International Governance Research Articles

Constitutional public reason book symposium: public reason and the smoking out of illicit motives

This article reviews Wojciech Sadurski’s book on public reason. Sadurski’s main argument is that courts can determine whether a law expresses fundamental respect for persons by performing a motive review. The review will focus predominantly on the second part of Sadurski’s book where he reconstructs the domestic case law of different constitutional and supreme courts to highlight that these courts often make use of a motive review without explicitly saying so. The article offers four comments: first, I believe that Sadurski’s reconstruction of the case law of different constitutional courts is largely correct. Courts do indeed often perform a motive review under the proportionality test without explicitly acknowledging this. Second, I do not share Sadurski’s normative inclination that courts should be more open in labelling their motive review as such as this could lead to political backlash. Third, I fear that the concept of public reason as motive review is underinclusive. I argue that motive review does not cover (and should not cover) the majority of what courts do when reviewing government action. The final comment addresses the third part of the book on international governance, where I argue that Sadurski’s conception is slightly too court-centric.

Pacifism, the Science of Peace, and the Constitution of War as a Governance Problem

Abstract Conflict prevention is a core item on the agenda of major international organizations and fora. In this article, I trace how war became a problem accessible to international governance. Adopting an object-centered approach to international relations (O-IR), I argue that war’s constitution as a problem of international governance unfolded in three interrelated processes. Firstly, pacifists and philanthropists designated war as a scientific object, thus giving rise to a “science of peace.” Secondly, scholars and pacifists compiled statistics on war, thus translating it across contexts and representing it as a global phenomenon. Statistics helped to make war accessible to advocacy and policymaking as an object of expertise. Thirdly, peace advocates problematized war as a governance object by representing it as a cost-benefit problem and a major cause in the reversal of economic development. By tracing the historical development of war as an epistemic object that can be investigated systematically, an object of expertise that can be measured and compared, and an object of governance that can be manipulated, this article bridges the strands of O-IR that have previously only focused on either knowledge and expertise or governance. Further, it adds to peace and conflict scholarship by providing an intellectual history of the prevention idea and its entanglement with modernism. Finally, it advances broader IR scholarship by offering an analysis of the role of scientific developments and nonstate activism in producing ideas and enabling policy agendas.

Governance fix? Power and politics in controversies about governing generative AI

Abstract The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 led to major controversies about the governance of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This article examines the first international governance and policy initiatives dedicated specifically to generative AI: the G7 Hiroshima process, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reports, and the UK AI Safety Summit. This analysis is informed by policy framing and governance literature, in particular by the work on technology governance and Responsible Innovation. Emerging governance of generative AI exhibits characteristics of polycentric governance, where multiple and overlapping centers of decision-making are in collaborative relationships. However, it is dominated by a limited number of developed countries. The governance of generative AI is mostly framed in terms of the risk management, largely neglecting issues of purpose and direction of innovation, and assigning rather limited roles to the public. We can see a “paradox of generative AI governance” emerging, namely, that while this technology is being widely used by the public, its governance is rather narrow. This article coins the term “governance fix” to capture this rather narrow and technocratic approach to governing generative AI. As an alternative, it suggests embracing the politics of polycentric governance and Responsible Innovation that highlight democratic and participatory co-shaping of technology for social benefit. In the context of the highly unequal distribution of power in generative AI characterized by a high concentration of power in a small number of large tech companies, the government has a special role in reshaping the power imbalances by enabling wide-ranging public participation in the governance of generative AI.

Financing loss and damage and international climate governance: A climate justice perspective

Financing loss and damage and international climate governance: A climate justice perspective

Barriers to access to cancer care for patients from the conflict-affected region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic: A qualitative study.

