International Policy Cooperation Research Articles

The macro driving factors of co-movement of RMB with other currencies in FX markets

The co-movement of the RMB exchange rate with other currencies highlights the global standing of the RMB and its significance in FX markets. This paper employs the rational expectations present-value model of exchange rates to identify the macroeconomic factors influencing this co-movement. Our finding reveals a general increase in the RMB's co-movement with other currencies, especially after the 2015 reform of the RMB exchange rate regime, known as the “811 Reform”. Factors such as the synchronizations of output and monetary policy, as well as global market sentiment significantly, can affect this co-movement significantly. However, this explanatory power is relatively weaker compared to trade linkage. The market-oriented reforms in the RMB exchange rate regime and the liberalization of capital account in China have indeed strengthened this co-movement. Additionally, various international cooperation policies taken by the Chinese government have demonstrated promotional effects. This study echoes the traditional exchange rate determination theory and offers some policy implications for the internationalization of the RMB.

The Development of Human Resources in Information Technology in Vietnam from 2006 to 2020

This article aims to shed light on the development of Vietnam's information technology human resources between 2006 and 2020 by analyzing the guidelines and policies set by the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam, as well as their training activities, talent attraction, compensation and international cooperation policies. Information technology (IT) and IT human resources play a crucial role in Vietnam's socio-economic development, particularly in the rapidly evolving context of the information and digital revolutions. Since 2006, as Vietnam entered a phase of industrialization and modernization tied to the growth of a knowledge-based economy, the Party and the government have increasingly recognized the importance of applying and developing IT across all fields. In this regard, IT human resources are key to promoting the role of information technology in the country’s development strategy. Recently, Vietnam has emerged as a significant player in the global IT industry but workforce shortages have challenged the country’s long-term objective of becoming a tech hub in Southeast Asia.

An Analysis of the Potential of Philippine Sports as a Tool for Public Diplomacy

With the growing lapses of sports-based strategies in the Philippine setting, the gap between its theoretical foundation and its praxis has ballooned, predominantly attributed to the need for more academic work in this area. Correspondingly, this study provides implications for sports-related strategies for predicting a positive public image of the Philippines and harboring peaceful state cooperation through the merits of soft power. To achieve this, this paper has contrived the objectives, including (1) identifying the implications of hosting the SEA Games 2019 for the country by examining the management of the Philippine government, (2) determining the implications of the elite sporting success of Filipino athletes in sports tournaments, and, lastly, (3) identifying the potential of sports through the implementation of sports-related strategy by the Philippines. Moreover, this paper implements qualitative methods, including document review and key informant interviews, to gather pertinent testimonials from various sub-sectors in sports, including national elite athletes, professional coaches, and sports experts, to assess the state of Philippine sports and significantly determine its potential as a serious form of public diplomacy, particularly in achieving its intended outcomes. This study infers that Philippine sports have the capability to influence the country's stature with consideration of the global media as well as advance its foreign policy of international cooperation.

