International Policy Frameworks Research Articles

Effectively managing area-based management tools: A new toolkit for the conservation of marine mammals

Marine mammals play crucial roles in marine ecosystem function yet are threatened by increasing pressures from anthropogenic activities within marine ecosystems. Area-based Management Tools (ABMT) are key for their conservation and protection, yet their effectiveness is often hindered by lack of resources, technical capacity and political support. Yet, ABMTs are grounded in local, national, regional, and international agreements and policy frameworks including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). To support marine managers, the “Marine Mammals Management Toolkit” was developed and is composed of three core components, including the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT), founded on the Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) framework, and is a multiple-choice tool that enables managers to evaluate the effectiveness of management plans regarding marine mammals through the production of a Management Effectiveness Score (MES). The SAT has been utilised across 24 MPAs in 18 countries. Two case studies are provided on its application. The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) evaluated their existing management plan, and scored an MES value of 7.8 with the Bermuda Marine Mammal Sanctuary (BMMS) scoring 4.7. The results of the SAT enabled the Bermudian Government to make informed decisions in developing a Marine Spatial Plan for the BMMS, and enables SBNMS to set a baseline to track effectiveness over the life-time of SBNMS and respective management plans; guiding local and national policy, as well as enabling Bermuda and the United States of America to contribute to their international commitments.

Sea-Level Rise and Human Mobility: The Legal Implications for Ireland’s Foreign and Domestic Policies

In October 2023, the Irish government’s Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on National Coastal Change Management Strategy concluded it was inevitable that, as a result of rising sea levels, a managed retreat may in time be required along some parts of the Irish coastline. This stark warning highlights Ireland’s vulnerability as an island nation to global climate change and sea-level rise. While adaptive measures can be made to protect coastal communities, there is a need to undertake comprehensive planning to prepare for the foreseeable impacts of climate change. Ireland is not alone in facing such risks—over a third of states in the world are directly affected by sea-level rise. Such scenarios raise complicated legal questions, which prompted the UN International Law Commission (ILC) to commence analysis in 2018 of the legal implications of sea-level rise. This article starts by examining recent developments concerning the legal implications of climate change in general, before specifically analysing the ongoing work of the ILC on sea-level rise and human mobility. Drawing on international legal and policy frameworks, the article then considers Ireland’s obligations arising from sea-level rise and population displacement. In particular, it addresses a) Ireland’s foreign policy, including international development assistance and legal migration routes for persons fleeing the impacts of sea-level rise; and b) domestic policies relating to climate change adaptation and planning for internal climate displacement.

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK RELATING TO CYBERSQUATTING IN INDIA

The arrival of the internet has brought an explosion in the process of registration of domain names that has resulted in the issue of cybersquatting for financial gain. As per the WIPO data, the cases related to domain name disputes have dramatically increased. For the first time in 1999, the ICANN adopted a uniform policy framework (UDRP) to address the problem of cybersquatting for speedy disposal of domain name disputes. At the global level, only the United States of America has particular legislation that makes cybersquatting a crime. In the Indian context, there is no particular legislation to tackle cybersquatting matters, the courts apply the various approaches along with the common law principle of the trademark to resolve the disputes. The article wishes to critically analyze the international and national legal and policy frameworks related to cybersquatting

The limits of “resilience”: Relationalities, contradictions, and re‐appropriations

AbstractThe concept of “resilience” is ubiquitous in global governance, extending from climate and ecological issues to practically all spheres of human endeavor. However, post‐pandemic discourses suggest that the concept may no longer be capable of synthesizing diverse and diverging geopolitical interests into common policy goals. Responding to what we see as an emerging “crisis of resilience,” we reconsider the utility of the concept and advance “irresilience” as its critical relational “other.” We argue that to make resilience meaningful in a “polycrisis,” it is necessary to think about it dialectically and consider how it is undermined by the very actors that evangelize it.This article is categorized under: International Policy Framework > Policy and Governance Climate, History, Society, Culture > Disciplinary Perspectives The Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Knowledge and Practice Climate and Development > Sustainability and Human Well‐Being

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

Harnessing Regression Analysis and Machine Learning to Unveil the Market Dynamics and Environmental Impact of New Energy Vehicles

This study leverages regression analysis and machine learning algorithms to systematically investigate the growth patterns of the global New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market, evaluate the effects of international policy frameworks on NEVs, and quantify the environmental advantages of NEVs in urban settings. Through the analysis of worldwide market data, case studies on international policies, and urban air quality metrics, this research delineates the pivotal contributions of NEVs to mitigating urban pollution and advancing environmental sustainability. The findings provide empirical evidence and strategic recommendations for policymakers, the automotive industry, and environmental organizations, aimed at promoting the sustainable development of the global NEV market.

