40: Highlights and Insights

CIPE Insight

As our world changes, CIPE is creating new opportunities and helping to improve the lives of millions of people. Private sector leadership and a commitment to democratic principles are what make CIPE programs so unique and impactful, because in most countries and communities, small and medium sized ...

Making a Business Case to Protect Digital Rights

CIPE Insight | Anna Kompanek, Morgan Frost, Mahir Sheikh, Chris Doten

With two-thirds of the world regularly on the internet, we are experiencing an unprecedented shift in how people spend their money and time. Most companies, big or small, are now dependent on the internet for supply chains, connections to customers, and market information. A vibrant and inclusive di...

Marking Four Decades of Partnership with Chambers and Associations

CIPE Insight | Stephen Rosenlund

Learning and innovation have played a crucial part in CIPE’s work over its 40-year history. Much of our efforts have been in partnership with business organizations in 138 countries, mostly local and regional business associations or chambers of commerce. Our work with these critically important c...

The Inherent Link Between Democracy, Markets, and Human Dignity

CIPE Insight | Mikra Krasniqi

Democracy is going through some trying times. Widespread popular discontent during the last decade leaves no room for doubt over the deepening crisis of legitimacy for liberal and market economy institutions. Autocrats and populists stoke resentment, hostility, and division in messaging usually co...

Stopping the War and Making the Peace in Sudan

CIPE Insight | Laura Maclay, Matt Mossman

Sudan Experts Call for Anti-Corruption, Inclusion, and Private Sector Leadership On the six-month anniversary of the latest outbreak of war in Sudan, a panel of experts gathered at CIPE’s Washington headquarters to discuss the causes, the destruction, and the diminishing ability of the country’s...

The Coming Transformation of Ukraine

CIPE Insight | Abdulwahab Alkebsi, Kim Eric Bettcher

From Survival to Sustainable Development: Lessons Learned from CIPE’s Private Sector Approach Soon Ukraine will embark upon reconstruction in the aftermath of the full-scale Russian invasion, which has displaced around 10 million people and left the economy in shambles. Recovery costs, includ...

Why War Will Not Slow Reforms in Ukraine: Private Sector Leaders Share Big Plans

CIPE Insight | Ekaterina (Katya) Lysova

Amid continued Russian attacks, Ukraine’s private sector is a driving force behind the country’s war efforts and visions for reconstruction, providing vital services and leadership during these critical moments. Leveraging their expertise and know-how will be key to rebuilding and driving reform...

“We Will Rebuild”: How Ukrainian Businesses are Ensuring Both Survival and Transformation

CIPE Insight | Nataliia Zhuhai, Oksana Oliinykova

On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, CIPE staff and partners there are more committed than ever to defending democracy, advancing economic freedoms, and transforming their country. CIPE employees never evacuated, choosing to work alongside the longtime business colleagues a...

Why Do We Need Diversity and Inclusion?

CIPE Insight | Maciej Herman (he,him)

Although it is now over 20 years ago I still clearly remember the first study of so-called personality types I was a subject of in my first workplace, and here right after I had graduated from university.Due to the rather high attrition rate at that company, they repeated the study every year. The ...

Us, the Machines, and Democracy

CIPE Insight | Louisa Tomar

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are quickly evolving as the scale of computation power and the volume of data continues to grow. This technology already has major implications for society, business, governance, rule of law and human rights. Globally, norms and standards around AI&...

Meeting the Summit of the Americas Challenges

CIPE Insight | John Zemko

The Summit of the Americas held June 6-10 should spur new dialogue between governments and businesses in the hemisphere on various challenges Many Latin American leaders at the Ninth Summit of the Americas face a stark reality: how to address increasing challenges to democracy in the region. Econom...

What Risks May Lurk: China’s Investments and Lending in Emerging Democracies

CIPE Insight | John Morrell

One need not look far to find news stories today about China’s overseas ambitions. Barely a month passes without another headline announcing yet another China-funded project in yet another country with so many billions of dollars that one can’t help but wonder if the newspaper editors included e...

Whither Democracy? Perspectives from South Asia

CIPE Insight | Aarya Nijat

Aarya Nijat in Conversation with Akash Shrestha, Dr. Ali Riaz, Dr. Nishan De Mel & Dr. Vaqar Ahmed. Expert responses are almost verbatim, edited only for continuity, length and flow. President Biden is convening a virtual Summit for Democracy on December 9-10. This will be the first of two summi...

Make 2022 a Year of Action to Promote Democracy and Opportunity

CIPE Insight | Andrew Wilson

This December, the Biden Administration will convene the first-ever Summit for Democracy. This important gathering, with its three pillars – fighting authoritarianism, battling corruption, and advancing respect for human rights – comes at a critical moment. It will galvanize people who believe ...

Democracies Must Build Trust to Drive COVID-19 Recovery

CIPE Insight | Anna Kompanek

“Trust” means having a confident relationship with the unknown. According to Rachel Botsman, Trust Fellow at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, that includes enabling small and large acts of cooperation that add up to increased economic efficiency. Likewise, it is necessary for people ...

The Link Between Open Economies and Open Societies

CIPE Insight | Kim Eric Bettcher

Editors’s note: This article was first posted on The Foreign Policy Centre website and is part of a larger publication with Westminster Foundation for Democracy. Title: “Global Britain for an open world?” The challenge of defending and advancing democracy around the world is intertwined with ...

Smart Recovery: Digitization and Transparency will Drive Africa’s Private Sector Growth

CIPE Insight | Lola Adekanye, Greg Cohen

While Africa has so far avoided the worst of the health consequences of the coronavirus, relative to other parts of the world, the pandemic has laid bare the underlying market fragility across the continent. The pan-African economy is enduring its first extreme recession in 25 years, pushing per cap...

There Is More to Democracy That Delivers

CIPE Insight | Aarya Nijat

U.S. President Joe Biden will host a virtual democracy summit on December 9-10, 2021. The purpose of the summit is to exercise American leadership towards global democratic renewal by focusing across three principal themes: defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting r...