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582. Oxfam Publishing: Back to work: how people are recovering their livelihoods 12 months after the tsunami
- Author:
- Steve Jennings
- Publication Date:
- 12-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- A year has passed since the tsunami, and it is time to remember the many who lost their lives. It is also time to assess the effectiveness of the relief and reconstruction operations so far. This report is intended to outline the work that has been undertaken to restore and improve the livelihoods of tsunami-affected people. It recognises the poverty in which many people were living before the tsunami. It describes how the tsunami destroyed what meagre livelihoods these people had, and how it threatened to plunge millions more into poverty.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Disaster Relief, and Humanitarian Aid
- Political Geography:
- Asia
583. Oxfam Publishing: Euro-Med: Ensuring a fair deal
- Author:
- Nishant Pandey and Yara Abdul-Hamid
- Publication Date:
- 11-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- When the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (Euro-Med) was announced in Barcelona with a great fanfare in 1995, it was hoped that it would herald a new age in relations between the European Union (EU) and its ten southern Mediterranean partner countries, bringing unprecedented opportunities in the social, economic, and political fields.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Health, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- Europe
584. Oxfam Publishing: Predictable funding for humanitarian emergencies: a challenge to donors
- Publication Date:
- 10-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Oxfam Publishing
- Abstract:
- Every year the lives of millions of people are devastated by natural disasters, conflict and other humanitarian emergencies. 2005 has seen particularly extreme humanitarian emergencies including the tsunami, the Sahel food crisis, and hurricanes Katrina and Stan. Tackling these crises requires a range of actions including immediate humanitarian assistance and long-term development. This short paper focuses on one concrete way in which the global humanitarian response could be improved to help prevent avoidable suffering and death — the upgrading of the existing UN Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF) to a new Central Emergency Response Fund.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Disaster Relief, Humanitarian Aid, and International Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- United Nations
585. Nepal: Beyond Royal Rule
- Publication Date:
- 09-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- Nepal is in turmoil and the monarchy is in question. King Gyanendra had calculated that his authoritarian moves since October 2002 would return order to a land wracked by Maoist insurgency and political instability but he has failed. The seven months since the royal coup have seen security degenerate under a royal government with no plans for peace and democracy. The Maoists seized the initiative by announcing a unilateral three month ceasefire on 3 September 2005. The international community needs to recognise that its calls for palace/political party reconciliation as the sole path toward stability are unrealistic. New lines need to be explored, beginning with support for the ceasefire and the tentative dialogue underway between the parties and the Maoists.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Government, and Sovereignty
- Political Geography:
- Asia and Nepal
586. Angels and Dragons: Asia, the UN, reform and the next Secretary-General
- Author:
- Michael Fullilove
- Publication Date:
- 07-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- The relationship between the UN and Asia can seem unfamiliar and distant. Most of New York's energy is consumed by the Middle East and Africa rather than Northeast, South and Southeast Asia; the international organisation can seem Atlanticist in orientation. On the other side of the Pacific Ocean the strict view of state sovereignty adopted by many Asian capitals leads them to keep the UN at arm's length. As always, however, the story is more complex: we need to differentiate between the UN's work in Asia on the one hand, and Asian behaviour at the UN on the other. Since 1945, the UN has contributed to the Asian security order but only at the margins, its security role circumscribed by power politics and Asian approaches to security. By contrast, Asian states have always been keen to exercise their prerogatives in New York, viewing their UN activities as a marker of sovereignty and a source of prestige. The Brief reviews this history and sets out the current stances of the three major regional powers — China, India, and Japan — towards the UN.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Organization, and United Nations
- Political Geography:
- United States, Japan, China, India, and Asia
587. Building a democratic Palestine: an Australian contribution to legal and institutional development in the Palestinian territories
- Author:
- Anthony Bubalo
- Publication Date:
- 05-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- The current fragile ceasefire between Palestinian militants and Israel has raised hopes of an end to four years of violence. To sustain that ceasefire both Israel and the Palestinian Authority must meet their respective commitments under the "Road Map for Middle bast Peace". For the PA this means preventing terrorist attacks against Israel and undertaking political, legal and security reforms. These reforms are also critical to meeting the Palestinian public's own demands for an end to lawlessness and corruption. Given Australia's expertise in legal and institutional development, the Australian government's commitment to promoting democracy and peace in the Middle bast and its sound relationship with both the PA and the government of Israel, Australia should lend what support it can to the Palestinian effort to establish strong foundations for a stable, prosperous and democratic Palestinian state.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, International Relations, and Development
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and Australia
588. Sensible climate policy
- Author:
- Warwick McKibbin
- Publication Date:
- 02-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- The Kyoto Protocol enters into force on February 16, 2005. Nearly thirteen years after negotiations began at the Rio Earth Summit and seven years after the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated, this should be a cause for global celebration. Yet the basic tenets on which the Kyoto Protocol are built are flawed and leave it worryingly vulnerable to failure. Already proponents of Kyoto are looking for alternatives “beyond Kyoto”. It is no accident that it has taken so long for the Protocol to enter into force with so few of the major future greenhouse emitters effective participants.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Energy Policy, and Environment