Greener through gender: What climate mainstreaming can learn from gender mainstreaming

AbstractAddressing the urgent global climate crisis demands a rapid and meaningful expansion of “climate mainstreaming,” which refers to the integration of climate objectives in all aspects of development programs and policies. However, progress remains slow and uneven due to bottlenecks in policy and institutional change. Considering the parallel struggle recorded over decades to mainstream gender across the same policy arenas, a key question emerges: what can climate mainstreaming learn from gender mainstreaming? To answer this question, we review 57 policy, strategy, and guidance documents of United Nations agencies, all of which integrate these themes into food security and broader development programming. Our analysis identifies gaps in climate mainstreaming efforts and derives lessons from gender mainstreaming to bridge these gaps. It underscores the importance of adapting programmatic mainstreaming strategies in response to evolving contexts, for example, by simultaneously considering both mainstreaming and targeted interventions. Additionally, it highlights the need to adopt organizational climate mainstreaming and establish mechanisms for accountability. Finally, it emphasizes the urgency of embracing a climate justice lens; in practice, this involves prioritizing populations at greater risk of climate change impacts and actively engaging diverse perspectives in decision‐making, particularly communities facing multiple forms of discrimination.This article is categorized under: Integrated Assessment of Climate Change > Assessing Climate Change in the Context of Other Issues Climate and Development > Sustainability and Human Well‐Being Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework

Factors supporting sovereign wealth fund adoption

ABSTRACT The adoption of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) has been rising globally. While their benefits are recognized, they are underutilized, particularly among commodity exporters. This research adds to the nascent literature on factors, focusing on external support, institutional readiness, and domestic capability, that influence SWF adoption. We highlight the importance of international financial institutions, policy frameworks, and technical capability in supporting countries’ adoption of SWFs.

Bridging Global Policy-making and Local Intensive Developments in the Urban Voids of a Megacity: Insights from Bangkok

Megacities and rapidly urbanizing territories are contemporary issues which have now reached international attention and institutional recognition. Megacities and rapidly urbanizing territories in Southeast Asia especially are subject to both intensive and extensive patterns of growth that are reflected by the dynamics of densification in consolidated urban areas and loss of agricultural lands due to development in peri-urban areas. The New Urban Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an international shared understanding of policies and knowledge to tackle, among other issues, loss of agricultural land, general land use management, segregation and inequalities within megacities and rapidly urbanizing regions. However, oftentimes, this international level of policy-making loses its strength when the urban issues are scaled down to local applications. Influenced by the presence of local private interests and global economic forces, the local urban processes of intensive and extensive growth appear to be detached from the general international policy framework and affected by site-specific dynamics. This article examines the level of this separation in Bangkok, especially in regards to a specific kind of the aforementioned intensive growth at the metropolitan scale, the development of the urban voids - terrain vague. I discuss how this separation is more evident in those empty, underused, and abandoned areas where possible intensive developments could happen. Furthermore, I evaluate this separation by reflecting on how it can affect the upcoming future of the megacity of Bangkok.

Staff perception on including students with physical disabilities at a South African university.

International and local policy frameworks on disability promote inclusive higher education practices for students with disabilities (SWD). However, the actual application of these frameworks concerning students with physical disabilities (SWPD) in any School of Health Care Sciences (SHCS) is uncertain in South African universities. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of academic and admission staff on the inclusion of SWPD in SHCS at a South African university. The study was carried out at a University of Health Sciences in South Africa. A qualitative study in which respondents (n = 12) were interviewed in depth about their perceptions on the inclusion of SWPD in the SHCS. Thematic analysis was used in the data assessment. The results revealed three main themes: policy discourse, environmental effects on inclusion and SWPD enrolment. Respondents reported the lack of a disability inclusion policy and disability unit to support SWD in general. The respondents also noted that there were environmental challenges that could potentially affect the inclusion of SWPD in SHCS study programmes. Respondents also indicated that there was no SWPD enrolment as the university's current inclusion and/or quota system does not include SWD. The findings of the study showed a lack of disability inclusion policy, environmental challenges and lack of SWPD enrolment. Based on the study findings, it can be concluded that inclusion of SWPD at this university may be negatively influenced. The study findings contribute to the field of disability and the inclusion of SWPD in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Accelerated human-induced extinction crisis in the world's freshwater mammals

