The Global Governance Agenda and the Role of the G20 (WP)

Federico Steinberg. WP 39/2010 (Translated from Spanish) - 15/12/2010.

This paper addresses these issues. It focuses on how the international community should prioritise the global economic governance agenda and what role the G-20 should play in the process. The first section analyses the challenges that the international community faces, exploring which elements of this complex agenda have the best prospects for being addressed successfully. The second section discusses what kind of institutional structure is needed in order to carry out reforms and what the role of the G-20 is in that structure.

Destined for Irrelevance? Subsidiarity Control by National Parliaments (WP)

Tapio Raunio. WP 36/2010 - 19/11/2010.

The Lisbon Treaty introduced the ‘early-warning mechanism’, with national legislatures assigned the right to monitor whether initiatives for EU laws comply with the principle of subsidiarity. Does the mechanism really empower national parliaments by giving them a collective veto in EU politics or will it remain largely unused by domestic MPs? This paper leans towards the latter interpretation, arguing that the whole mechanism was mainly introduced in response to legitimacy concerns. It is a rather harmless procedure, with only a marginal impact on the EU’s legislative process.

Spain’s Main Multinationals: Building on their Success (WP)

William Chislett. WP 29/2010 - 1/9/2010.

Spain’s main multinationals are going from strength to strength. The investments and acquisitions made abroad over the last 15 years or so are increasingly profitable and significantly reducing the reliance on a domestic market that is in the doldrums. But for these investments some of these companies would barely survive the downturn in their home market.

A New Composite Global Terrorism Threat to Western Societies from Pakistan? Making Sense of the January 2008 Suicide Bomb Plot in Barcelona (WP)

Fernando Reinares. WP 28/2010 - 2/8/2010.

The actors behind the past twarthed attacks in the Spanish city denoted an intriguing combination which, indicative of the operational limitations faced by Al Qaeda and early manifestation of the Punjabi Taliban network, reflected an evolving terrorism threat to the West related with Pakistan.

Uncertainty in Climate Change (WP)

A.T. Grove and E. Lopez-Gunn. WP 25/2010 - 22/07/2010.

This Working Paper reviews the main reasons why definite and conclusive evidence in the field of climate change is almost an impossibility. It analyses the main elements that explain natural climatic change and reflects on the high level of uncertainty in the system, which in many ways is inherent to the system itself, and presents the latest evidence.

Cyprus: Time for a Negotiated Partition? (WP)

William Chislett. WP 21/2010 - 5/7/2010.

The Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot leaders have resumed negotiations to reunify Cyprus, which has been divided for more than three decades along ethnic lines. But progress is still very slow and the partition option is gaining credence.

Al-Qaeda and Afghanistan in Strategic Context: Counterinsurgency versus Counterterrorism (WP)

Sebastian L. v. Gorka. WP 15/2010 - 17/5/2010.

This paper discusses how the US failed to adequately identify the nature of the conflict it was embarking upon in response to the 9/11 attacks, our flawed understanding of the enemy and the fact that today we are just beginning to appreciate the central role of religious ideology in this war. Should we continue to misunderstand these three realities of the post-9/11 world, success in Afghanistan and Pakistan will not be achievable.

Central Asia: Moving Towards an Alternative Vision of Energy Relations? (WP)

Aurèlia Mañé Estrada. WP 56/2009 (Translated from Spanish) - 4/5/2010.

The idea behind this paper is that the way we view energy relations determines how we define and apply energy security policies. In light of this, the emergence of Central Asia on the international hydrocarbon scene is an excellent opportunity to illustrate the difference that exists today between the dominant epistemological-conceptual approach to energy relations and the reality behind these same relations.

Geo-Economics in Central Asia and the ‘Great Game’ of Natural Resources: Water, Oil, Gas, Uranium and Transportation Corridors (WP)

Miguel Á. Pérez Martín. WP 59/2009 (Translated from Spanish) - 19/4/2010.

This Working Paper describes and analyses Central Asia from the standpoint of geo-economics, focusing especially on key questions in the region such as water, logistics, the direction of trade flows, hydrocarbons (oil and gas) and uranium. Its purpose is to estimate the involvement of the great powers and multinational companies in connection with these issues, assessing which countries or companies have the greatest presence or influence and showing how some of these players, especially Russia, play a dominant role in what some analysts have called the new ‘Great Game’.

Preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup: Vulnerability and Threat of Terrorism (WP)

Anneli Botha. WP 14/2010 - 16/4/2010.

This working paper will provide an overview of the threats of terrorism associated with hosting a prominent sport event, while placing potential threats in context in South Africa; and an overview of preparations for the FIFA World Cup. Its aim is not to discourage visitors to come to South Africa, but rather to place the potential threat of terrorism in context.