Cultural and Representative Policy of Sweden as an Element of Nation Branding

The article examines the relationship between soft power, nation branding, and educational and cultural cooperation within the framework of the Swedish Institute's policy of international cooperation to promote the country’s image abroad and strengthen the position of its reputational capital. The relevance of addressing this topic is due to the significance of the stated agenda, which, as our research has shown, influenced not only the development of cultural cooperation and academic exchanges, but also the features of building Sweden’s foreign policy image. Based on the analysis of the organization’s materials and data in reports from 2022–2023, the authors aimed to show the process of forming the priorities of the organization’s activities within the framework of the distribution of financial support and the focus of cultural and educational projects. To this end, the role and parameters of building a national brand are analyzed; changes in the topics of educational and cultural events and programs conducted by Sweden in the countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic region are considered; the dynamics of the processes of cultural exchange between Sweden and these countries are traced; the influence of the current political situation on the volume and measures of financial assistance to them is noted; and the perception of Sweden in Russia, Eastern European and Baltic countries is characterized. The study was based on the methods of comparative analysis, discourse analysis, and case study techniques. It was concluded that in implementing a diverse range of educational and cultural programs, the Swedish Institute adheres to the principle of regionalism, which allows the implementation of such projects, taking into account the interests and needs of both Sweden and partner countries. It was shown that when determining the parameters of national branding, the Swedish Institute relies on the approach of S. Anholt, clarifying it in a number of areas. According to the findings of the study, adaptation of relevant programs for the development of cooperation with partner countries, is aimed at integrating specific Swedish values into the cultural matrix of the host cultures. The global political situation strongly influences the realization of programs, thus causing the exclusion of such an important international partner as Russia. The study confirmed the initial thesis about the relatively slow accumulation of Sweden’s reputational capital, including in the process of the Swedish Institute’s work with ‘promising’ (in the current environment) countries, as well as with the countries of Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. It is further concluded that the Swedish Institute is not only a key actor in the country's cultural and educational policy, as well as a powerful channel of soft power, but also an instrument for Sweden's positioning of itself as a moral superpower, which can be seen in many areas of its policies that go beyond fields of public diplomacy.

Inclusive education in Japan and its role in international cooperation: analysis of a project for children with disabilities in Mongolia

This study explores the influence of educational ideologies and practices of donor countries on the educational systems in recipient countries in the context of international cooperation. Previous research on international education cooperation has focused on international cooperation policies, ignoring the educational systems of both donor and recipient countries. This study seeks to fill this gap by examining how Japan’s dualistic model of inclusive education is reflected in the Strengthening Teachers’ Ability and Reasonable Treatments for Children with Disabilities (START) project in Mongolia. This study reviews the literature on inclusive education in Japan and Mongolia, and analyzes documents produced through the project. It finds that despite some instances of inclusive practices in Japanese schools, special needs education in Japan is still predicated on individualized and medicalized approaches to disabilities. Conversely, Mongolia has struggled to provide children with disabilities with accessible and quality schooling since its transition from a socialist to a capitalist regime in the early 1990s. The START project aims to identify children’s disabilities as early as possible, provide individualized support and guidance, and develop educational settings that allow the inclusion of children with disabilities in their peer groups. In implementing the project, Japanese-style inclusive education is negotiated between Mongolian teachers and officials rather than imposed by Japanese experts. By embracing the dualistic nature of Japanese inclusive education, Mongolia can better promote the ideal of inclusion for all children.

Comment on: “The International Spillovers of Synchronous Monetary Tightening” by Dario Caldara, Francesco Ferrante, Matteo Iacoviello, Andrea Prestipino, and Albert Queralto

Ever since Rogoff, 1985, international policy cooperation has been considered particularly counterproductive in periods of disinflation—the argument being that cross-border agreement aiming to moderate the global recessionary effects of monetary policy would erode the credibility of domestic monetary authorities in the eyes of domestic workers and firms. The paper by Caldara et al. offers a timely and healthy warning—cross-border spillovers of monetary tightening may be highly non linear: The cumulative effects of strongly anti-inflationary stance in many countries may worsen the trade off faced by each national monetary authority.

The Policy International Cooperation on Protection Sea and Island Environment in Viet Nam and Challenges in the Implementation Process

International cooperation in the field of seas and islands’ environmental protection is considered an inevitable choice in the current development trend. VietNam in recent years has constantly expanded cooperation with maritime countries in activities on integrated management of marine resources and environment. In order to meet the current cooperation needs, state management policies are also constantly changing to match the actual situation. Nowadays, the policies regulating international cooperation activities in our country's marine resources and environment are quite complete and systematic, perfect step by step. However, we need a lot of enthusiasm to be able to come up with optimal solutions because the implementation process is also facing many difficulties. This article aims to study the current status of international cooperation policies on marine environmental protection as well as the challenges in the practical implementation of this policy system.

