Intergovernmental Committees Research Articles

The response to COVID-19 in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico: challenges to national coordination of health policies.

The article analyzes the fight against COVID-19 in three Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. A multiple case study was carried out in a comparative perspective, based on a bibliographic review, documentary analysis, and secondary data, considering characteristics of the countries and the health system, evolution of COVID-19, national governance, containment and mitigation measures, health systems response, constraints, positive aspects and limits of responses. The three countries had distinct health systems but were marked by insufficient funding and inequalities when hit by the pandemic and recorded high-COVID-19 mortality. Structural, institutional, and political factors influenced national responses. In Argentina, national leadership and intergovernmental political agreements favored the initial adoption of centralized control measures, which were not sustained. In Brazil, there were limits in national coordination and leadership related to the President's denialism and federative, political, and expert conflicts, despite a universal health system with intergovernmental commissions and participatory councils, which were little used during the pandemic. In Mexico, structural difficulties were associated with the Federal Government's initial reluctance to adopt restrictive measures, limits on testing, and relative slowness in immunization. In conclusion, facing health emergencies requires strengthening public health systems associated with federative, intersectoral, and civil society coordination mechanisms and effective global solidarity mechanisms.

International institutional guarantees of the realization of the right for safe life and healthy environment in Ukraine

The article is devoted to the issue of international institutional guarantees for the realization of the right to an environment safe for life and health in Ukraine.
 The author's definition of the concept of "international institutional guarantees of the realization of the right to an environment safe for life and health in Ukraine" is formulated as a mutually agreed whole set of authorized subjects and their activities, which aims to effectively ensure the proper practical implementation of the opportunities established by the norms of the international rights, citizens of Ukraine, foreign citizens or subjects, stateless persons, and their communities, personally or through the organizations created by them, and other authorized subjects, in order to satisfy their own needs and interests in the sphere of environment safe for life and health in Ukraine.
 The following elements of international institutional guarantees for the realization of the right to an environment safe for life and health in Ukraine have been identified:
 - the UN and its relevant structural divisions and officials.
 - The Council of Europe and its relevant structural subdivisions and officials.
 - OSCE and its relevant structural divisions and officials.
 - International mixed intergovernmental commissions with the participation of Ukraine, created on the basis of bilateral agreements of Ukraine.
 - International bodies created on the basis of multilateral agreements with the participation of Ukraine.
 - International non-governmental organizations, in particular: Greenpeace, World Wildlife Foundation.
 - International business companies.
 Modern trends in the development of Ukraine as a democratic and legal state necessitated qualitative changes in the mechanism of ensuring the realization of human rights, including the system of realization of the right to an environment safe for life and health in Ukraine. Ensuring the effective functioning of international institutional guarantees for the realization of the right to an environment safe for life and health in Ukraine is a guarantee of the further democratic development of Ukraine, demining the territory of Ukraine, and an important element for the effective functioning of the system of natural human rights in Ukraine, among which the important the right to an environment safe for life and health.

Legal forms of implementation of local initiatives in the field of interregional and cross-border cooperation

The main aspects of development the cross-boarder cooperation on a local and regional level are mentioned in this article. The definition of institutional forms is formed for the cross-boarder cooperation. The issue of cross-border cooperation between executive authorities and local self-government bodies was considered by concluding agreements and implementing joint projects, their roles and participation in such cross-border advisory bodies as intergovernmental commissions, councils and working groups with Hungary, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic and Romania, and identified disadvantages in this area and suggested ways of their elimination.Integration processes and the formation of European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation with participation of Ukrainian and Hungarian self-government bodies are analyzed based on the Transcarpathian experience.Benefits and drawbacks of such an institution of cross-border cooperation as the Interregional Association "Carpathian Euroregion" were identified. Promising ways of its developments and transformation into a successful institution that can compete with other integration associations with the participation of the member states of the European Union are outlined and they were based on the analysis of the achievements and gains of the member countries during the joint 25-year activity.Simultaneously there is an inconsistency of the regulatory framework in the field of cross-boarder cooperation with international law including the inconsistency concerning the settlement of the creation of cross-boarder associations issues and suggestions of its improvement are presented.The topic of the policy of strategic planning of the state development is revealed, Ukraine participates in the existing international strategies and programs, as well as the formation of new concepts of macro-regional development of cross-border territories. In particular, opening new opportunities for Ukraine by chairing the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in 2022, deepening good neighborly relations with EU member states, complementing other initiatives such as the Carpathian Convention, cross-sectoral integration and broad stakeholder participation (national, regional, state and non-state) were involved in the process of creating a new EU Macro-Regional Strategy for the Carpathian region, etc.

