![]() |
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
||
|
Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > International relations > International institutions > General
This book is a researched study of land issues in American Samoa that analyzes the impact of U.S. colonialism and empire building in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Carefully tracing changes in land laws up to the present, this volume also draws on a careful examination of legal traditions, administrative decisions, court cases and rising tensions between indigenous customary land tenure practices in American Samoa and Western notions of individual private ownership. It also highlights how unusual the status of American Samoa is in its relationship with the U.S., namely as the only "unincorporated" and "unorganized" overseas territory, and aims to expand the U.S. empire-building scholarship to include and recognize American Samoa into the vernacular of Americanization projects.
Rules set by global governance organizations affect communities across the world. Such organizations increasingly seek to obtain legitimacy in the eyes of groups beyond their member state elites. This book advances scholarly debate on the politics of legitimacy and legitimation in global governance. It brings together researchers from different subfields of International Relations in order to highlight trends and contradictions in the contemporary politics of legitimacy across areas of sustainable development, humanitarian relief, responsible investment, sustainable fisheries and labour standards. The chapters explore legitimation efforts by various forms of global governance bodies, such as intergovernmental organizations, public-private partnerships and fully private bodies. The book demonstrates that different governance forms beyond the nation state share deep legitimacy challenges and engage in continuous legitimation attempts. Questions on the audiences of such legitimation attempts are particularly pivotal in understanding the politics of legitimacy. Audiences are not predetermined but constituted through interaction between legitimation efforts and the reactions to those of targeted and other groups, mirroring broader global power relations. This book was published as a special issue of Globalizations.
Co-published with the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, this book offers a critical assessment of European Union developments since 1994. It combines the texts of the five Paul-Henri Spaak lectures given at Harvard University in the 1994-2000 period, and a cogent analysis of the successes and failures of the EU by Professor Andrew Moravcsik, entitled 'Europe without Illusions.' The European Union is the most successful voluntary international organization in world history. Europe without Illusions explores the paradox that the EU recently completed perhaps the most successful decade of integration in its history, yet it continues to be widely perceived as unstable and undemocratic. The Center for International Affairs was founded in 1958 and was renamed the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs in 1998 in gratitude for the endowment established by Albert and Celia Weatherhead and the Weatherhead Foundation. The Center was created as a means of confronting global problems. The Center is the largest international research center within Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It is distinctive in its recognition that knowledge is a product not only of individual academic research, but also of vigorous, sustained intellectual dialogue among scholars and nonacademic experts. To stimulate this dialogue, the Center sponsors a wide array of seminars, research programs, workshops, and conferences.
The legal foundations of global governance are shifting. In addition to traditional instruments for resolving cross-border problems, such as treaties and formal international organizations, policy-makers are turning increasingly to informal agreements and organizations like the Group of Twenty, the Financial Stability Board, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. A growing number of policy-makers view such weakly-legalized organizations as promising new tools of governance, arguing that informal bodies are faster and more flexible than their formal counterparts, and better-suited to the complex problems raised by deepening interdependence. Yet, equally, political scientists have puzzled over these international organizations. At present, we still know relatively little about these bodies, why they have become so important, and whether they are indeed capable of addressing the immense challenges faced by the global community. In The Origins of Informality, Charles Roger offers a new way of thinking about informal organizations, presents new data revealing their extraordinary growth over time and across regions, and advances a novel theory to explain these patterns. In contrast with existing approaches, he locates the drivers of informality within the internal politics of states, explaining how major shifts within the domestic political arenas of the great powers have projected outwards and reshaped the legal structure of the global system. Informal organizations have been embraced because they allow bureaucrats in powerful states to maintain autonomy over their activities, and can help politicians to circumvent domestic opponents of their foreign policies. Drawing on original quantitative data, interviews, and archival research, the book analyzes some of the most important institutions governing the global economy, showing how informality has helped domestic actors to achieve their narrow political goals-even when this comes at the expense of the institutions they eventually create. Ultimately, Roger claims, the shift towards informality has allowed the number of multilateral institutions to rapidly increase in response to global problems. But, at the same time, it has coincided with a decline in their quality, leaving us less prepared for the next global crisis.
The North-South global divide is as much about perception and prejudice as it is about economic disparities. Latin America is no less ruled by hegemonic misrepresentations of its national legal systems. The European image of its laws mostly upholds legal legitimacy and international comity. By contrast, diagnoses of excessive legal formalism, an extraordinary gap between law and action, inappropriate European transplants, elite control, pervasive inefficiencies, and massive corruption call for wholesale law reform. Misrepresented to the level of becoming fictions, these ideas nevertheless have profound influence on US foreign policy, international agency programs, private disputes, and academic research. Jorge L. Esquirol identifies their materialization in global governance - mostly undermining Latin American states in legal geopolitics - and their deployment by private parties in transnational litigation and international arbitration. Bringing unrelenting legal realism to comparative law, this study explores new questions in international relations, focusing on the power dynamics among national legal systems.