Access to essential health services is a basic human right, yet many cancer patients living in conflict-affected regions face multiple obstacles to service use. The (former) Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was a conflict-affected region in the South Caucasus populated predominantly by ethnic Armenians. Multiple acute armed conflicts, the recent military occupation of the region, and the prolonged military blockade of the Lachin Corridor (a humanitarian corridor connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia) exacerbated existing social, health, economic, and political fragilities in this region. As a result, cancer services were disrupted, with limited clarity on how the ongoing military blockade of a humanitarian corridor affected cancer patients' experiences of accessing cancer care locally and in bordering Armenia. Our study aimed to describe the experiences of patients from Nagorno-Karabakh in accessing the cancer care services they needed. We conducted remote semi-structured interviews with adult (aged ≥18 years) cancer patients receiving cancer care from three university hospitals in Armenia and face-to-face interviews with cancer care professionals from these hospitals. Interviews were conducted during the blockade of the Lachin Corridor between March and May 2023. Data were analysed thematically using a deductive approach. Twelve adult cancer patients (9 women) and 12 cancer care professionals participated. A key barrier to accessing cancer services was attributed to the Azerbaijani military occupation of the region and the blockade of a major roadway connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Patients talked in length about the challenges of finding transport and travelling long distances to reach essential cancer services in Armenia. Policies of free anti-cancer medication provision and decentralised medication supply were paused because of the military occupation, affecting patients' timely access to anti-cancer medication. Out-of-pocket expenses for treatment, anti-cancer medication, travel, and temporary accommodation in Armenia placed a significant financial burden on cancer patients, exacerbated by the humanitarian crisis. Conflict-affected regions blockaded by military forces lack the capacity and targeted support to sustain their essential health services and provide care to those in need of life-saving treatments. Coordinated action from national and international organisations and governments is urgently needed to enhance humanitarian assistance and healthcare support to patients, their families and wider communities affected by military blockades and armed conflicts.

Thiazolidinedione as a Promising Medicinal Scaffold for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.

Thiazolidinediones, also known as glitazones, are considered as biologically active scaffold and a well-established class of anti-diabetic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thiazolidinediones act by reducing insulin resistance through elevated peripheral glucose disposal and glucose production. These molecules activate peroxisome proliferated activated receptor (PPARγ), one of the sub-types of PPARs, and a diverse group of its hybrid have also shown numerous therapeutic activities along with antidiabetic activity. The objective of this review was to collect and summarize the research related to the medicinal potential, structure-activity relationship and safety aspects of thiazolidinedione analogues designed and investigated in type 2 diabetes during the last two decades. The mentioned objective was achieved by collecting and reviewing the research manuscripts, review articles, and patents from PubMed, Science Direct, Embase, google scholar and journals related to the topic from different publishers like Wiley, Springer, Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, Indian and International government patent sites etc. Results: The thiazolidinedione scaffold has been a focus of research in the design and synthesis of novel derivatives for the management of type 2 diabetes, specifically in the case of insulin resistance. The complications like fluid retention, idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity, weight gain and congestive heart failure in the case of trosiglitazone, and pioglitazone have restricted their use. The newer analogues have been synthesized by different research groups to attain better efficacy and less side effects. Thus, the potential of thiazolidinediones in terms of their chemical evolution, action on nuclear receptors, aldose reductase and free fatty acid receptor 1 is well established. The newer TZD analogues with better safety profiles and tolerability will soon be available in the market for common use without further delay.

The advent of forensic DNA databases: It’s time to agree on some international governance principles!

National forensic DNA databases are a valuable investigative tool, that have the potential to increase the efficacy of criminal investigations. Their unfettered expansion in recent years raises unsettling ethical issues that require close attention. DNA database expansion threatens the rights to privacy, non-discrimination, and equality, and can undermine public trust in government. This perspective piece relies on data from an international mapping study of Forensic DNA Databases to document the expansion of these databases, highlight the ethical issues they raise, and propose key recommendations for more responsible use of this infrastructure.

Research with Refugee Populations in North America: Applying the NIH Guiding Principles for Ethical Research

ABSTRACTThis article examines the ethics of research design and the initiation of a study (e.g., recruitment of participants) involving refugee participants. We aim to equip investigators and members of IRBs with a set of ethical considerations and pragmatic recommendations to address challenges in refugee‐focused research as it is developed and prepared for IRB review. We discuss challenges including how refugees are being defined and identified; their vulnerabilities before, during, and following resettlement that impacts their research participation; recruitment; consent practices including assent and unaccompanied minors; and conflicts of interest. Ethical guidance and regulatory oversight provided by international bodies, federal governments, and IRBs are important for enforcing the protection of participants. We describe the need for additional ethical guidance and awareness, if not special protections for refugee populations as guided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guiding Principles for Ethical Research.

