Aspects Of Policy Research Articles

Oil and gas in Lebanon: shattered expectations

The article is dedicated to the peculiarities of the oil and gas policy of the Lebanese Republic - one of the few countries in the Middle East that does not engage in hydrocarbon extraction. The issue of oil and gas production in Lebanon remains insufficiently studied, although certain aspects of Lebanon's oil and gas policy have been touched upon by Russian scholars in the context of the Lebanon-Israel multiyear maritime border dispute. The author examines Lebanon's attempts to discover oil and gas in the 20th and 21st centuries against the backdrop of the complex political and economic situation in the country, describes the procurement process, in which Russian companies were also involved, and addresses the legislative framework for hydrocarbon production and exploration. The article explores the prospects of significant hydrocarbon reserves in Lebanon, with special attention paid to exploration in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). According to experts, Lebanon possesses substantial oil and gas potential, as evidenced by the discovery of significant gas deposits offshore Israel and Cyprus. However, initial drilling in Lebanon's EEZ did not confirm the presence of commercially viable hydrocarbon reserves. It is concluded that the unstable political situation in the country, as well as the dispute with Israel over maritime borders, significantly hindered exploratory drilling offshore Lebanon. The unsuccessful tender process in recent years indicates Beirut's insufficiently effective oil and gas policy. The author believes that even if confirmed oil and gas reserves are discovered, Lebanon's economic crisis cannot be resolved in the foreseeable future due to weak governance and a lack of developed infrastructure for hydrocarbon export.

The dividend policy of business entities and the analogy of law

Author discovers uncertainty that generates ambiguous administrative and judicial law enforcement on the issue related to the limits of business entity freedom in the creation and implementation of dividend policy. Importance of such insufficiently clearly regulated by corporate legislation aspects of the dividend policy as the scope of corporation's powers and limitations in determining frequency of making decisions on dividend payments and timing of the actual distribution of profits among the corporation's participants is shown. Special relevance of the doctrinal study and regulatory clarification of the relevant legal parameters of the dividend policy of domestic corporations is associated by the author with the need to overcome the negative consequences of the sanctions impact of unfriendly foreign states. The presented author's approach is aimed at ensuring greater variability of corporate and legal interaction and increasing the efficiency of business entities. Special technical and legal tools were used in the study, including the method of analogy, as well as civilistic means of analysis and synthesis, comparison and generalization. The idea of the possibility and practicability of flexible negotiation of this uncertainty based on the normative construction of the analogy of law, on the basis of the general principles and meaning of civil legislation, as well as through the analogical use of explanations on understanding of the imperativeness and optionality of legal norms contained in the Resolution of the Russian Federation Supreme Arbitration Court Plenum dated March 14, 2014 No. 16 «On freedom of contract and its limits» is argued. As a result, conceptual admissibility of «nonmonotonic» dividend accruals, not linked to calendar quarters has been proved, as well as the possibility of large delays in the actual payment of declared dividends in comparison with the periods pre-established by norms. Main conditions for the implementation of such a measure of freedom in determining dividend policy are identified, namely its focus on achieving a balance of corporate interests and availability of an actually generated net profit for a business entity.

The Selected Aspects of a Company's Pricing Policy in Foreign Markets

The Selected Aspects of a Company's Pricing Policy in Foreign Markets

The Impact of Multilevel Governmental Policy on Rural Catalonia: Voices From the Grassroots

One decade on from the launch of the European Youth Guarantee Initiative, there is still limited research into its efficacy in rural areas. In Spain, a country with significant urban-rural disparity, the complexity of the governmental structure across the country has made investigations into the effectiveness of youth employment strategies less common as compared with other European states. Our study analyses the meso-level structure of the Spanish government and how the Public Employment Services (PES) factor into the overall process of disseminating active labour market policies across the country. The study is based in the autonomous community of Catalonia and includes a case study in the region of Lleida. Through open-ended interviews with members at different levels of the local PES, including the director and various other staff, as well as with local policymakers, youth workers in local organisations, and the youth themselves, we aim to shed light on how the Youth Guarantee is being implemented on the ground. This will take into account the structural constraints, needs, and challenges under the new law as expressed by the various stakeholders. The results indicate that both youth and local PES are negatively impacted by some centralised aspects of employment policy, such as the stringent requirements for training courses that prove prohibitive for rural areas, as well as the urban-centric design of training courses. Further, the youth collectively express a strong desire for their voice to find expression in the design of active labour market policies.