- Political Geography:
- Australia/Pacific
589. Living with Global Imbalances: A Contrarian View
- Author:
- Richard N. Cooper
- Publication Date:
- 11-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- Three propositions have become conventional wisdom in Washington and elsewhere. Americans save too little. As a consequence, the US current account deficit is unsustainably large. A necessary step to bring the global economy into sustainable balance is a significant appreciation of the Chinese currency, which in practice has been fixed to the dollar for over a decade.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, Economics, and Globalization
590. After Argentina
- Author:
- Anna Gelpern
- Publication Date:
- 09-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Peterson Institute for International Economics
- Abstract:
- Argentina has finally restructured its foreign debt. Its credit rating is up, and its debt is back in the index. The new bonds are trading roughly in line with Brazil and Uruguay's, just above 400 basis points over treasuries for instruments of comparable duration. Argentina is raising new money from foreign investors. Earlier in the summer of 2005, it reopened a domestic dollar issue to accommodate excess foreign demand. Argentina and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are on again. They might even sign a new disbursing program after the fall 2005 congressional elections. Like a bad dream, the 2001 default is fading into the night after three years of brisk growth and impressive fiscal management—even as the usual nabobs natter on about structural reform and unhappy bondholders.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Debt, and Economics
- Political Geography:
- South America
591. The Future of NATO-Russia Relations: Or, How to Dance With a Bear and Not Get Mauled
- Author:
- Lt. Colonel Gordon B. Hendrickson
- Publication Date:
- 12-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, NATO has enlarged its membership twice with countries formerly under Soviet influence and control, and the Alliance is now preparing to begin the process for a third expansion effort. During this time, Russia has watched the borders of NATO creep ever closer to its own, but has generally been powerless to prevent it. Although NATO has taken pains to include and consult with Russia regarding its actions and future plans, the Kremlin cannot reasonably be expected to continue to watch NATO's expansion eastward without eventually pushing back hard. Without question, many significant issues and challenges must still be solved before enlarging the Alliance once again. In light of this, NATO must work rigorously to continue to keep Russia engaged in a productive and mutually beneficial relationship as both sides work through the future obstacles that inevitably will arise in the NATO -Russia relationship.
- Topic:
- International Relations and NATO
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Europe, Asia, and Soviet Union
592. Security Cooperation and Non-State Threats: A Call for an Integrated Strategy
- Author:
- Albert Zaccor
- Publication Date:
- 08-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- There is widespread recognition that the struggle against international terrorism relies heavily on the cooperation of our partners and allies. The National Security Strategy (NSS) of the United States declares that the U.S. will hold partners responsible for doing their part in the struggle -- including efforts to stem the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and trafficking of illicit drugs -- but admits that weaker nations may not be able to fulfill that responsibility. That strategy and other subordinate strategies call for U.S. assistance to those states that lack the capacity to counter effectively those threats. This places foreign assistance and building partner and allied security capabilities at the center of the struggle against terrorism and related transnational threats.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Security, Development, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States
593. Topics in Terrorism: Toward a Transatlantic Consensus on the Nature of the Threat
- Author:
- Jason S. Purcell (ed) and Joshua D. Weintraub (ed)
- Publication Date:
- 07-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- The Brussels Conference on “Topics in Terrorism: Toward a Transatlantic Consensus on the Nature of the Threat” was the first of three conferences whose principal purpose was to explore specific themes associated with the world-wide effort to cope with and counter the threat of terrorists. Held in three different European capitals (Brussels, Vienna, and Budapest), the conferences drew on divergent presenters and audiences. Each conference convened subject-matter experts from the United States and Europe with the express intent of considering various perspectives on some of the most difficult challenges facing the transatlantic community. While reaching a consensus on each of the major topics would certainly have been a desirable outcome, where a consensus proved elusive, a major objective was to gain a better understanding of the divergent views and the rationale that underpins those views.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- United States, Europe, and Vienna
594. Global Futures and Implications for U.S. Basing
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer and C. Richard Nelson
- Publication Date:
- 06-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- This report provides the working group's insights about the future of overseas bases derived from U.S. experience over the last 60 years. It highlights key assumptions about the future security environment, proposes recommendations and identifies issues that need further study.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Security
- Political Geography:
- United States
595. Re-Engaging Russia: The Case for a Joint U.S.-EU Effort
- Author:
- Frances G. Burwell
- Publication Date:
- 02-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- For the past decade, both the United States and the governments of Europe — including the European Union — have sought to engage Russia with the goal of having a stable and democratic country increasingly integrated into the western political and economic system. Recently, however, many U.S. and European observers have become concerned that the Russian government seems to be moving in a more authoritarian direction, centralizing government decision-making, while backsliding on some reforms and neglecting others. Although economic growth has been robust, there is less confidence about the application of the rule of law. Instability persists in many of the states neighboring Russia, offering opportunities for regional conflict and for misunderstanding between Russia and the West.
