In assessing the potencial risks from climate change and the costs of averting it, however, researchers and policy-makers encounter pervasive uncertainty. That uncertainty contributes to great differences of opinion as to the appropiate policy response, with some experts seeing little or no threat and others finding cause for immediate, extensive action. Policymakers are thus confronted with a wide range of recommendations about how to address the risks posed by a changing climate (A CBO Paper)
Iraq's Shia Muslims and Kurds have turned out in force for the country’s first elections since the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The insurgents have failed in their bid to wreck the elections, though they are unlikely to go away soon
Spain is right to fight terrorism through the criminal justice system, but its counterterrorism measures still infringe basic rights of suspects charged with terrorist acts, Human Rights Watch said in recent report. The 65-page report, “Setting an Example?: Counter-Terrorism Measures in Spain,” analyzes aspects of Spain’s criminal law and procedures that fall short of its commitments under international human rights law. Problematic practices include the use of incommunicado detention and secret legal proceedings, limitations on the right to a lawyer during the initial period of detention, and lengthy periods of pre-trial detention.
The Committee is tasked with collecting and examining information relating to all aspects of the administration and management of the Oil-For-Food Programme, from its inception to its transfer to the Coalition Provisional Authority, including allegations of fraud and corruption on the part of United Nations officials, personnel, and agents, as well as the contractors of the United Nations or Iraq under the Programme
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, on 18 September 2004 the Security Council adopted resolution 1564 requesting, inter alia, that the Secretary-General 'rapidly establish an international commission of inquiry in order immediately to investigate reports of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in Darfur by all parties, to determine also whether or not acts of genocide have occurred, and to identify the perpetrators or such violations with a view to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable'. The Commission submitted a full report on its findings to the Secretary-General on 25 January 2005
"As a new Congress gathers, all of us in the elected branches of government share a great privilege: We've been placed in office by the votes of the people we serve. And tonight that is a privilege we share with newly-elected leaders of Afghanistan, the Palestinian Territories, Ukraine, and a free and sovereign Iraq. Two weeks ago, I stood on the steps of this Capitol and renewed the commitment of our nation to the guiding ideal of liberty for all. This evening I will set forth policies to advance that ideal at home and around the world."
This Working Paper is based on the results of a survey conducted among national experts associated with the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) within the framework of the Ratification Monitor project. The report draws on survey data collected in 20 EU member states, supplemented by additional sources of information on the remaining countries where available. The added value of this EPIN survey lies in its broad comparative scope and analysis rather than its offering an in-depth assessment of each national debate about the process of the Ratification of the European Constitution. The Spanish Contribution to this report is available on the Elcano Royal Institute web.
The World Economic Forum has published a list of the Global Risks at a Glance: Economical, Geopolitical, Societal and Environmental Risks
This Eurobarometer commissioned by the European Commission and carried out in the 25 Member States of the Union by TNS Opinion & Social tackles this theme, focusing more specifically on: the levels of real knowledge of the draft Constitution; the support or the opposition it attracts;
the probability that citizens will turn out to vote where a referendum is proposed to ratify the Constitutional treaty in their country; the level of trust felt by EU citizens regarding sources of information about the draft
Constitution; and finally, the priority areas in which respondents would wish to use the 'citizen's right of initiative’
President Bush is determined to strengthen transatlantic ties. As the President said in his recent Inaugural Address: "All that we seek to achieve in the world requires that America and Europe remain close partners." "We have not always seen eye to eye; however, on how to address different threats. We have had our disagreements. But it is time to turn away from the disagreements of the past. It is time to open a new chapter in our relationship, and a new chapter in our alliance."
The 1980s were described as a lost decade for Latin America and led to a spate of reform programs being introduced across the region at the start of the 1990s. In spite of this, the 1990s, too, were a decade of disappointment. Most countries grew at rates well below their potential, making poverty reduction as elusive as ever. There were capital account and currency crises in several countries. This study is an attempt to analyze what went wrong and why, and to draw lessons for the future. Why have growth rates been so low? Why did so many countries in the region fail to maintain the confidence of the international financial markets? And what are the economic policy implications of the failures of the 1990s?
Iraq’s newly elected National Assembly will soon take up its major task of drafting a permanent constitution. The task is to be completed in time to submit the draft constitution to a national plebiscite by October 15, 2005. Constitutions are rarely written during calm times. Countries rarely feel any pressure to redesign their basic institutions unless they are confronting crisis. There are some exceptions, of course—in fact, one of the major obstacles to the development of constitutionalism in the Arab world is that constitutions were written under conditions of insufficient turmoil. Thus, Iraq is departing somewhat from patterns in the Arab world—and instead emulating some broader international patterns—by attempting to write a constitution as an act of political reconstruction. Indeed, with Iraq still under occupation and a violent insurgency in full force, it is difficult to think of more difficult circumstances for deliberating over basic matters of governance, politics, and identity.
With luck, Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons could be delayed through a combination of Iranian technical difficulties, U.S. military action, and European diplomacy. However, neither delay nor regime change would remove the causes of proliferation pressures in Iran. Iran needs to be assured that the U.S. will respect its autonomy if it ceases nuclear weapons development, while Iran’s neighbours need to be reassured that Tehran will respect their interests. Arab governments are reluctant to join in a regional security dialogue in part because of Washington’s double standard regarding Israel’s nuclear arsenal and treatment of Palestinians. To mobilize all of the international actors opposing Iranian nuclear development, the U.S. must recognize that Iranian proliferation, Persian Gulf security, the U.S. role in the Middle East, Israel’s nuclear status, and Palestinian-Israeli relations are all linked and cannot be resolved without a more balanced U.S. stance. (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Policy Brief, 34, February 2005)
The participating states at the Counter terrorism international Conference held in Riyadh stress the fact that any international efforts will not be sufficient to effectively combat the terrorism phenomenon, if not conducted within the framework of joint actions and an all-inclusive strategic vision. In this respect, they support and adopt the proposal made by HRH the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which called for the establishment of an International Counter-Terrorism Centre
The key issues of the 42 Munich Conference on Security Policy were the future of NATO and the nuclear conflict with Iran. The views and opinions of the 300 participants were mostly harmonious. The Iranian delegation, however, gave a discordant note to the symphony played by the major states. They had to justify the aggressive attitude their president had displayed in the nuclear conflict.
The heightened sense of conflict and mistrust commonly referred to as the "post-September 11 climate" necessitates investigation and analysis of the relationship between the West and the Arab world. Analysts and scholars in both the Western and Arab worlds are actively engaged in the examination of this changing and complex relationship. "Revisiting the Arab Street: Research from Within"- undertaken by the Center for Strategic Studies of the University of Jordan - hopes to add to this body of inquiry by providing an up-to-date analysis of the beliefs and perceptions prevalent in Arab public
opinion. Using public opinion surveys conducted in five Arab countries, the study presents a picture of the attitudes found on "The Arab Street". The study confirms that many Arabs perceive important differences between (Center for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan)
The key issues of the 42 Munich Conference on Security Policy were the future of NATO and the nuclear conflict with Iran. The views and opinions of the 300 participants were mostly harmonious. The Iranian delegation, however, gave a discordant note to the symphony played by the major states. They had to justify the aggressive attitude their president had displayed in the nuclear conflict.
Presenting interim projections for major OECD economies, OECD Chief-Economist Jean-Philippe Cotis said economic momentum on both sides of the Atlantic is now largely back in line with OECD projections released three months ago, but some of the factors sustaining buoyant growth may not continue to do so (6 March 2006)