This is the first book that explicitly outlines Asian contributions to the elaboration of universal human rights values that were proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Evidence of Asia's contribution from the historical records of the Commission on Human Rights (1946 to 1948) profoundly refutes any remnants of the relativist 'Asian values' discourse. Asians shaped the 'new humanism' of the UDHR and the universal values that they also brought to bear on the drafting of this document. The book brings this evidence into focus in order to enter them into contemporary human rights discourse in Asia. The book coincides with the 70th anniversary (2018) of the UDHR and contributes to the ongoing global dialogue between states and societies in the development of human rights norms. At this time, the elucidation of the Asian contribution in this work is part of this dialogue.
Since the end of the Cold War, international institutions have had to rise to challenges of instability and insecurity in Europe. Fergus Carr and Theresa Callan examine the changing nature of European security, cooperation, and conflict. A key theme is the development of the new European security architecture and the roles of NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union and the United Nations as security providers in contemporary Europe.
Evaluation has become an important instrument for rational governance and is used in an increasing number of countries and policy fields. Recent developments at the global, national and local level are changing the conditions and functions of evaluation worldwide. This book examines current global development trends and changing demands for evaluation. It addresses issues surrounding professionalisation and globalisation, examining the need to strengthen accountability for social development in various different policy fields, regions and countries to improve governance and its impacts on social betterment. It also considers issues of quality, utility and further education and the upgrading of evaluation in a broad variety of different organisations, such as multilateral donor organisations, national public administrations, private consultancies, civil-society organisations, universities, and research institutes. With contributions from 30 different countries, this book combines a broad variety of viewpoints to examine the global future of evaluation.
This book examines the effectiveness of multilateralism in ensuring collective security and, in particular, the EU's role in this process. In 1992, shortly after the end of the Cold War, a Security Council Summit in New York reaffirmed the salience of the system of collective security and stated the determination of the Heads of State to maintain it as the prime international instrument for preserving peace. Twenty years later, however, the record of collective security as well as of multilateralism has not been very encouraging. The system of collective security, as enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter, failed repeatedly to accomplish its mandate in the 1990s and has led to controversial debates in the United States and Europe that reached a climax during the Iraq crisis in 2002/03. The volume draws upon both theoretical and empirical research to answer the following core questions: What are the reasons that have made multilateralism either effective or ineffective in the field of peacekeeping, peace preservation and peacebuilding? How can multilateralism be made more effective? How can attempts made by Europe to render UN multilateralism in the security area more efficient be assessed? This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding/peacekeeping, EU policy, the UN, security studies and IR in general.
The importance of the institutional dimensions to international trade law over the last decades is brought to light in this volume of previously published articles. The collection focuses on the World Trade Organization (WTO), the most important institution in international trade, and includes a selection of key contributions to the field. The approach is multi-disciplinary, encompassing mostly law, but also political science and economics, and the issues addressed are significant and diverse: the overall legitimacy and effectiveness of the WTO, the relationship between legal and judicial branches of the WTO, the path to membership in the organization, the WTO's institutional complex of councils, committees and panels, the role of the WTO secretariat, and the relationship between the WTO and regional trade frameworks. The combined strengths of the articles in the collection, which reveals a dynamic, multi-layered and complex institutional structure, make this volume of special importance to students and practitioners of international trade or international relations.
The Historical Dictionary of International Organizations in Africa and the Middle East focuses on international organizations in Africa. And the Middle East. This makes sense for political, cultural, and geographical reasons. North African countries, and many located in the Sahel region, are members of not only African but also Middle Eastern international organizations due to their cultural and religious heritage as well as geographic location between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. A limited number of global organizations are also included in this book when they have major programs focusing on Africa and/or the Middle East. This volume emphasizes intergovernmental organizations but many non-governmental organizations are also included. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, thematic topics, and major international issues affecting the region. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about this subject.
This volume brings together innovative work from emerging and leading scholars in international law and political science to critically examine the impact of the Inter-American Human Rights System (IAHRS). By leveraging a variety of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, the contributors assess the impact of the IAHRS on domestic human rights change in Latin America. More specifically, the book provides a nuanced analysis of the System's impact by examining the ways in which the IAHRS influences domestic actors and political institutions advancing the realisation of human rights. This work will be of interest to students and scholars of human rights and Latin American politics, as well as to those engaged with the nexus of international law and domestic politics and the dynamics of international and regional institutions.