- Topic:
- International Relations
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, and Asia
596. The Carter Center News Fall 2005
- Publication Date:
- 09-2005
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Carter Center
- Abstract:
- Increased competition and opposition participation in elections observed by The Carter Center in Liberia and Ethiopia marked progress for democracy in Africa in recent months. Ethiopia's May 2005 elections for national parliament, which gave citizens ademocratic choice for the first time, were sharply contested by opposition groups. In the Oct. 11 Liberian presidential and legislative elections, the country's first truly competitive elections in 25 years, 22 candidates vied for the presidency.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Democratization, Human Rights, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Liberia, and Ethiopia
597. Water and Conflict - Lessons Learned and Options Available on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Water Governance
- Author:
- Helle Munk Ravnborg
- Publication Date:
- 08-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- Over the last decade, water scarcity has increasingly been coupled with international security. Hitherto, the focus of concern has been transboundary water resources and international efforts have been devoted towards establishing institutions for cooperation on the management of such transboundary water resources. Such efforts appear to be successful in mitigating potential conflicts and therefore need to be sustained. At the same time, however, several observers point to the risk that local water conflicts will increase in numbers and intensity. This calls for improved understanding of the nature, extent and social, economic and political implications of such local water conflicts as well as better understanding of how to achieve effective water governance, i.e. a legislative, institutional and regulatory framework which promotes equitable access to and environmentally and economically sound management of water. These are some of the conclusions emerging from a Danida-funded study carried out by DIIS on Conflict Prevention and Mitigation in Water Resources Management, which are further expanded in this DIIS brief.
- Topic:
- Conflict Prevention, International Relations, Security, and Environment
598. From Diplomatic Talking Shop to Powerful Partnership?
- Author:
- Halle Malmvig
- Publication Date:
- 05-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- NATO plans to play a greater role in the Middle East. At the upcoming summit in Istanbul, the Alliance is expected to boost its neglected cooperation programme with seven states in the Middle East - the so-called Mediterranean Dialogue. The Dialogue is to be turned into a Partnership programme modelled on the Partnership for Peace (PfP) experience. This brief argues that NATO only can play a limited role in the efforts to reform and strengthen relations with Middle Eastern states. NATO does not have the political and economic tools necessary for tackling the root causes of the security problems in the Middle East, and there is a real danger that increased cooperation on terrorism and defence reform may undermine the overall goal of democratic and genuine change in the region.
- Topic:
- International Relations, NATO, and Diplomacy
- Political Geography:
- Middle East
599. The Palestine Question in the Wake of the War in Iraq
- Author:
- Michael Irving Jensen
- Publication Date:
- 02-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS)
- Abstract:
- By mid-January 2003 the American Assistant Defence Minister, Paul Wolfowitz, stated that America would work intensively in order to create a Palestinian State as soon as the War in Iraq was over. In Denmark and other European countries a number of politicians issued similar statements, and peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis became an argument to justify a war against Iraq. Even people who were not convinced by the necessity of war began to argue that something positive would eventually emerge from the war – especially in the case of the Palestine Question. Their argument held that the Americans had to do something constructive in the Middle East. They needed to engage more seriously, and they had to demonstrate to the Arab world that although part of the "war against terror" might be taking place in the Arab world, it was not a war against the Arab world, or against Islam, for that matter. Thus, it was only logical to engage the US in the Middle East, and thereby do the utmost in order to force the Israeli occupation to cease. Despite the huge American problems in "post-war" Iraq the question of Palestine is still very high on the agenda not only in the Middle East, but globally.
- Topic:
- International Relations and War
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Middle East
600. An India-Pakistan Detente: What It Could Mean for Sustainable Development in South Asia and Beyond
- Author:
- Toufiq A. Siddiqi
- Publication Date:
- 08-2004
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- India and Pakistan have had volatile relations ever since they became independent of Britain in 1947. Frequent hostility has stifled cooperation between the two countries and inhibited development in the region. Recently, however, tensions show signs of easing. In March 2004, India's then prime minister visited Pakistan to attend a South Asian regional summit. Flights, bus service, and cricket matches between the two countries have resumed; India's newly elected government continues to support the process. Peace could bring a wide range of benefits not only to India and Pakistan but to the wider region as well. For example, it could enable cooperation on importing energy via a natural-gas pipeline, which would support environmentally sound development. The improved road and rail system that would necessarily accompany a pipeline would also support the goal of building an Asian highway network and the resurgence of cross-border trade, another likely consequence of détente. These benefits could spread far beyond India and Pakistan into the wider west, central, and south Asian region.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, South Asia, and India