Security as a Public Value

Purpose: Security would seem to constitute the most fundamental public value, and is intrinsically linked with the right to life. Keeping the public safe from internal and external threats is the primary function of governments and states. At the level of global governance, systemic security, and a guarantee of freedom from existential threats for sovereign states, lie at the heart of international law, international organizations, and the normative rules of coexistence. Yet the definition of security has evolved over time. The proliferation of threats to security, and spillover between them, has seen an expansion along the X-axis of issues. Meanwhile, consideration of an increasingly broad hierarchy of the subjects of security (those for whom security should be provided) has seen expansion along the Y-axis of referent objects in two directions from the state - upwards towards international communities and ultimately to the global biosphere, and downwards peoples, communities, and vulnerable groups and individuals. A combination of these perspectives has manifested in three of the gravest crises to face domestic and international governance policymakers: the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the global humanitarian crisis of refugees and forced migrants. This paper traces the evolution of security public values and reflects the emergence of a holistic conceptualization of governance prescription in response. Method: This research project used a qualitative approach consisting of literature review and document analysis. The results of this study should be supplemented by quantitative and qualitative studies in the future. The literature review consists of a comprehensive assessment of scholarly academic publications from competing perspectives in the fields of political and moral philosophy, public administration, and international relations. The document survey is mainly related to the policy documentation output of national governments and international organizations, as well as media reports. Results: The research identifies how the exponential growth of security challenges, and their interlocking and cross-contaminating nature, has rendered traditional modalities anachronistic. It identifies how conceptualizations of what constitutes ‘security’ have steadily expanded to include a greater focus on human beings as the referent object, and to include a broader range of ‘threats’ to these referent objects. Questions related to state and systemic security remain relevant and interact with human-centric issues and perspectives in an increasingly complex web of insecurities. Global governance policymaking has likewise expanded to encompass non-traditional security (NTS) issues, but in doing so has shone a spotlight on the controversial dualistic nature of international organizations. In 2005, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan referenced the interrelatedness of the three pillars of the UN by noting “we will not enjoy security without development, development without security, and neither without respect for human rights. Unless all these causes are advanced, none will succeed.” In doing so he neatly encapsulated the progress made by the evolution of security and governance conceptualizations, as well as ongoing challenges. Policy prescription and obligations for those who govern, therefore, must increasingly consider spillover between these diverse agendas. This has been reflected in the newly emerging discourse on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus (HDPN). The article assesses not only the promise of the HDPN, but also continued shortcomings in terms of how it is currently operationalized at the global level, two decades after Annan’s original call to action for a more integrated and human-centered approach to security and governance.

Who Gets Water? Governance Failures & Persistent Drinking Water and Sanitation Issues

he sustainable provision of potable water and sanitation services presents a multitude of fundamental challenges concerning access and allocation. These challenges extend beyond water resources themselves, encompassing the allocation of rights, responsibilities, and associated risks. Disparities in water supply and sanitation services are stark, both geographically and socioeconomically. A thorough analysis requires examining the international governance instruments that guide access, the property rights frameworks that dictate allocation, and the scales at which these rights and frameworks operate. Additionally, the responsibilities vested in various authorities and stakeholders must be scrutinized. Water insecurity, particularly with respect to drinking water and sanitation, is not solely attributable to natural phenomena. This paper presents a literature review (2008-2023) encompassing research from the Earth Systems Governance community and beyond, focusing on water supply services and sanitation. Access and allocation were interpreted broadly, encompassing issues of inclusive development, justice, sustainability, and additional themes identified through the review process. The findings suggest a significant role for governments in facilitating access and allocation, with failures in these areas leading to long-term consequences. This will necessitate a holistic approach that considers water access and allocation alongside interconnected issues like sanitation, development, climate change, energy, and food security, all within a multi-level governance framework.

Territorial control by non-state armed groups and gendered access to healthcare in conflict using a new complex adaptive systems framework

The growing prevalence and influence of non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in armed conflict requires a deeper understanding of how their territorial control and contestation affect sub-national healthcare availability and outcomes, particularly with regards to gender dynamics. However, there are gaps in existing research in understanding how NSAG governance influences health care outcomes. Furthermore, a disconnect exists between the literature on international humanitarian interventions, NSAG governance and national health systems. Each perspective tends to prioritise a specific health service provider—whether NSAGs, State actors, or international humanitarian organisations—and often treats populations as homogenous. To address these gaps, we propose a complex adaptive system framework centred on the influence of territorial control for health services in intra-state conflict settings, with a gender lens. This systems framework accounts for the influence of all parties significant for health service delivery. It recognises that those governing the localised health system may differ from those physically delivering health services. Our framework enables empirical examination of health service delivery and outcomes. We apply the framework to three conflict-affected settings (Colombia, Iraq, Mali) using publicly available data and offer recommendations for policymakers and practitioners targeting health service provision in intra-state conflict contexts.