Is there convergence in renewable energy deployment? Evidence from a new panel unit root test with smooth and sharp structural breaks

This study examines whether the contribution of renewable energy to the total primary energy supply converges in a panel of 24 OECD countries over the period 1960–2020. To this end, a new panel unit root test that allows for both sharp and smooth breaks is proposed to test for the stochastic convergence hypothesis. Although renewable energy convergence is not rejected when the newly proposed test is applied to the full panel of OECD countries, it found only moderate support within the members of the panel using a sequential panel selection methodology. In fact, in two high-income OECD countries, the contribution of renewable energy to the primary energy supply shows no sign of convergence: Poland and Iceland. Therefore, the renewable energy shares seem to be converging to a common steady state in only a group of OECD countries over the long run. This uneven pattern of convergence, in turn, suggests that the OECD countries are still far away from developing a common sustainable renewable energy target, calling for urgent international policy cooperation to encourage the divergent economies to seek out the menu of policies that ensure the worldwide success of renewable energy transformation.

Cuba's participation in international development cooperation and its relationship with North-South imbalances in global governance

The research focuses on Cuba's participation in international development cooperation and its relationship with North-South imbalances in global governance, examining how Cuba has developed its international cooperation strategy. Cuba's international cooperation policies and practices are analyzed, including its technical and humanitarian assistance programs, and it is examined how they have adapted to the changing political and economic circumstances of the region. It assesses Cuba's role in global governance, particularly in relation to international and regional organizations, and discusses how it has used its position to further its development interests and goals. The research shows that Cuba's participation in international development cooperation has been significant and has had a positive impact on reducing North-South imbalances. However, Cuba's ability to influence global governance is still limited, due to its political and economic situation and the hegemony of the North in global decision-making

Rethinking Australia’s role in international co-operation for the Sustainable Development Goals: Towards transformative horizontal partnerships through triangular co-operation

Despite progress in various areas of development, rates of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty remain high. Additional environmental pressures such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation continue to disproportionately impact those who are most vulnerable. Inclusive models of co-operative action, as emphasised in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, are valued for their potential to solve development challenges, promote sustainable development outcomes, and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. International co-operation policy plays a crucial role in shaping how these international partnerships play out in practice. Over the several decades, the international development co-operation landscape has been shifting with a push for more ‘horizontal’ partnerships. Triangular co-operation is a potential model of partnership that embraces inclusivity and horizontality and is seen as a means to achieve the sustainable development agenda. In Australia, the election of a new federal government in May 2022 brought with it a renewed commitment to official development assistance and development co-operation policy and partnerships. The aim of this commentary is to take stock, pause, and reflect on how Australia currently ‘does development partnerships’ as well as looking to the future and the opportunities for change.

The road to normalization: The importance of the United Arab Emirates' neoliberal foreign policy in the normalization with Israel: 2004–2020

AbstractThe article discusses the question of why and how the normalization between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel took place and managed to evolve into a peace agreement. It offers an additional explanation to the neorealists' scholarly and commonly accepted argument: that it was only the behavior of the revisionist state of Iran that was the motive for signing the peace agreement between the two states. Furthermore, the article argues that the normalization of relations began in 2004 and could have materialized owing to the UAE's neoliberal foreign policy of focusing on soft power cooperation. It suggests the UAE's internal interests of status, stability, and empowerment, which were incorporated in the Vision 2021 plan, were translated into a foreign policy of international cooperation rather than one of military involvement and alliances. The UAE's long‐term strategy reveals a dual neorealist and neoliberal foreign policy with a tendency toward the latter. The neoliberal foreign policy of soft power cooperation attracted the UAE to Israel and, through these shared interests, built trust and eventually led to normalization between the two states. The study covers three periods of the UAE's foreign policy strategy during the development of the normalization process. It begins with the tension between the neoliberal and neorealist strategies from 2004 to 2009, then looks at the increase in tensions between 2010 and 2018, and ends with the focus on the neoliberal foreign policy strategy in 2019–2020.