Human activities have significantly impacted natural habitats and wildlife worldwide, particularly emphasizing repercussions for freshwater habitats and associated species. These negative impacts on freshwater fish are well known, but for mammal species that regularly use and dependend on freshwater systems, there is an incomplete understanding. Here, we assessed the status of freshwater and semi-aquatic mammal species inhabiting and dependent on freshwater ecosystems (hereafter referred to as freshwater mammals) and evaluated the impact of human activities on species richness both globally and by biogeographical regions. We used structural equation modeling and simultaneous autoregressive models to assess the direct and indirect effects of seven anthropogenic-related variables on overall freshwater mammal richness. Specifically, we examined the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on the richness of threatened and non-threatened species, as well as species with decreasing and stable/increasing populations. Forty-three percent of all freshwater mammal species are classified as globally threatened by the IUCN Red List, with 50% experiencing population declines. Furthermore, 48% are affected by domestic or international trade, while 75% face threats from geographically expanding human activities. Aridity, pesticide pollution, human footprint, and croplands had the strongest negative effects on freshwater mammal richness. In contrast, the coverage of freshwater habitats (FWs), Indigenous Peoples' lands (IPLs), and protected areas (PAs) helped to sustain freshwater mammal species globally, with an even stronger positive effect at individual biogeographical regions. We conclude that FWs, IPLs, and PAs play a critical role in the conservation of freshwater mammal species, helping safeguard these species from extinction, however, freshwater ecosystems are seldom the focal point of conservation management strategies. The ongoing adverse anthropogenic impacts on these natural habitats present a potentially catastrophic and irreversible threat to global freshwater environments and the species, including humans, reliant upon them. We strongly advocate for the implementation of more robust national and international policy frameworks that endorse alternative and sustainable livelihoods. Such frameworks can play a crucial role in alleviating anthropogenic pressures, thereby aiding in the mitigation of the extinction risk faced by these vital ecosystems and the world's freshwater mammal species.

New Generation Sustainable Technologies for Soilless Vegetable Production

This review article conducts an in-depth analysis of the role of next-generation technologies in soilless vegetable production, highlighting their groundbreaking potential to revolutionize yield, efficiency, and sustainability. These technologies, such as AI-driven monitoring systems and precision farming methods, offer unparalleled accuracy in monitoring critical variables such as nutrient concentrations and pH levels. However, the paper also addresses the multifaceted challenges that hinder the widespread adoption of these technologies. The high initial investment costs pose a significant barrier, particularly for small- and medium-scale farmers, thereby risking the creation of a technological divide in the industry. Additionally, the technical complexity of these systems demands specialized expertise, potentially exacerbating knowledge gaps among farmers. Other considerations are scrutinized, including data privacy concerns and potential job displacement due to automation. Regulatory challenges, such as international trade regulations and policy frameworks, are discussed, as they may need revision to accommodate these new technologies. The paper concludes by emphasizing that while these sustainable technologies offer transformative benefits, their potential for broad adoption is constrained by a complex interplay of financial, technical, regulatory, and social factors.

Nuclear security measures: A review of selected emerging technologies and strategies

This review article delves into the ever-evolving landscape of nuclear security, presenting an overview of emerging technologies and strategies that have the potential to enhance the safeguarding of nuclear materials, facilities, and information. With the global security environment continuously evolving, staying ahead of potential threats to nuclear assets is paramount. This article explores a wide range of cutting-edge advancements that could revolutionize nuclear security efforts, offering a balanced assessment of their benefits, and challenges. To facilitate an organized presentation and analysis, the extracted articles were categorized into distinct sections based on the identified key topics. These categories included "advanced surveillance and monitoring systems," "cybersecurity and digital protection," "non-destructive evaluation techniques," "physical security enhancements," "nuclear material characterization nuclear forensics," and "international collaboration and policy frameworks." Each section was dedicated to exploring the advancements, challenges, and implications specific to the respective technology or strategy. By offering this synthesis, the article aims to serve as a strategic resource for policymakers, security professionals, and researchers, underlining the pivotal role of technology in safeguarding against nuclear threats in an interconnected world.

