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15192. Camels don't fly, deserts don't bloom: an assessment of Saudi Arabia's experiment in desert agriculture'
- Author:
- Elie Elhadj
- Publication Date:
- 05-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London
- Abstract:
- Severe arid conditions constrained agricultural production and population size in the Arabian Peninsula over the millennia (except around oases and in parts of Yemen). An abrupt change in Saudi Arabia started in the 1980s to make the desert bloom. This study examines whether or not the Saudi experiment in desert irrigation has been worthwhile in terms of cost and benefit. It concludes that the project was a waste of money and water on a grand scale.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, Environment, and International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Sinai Peninsula
15193. The household water crisis in Syria's Greater Damascus Region'
- Author:
- Elie Elhadj
- Publication Date:
- 05-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London
- Abstract:
- Damascus residents talk in recent years of long periods of daily water shut-offs for most months especially between June and the following January. “ In 2001 … stringent water rationing was in force in Damascus… the authorities … shut off the capital's piped water supply for 20 hours each day (compared with 16 hours previously) from July of that year. Europa Publications (2002: p.979).”
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, Environment, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Syria
15194. Compensating Differentials and the Queue For Public Sector Jobs: Evidence from Egyptian Household Survey Data'
- Author:
- Mona Said
- Publication Date:
- 03-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London
- Abstract:
- This Paper considers the determinants of male and female pay in the public and private sectors by estimating a joint model of sector allocation and wage determination using cross-sectional data from the Egyptian 1987 and 1997 labour force surveys. The results points to the profound impact of the graduate public sector employment guarantee on labour market segmentation in Egypt. In particular, the level of educational attainment became the most important factor in sorting workers between sectors. Comparison of the 1987 and 1997 results highlight that the strong impact of the public sector employment guarantee on the labour market in the 1980s was weakened in the 1990s for males but remains important for females. Moreover, risk-averse individuals (proxied by those who have greater financial responsibility in their households) have a greater probability of choosing public sector than private sector employment. These results are consistent with the effective operation of the guarantee for more highly educated workers and with time based queuing for guaranteed positions. A model of compensating wage differentials is then defined and estimated, in order to quantify the value of arguably the three most important non-pecuniary aspects of public sector employment: job security, fringe benefits (especially comprehensive retirement pensions) and lower effort and shorter hours which allow workers to supplement income through obtaining a second job. Estimates of the publicprivate differentials, correcting for differences in characteristics and selectivity, indicate a public sector disadvantage for males and a small advantage for females in 1987. Relative public sector wages improved for both males and females in 1997, and when adjustments for non-wage benefits are included, public sector premia are observed in all segments of the public sector for both males and females. It also emerged that the single most important adjustment factor leading to the change in the differential is the value of job stability, which drives up the differential in favour of the public sector, particularly in manufacturing. The results highlight the importance of job security as the major factor determining the persistence of queues for public sector jobs in Egypt.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, Economics, and International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- Egypt
15195. Assessing the Role of Foreign Direct Investment in China's Economic Development: Macro Indicators and Insights from Sectoral-Regional Analyses'
- Author:
- Dic Lo
- Publication Date:
- 01-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- School of Oriental and African Studies - University of London
- Abstract:
- The objective of this paper is to assess the role of FDI in China's economic development with reference to the broader literature on FDI and late development. Three main findings come out from the analyses in the paper. First, it is found that FDI tends to promote the improvement in allocative efficiency, while having a negative impact on productive efficiency. Second, insofar as FDI does promote overall productivity growth, this tends to be a matter of cumulative causation rather than one of single-direction causation. Third, in the context of a comparative analysis of two distinctive regional models, it is found that the economic impact of FDI tends to be more favourable in the inward-looking, capital-deepening pattern of development (the 'Shanghai model') than that in the export-oriented, labour-intensive pattern (the 'Guangdong model'). Further analyses, however, suggest that the 'Shanghai model' has its intrinsic problems of sustainability. The scope for applying it to China as a whole is thus judged to be limited.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, and International Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- China and Shanghai