Międzyrządowy wymiar polsko-rosyjskiej współpracy transgranicznej i międzyregionalnej

This article offers a presentation of the Polish-Russian cross-border and interregional cooperation at the intergovernmental level. To this end, it refers to specific international documents on the basis of which three Polish- Russian institutions have been established to coordinate this area of cooperation. In addition to a conceptual framework outlined, the text includes a short historical outline to help the reader trace the beginnings and development of the Polish-Russian cross-border and interregional cooperation in the adopted approach. When describing the activities of intergovernmental councils and commissions, the author draws attention to their positions in the central administration and their structures, listing specific areas of mutual cooperation. The presentation ends with an attempt to evaluate the activities of the said bodies and the search for new perspectives in the context of the upcoming thirtieth anniversary of the agreement on cross-border cooperation with Russia.

Economic diplomacy instruments in the field of foreign economic activity of Russia

Russia has a developed system of various institutions aimed to provide economic interests abroad. Intergovernmental Commissions on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation covering bilateral level of cooperation. They provide a regular platform for dialogue with 104 countries. The actual issues concerning investment and trade cooperation are discussed in this bilateral level. International economic organizations providing the opportunity to work on multilateral level. There are organizations where our country is a member state (for example United Nations, World Trade Organization, etc.) and organizations where Russia acts as observer or as a participant of individual negotiation tracks and working groups (for example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development — OECD). Activities within the framework of the World Trade Organization have a priority character for Russian economic diplomacy. The WTO is the largest international organization that sets itself the task of creating proper conditions for international trade. It is also a unique mechanism for the settlement of various trade and economic disputes. WTO is aimed to flow trade smoothly and provide countries with a constructive and fair outlet for dealing with disputes over trade issue. This article considers two institutions named above from the point of view of Russian economic diplomacy and its foreign economic activity.

Economic Diplomacy of the Russian Federation: Prospects for the Development of an Eff ective Export Support System

Search for the new markets and niches for national exports is one of the core objectives of economic diplomacy in any modern state. For the Russian Federation this issue acquires particular relevance under present conditions, since the expansion of industrial exports is designed to reduce dependence on commodity exports, strengthen national competitiveness, ensure economic growth, and, correspondingly improve the quality of life of its population. In this regard, eff ective foreign economic activities are essential to the policy, aimed at ensuring the real sovereignty. The paper examines the key elements of non-primary export support system in the Russian Federation. This research is based on both offi cial documents and modern academic literature on this issue and on the author’s personal experience gained while working in a number of relevant state institutions and development agencies, as well as commercial organizations. The first section provides an overview of the key forms and instruments of export support in general, as well as describes the history and the current state of the Russian export support system. The author focuses on the activities of the national trade missions abroad, the Russian Export Center and intergovernmental commissions for trade, economic, scientifi c and technical cooperation. The author notes that many institutions within the framework of the state export support in the Russian Federation are just emerging and face many challenges and diffi culties. The latter include, primarily, the lack of inter-agency co-operation and policy coherence. There are no common operating standards or a unifi ed system of foreign offi ces. On this basis, in the second section the author outlines a number of recommendations to improve the eff ectiveness of the Russian export support system. The author concludes that for the eff ective functioning of this system, it is necessary to harmonize the work and activities of its institutions. The latter should prioritize the needs of particular regions of the Russian Federation, coordinate their eff orts with regional export support centers and business associations. In this regard, the author highlights the potential of the project to create a Unifi ed Export Promotion System, but admits that it has to be started from scratch. In addition, the paper outlines a set of specifi c recommendations that, if carried out consistently, might also contribute to the promotion of Russian goods to foreign markets and ensure the diversifi cation of the country’s economy.