Sustainable tourism development activities and planning systems in Vhembe district, Limpopo province, South Africa: A comprehensive eco-touristic and sustainability perspective

PurposeThis study aims to examine Musina municipality’s tourism development status and plans with existing documents and respondents’ responses on their envisaged implications on tourism development and sustainability initiatives in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa.Design/methodology/approachSurveys, interviews and focus group discussions, supplemented by field observation and document reviews, gray literature alongside published literature, were applied. Subsequently, Microsoft Excel and cross-tabulation analysis orchestrated the analysis of the data.FindingsThe policy and strategy aspects contributing to the previous and actual tourism statuses in Musina municipality are defined. The study concludes that Musina Municipality has rich tourism possibilities but lacks a better tourism strategy to empower local communities. Nonetheless, it dwells in the most tourism-based landscape within the Vhembe District of Limpopo.Originality/valueMusina Municipality is one of the driest areas in the north of Limpopo Province in South Africa. It is also marked by impoverished rural communities. Studies on sustainable tourism and development have increased in recent years. However, rare studies specialize in synergies within various forms of tourism. Also, significant resources to advance local communities in rural areas are not sufficiently appreciated.

МЕДІА ТА МОВНА ПОЛІТИКА В УКРАЇНІ: ВПЛИВ МОВНИХ ЗАКОНІВ НА МЕДІАПРОСТІР

<p><strong><em>The aim of the study. </em></strong><em>The purpose of the research is to identify and analyze the impact of language laws on the contemporary media space in Ukraine.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Research methodology. </em></strong><em>The following research methods are used in the article: description, analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, forecasting. The method of description is used to highlight the language policy of Ukraine with a detailed description of the importance of language policy for the state. Methods of analysis and synthesis, which are applied during the review and research of articles of language laws in order to identify their impact on the domestic media space. A comparison method that was used to compare the language picture before and after language laws were amended or created. The method of generalization was used at the final stage of our research when formulating independent conclusions. The forecasting method made it possible to identify the prospects for research and development of the language policy of Ukraine, its influence on the media space. Also, in our research, the method of content analysis was used, with the help of which we familiarized ourselves with the information in the mass media regarding the language policy of Ukraine. This made it possible to reveal the attitude of representatives of the mass communication media to language legislation and their focus on compliance / non-compliance with language legislation.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>The results.</em></strong><em> It was determined that language policy has always been an issue that needed special consideration. At the same time, in 2022–2023, amendments were made to the Law of Ukraine «On Ensuring the Functioning of the Ukrainian Language as a State Language» and the Law «On Media» was adopted. It was established that the adopted amendments to the legislative acts primarily contribute to the development of the state language and reduce the percentage of the functioning of other languages, while the functioning of the language of the occupier is made impossible.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Novelty.</em></strong><em> The paper examines the impact of the language laws of 2022–2023 on the media space of Ukraine in the aspect of understanding language policy.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Practical significance</em></strong><em>. This article has practical significance regarding the improvement of legislation that affects various aspects of the media space in terms of language policy.</em><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Key words:</em></strong><em> laws of Ukraine, mass media, mass communication media, media space, language policy of Ukraine.</em><em></em></p>

Policies of Regional State Officials in Managing Non-Natural Disasters Covid 19 Based on Indonesian Regulations Relating to Criminal Acts of Corruption

The Indonesian government has the goal of protecting the entire Indonesian nation during the Covid-19. Regional governments, especially state officials in the regions, make policies to save people in the regions by using existing budgets within the regional government. In Law Number 2 of 2020, the policy is that the regional government allocates funds for dealing with Covid-19. The regional government’s policy, which is essentially to save society in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, is not in line with society’s expectations. The public considers that the policies issued by the Regional Government are not on target, so many people think that these policies are projects from the government that take advantage of the non-natural disaster COVID-19. State officials in the regions sometimes interpret discretion in government affairs, especially in handling. The non-natural disaster COVID-19 has implications for abuse of authority and arbitrariness, as well as exceeding authority in carrying out government duties. Problems that occur in the regions relate to policy aspects used by state officials in the regions in handling the non-natural disaster Covid-19 which gives rise to criminal acts of corruption.

Common Language Development in Multilingual Contexts: A Study of Russian Language Policy in the Early Years of the Soviet Union.