Global energy intensity convergence using a spatial panel growth model

ABSTRACT In this paper, we empirically test the convergence of income and energy intensity for 61 countries using an augmented spatial growth model that includes energy and urbanization variables. We test an income convergence model to understand how energy use affects economic growth, and reveal that developing countries have energy constraints on their economic development. We show that energy is an essential component of economic growth in the early stages of development and that energy intensity converges between countries. It is consistent with the OLS estimation results that the convergence rate of energy intensity in developing countries of the spatial panel data model is still higher than in developed countries. However, the spatial panel data model shows that the gap between the two convergence rates is narrowed when spatial dependence is included. This implies that a country’s steady state is influenced by the neighbouring countries and emphasizes the importance of international cooperation policies for reducing energy intensity. Since the effects of economic variables on the reduction of energy intensity are different in developed and developing countries, a country-specific energy policy rather than an internationally uniform policy is required.

Environmental degradation in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain based on multiple remote sensing data

AbstractRapid and effective assessment of environmental degradation is essential for promoting regional sustainable development in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM). However, a comprehensive understanding of environmental degradation in the TACM remains inadequate. In this study, we developed an environmental degradation index (EDI) using multiple remote sensing data, including the enhanced vegetation index, gross primary productivity, land surface temperature, and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance products. We then evaluated the performance of the developed index in comparison with that of the remote sensing ecological index and assessed environmental degradation across the entire TACM, in the subregions of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia from 2000 to 2019. The results indicate that the EDI has various advantages, such as speed, flexibility, and simplicity, and can be used to effectively identify and evaluate the environmental degradation dynamics caused by urban expansion and cropland loss. The TACM experienced a downward trend in environmental change from 2000 to 2019. Degraded environment areas (49,329.50 km2) accounted for 30.09% of the entire TACM. The largest area of the degraded environment was in the DPRK subregion (i.e., 25,395.00 km2), which was 5.6‐times and 1.3‐times larger than that in the Russian and Chinese subregions, respectively. Hotspot areas that experienced significant environmental degradation covered only 17.69% of the land area of the TACM, within which the area of environmental degradation accounted for 33.89% of the total degraded environment across the entire TACM. We suggest that international cooperation policies and measures be enacted to promote sustainable regional development.

A Review of Global Policy Mechanisms Designed for Tropical Forests Conservation and Climate Risks Management

Deforestation and forest degradation of tropical forests are major global concerns due to their ecological, social, and economic roles. In the wake of climate change and its diverse global effects, fragmentation and degradation of tropical forests have jeopardized their ability to support livelihoods and regenerate climate regulating services. Concerted efforts by local, national, and international players, which are primarily scientific, technological, or economic, have borne minimal results in safeguarding these forests from destruction, necessitating a more integrated and inclusive approach. The Rio Earth Summit (1992) brought together world leaders to set targets and priorities on the global sustainability agenda and laid a strong foundation for international policy cooperation in the future. This study employed a systematic review of articles published between 1992 and 2020 to establish how various policy mechanisms have been developed and evolved to bridge forests and climate change discourse in tropical forests while highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. The initial search of peer-reviewed publications and gray literature yielded 2622 records, which were subjected to inclusion and exclusion criteria based on The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analyses guidelines, resulting in a final list of 65 records for in-depth qualitative analysis. The study establishes that the mechanisms in place have contributed mainly to more coordination and incentives to manage climate risks, primarily through tropical forests conservation. However, hurdles such as inadequate participation and involvement of the local and indigenous people, insufficient national and local policy frameworks and bureaucracies around emissions monitoring, measuring, reporting, and verification processes continue to slow tropical forest conservation. Thus, there is a need for more integrated, multilevel, and diverse stakeholder engagement to achieve the set global targets effectively.

Impact of the Pandemic on the Policy of International Cooperation of Universities in the Sphere of Educational Programs with Intensive Language Training

Impact of the Pandemic on the Policy of International Cooperation of Universities in the Sphere of Educational Programs with Intensive Language Training

Big Data in Asian Central Banks

The present paper reviews the use of big data in Asian central banks, leveraging on a survey conducted by the Irving Fischer Committee on Central Bank Statistics (IFC) of the Bank for International Settlements. It reveals four main insights. First, Asian central banks define big data in an encompassing way. Second, they show higher interest in big data, including at the senior policy level. Third, big data already supports a wide range of tasks. Fourth, big data poses new challenges and increases the need for international policy cooperation, especially to make use of payments data and promote innovative technological solutions.

