International Capacity Building Research Articles

Oil, Water, Blood and Diamonds:International Intervention in Resource Disputes

Violent conflicts over natural resources disrupt energy supply, distort economic development, weaken governments, and threaten international security. With looming resource scarcity and increasing energy demands, international powers position themselves to protect their access to vital resources abroad. Fierce competition for resources will increase the urgency with which international actors intervene in resource disputes. Yet strategies for resolving resource disputes are underdeveloped. The purpose of this research is to examine the use of political and economic strategies to resolve disputes over vital resources through negotiated settlements, in comparison to strategies that result in exacerbating conflict. This study develops a valuable new dataset on resource disputes and provides a systematic cross-national analysis of international intervention strategies. It tests the success or failure of leveraging international market access, financial aid, capacity building, transparency reforms, and levels of military mobilization for understanding the outcome of resource conflicts. The results identify specific international strategies that are effective in altering the costbenefit analysis of cooperation versus conflict, in the interest of achieving negotiated settlements for resource disputes.

Material & equipment, procurement & maintenance: Impact on blood safety

Blood Transfusion Safety is dependent on effectively organised and managed blood services, which have adequate financial resources, skilled manpower, appropriate infrastructure and quality management systems in place. 80% of the world's population has access to 20% of the supply blood products, of which little is consistently safe. HIV highlighted the importance of blood safety. The lack of effective blood services in low human development index (LHDI), developing countries, has lead to international funding and capacity building for more than three decades. The initial strategies focused on providing HIV testing reagents to prevention transmission, however this only addresses one part of blood safety. Blood safety is not only dependent on preventing HIV transmission. In many populations there are other infectious agents, which have a higher prevalence. Ensuring the correct blood is provided to the patient depends on: well managed services with effective leadership and adequate budgets; capacity building and retention of skilled experienced staff; availability of laboratory equipment, correctly maintained; blood cold chain systems; procedures for tendering, purchasing and ensuring an unbroken supply of reagents and consumables; and quality management systems. Barriers for simplified effective tendering, procurement and contracting require urgent attention and coordination of all funding organisations to ensure an unbroken supply of reagents.

China's wind industry: policy lessons for domestic government interventions and international support

The dynamics of the development of China's wind power industry were investigated from a dual perspective of domestic government interventions and international support. The progress of China's wind power industry is largely attributed both to the effective implementation of a bundle of domestic public policies (such as the wind power concession programme, mandatory renewable power market share, power surcharge for renewables, and tax relief) and international support (in the forms of technology transfer, CDM and public finance support). Wind power has great potential for mitigating China's future CO2 emissions. However, resource uncertainty, technology risk, and market uncertainty will need to be addressed in order to translate the potential into market reality. Enhancing domestic technology R&D support, increasing the level of the power surcharge for renewables, international support (e.g. CDM), and improving technology transfer will assist in minimizing these uncertainties and risks. Policy relevance: International technological cooperation is illustrated in terms of how domestic policy and international support interact through constructive domestic policies, private-sector joint ventures, and international capacity building and financial support. The definition of a new objective for future policy (large-scale penetration of wind in the Chinese power system) allows for the identification of future priorities for technology cooperation. Large amounts of intermittent generation require new technologies and practices for grid operation and management, and better adaptation of turbine design to domestic materials and local conditions. Win—win options exist, but need to be supported by capacity building and frameworks that balance incentives for international technology companies against Chinese concerns over dependence on imported technology and high licensing fees.

Sustainability Capacity Building Based on Educational Method: A Case Study on China and Sweden Joint Program

Abstract Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development (EE&ESD) have been widely accepted as an effective educational method to contribute to capacity development and processes of change in developing countries. This paper takes SIDA supported EE&ESD in formal education-advanced international training program, China as an example. By analyzing and reflecting its orientation, implementation, outcomes and evaluation, experiences and lessons learned are expected to help improve the sorts of international cooperation capacity building programs both from international and also Chinese perspectives.

Transnational police building: critical lessons from Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands

In this paper we begin by defining and examining the concept of police building. Its historical precedents and contemporary forms are briefly reviewed, showing a variety of motives and agendas for this kind of institution building. We argue that police building has been a relatively neglected dimension of nation- and state-building exercises, despite its importance to functions of pacification and restoration of law and order. The emerging literature on international police reform and capacity building tends to adopt a narrow institutionalist and universalistic approach that does not take sufficient account of the politics of police building. This politics is multilayered and varies from the formal to the informal. Using two case studies focusing on events in 2006 in Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands, the reasons for the fragility of many current police-building projects are considered. In both cases, we argue, police capacity builders paid insufficient attention to the political architecture and milieu of public safety.