In the field of Russian linguistics, history, and jurisprudence, the Russian language is widely regarded as a political instrument and, to some extent, reflects the development and influence of contemporary language policy of the Russian language in the Soviet Union. This study aims to examine the process, characteristics, influencing psychological and sociological factors, and consequences of Russian language policy in the early Soviet Union (1917-1930s). Thematic analysis and discourse strategy analysis methods were employed to achieve this goal. The results indicate that a well-thought-out language policy necessitates the establishment of language legislation and a precise legal definition of the status and use of different languages. The absence of language legislation can be a major drawback of language policy. While the Soviet Constitution and other relevant political documents broadly define the status and use of Russian and other languages, there is no specific language legislation regulating the use of each language. Analysis of word frequency statistics demonstrates that the key concepts of Stalinist policy differed compared to the time of Lenin's rule, resulting in a lack of effective legal force and strong mechanisms for controlling language policy practices. As the functional advantages of the Russian language become increasingly evident, some ethnic minorities tend to lean towards studying and using it, leading to the emergence of many bilingual and even trilingual individuals. Other minorities with small or underdeveloped populations turn to the Russian language, which is the most widely spoken language. These findings contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge base for research in the fields of linguistics, linguistic culturology, history, psycholinguistics, and political science. Subsequent research can focus on current aspects of the country's language policy.

2022 Russian-Ukrainian War and the Future of EU Energy and Transport Security: Analyzing the Implications of Diversifification the Transport and Energy Transit Routes – the Case of the Black Sea/Caspian Region

Given recent events, such as the full invasion of Ukraine’s sovereign territories by the Russian armyin 2022, this article critically analyzes how the use of the Caucasus-Caspian region could serve Brusselsas an alternative means of diversifying energy sources to ensure its energy security. The study iscomprehensive and covers various forms of energy projects. Particular attention is paid to exploringthe various phases regarding Shah Deniz and potential expansion plans. In addition, it carefully examinesall other important factors associated with the production, transportation, and explorationof energy resources in the Caspian reserves.In addition, a key task is to classify and compare the EU’s geopolitical priorities before and after the2022 war, present an analysis of the complex paths of transformation of the EU’s energy supply,and clarify its new policies regarding the relations between the main regional players: the RussianFederation, the EU, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.It has been established that the Black Sea-Caspian steppe contains valuable energy reserves. Dueto the critical geopolitical, geostrategic, and geoeconomic importance of the region, the EU has aninterest in the region. The study provides a comparative overview of different aspects of EU energydiversification policies. It examines how these policies have influenced the approach of foreignstates to the Caucasus-Caspian region, taking into account recent events. Moreover, it considersnational goals and takes into account the important interests of leading powers.Keywords: energy security, diversification of fossil fuels, Caucasus-Caspian region, Black Sea-Caspian steppe, EU policy on energy diversification, energy projects.

Understanding the Work of Professional Learning Communities for English Language Learner Teachers: Possibilities and Limitations From Two Urban High Schools

The collaboration and learning of high school English language learner (ELL) teachers is an overlooked aspect of policy and research regarding the opportunities and outcomes of emergent bilingual (EB) students. In order to better understand the work of ELL teachers, this study examined their participation in an important setting: the professional learning community (PLC), a space with potential for promoting more equitable student outcomes. Analysis of ELL teachers’ participation in PLCs at two urban high schools, and the topics addressed in PLC meetings, provides implications for teacher and student learning, and reinforces the significance of ELL teacher expertise.

Towards a right to repair for the Internet of Things: A review of legal and policy aspects

The way in which consumers engage with, utilise, or discard the technologies in their lives is constantly being reassessed and changed. This paper questions what role the emergent “right to repair” could play in resolving issues posed by the increasing ubiquity of the Internet of Things (IoT). The right gives consumers the ability and freedom to fix their devices, or to fair access to appropriate services that can carry out repair on their behalf. In this paper, firstly we establish the problem space surrounding consumer IoT – i.e., devices that are interconnected via the internet, enabling them to send and receive data. We reflect on hardware, software, and data components that pose legal and policy challenges for data protection, security, and sustainability. Through a literature review we then reflect on the current socio-legal developments that support or oppose changes in the consumer IoT market in regards to repair. We then highlight gaps in the existing literature that should inform future research trajectories in this area. This includes exploring disparities between environmental and consumer autonomy approaches, assessing consistency in regulatory developments, and market prioritisation. Finally, the paper concludes with a series of key insights and recommendations from our analysis including: recognition of the growing e-Waste problem and the inequalities it exacerbates and perpetuates; the need for identification and argumentation for different formulations of “repair” and how these may impact the implementation of a right going forward; the need for identification of the reasoning behind disparities in governmental approaches to the right to repair; and the need to practically translate better IoT design practices into reality.

