Michael Hastings


Michael HastingsMichael Hastings is KPMG’s Global Head of Citizenship and Diversity. He was previously the BBC’s first Head of Corporate Social Responsibility having been BBC Head of Public Affairs. Michael is a non-executive Director of British Telecom (on the Board for Responsible and Sustainable Business) and a Trustee of the Vodafone Group Foundation. He represents KPMG International on the Global Corporate Citizenship International Committee of the World Economic Forum and on the Board of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In 2009 he became a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Diversity and Talent. Michael is Chairman of Millennium Promise UK and sits on BiTC’s International Leadership Board (Business in the Community) and in 2010 was a leading advisor to the Chatham House enquiry into the Future Role of the UK in Foreign Affairs. In January 2003, Michael was awarded a CBE. In 2005, he was awarded the honour of an independent peerage to the House of Lords by Her Majesty the Queen. In the same year he also received the UNICEF Award from the Chancellor for his ‘outstanding contribution to understanding and effecting solutions for Africa’s children’. Michael is President of Zane – a development aid agency focussed on Zimbabwe, and a Trustee of Trade Out of Poverty.




Papers Published in World Economics:


Trade Out of Poverty

Integration into the world economy has proven a powerful means for countries to promote economic growth, development, and poverty reduction, and therefore governments need to have a renewed focus on trade policy towards developing countries to help improve the lives of the world’s poorest. The world’s richest countries should open their markets unconditionally to all Least Developed and low-income countries. The EU and US and other developed countries’ Rules of Origin requirements should be aligned so that developing countries have only one set of rules to adhere to, as the existing complex rules frequently result in countries paying tariffs or being excluded by bureaucracy. Rich countries must end their export and domestic subsidies that undermine the livelihoods of millions. Tariffs between the poorest countries be reduced and customs duties replaced with other sources of revenue. There needs to be a significant increase in emphasis on infrastructure, roads, ports and administrative structures that make trade possible.

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