System of Economic Negotiations Basing on Intergovernmental Commissions and International Organizations as an Instrument of Promoting Russia’s Economic Interests

System of Economic Negotiations Basing on Intergovernmental Commissions and International Organizations as an Instrument of Promoting Russia’s Economic Interests

Os desafios da regionalização em saúde no Tocantins, Brasil

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a percepção dos gestores sobre o processo de regionalização em saúde no Estado do Tocantins, bem como as suas fragilidades e potencialidades. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com gestores de saúde que integram os Colegiados Intergestores Regionais das oito regiões de saúde do Estado de Tocantins. As entrevistas foram analisadas no software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRAMUTEQ) (versão 0.7 alpha 2). Das análises emergiram dois eixos temáticos: A primeira delas foi denominada: Desafios da provisão da atenção, que se subdivide nas classes: provisão da atenção e regulação. O segundo eixo foi denominado: Regionalização em saúde, sendo subdividida em duas classes: desafios e avanços no processo da regionalização e a organização e o papel dos Colegiados Intergestores Regionais. Há avanços, sobretudo possibilitados pelo compartilhamento das decisões no âmbito desses colegiados, contudo existem dificuldades para a garantia da universalidade e integralidade no acesso, principalmente devido à carência de recursos humanos, especialmente médicos especializados, e serviços de média e alta complexidade.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND THEIR INFLUENCE

The development of international trade and economic relations is a unique opportunity to strengthen the competitive advantages of the country, regions and individual enterprises, to expand their presence in world markets. Therefore, the creation of institutional conditions conducive to the expansion of international trade relations in the agricultural sector is the most important component of Ukraine's economic growth strategy. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the institutional foundations of international trade and economic relations in the agricultural sector of Ukraine. Results. The basic principles and the order of realization of foreign economic activity are considered and the basic elements of its institutional maintenance are defined. The architecture of the institutional environment for ensuring the development of international trade and economic relations in the agricultural sector of Ukraine is determined at the global, national and corporate levels. It is substantiated that the current global trade policy in the agricultural market is formed at the global level not only within the World Trade Organization, but also within the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and numerous international trade agreements of importing and exporting countries. It is proved that the most effective in terms of impact on the state of international trade in agricultural goods is the national level of regulation, which is the founder of tariff and non-tariff instruments. It is determined that the Joint Intergovernmental Commissions on Cooperation is an effective tool through which the state can strengthen the promotion of domestic producers in foreign markets and intensify the attraction of foreign investment in the country's economy. The main institutions at the corporate level are identified based on the analysis: Ukrainian agrarian business associations; public associations; branch professional organizations; agricultural companies and agricultural holdings, farms. Keywords: institutions, international trade relations, development of international economic relations, global level, national level, corporate level, agricultural sector.

РОССИЯ И ФРАНЦИЯ: ТОРГОВО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЕ СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВО В 1960-1970-Х ГГ. ПО МАТЕРИАЛАМ РГАЭ

The article is devoted to the analysis of documents of the Russian State Archive of Economics on the history of Soviet-French trade relations in the “era of detente.” The desire of France in the 1960-1970s to establish mutually beneficial cooperation with the USSR became one of the important components of the new foreign policy doctrine of Paris. The visit of French President Charles de Gaulle to the USSR in 1966 was the starting point for the improvement of Soviet-French relations. Following the results of the talks in Moscow, in order to improve trade and economic relations between the countries, intergovernmental commissions for trade were established, a Soviet-French Chamber of Commerce was established. To increase exports of equipment and machinery from the Soviet Union, so-called “Soviet-French mixed societies” were established. Documents on the history of Soviet-French trade are concentrated in the fund of the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the Russian State Archive of Economics (RSAE). A common array of documents, typewritten copies of the record of interviews of employees of foreign economic associations with representatives of French firms and reports of the trade mission of the USSR in France. However, despite the friendly atmosphere of cooperation, the USSR and France failed to realize all the potential opportunities in the field of trade and economic relations. The share of the USSR in the foreign trade turnover of France was about 2%.