Features of the Concept for the Development of Pension Legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic

The article is devoted to the generally significant legislative policy of the state in the field of social security; The legal, organizational and financial foundations of the functioning of the system and the reform of pension legislation as a special area of social protection of citizens’ pension rights are considered. The purpose of the authors’ research task is to attempt to assess certain aspects of the legal policy pursued by the Kyrgyz Republic in the context of promoting structural reforms in the field of pension legislation, in particular the development of phased conceptual programs to improve well-being and maintain a decent standard of living for citizens applying for and possessing pension rights. The object of the study was social relations related to the implementation of the state’s legal policy in the field of pension legislation. The subject of the study is a set of rules regulating the legal mechanism of the activities of state and partly non-state mechanisms for the implementation of social policy in the field of pension rights. The research methods represent a dialectical method of cognition of socio-legal phenomena, formal-logical and structural-functional. The authors conclude that the measures taken in the republic in the field of optimization of pension legislation have a certain positive effect on the state of personal security, including increasing a decent standard of living, the well-being of the state, and the social and legal activity of citizens.

Review Article: Welsh in the Contemporary Work–Place

Y Gymraeg a Gweithlu'r Gymru Gyfoes is an edited volume of contributions with the aim of reflecting on various aspects of using Welsh in the workplace, stemming from a conference on the same theme in 2017 funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. An important sphere of life and one which is essential to effective language planning, a critical discussion of the use of Welsh in the workplace is timely. It includes discussions on various aspects of language planning and policy for the workplace, from Welsh medium provision in higher education to adult second language acquisition. Overall themes structure the review and individual chapters are reviewed within these themes.

On Language Policy in the Education of Young People in Multinational States

This article presents theoretical aspects of language policy in the education of young people in multinational states, drawing on the experience of the Republic of Moldova. An emphasis is placed on the interaction between language and state education policy, clarifying the legal framework in the multinational state in question. The opprtunities different ethnic groups, which historically live on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, have with regard to studying their mother tongue in the country‘s schools are outlined. In order to look for opportunities to implement a language policy in accordance with the new educational realities in European countries, a study is organized in the Republic of Moldova, and part of the results are presented in the article. The obtained empirical data on attitudes to language learning expressed by students of various ethnic origins give reason to conceptualize the idea of implementing multilingual learning models in the educational system of the Republic of Moldova. These results provide important guidelines about continuing studies in this direction and about developing language policies in the field of education.

Mineral Resources Policy for a Circular Flow of Critical Minerals: An Input–Output Approach to the Case of Their Final Destination in Japan

This study indicates that the volume and distribution of critical minerals’ final destination are essential for an objective decision to create a circular flow of critical minerals from national security and circular economy aspects in mineral resources policy. We demonstrate the estimation of critical minerals’ final destination and propose a decision flow framework to identify the prioritized products and their parts to be reused or recycled. We conclude that policymakers need to consider the final destination of critical minerals, not their economic importance or intermediate volumes or distributions alone, to implement effective actions to ensure critical minerals’ circularity. This study estimates the final destination of several critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and dysprosium) and base metals (iron, copper and aluminum) in the Japanese economy for 2015. A uniquely expanded and the latest input–output table is used for the estimation. The results reveal a detailed distribution of critical minerals and indicate prioritized implementation for creating and maintaining domestic and international circular flows of critical minerals. The developed decision flow framework provides a practical approach to national security and circular economy aspects for policymakers. For further actions, inclusive indicator development is required for policymakers to support the determination of implementation possibilities from social and technological aspects.

A Review of the Energy Policies of the BRICS Countries: The Possibility of Adopting a Just Energy Transition for South Africa

This review focuses on the Just Energy Transition (JET) policies of the BRICS member countries with the aim of finding lessons and possibly adopting some of the key energy policy aspects utilised in other countries as a benchmark for the South African context. We consider the present stage of JET in South Africa while being cognisant of the energy source mix supporting the electricity sector and the lifespan and condition of its power plants. An analysis of the energy mix revealed that all nations are dependent on electricity for energy, which is produced predominantly from fossil-fuelled power plants with high GHG emissions (concentrating on high CO2 emissions). It was concluded that some of the lessons learnt from the BRICS countries might be incorporated into a South African energy plan for the transition, with options and guidance for the formulation of policies. This study will attract a responsible, environmentally conscious audience that has the commitment and drive to combat global warming and curb climate change.