This volume brings together expert case studies on a range of experiences of third-party interventions in civil wars. The chapters consider the role of a variety of organisations, including the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the African Union, and the Organization of American States. Each case study features a presentation and analysis of empirical data in two dimensions: the organisation's general capabilities to carry out intervention in civil wars and, specific to one particular intervention, the conflict context in which it happened. This serves two purposes. First, to offer insights into the dynamics of each individual case and helping us understand the specific outcome of an intervention effort, i.e., why did a mission (partially) succeed or fail. Second, it enables us to make real comparisons between the cases and draw policy-relevant conclusions about the conditions under which military, civilian and hybrid intervention missions are likely to succeed. This book was originally published as a special issue of Civil Wars.
The Europa Directory of International Organizations 2013 offers a unique guide to the contemporary international system. It includes detailed information on more than 2,000 international and regional entities, thoroughly researched and updated for this 15th edition. Extensive background information provides a historical context to the development of the international system, as well as an invaluable overview of the role of international organizations in today's world. New for 2013: a background information essay on the development of the international criminal legal system. Other highlights in this edition include: details of the response of international institutions to the ongoing financial crisis in the eurozone efforts of the international community to achieve the Millennium Development Goals fully updated coverage of the UN's current peace-keeping operations.
The book provides a succinct and much needed introduction to the Council of Europe from its foundation through the early conventions on human rights and culture to its expansion into the fields of social affairs, environment and education. Founded in 1949 within a month of NATO, the Council of Europe was the hub of political debate about integrating Europe after the Second World War. After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, it was thrust into the limelight again as the test bed where all newly liberated European states had to prove their democratic credentials. Now it is the political arena in which the closely integrating states of the European Union face the twenty European states still outside the EU. Its European Court of Human Rights hands down judgments which all member states must respect, and its monitoring activities report on conditions concerning democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the whole continent. The Council of Europe has negotiated international agreements against the death penalty, torture, corruption, cybercrime and terrorism. It works for political pluralism, media freedom and fair elections. The treatment for minorities, efficient local government and strengthening non-government organisations are part of its daily agenda. Today the states of Greater Europe come together to discuss their present and their future in the Council of Europe Providing a wealth of factual information and describing and analysing the key debates within the organization, this work will be of great interest to students and scholars of international organizations, European politics and international relations.
An engaging introduction to the core concepts, theories, actors and issues in global politics. Featuring a combination of chapters authored by leading scholars, researchers and practitioners from around the world, this textbook takes into account the historical development of international relations and the web of dynamics that forms the subject, resulting in a clear analysis of the field from a variety of perspectives. Chapters cover topics including race, colonialism, gender, sexuality, digital globalization, the environment and security studies and are supported by a range of case studies, key boxes and illustrative material to aid students in their practical application of theoretical ideas. The book is also complimented by a bespoke curated website, featuring a regularly updated collection of interactive learning material and hosted on E-International Relations, the world's leading open access IR website. Portraying the most compelling issues of our time, and presenting the necessary tools to analyse and debate the subject, this is an invaluable resource for anyone studying international relations.
An extensive and unequalled one-volume guide covering over 2,000 international and regional entities, this title provides detailed and accurate information on a wide spectrum of international organizations from the World Bank to the League of Arab States. Fully revised and updated, this new edition includes essential background material, extensive coverage of recent activities, as well as invaluable contact details, to provide a complete understanding of the role of international organizations in the world economy and contemporary global politics.
There has been considerable interest in recent years in the ability of non-governmental organisations to work with the rural poor in developing countries in order to improve their quality of life and economic status through the provision of credit, skills training, and other inputs for income-generation programmes. This book brings together the results of 16 evaluations in 4 countries (Bangladesh, India, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) to provide a detailed assessment of the contribution that NGOs make to rural poverty alleviation. The results indicate that NGO projects are successful when they build in a high degree of participation, when the staff are committed to the goals of the project, and when they are managed by strong and competent leaders. Many of the projects studied contributed to increases in income and welfare. However, not all projects were successful, contrary to received wisdom about the efficacy of NGO interventions. many failed to reach the very poorest, most were costly to implement, and few of the projects demostrated an ability to continue once external funding was withdrawn. These findingd provide string support for viewing NGOs as a mechanism for helping to reduce rural poverty, but also demonstrate that many of the interventions are isolated or one-off. The impact of NGOs could be heightened by increasing the size of the intervention, encouraging greater cooperation among NGOs, and by fostering closer cooperation with governments. This study will make an impact in the development community, and its conclusions will help shape NGO and poverty agendas in the coming years. The book will appeal to all those concerned with rural development, NGOs, and development programmes.
This book provides an accessible and timely analysis of how the British discourse on Europe has evolved over the past forty years. It focuses on three key episodes: the 1975 referendum on the UK's continued membership of the European Economic Community; the 1992-3 debates on ratification of the Maastricht Treaty; and the more recent proto-referendum debates sparked by David Cameron's Bloomberg speech in January 2013. Using a discourse-analytical approach, the book analyses how political and media voices seek to delineate a British sense of self from a Continental other. Importantly, the book also pays close attention to the rising prominence of immigration issues within the British discourse on Europe.