15196. Global Best Practices: Judicial Councils: Lessons Learned from Europe and Latin America
- Author:
- Sandra Elena and Violaine Autheman
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- International and regional human rights treaties recognize the right to a fair trial by an independent tribunal in the determination of rights and obligations in civil, commercial and administrative matters and in the determination of criminal charges. The right to a fair trial and its core components, including the “reasonable time” requirement and the principle of judicial independence, is now universally accepted. Building upon the declarations of principle of legally binding conventions, international and regional expert guidelines and principles have aimed at fleshing out the specific elements of judicial independence. In addition, international and regional human rights courts and commissions have interpreted the provisions of human rights treaties and shed some light on the minimum standards and components of the right to a fair trial and judicial independence.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Human Rights, and International Law
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Latin America
15197. Global Best Practices: Constitutional Courts, Judicial Independance and the Rule of Law
- Author:
- Sandra Elena and Procop Buruiana
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- This paper is a cursory survey of the global landscape of Constitutional Courts and Tribunals with constitutional review powers from the perspective of international, regional and national principles on judicial independence and accountability, integrity and democratic development. In many transition and developing countries, academics, legal practitioners, human rights groups and others believe that this relatively new democratic institution has played a positive role in promoting a Rule of Law culture. Clearly, this is a potentially strong democratic institution that needs more attention and support from donors, civil society and national government.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Civil Society, International Law, and Regional Cooperation
15198. Global Best Practices: Income and Asset Disclosure Requirement for Judges: Lessons Learned from Eastern Europe and Latin America
- Author:
- Keith Henderson, Sandra Elena, and Procop Buruiana
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- In recent years, countries around the world have signed on to various governmental and non- governmental international and regional instruments designed to fight corruption at all levels of the State. Income and asset disclosure laws and policies have emerged as important mechanisms to promote probity and accountability in the fight against corruption. While these requirements were first imposed on the executive branch, they now are accepted as applying to members of the legislative and judicial branches as well. Income and asset disclosure, if properly designed and effectively applied, can also be an invaluable tool to strengthen judicial accountability, judicial independence and public trust in the judiciary and the Rule of Law. This paper provides a comparative overview of financial transparency for judges by testing the legal framework and practice in six Eastern European and Latin American countries against a set of core international best practices that have recently emerged.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Eastern Europe, South America, and Latin America
15199. Regional Best Practices: Enforcement of Court Judgements: Lessons Learned from Latin America
- Author:
- Keith Henderson, Sandra Elena, Violaine Autheman, and Angana Shah
- Publication Date:
- 04-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- Only recently has a general global consensus emerged among development specialists that the successful, fair and effective enforcement of court judgments, both those against private parties in commercial transactions as well as those against State agencies or officials, is of critical importance to developing a Rule of Law culture and judicial independence. There is also a growing body of international jurisprudence that requires countries, under their international and regional human rights treaty obligations, as well as their own constitution, to enforce court judgments fairly and effectively and to support the independence of the judiciary. Likewise, court decisions in various countries are also beginning to articulate and enforce these closely related legal rights.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Law, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- South America and Latin America
15200. Political Finance Regulation in Guatemala: A Comparative Survey
- Author:
- Kevin Casas-Zamora
- Publication Date:
- 01-2004
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Academy of Political Science
- Abstract:
- As in most Latin American countries, the funding of political activities has only recently become a matter of serious concern in Guatemala. Long known for its chronic political instability, the country has limited experience in the observance of basic democratic practices such as regular and reasonably free and fair elections. Even today, the regulation of political finance remains under the shadow of other pressing and as yet unresolved political issues such as the extraordinary weakness of parties, the consistently high abstention rates and the practical disenfranchisement of the indigenous majority.
- Topic:
- International Relations, International Trade and Finance, and Political Economy
- Political Geography:
- South America, Latin America, and Guatemala