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF EXPORT INDUSTRIES AND SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD

Today, export promotion and support is an integral part of the trade policy of developed countries, where there is a developed system of state support and promotion of national exports, the effectiveness of which has been repeatedly proven in practice. Awareness of the need to form a unified system of state institutions that provide various non-financial and financial services to participants in foreign economic activity is the main result of state support for exports to Russia over the past few years. Thus, the creation of the Russian Agency for export credit and investment insurance was the initial stage of the Russian Government on the way to creating a single integrated system that will ensure and support the development of export activities in Russia both at the national level and at the level of economic sectors, as well as individual industries. At the moment, various government agencies are engaged in export procedures. The ministries of industry and trade are in charge of subsidizing the interest rate on export contracts, as well as issuing licenses for export operations. The Ministry of economic development of Russia commands the activities of trade missions. The Ministry of Finance of Russia provides state guarantees. The Federal customs service monitors customs clearance of foreign trade transactions, and the Ministry of Finance is responsible for providing state guarantees. In addition to financial and insurance support, Russian entrepreneurs-exporters need to support their foreign economic projects in political terms. In this area, intergovernmental commissions are of great importance, which are aimed at solving tax, property, transport problems, as well as expanding investment cooperation.

Embedded Empire: The United States and Colonialism

Embedded Empire: The United States and ColonialismThis article examines the process of interimperial knowledge transfer for U.S. colonialism between the late 1890s and the interwar period. The article analyses the platforms, pathways and knowledge circuits of U.S. colonial experts. More specifically, it explores the role of intergovernmental commissions, information media and interpreters of colonial «know-how». It traces how reports, photographs, books and articles, expositions, professional organisations and academics shaped the administrative, legal, economic, environmental, medical, military and technological discourses on colonial empire in the United States. While the nationalist ideology of exceptionalism, with its strong dosage of anti-European rhetoric, infused American discourses of empire, the U.S. colonial project in the Caribbean Basin and the Pacific Ocean relied heavily on colonial ideas and practices developed by European powers and the Japanese Empire. While the British Empire served as an important reference point, the influence of Spanish, Japanese and American settler imperial insights was considerable. At the same time, American experiences also contributed to a global reservoir of colonial knowledge and were studied by many settler and colonial empires. While the United States was thus an important participant in global imperial knowledge exchanges, its nationalist ideological inventory simultaneously denied such proximities and borrowings.

Institutional Mechanisms for the Strategic Partnership Between Russia and China: The Innovative Integration

Russia and China have mutual interests in developing cooperation, increasing investment and implementating major projects. Enforcing joint efforts in the development of natural resources in Siberia and the Far East, the development of modern technologies in the petrochemical industry and other fields of science and technology on equal conditions provide new opportunities for the integration of innovative technologies and the implementation of joint science intensive projects. Since 2014 a serious economic growth in the RussianChinese partnership is registered. Russia and China signed a contract for the supply through «Eastern» route 38 billion of cubic metres of Russian natural gas per year for the period of 30 years. To implement the project the construction of the pipeline «Power of Siberia» has started .The pipeline must not only become a channel for the delivery of Russian gas to China and other countries in the region, but also to link Russian gas transportation systems into one single network. The partnership between Moscow and Beijing, raised practically to a new, qualitatively higher level. In addition to large-scale energy and infrastructure projects, it is necessary that enterprises become subjects of the bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Such an approach would create standard market conditions, which will be the main premise and guarantee of of the interaction expansion. Simultaneously with the market-based instruments, Moscow and Beijing are actively using the institutional mechanisms of the strategic partnership. So, currently three intergovernmental commissions are active at the level of deputy prime ministers and 20 branch subcommittees, which directly provide a balance between interests of market participants. The agreement between the Central Bank of Russia and the People’s Bank of China on the use of national currencies in international transactions enables Russian and Chinese companies to use as a currency both the ruble and yen, and the choice depends entirely on preferences of the parties involved. The modernization of the Russian economy suggests updating the industrial base and advanced development of transport infrastructure, a significant portion of this problem can be solved with the participation of China in the development of border areas of Russia. In the future it is possible to create an energy bridge between China and Russia, which will implement the concept of North-East Asia Energy Ring. Russia is pursuing a policy to modernize its production infrastructure and the transition to an innovative development in order to create a domestic competitive products. Chinese centers of industrialization of high technologies are interested in cooperation in the field of research and development activities and of Russian high technologies entering the Chinese market. The scientific, technical and innovative cooperation between Russia and China conforms with the interests of strategic partnership and cooperation between our countries. The innovative development of our countries requires longterm programs, large financial investments, the creation of high-tech zones (science parks) and incubators, establishment of common «technology platforms», encouraging joint investment in the development of high technology, to create the necessary innovation infrastructure.