Uncanny and Displacement: Forcibly Displaced People Living in the State of Uncanny Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive humanitarian crisis across the globe. In times of emergency response, such as the pandemic, forcibly displaced people are among the most vulnerable groups who often face socio-economic marginalization, and other forms of intersecting oppression and discrimination, such as xenophobia and racism. In refugee camps, they are more susceptible to contracting the virus because of their poor living conditions in overcrowded camps and/or substandard housing, difficulties in adopting social distancing and self-isolation, and lack of adequate public health services. Using predetermined inclusion criteria for the studies, we searched databases, including JSTOR, Social Work Abstract, Social Sciences Abstract, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, and PsycINFO, to find relevant literature. We employed a theoretical construct of “uncanny,” often used by postcolonial thinkers, to critically analyze the selected studies. We identified four overarching themes: a) crisis within crises amid the pandemic, b) racism and xenophobia amid the pandemic, c) international solidarity and sharing responsibility, and d)neoliberal global regime and displacement. Our paper concludes with policy recommendations and action plans to be implemented by international communities, governments, and civil society targeting forcibly displaced people to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Ideology, Local-Level Policymaking, and International Governmental Organizations

Abstract A growing literature at the intersection of international relations, public policy, and comparative politics has explored the role that International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) play in influencing domestic policymaking. This literature is grounded in a commonly shared theoretical expectation that policymakers will perceive IGOs as neutral and technocratic purveyors of expert information. Based on this expectation, scholars have assumed that policymakers are likely to employ recommendations from IGOs when making decisions. In this research note, we examine this assumption through an analysis of original survey data on U.S. mayors’ responses to COVID-19-related guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). In contrast to dominant theoretical expectations, we find that mayoral likelihood of considering WHO recommendations in policymaking and of trusting WHO-provided information was largely a function of ideology, an effect that remains after incorporating the interactive effect of Trump vote share.

The U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy: A Vehicle with an International Journey

The U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy is focused on the five pillars of defending critical infrastructure: detect, disrupt, and dismantle threat actors; improve market resilience and security; invest in future resilience; and create international partnerships with shared goals. The National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan is focused on critical infrastructure supporting energy, financial, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing sectors. In the U.S. alone, the SolarWinds supply chain attack affected nine federal agencies and about 100 companies. Ransomware attacks such as the Colonial Pipelines, the largest U.S. oil pipeline, disrupted supplies of gasoline and fuel to the U.S. East Coast and the JBS USA as the largest meat processor ransomware attack affecting one-fifth of the nation’s meat supply. The U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy as a response to the U.S.’s critical infrastructure concerns led to the creation of two core cybersecurity documents which were crafted jointly with several other allies. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) crafted the Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software with joint agreement with National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and 15 international government agencies to give international vendors a roadmap of the expected cybersecurity hygiene required from their products. (CISA, 2023a; Car & De Luca, 2022) Building on the Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software, CISA, FBI and NSA met with cybersecurity organizations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and United Kingdom and jointly created The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps: Why Both C-Suite Executives and Technical Experts Need to Take Memory Safe Coding Seriously as a core issue identified in the earlier guidance. (CISA, 2023c). These led by the U.S. helped initiate an international cybersecurity norm insisting international software manufacturers demonstrate product security and transparency. They showed how a global community can rally to solve cybersecurity challenges that have existed for decades. This led to twenty of the largest international software vendors creating the Minimum Viable Secure Product (MSVP) Working Group to address the requirements levied by these documents; CISA has joined this working group to help shape procurement, contractual controls, self-assessment, and system development lifecycle (SDLC) with these vendors. (CISA, 2024d; MSVP, n.d.) This research argues that the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) should leverage the talent pool of CISA, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Defense (DoD), FBI, and NSA to improve detection, information sharing, security standards, and implementation for not only the U.S.’s government and commercial sectors, but also helps our allies and partners. The DoD and Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) have made great strides in improving security by integrating improvements with Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM), Software Supply Chain Security, Cybersecurity Safety Review Board (CSRB), Cybersecurity Incident & Vulnerability Response Playbooks, and DoD National Security Systems (NSS) standards. The NSC should coordinate through CISA to develop a collaborative effort to not only benefit the U.S. critical infrastructure but also help our allies and partners.

