COVID-19 has uncovered the vulnerabilities, inequalities and fragility present within our social community which has exposed and exacerbated the pre-existing racial and socioeconomic inequalities that disproportionately affect health outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people. Such disparities are fuelled by complex socioeconomic health determinants and longstanding structural inequalities. This paper aims to explore the inequalities and vulnerabilities of BAME communities laid bare by the Public Health England (PHE) reports published in June 2020, concluding with suggested strategies to address inequalities in a post COVID-19 recovery.

This paper critically comments on the state of affairs in the UK relating to the pandemic and explores how a focus on inequities experienced by marginalized and vulnerable groups is necessary for exposing the material realties of everyday life, but also how such a focus has been hijacked by center right politics to distract us from collective responsibilities and building alliances for systemic change. The paper critically reviews the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the most marginalized and vulnerable in UK society and highlights the interconnected risk factors of COVID‐19 and its secondary impacts to demonstrate how these are linked to political ideology, policy, and practice. We conclude with recommendations informed through a looking back at the key tenants and purposes of universal healthcare to apprise what is needed in this moment of crisis and beyond.

This paper focuses on the Agreement for the Establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It argues that commercial activities in precolonial Africa was akin to the phenomenon of lex mercatoria in medieval Europe. It discusses two major tenets embedded in the AfCFTA: the variable geometry principle and the dispute settlement mechanism. It argues that for structural and comparative purposes, these principles (variable geometry and dispute settlement) form the kernel of modern lex mercatoria in the African context. This paper concludes by advocating that the AfCFTA will enhance the principles of lex mercatoria by promoting African trade principles.

Economic and structural development has been at the forefront of African Union (AU) policy. The establishment of sustainable social structures is an integral part of the development agenda for AU Member States. Certain factors including poverty, corruption, capital flight, and tax avoidance have affected the ability of Member States to create sustainable social structures for their populations. This chapter examines whether social structures can be improved through continental integration and harmonization of taxation laws to provide a sustainable revenue source to develop and maintain social structures as well as fund the AU. The chapter argues that tax harmonization through the development of an AU Model Law on taxation administered through the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) can address social problems and achieve the aims of Agenda 2063 for economic and sustainable development. This is illustrated by using the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as an exemplar, drawing from the experiences and possible success of the West African Monetary and Economic Union (WAEMU) in the field of tax harmonization.

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