Federalism and health policy: the intergovernmental committees in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the dynamics of operation of the Bipartite Committees in health care in the Brazilian states.METHODS The research included visits to 24 states, direct observation, document analysis, and performance of semi-structured interviews with state and local leaders. The characterization of each committee was performed between 2007 and 2010, and four dimensions were considered: (i) level of institutionality, classified as advanced, intermediate, or incipient; (ii) agenda of intergovernmental negotiations, classified as diversified/restricted, adapted/not adapted to the reality of each state, and shared/unshared between the state and municipalities; (iii) political processes, considering the character and scope of intergovernmental relations; and (iv) capacity of operation, assessed as high, moderate, or low.RESULTS Ten committees had advanced level of institutionality. The agenda of the negotiations was diversified in all states, and most of them were adapted to the state reality. However, one-third of the committees showed power inequalities between the government levels. Cooperative and interactive intergovernmental relations predominated in 54.0% of the states. The level of institutionality, scope of negotiations, and political processes influenced Bipartite Committees’ ability to formulate policies and coordinate health care at the federal level. Bipartite Committees with a high capacity of operation predominated in the South and Southeast regions, while those with a low capacity of operations predominated in the North and Northeast.CONCLUSIONS The regional differences in operation among Bipartite Interagency Committees suggest the influence of historical-structural variables (socioeconomic development, geographic barriers, characteristics of the health care system) in their capacity of intergovernmental health care management. However, structural problems can be overcome in some states through institutional and political changes. The creation of federal investments, varied by regions and states, is critical in overcoming the structural inequalities that affect political institutions. The operation of Bipartite Committees is a step forward; however, strengthening their ability to coordinate health care is crucial in the regional organization of the health care system in the Brazilian states.

International Standards and the WTO

This study provides an overview of how the World Trade Organization rules relate to international standards, that is, standards propounded by some international entity. The topic of standards is a cross-cutting issue in the WTO because rules regarding international standards appear in several of the covered WTO agreements. The paper contains several parts. Part I of the paper explores the meaning of the term international standard and adopts a broad definition for analytical purposes. Part II introduces a typology for international standards. Part III discusses why international standards are important to economic development. Part IV examines some of the key WTO provisions regarding international standards. Part V looks at how WTO intergovernmental committees and bodies have implemented these provisions during the first several years of the WTO. Part VI describes some of the key standard-setting organizations that directly affect the WTO.

Engine or Boat Anchor? The Health Professional Training Establishment in HHR Innovation.

Educational institutions have largely failed to provide innovative responses to emerging health human resources (HHR) needs. Reasons include the prevailing ratio policy, which simply increases the supply of professionals; university funding protocols; a guild structure that isolates health professions rather than integrating them; and current credentialing for entry to practice, which both controls and further balkanizes the professions. Providing integrated health services will require (a) embedding interprofessional education and collaborative practice in accreditation requirements, (b) coordinating educational programs via intergovernmental committees and (c) embedding interprofessional collaborative learning in clinical training.

Other people, other drugs: the policy response to petrol sniffing among indigenous Australians.