From mitigation to adaptation: Problematizing climate change in the maritime transport industry

AbstractThe literature on climate change in the maritime transport industry has grown rapidly in the last few years. Yet as the research agenda has progressed, scientific debates have become more isolated and fragmented, making it difficult to translate new findings into broader policy debates. This article draws on problematization methodology to help organize the scientific debate on maritime emissions and to identify analytical gaps and challenges. We argue that scholars investigate shipping's emission problem from four distinct analytical perspectives— (1) international laws and regulations, (2) markets and economics, (3) engineering and technology, and (4) authority and legitimacy. Each of these perspectives problematizes maritime emissions in specific ways, leading to different policies and strategies to address the problem. We call for better integrating these four literatures and highlight three crosscutting areas and problems for future research. First, developing institutions that facilitate market and engineering solutions; second, integrating climate mitigation and adaptation research; and third, focusing on justice concerns to ensure an equitable green transition in the maritime industry.This article is categorized under: Climate, History, Society, Culture > Thought Leaders Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework Policy and Governance > Private Governance of Climate Change

Civil Diplomacy and Civil Society Breaking the Traditional Diplomatic Model: A Case Study of Civil Organizations and Civil Diplomacy in Chinese Society

Civil society organizations and Civil Diplomacy are some of the important research contents of diplomacy, as well as the emerging diplomatic groups and organizations in the post-epidemic era. Broadly speaking, civil society organizations refer to social intermediary organizations other than government parties, enterprises, and institutions. The development of China’s civil diplomacy is a multi-dimensional and multi-level process, that plays an important role in China’s diplomatic system, and its development not only reflects the changes in China’s relations with the world but also the transformation of China’s foreign policy and the construction of great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. In the past, national and international organizations that participated in diplomatic activities in the image of the state did not have the figures of civil organizations. After the epidemic, more and more civil organizations express their political positions and values through the power of public opinion and the media to indirectly change the pattern of the international community, and use their power to enhance the soft power of official diplomacy, which has become an indispensable voice and force in today’s international community. Here, this paper will take Chinese civil diplomacy and civil society as examples to analyze the reasons, impacts, and prospects of the development of civil diplomacy in international governance.

The slow implementation of sustainable innovations in the asphalt paving sector: the role of actors and their interactions

International climate agreements and government policies, push the road construction industry towards more sustainable practices using alternative materials, new production techniques, and more efficient construction processes. Despite the broad availability of these sustainable solutions, their adoption is slow and uncertain. The reasons behind this remain unclear. This study employs a system innovation perspective to analyze the process that leads to the implementation of sustainable innovations in the Dutch asphalt paving sector. By exploring actors’ roles and their interactions at different stages of the process, we aim to identify key aspects influencing the pace and outcome of the innovation implementation process in the industry. The results highlight that (1) the asphalt paving sector is anchored in a project perspective that often overlooks long-term sustainability goals, (2) several key innovation roles are not fully fulfilled, and the absence of a coordinating role is leading to misunderstandings, and (3) monitoring at both the project and sector levels is lacking; there is no holistic assessment of the overall impact of innovations. Overall, the findings suggest that sustainable innovation processes in Dutch asphalt paving remain confined to the niche level, which can be overcome by redistributing actors' responsibilities, addressing the lack of system monitoring, and overcoming the project perspective could help address the challenges in the process.