Some legal aspects of Russian policy towards neighbouring countries

Russia’s policy towards neighbouring countries and nations has always been dictated by imperialist and expansionist goals. To achieve them, Russia used brutal methods, including direct military aggression, incit­ing ethnic conflicts, genocide and ethnic cleansing. There are many examples of this in history in the form of the genocide of the Caucasian nations in the 19th century, the Holodomor against Ukrainian people, Soviet repres­sions, the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, and others. Nevertheless, Russia has not been held accountable for its actions. The war against Ukraine, which started in February 2022, dispelled all illusions of the democratic world towards Russia. Today, the democratic world is united, and the primary basis of this unity is the values, which it must bear responsibility for protecting. For this purpose, all international legal levers and institutions should be used. Russia’s leadership must be brought to justice, and the country must be held financially accountable. The only way for peace between Russia and the world is the democratisation of Russia, which is only possible through international legal coercion, as happened in the case of Nazi Germany. This article is an attempt to present the specific facts of Russia’s aggressive and imperialist policy towards neighbouring countries, especially towards Georgia, the specific legal levers for combating this policy, and future perspectives.

Analyzing and Investigating the Legal Aspects of Green Policy

The legal dimensions of green policy are crucial in propelling tangible transformation towards sustainable development. Gaining insights from other viewpoints, including those from the public, commercial, administrative, and international sectors, can facilitate the development and execution of policies that are both effective and comprehensive. Green policy is incorporated into the environmental legal system from a public law standpoint, with the aim of ensuring justice and safeguarding the environment against harm. Private law serves as a strong defense for the human rights of residents to reside in a clean and safe environment, achieved through the use of legal agreements and legal actions. From an administrative law perspective, green policy is regarded as a mechanism that governs and oversees government actions, ensuring their alignment with ecologically sustainable ideals. Indonesia must fulfill its commitments in global agreements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, which also possess legal standing at the international level.

Employee Training Policies of High Revenue Companies: Analysis of Case Examples From Turkey

Purpose: The present study explores the primary characteristics of employee training practices by way of analysing the employee training policies of the top two companies with the highest sales revenue in Turkey. The primary characteristics of employee training practices are examined within the scope of the corporate employee training activities and the practices to cope with the challenges in the organization of employee training. Methods: Employing qualitative approach, document analysis was conducted within the context of two cases. The two companies with the highest sales revenue in Turkey were selected as cases in the study. The companies were determined through criterion sampling in line with the financial performance based on net sales revenue, stability of financial performance and potential for corporate training policy development criteria. The six years of sustainability and activity reports of the companies were analysed through thematic analysis. The documents were analysed through thematic analysis using open coding. Employee training policies and practices were presented under the sub-themes of personnel training types, subjects of personnel training, training infrastructure, factors considered in the design of training processes and supportive practices for training processes. Findings: Employee training of the companies mostly consists of formal and non-formal training activities designed according to the needs of employees. These training activities aim at both occupational and personal development of the employees. The training activities, which are mostly organized with the use of internal resources, also allow employees to make their own personal development plans. The dominant common aspects of the employee training policies of the companies show that the successful integration of employee training to the career management systems increases the efficiency of training activities. The study results also illustrate that the employee training policies can be strengthened through corporate capacity development activities. Conclusion: Institutionalization of training practices that contribute to workplace learning has an important role in the financial gains of highly competitive organizations. The success of corporate training practices for employees requires both an effective design in terms of content and process and a strong establishment of corporate training infrastructure. The provision of formal and informal learning opportunities structured according to employee needs through a strong corporate training infrastructure and planning the career development of employees based on the outputs of training activities are the indicators of successful company performance.

Safety assessment of pedestrian-vehicle interaction at signalized intersections: An observational study

Road safety is a crucial aspect of global policies and management. Surrogate Safety Measures (SSMs) have gained attention in the study of pedestrian safety. This study aims to establish an effective SSM methodology to analyze driver-pedestrian interactions. The analysis relies on SSM indicators, without the need for an initial classification of driver-pedestrian interactions into specific interaction patterns. The proposed methodology offers several advantages, including the accurate identification of conflicts through an affordable approach making it easily accessible for public administrations and authorities to assess pedestrian safety at road intersections. A dataset comprising 270 driver-pedestrian interactions, observed at three road intersections in Rome, Italy, was examined. The severity level of each event was assessed through a preliminary classification of each interaction into three patterns: high, low, and none. Subsequently, the severity levels were evaluated using three methods, employing Time-to-Collision (TTC), Post-Encroachment Time (PET), and a combination of TTC and PET. A comparison between the severity levels identified by the two approaches was conducted. The findings reveal that Method 2, utilizing PET, consistently identifies conflicts. Additionally, a binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the variables that influence the likelihood of an interaction escalating into a conflict. The results demonstrate that the probability of conflict increases with the duration of a red signal, particularly for younger pedestrians.