In The European Commission of the Danube, 1856-1948 Constantin Ardeleanu offers a history of the world's second international organisation, an innovative techno-political institution established by Europe's Concert of Powers to remove insecurity from the Lower Danube. Delegates of rival empires worked together to 'correct' a vital European transportation infrastructure, and to complete difficult hydraulic works they gradually transformed the Commission into an actor of regional and international politics. As an autonomous and independent organ, it employed a complex transnational bureaucracy and regulated shipping along the Danube through a comprehensive set of internationally accepted rules and procedures. The Commission is portrayed as an effective experimental organisation, taken as a model for further cooperation in the international system.
The increase in China's economic and political involvement in Africa is arguably the most momentous development on the continent since the end of the Cold War. This book seeks to detail the origins, structure, workings and activities of The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and its development over the last nine years. Mindful of the growing realisation that Africa is to play an increasingly important role in global energy politics, Ian Taylor provides a clear and detailed overview of an organisation that has been generally overlooked, despite the exponential rise in the importance of the Chinese presence in Africa. Topics addressed include: the key structures, functions and operations of the FOCAC the importance and development of the triennial summits, including the focus on cultural exchanges and economic cooperation the key criticisms and challenges currently faced by the FOCAC discussion of 'emerging issues' - is it possible to have a "win-win" situation between Africa and China, as the FOCAC suggests? The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation provides a concise introduction to an organisation that will be instrumental in the future of Africa's relationship with the developed world, and will be of interest to students of African and Chinese politics, International Relations and International Organizations.
International organizations (IOs) develop institutional provisions to make sure that their policies do not violate human rights. Accordingly, whilst IOs have a greater scope of action and ability to promote collective goods than ever before, they also have a greater capacity to do harm. Based on ten case studies on UN and EU sanctions policy, UN and NATO peacekeeping, and World Bank and IMF lending, this book examines human rights violations which can arise from the actions of IOs rather than those of states. It further explains how powerful IOs have introduced human rights protection provisions and analyzes the features of these provisions, including differences in their design and quality. This book provides evidence of a novel legitimation strategy authoritative IOs draw on that has, as yet, never been systematically studied before.
An extensive one-volume guide covering some 1,900 international and regional entities, this title gives detailed and accurate information on a wide spectrum of international organizations, from the International Monetary Fund to NATO. Fully revised and updated, this new 13th edition includes background material as well as useful contact details to offer a complete understanding of the role of international organizations in the framework of modern global politics. Users will benefit from brand new introductory essays covering the international humanitarian system and international environmental governance, as well as biographical details of leading officials within international organizations.
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the implementation, functioning, and impact of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), cornerstone of Venezuelan foreign policy and standard-bearer of "postneoliberal" regionalism during the "Left Turn" in Latin America and the Caribbean (1998-2016). It reveals that cooperation via ALBA's regionalised social missions, state multinationals, development bank, People's Trade Agreement, SUCRE virtual currency, and Petrocaribe soft-loan scheme has often been hampered by complexity and conflict between the national political economies of Ecuador, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and especially Venezuela. Shared commitments to endogenous development, autonomy within mutlipolarity, and novel sources of legitimacy are undermined by serious deficiencies in control and accountability, which stem largely from the defining influence of Venezuela's dysfunctional economy and governance. This dual dependency on Venezuela leaves the future of ALBA hanging in the balance.
This book analyzes the shifting global economic architecture, indicating the decentralizing authority in global economic governance since the Cold War and, especially, following the 2008-09 global financial crisis. The author examines recent adjustments to the organizational framework, contestation of policy principles, norms, and practices, and destabilizing actor hierarchies, particularly in global macroeconomic, trade, and development governance. The study's 'analytical eclecticism' includes a core constructivist IR approach, but also incorporates insights from several international relations theories as well as political and economic theory. The book develops a unique 'analytical matrix', which analyzes effects of strategic, political, and cognitive authority in the organizational, policy, and actor contexts of the global economic architecture. It concludes that, despite concerns about potential fragmentation, decentralizing authority has increased the integration of leading developing states and new actors in contemporary global economic governance. |
You may like...
Extremisms In Africa
Alain Tschudin, Stephen Buchanan-Clarke, …
Paperback
(1)
The BRICS and Collective Financial…
Cynthia Roberts, Leslie Elliott Armijo, …
Hardcover
R3,282
Discovery Miles 32 820
The Political Economy of Automotive…
Richard F. Doner, Gregory W. Noble, …
Hardcover
R2,458
Discovery Miles 24 580
|