International education governance in the francophone microcosm

International cooperation is high on the agenda of policy makers in times of globalisation and shared challenges such as climate change, poverty, equity or digitalisation. The present paper investigates strategies and actors involved in international cooperation policy in the field of vocational education and training within the francophone area. Using a discursive institutionalism approach as an analysis frame, the article traces and identifies the development of ideas and discourses. It also examines the changes and tensions in the French public institutional set-up in that specific policy field. The analysis builds on analysis of policy documents, mission statements of actors involved (ministries, public and private actors, non-for-profit organisations, international and European actors).

Incomplete Exchange Rate Pass-through and International Monetary Policy Cooperation

AbstractThere is no consensus on the existence of welfare gains from international monetary policy cooperation. This study adds to the debate by providing a new open macroeconomics model with incomplete exchange rate pass-through. We find that, from a global perspective, the welfare gains from international monetary policy cooperation arise with incomplete exchange rate pass-through. Furthermore, the country’s incentive for cooperation increases with its degree of exchange rate pass-through. Cooperation benefits small countries with high pass-through; however, it is disadvantageous to large countries with low pass-through. In addition, when there is in the absence of cooperation, fixed exchange rate regime is preferred for a country suffering from monetary uncertainty, particularly for small economies with high exchange rate pass-through.

La cooperación internacional para el desarrollo y la protección de los derechos humanos de las personas LGTBI: una mirada desde la Agenda 2030

Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) brindan nuevas bases para una interrelación más fuerte entre las agendas de cooperación internacional y de desarrollo y la protección y promoción delos derechos humanos de las personas lesbianas, gais, trans, bisexuales e intersexuales (LGTBI). El compromiso de la Agenda 2030 de no dejar a nadie atrás proporciona un mandato claro para todoslos países y actores públicos, incluidas las agencias de desarrollo, de poner la igualdad, la inclusión y la no discriminación en el centro de las políticas de cooperación internacional, en el marco de un enfoque basado en derechos. Con este documento se pretende analizar las intersecciones mássignificativas entre los objetivos y metas de desarrollo sostenible y los derechos de las personas LGTBI desde una perspectiva general, y sugerir posibles vías de actuación. En el estudio también seconsideran las características de la aproximación de la cooperación española a este respecto, desde una perspectiva histórica, incluyendo sus últimos desarrollos.

A Cooperação Sul-Sul no Mercosul

The United Nations (UN) recognized the interconnection between the development of South-South Cooperation (SSC) and the multiplication of regional integration mechanisms, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean, since the first decade of the 21st century (A/66/229). In South America, this context coincided with the coming to power of progressive governments in several countries, which established SSC and Latin American regional integration as priorities in their foreign policy guidelines, with emphasis on the role of Mercosur. Although international cooperation has been present in Mercosur since its inception, it is in this political context that became known as the pink wave (2003-2015) that SSC became a priority within the bloc. This process led to the gradual institutionalization of SSC in Mercosur with the establishment, in 2008, of the High Level Group for the elaboration of a South-South Cooperation Program, whose mission was to elaborate the conceptual, methodological and operational bases of a program of cooperation in strategic sectors; in 2012 from the International Cooperation Group (GCI) to coordinate Mercosur's technical cooperation; in 2014, of the new International Cooperation Policy and; in 2018, of the Strategy on Cooperation in Mercosur for the period 2018-2021. However, this context has changed and, more recently, both phenomena in the region have lost priority in the political agenda of shift governments, without, however, being extinguished by the blue tide. This work aims to discuss the potentialities and limitations of SSC as a means for autonomous regional integration in Latin America, in this context of celebration of Mercosur's 30th anniversary.