A healthy heart for all: boosting cardiac surgery access in low-income countries

Dear Editor, It has been about 8 months since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the war does not appear to be ending anytime soon. As of October 2022, the United Nations (UN) had reported 6221 deaths, 972 of which were children1. There has also been a massive displacement of civilians with seven million Ukrainian refugees across Europe1. The devastation caused by this brutal war cannot be overstated; from constant terror attacks resulting in massive civilian deaths, war crimes of violence and rape cases, food shortages, infrastructure damages, and many others1,2. However, one major sector in Ukraine has been at the heart of the entire situation, and that is healthcare. As of October 17, the WHO has authenticated 623 attacks on healthcare since the start of the war1. Health infrastructures have been brutally targeted, causing catastrophic impact to healthcare delivery2. Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s healthcare system, particularly the surgical sector, was facing significant gaps and challenges3. Also, there was a significant burden of surgical cases in Ukraine before the war, which was made worse because of the COVID-19 pandemic that accumulated elective surgeries backlog across the globe. This brutal war has clearly exacerbated the situation, putting the country’s healthcare system on a knife-edge. With all of the destruction and limited resources, it is clear that emergency and surgery departments in hospitals must deal with overburdened cases of traumatic injuries during these hard times4. Ukraine’s surgical capacity currently lacks the necessary resources to deal with these outrageous burdens. With damaged hospital infrastructure, insufficient health professionals in the emergency and surgical departments, and inadequate surgical equipment, the country’s surgical capacity clearly requires massive assistance. Ukrainian healthcare workers’ brevity, commitment, and professionalism have been highly visible and acknowledged4. Furthermore, the incredible efforts and response of the world since the beginning of this war cannot be overstated. Massive humanitarian aid, as well as good deliveries of healthcare equipment and various financial aids for healthcare support, have been delivered. Most importantly, health officials from around the world have made sacrifices and risked their lives to be in Ukraine and along its borders to support Ukrainian healthcare workers, even during these threatening circumstances1. With Russia’s current brutal attacks on major cities, the duration of this war is clearly unpredictable, necessitating a long-term support plan for Ukrainian healthcare, particularly surgical capacity. The surgical capacity is a highly complex and costly field that necessitates enormous efforts and resources to maintain. We urge international communities, governments, and organizations to assist Ukraine in strengthening its surgical sector by assisting in the establishment of new surgical clinics in nonaffected or least-affected western regions. The new facilities could be built underground to avoid damage from shelling and explosions. These facilities could also incorporate telesurgery into their services, allowing surgeons to operate remotely without putting their lives in danger. In war-torn areas, temporary hospitals should also be established underground to prevent disruption of care during shelling and explosions, with the goal of providing first aid care to patients who require immediate assistance. Furthermore, specialized trauma units should be established to provide trauma care to injured civilians. Continuous supplies of surgical equipment and assistance in transporting affected patients to war-free regions of the country and neighboring countries for ongoing care are still required. Securing a safe passage for delivery of life-saving supplies and humanitarian aids is crucial. The Ukrainian government should maintain its efforts to support healthcare workers and ensure equitable resource distribution across all sectors. Neighboring countries should continue to extend humanitarian aid to Ukraine by reducing the surgical caseload by performing surgeries on Ukrainian refugees during wartime. They can also begin planning to assist in reducing the post-war surgical backlog, particularly for emergency or oncological surgeries. Furthermore, surgical education and training should be maintained to ensure that post-war surgical capacity is adequate to meet demand. Telementoring or remote training should be considered between Ukrainian surgeons or trainees and other global experts. Above all, the international community should vehemently condemn acts of violence and intentional attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel around the world. Ethical approval Not applicable. Sources of funding None. Author’s contribution A.A.W. and J.C.N. conceptualized the ideas. A.A.W., J.C.N., and L.D. reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors were involved in data curation and writing of initial draft. Conflicts of interest disclosure The authors declare that they have no financial conflict of interest with regard to the content of this report. Research registration unique identifying number (UIN) None. Guarantor Andrew A. Wireko.

Future Shock: Generative AI and the International AI Policy and Governance Crisis

Future Shock: Generative AI and the International AI Policy and Governance Crisis

The importance of understanding the multiple dimensions of power in stakeholder participation for effective biodiversity conservation

Abstract Biodiversity conservation are increasingly focused on involving stakeholder engagement, making power a key concept in understanding its success and failure. Power is often conceptualized as unidimensional and coercive, but a multidimensional view better reflects structural power, as well as its productive and enabling potential. This paper investigates how different dimensions of power in participatory processes affect biodiversity conservation objectives. Six case studies from Europe and Asia‐Pacific were analysed using an adapted framework that explores the interlinkages between ‘power over’ and ‘transformative power’, looking at the scale and space in which power occurs, and analysing in which arenas of power and under which form of expression it appears. The framework distinguishes between the different ways to exert influence (‘power to’, ‘power with’, ‘power within’, ‘power for’), as well as the dynamics of domination and resistance observed in decision‐making (visible power), hidden biases and exclusionary experiences (hidden power), and actions that either reinforce or resist social norms and beliefs (invisible and systematic power). Focusing on biodiversity, the different arenas of power allow us to go deeper than the surface issues and conflicting interests of diverse participants, regarding for example wildlife, to question underlying power dynamics. Different expressions of power, more specifically the ‘power for’ dimension, allow an understanding of how participants integrate nature and biodiversity in their aspirations. The different levels of power also highlight the need to focus not only on the local level but to analyse how participatory processes are embedded in national, or even international governance in a globalized world. Finally, they shed light on two challenges in participatory processes regarding biodiversity: the representation of non‐human interests (designated here as ‘beyond‐human’ voices), and the integration of multiple forms of knowledge systems. Synthesis and applications: Integrating power into biodiversity issues involves deconstructing normalized discourses that focus solely on certain more powerful human agents, their interests and scientific knowledge, and creating new narratives, knowledge and embodied practice of learning and action to encompass a wider diversity of voices and views. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.