This paper examines the policy response of Australian governments to petrol sniffing in Indigenous communities from the 1980s until the present. During this period, despite the formation of numerous inquiries, working parties and intergovernmental committees, there has been little accumulation of knowledge about the nature and causes of sniffing, or about the effectiveness of interventions. Policies are fragmentary; programmes are rarely evaluated, and most rely on short-term funding. The paper sets out to explain why this should be so. It draws upon a conceptual framework known as 'analytics of government' to examine the ways in which petrol sniffing comes to the attention of government agencies and is perceived as an issue; the mechanisms deployed by governments to address petrol sniffing; ways in which knowledge about sniffing is generated; and the underlying assumptions about people that inform policy-making. Drawing upon case studies of policy responses, the paper argues that a number of structural factors combine to marginalize petrol sniffing as an issue, and to encourage reliance on short-term, one-off interventions in place of a sustained policy commitment. Four recommendations are advanced to help overcome these factors: (1) agreements should be reached within and between levels of government on steps to be taken to reduce risk factors before the eruption of petrol-sniffing crises; (2) the evidence base relevant to petrol sniffing (and other inhalants) should be improved by funding and directing one or more existing national drug research centres to collate data on inhalant-caused mortality and morbidity, and to conduct or commission research into prevalence patterns, effectiveness of interventions and other gaps in knowledge; (3) the current pattern of short-term, pilot and project funding should be replaced with longer-term, evidence-based interventions that address the multiple risk and protective factors present in communities; and (4) insistence by governments that communities must take 'ownership' of the problem should be replaced by a commitment to genuine partnerships involving governments, non-government and community sectors.

Health councils, intergovernmental commissions, and interest groups in the Unified Health System

Health councils have developed in Brazil in keeping with arrangements under the 1988 Constitution, and the logic of their political consensus has expanded among interest groups relevant to public policy. Collegiate bodies, such as intergovernmental commissions, represent an extension of that logic to executive relationships and also express political intermediation by expertise, following the tradition of the European Welfare State. The state technical bureaucracy has thus developed a remarkable role in policy-making and in State-level modeling of interest groups. This article argues that such collegiate bodies should be analyzed through State action and defines two models for health councils. One, the vocal political model, is characterized by a prevalence of outspoken denunciation and an overload of demands on the political agenda. The other, the consensus model, expresses self-limitation amongst interest groups in drafting demands. These models are not hierarchically fixed and are usually linked to the political platforms of interest groups participating in the collegiate bodies.

Anthropology, human rights and justice

Anthropologists have a special obligation to promote the human rights of the peoples they study. This paper discusses various ways anthropologists can meet that obligation by working with various United Nations and regional intergovernmental human rights convention committees, their own state government's human rights and humanitarian affairs commissions, and human rights non-governmental organizations.

Monetary and Economic Co-Operation in the EEC

T | HE institutional machinery of the Community is deceptively simple: the EEC Commission (the bureaucracy), the Council of Ministers (the decision taker), the European Court of Justice (the final interpreter of the Treaties) and the European Parliament (the genesis of democratic control). In fact it is a complex, kaleidoscopic system buffeted by political pressures. In economics and money, the subject of this paper, the EEC Council of Ministers and the EEC Commission interact with each other and are influenced by inter-governmental committees, including the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper), the Monetary Committee and the Steering Committee. Another layer has been added by the decision of heads of government of the Nine in Paris in December 1974, to hold at least three summit meetings a year. At these meetings, which have been rebaptised European Councils, prime ministers and presidents, afraid of the bad political fallout of failure, sketch out superstructure agreements. It is left to the lower ordersministers, national government officials and the Commission-to do the bricklaying, carpentry and plumbing. The Commission has a small staff of about 7,000 (some 1,600 fewer than the Scottish Office) of which only 2,000 are in the highest grades. Until the mid-1960s it was in the centre of the EEC stage, pushing the implementation of the basic provisions of the Treaty in such matters as the customs union, the common agricultural policy, external trade and, with more mixed success, the harmonisation of laws, regulations and administrative practices. But it ran into trouble trying to nudge the Community towards greater economic integration, a contentious issue of national sovereignty. This provoked the unanimity rule of the famous Luxembourg compromise of 1965. Demanded by France, which insisted, with tacit support from others, on having a power of veto, the Luxembourg compromise saved a member-state from being outvoted and forced to submit to the majority will on issues touching on what it saw as vital national interests. A consequence of this, and of the fading of the vision of a federalist Europe, has been a weakening of the Commission's power of initiative. The entry of sovereignty-conscious Britain and Denmark has made its 499