Improving the Quality of Life in Coastal Areas and Future Directions for the Asia-Pacific Region

This article synthesizes lessons and outcomes from the second international Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific conference (CZAP) on “Improving the Quality of Life in Coastal Areas,” held in Brisbane in September 2004. The conference theme was chosen as a follow-up from the first CZAP that identified priority actions in response to the increasing recognition of social issues in coastal management, particularly those aiming to improve the state of the coastal areas in the Asia-Pacific region. The second CZAP explored the “quality of life” theme by placing emphasis on rectifying coastal poverty, sustaining livelihoods, and protecting cultural heritage. Mechanisms to address these issues were explored through international agreements, participatory research, capacity building, and education, as well as the continuing need for integrated planning, environmental management, and effective monitoring and evaluation. A post-conference survey showed that the second CZAP resulted in 122 initiatives (82 underway and another 40 planned) to progress the improvement of quality of life in coastal areas. These initiatives ranged from the establishment of a unit that is responsible for river basin and coastal zone management by the Thua Thien Hue provincial government in Vietnam, to a collaborative on-ground livelihoods project between NGOs, government, and financial institutions on coastal zone management facilitated by the Asian Development Bank. However, the authors argue that two key challenges for ICM in the Asia-Pacific region remain. These challenges relate to the effective monitoring and evaluation of ICM initiatives, as well as matching future ICM initiatives to emergent priority areas.

Assuring fish safety and quality in international fish trade

International trade in fishery commodities reached US$ 58.2 billion in 2002, a 5% improvement relative to 2000 and a 45% increase over 1992 levels. Within this global trade, developing countries registered a net trade surplus of US$ 17.4 billion in 2002 and accounted for almost 50% by value and 55% of fish exports by volume. This globalization of fish trade, coupled with technological developments in food production, handling, processing and distribution, and the increasing awareness and demand of consumers for safe and high quality food have put food safety and quality assurance high in public awareness and a priority for many governments. Consequently, many countries have tightened food safety controls, imposing additional costs and requirements on imports. As early as 1980, there was an international drive towards adopting preventative HACCP-based safety and quality systems. More recently, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to food safety and quality throughout the entire food chain. Implementation of this approach requires an enabling policy and regulatory environment at national and international levels with clearly defined rules and standards, establishment of appropriate food control systems and programmes at national and local levels, and provision of appropriate training and capacity building. This paper discusses the international framework for fish safety and quality, with particular emphasis on the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization’s (FAO) strategy to promote international harmonization and capacity building.

Challenges for Educational Research: international development, partnerships and capacity building in small states

Challenges for Educational Research: international development, partnerships and capacity building in small states

Challenges for Educational Research: International development, partnerships and capacity building in small states

Educational research is being increasingly challenged for not contributing effectively enough to the improvement of policy and practice worldwide. Critics call for more relevant, cumulative, accessible and cost-effective studies. This paper examines the implications of this contemporary debate for small states, as they engage with increasingly powerful international development agenda's while dealing with their own distinctive educational needs and priorities. Specific attention is given to different conceptions and traditions of educational research; to the potential of participatory and partnership models; to the process of educational research and evaluation capacity building; to the sociopolitical implications of 'genuine' North-South partnerships; and to the lessons that can be learned by all engaged in educational research from the comparative and international experience.

INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND THE CASES OF RUSSIA AND CHINA

▪ Abstract The environmental agenda for mitigating climate change through international transfers of technology is linked with a diverse literature, reviewed here within a framework that combines technological, agent/agenda, and market/transaction perspectives. Literature that bears on international technology transfer for climate change mitigation is similar in many w ays for Russia and China: opportunities for energy efficiency and renewable energy, economic reform and restructuring, the difficulties enterprises face in responding to market conditions, international assistance policies, international joint ventures, market intermediation, and capacity building for market development. In both countries, capacity building means enhancing market-oriented capabilities in addition to technological capabilities. For Russia, institutional development is critical, such as new commercial legal codes and housing-sector changes beyond privatization. For China, technology policies and modernization programs significantly influence technology transfers.

The Capacity and Institution Building (CIB) Working Group of United Cities and Local Governments: Towards Improving Aid Effectiveness in the Local Government Sector

The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Capacity and Institution Building (CIB) Working Group gather together professional practitioners of local government associations (LGAs) and individual local governments active in international cooperation, with the overall objective to improve the quality, coordination and alignment of their development cooperation interventions.The Working Group is the successor of the CIB Platform, which existed for many years within the former International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) as an informal gathering of staff members of local government associations (LGAs) involved in the field of municipal international cooperation (MIC) and association capacity building (ACB). In addition to information exchange, the CIB Platform undertook specific initiatives such as a World Bank-funded program supporting ACB in several countries. In May 2004, the CIB was integrated into the structures of the newly-founded UCLG organisation, and its membership was expanded to also include staff members of international departments of cities active in international cooperation.