International Legal and Policy Framework Related to Climate Change: A Systematic Review

International Legal and Policy Framework Related to Climate Change: A Systematic Review

OP19 Exploring The Environment/Capacity Of South African Citizen Actors To Contribute To Health Technology Assessment Processes, Policy Development And Institutionalization

IntroductionSeveral overarching health policy reform processes are currently underway in South Africa (SA), providing an opportunity to establish health technology assessment (HTA) and value-based assessment (VBA) frameworks that foster patient and citizen involvement (PCI). A mapping of the capacity, knowledge, and skill of SA PCI advocacy actors and understanding of the ‘middle-ground’ and influencing relationships that influence advocacy strategies for PCI in HTA, will allow us to determine the needs of PCI actors to entrench PCI principles in the emerging institutionalization of HTA in SA.MethodsAn analysis of national and international legislative and policy frameworks indicates current gaps and opportunities for PCI institutionalization in HTA in SA. A survey was conducted to determine SA patient and citizen advocacy actors’ capacity, knowledge, and skill across multiple disease areas. An analysis of decision maker’s opinions and positions about PCI in HTA and VBA policy, and their potential influence on the PCI process was undertaken.ResultsThe legislation and policy review indicate that engagement initiatives are positioned at the ‘involvement’ or ‘consultation’ stages of the engagement continuum, rather than higher-level engagement. Five percent of patient advocacy groups (PAGs) interviewed have formalized PCI HTA advocacy strategies. Few PAGs indicated employing processes to actively monitor the HTA and PCI-related activities of decision-makers.The majority of PAGs stated that collaborative efforts within larger networks would generate more success, if they engaged in PCI in HTA advocacy. Over eighty percent of civil society stakeholders face capacity constraints, such as lack of knowledge of the legislative framework and theory of HTA, funding and manpower to engage in PCI. The majority of HTA processes undertaken by funders in SA do not actively include PAGs or formalized PCI.ConclusionsExisting legislative and policy frameworks do not include PCI capacity-building strategies. This is impacted by the lack of coordination amongst patient and consumer groups, the willingness of existing HTA structures to formalize PCI, and the resources of the country’s PCI advocate actors to influence existing HTA processes.

The paradoxical (post-)politics of scale: exploring authoritarian state environmental policymaking in Brunei

ABSTRACT This article argues how the politics of scale is paradoxically used by the Bruneian state in environmental policymaking to legitimate its internal authoritarian regime. The literatures on post-politics, green authoritarianism and green as ‘spectacle’ are used in conjunction with personal observation findings on forestry protection and climate change policymaking processes, and triangulation with global environmental performance indices, to explore this paradox. The Bruneian state must justify a strong environmental policy implementation rhetoric, whilst simultaneously having to maintain its domestic authoritarian functioning that relies on fossil fuel extraction and exportation. It does this by engaging in a ‘consensual’ neoliberal post-politics that uses supra-national and international environmental policy frameworks and settings that are liberal democratic and polycentric in nature, through a ‘post-politics of scale’. This article contributes to the wider territory, politics and governance literature by illustrating how internal enviro-political tensions are remedied, inculcated across, and discursively influenced by, wider geographical spaces and politics beyond individual states, regardless of their political regime type.

The effect of clean energy investment on CO2 emissions: Insights from a Spatial Durbin Model

We estimate the direct and indirect effects of clean energy investment on carbon emissions using a Spatial Durbin Model fitted to a panel of 72 countries from 2000 to 2018. We find that a 1 percent increase in domestic clean energy investment reduces domestic carbon emissions by approximately 0.05 percent on average, controlling for country characteristics. However, this benefit is offset by a carbon leakage effect, whereby a 1 percent increase in clean energy investment among neighboring countries leads to about a 0.28 percent increase in domestic carbon emissions. This is suggestive of the outsourcing of pollution from one country to another and indicates that ad hoc policies to promote clean energy investment may be ineffective in achieving global emissions abatement. We conclude that a coordinated international policy framework is required to prevent jurisdiction-shopping by polluters.

Time for “environmentarian corridors”? Investigating the concept of safe passage to protect the environment during armed conflict

AbstractActors engaging in a diverse set of environmental protection activities are experiencing serious difficulties executing their mandates during armed conflict, leading to environmental harm that could otherwise have been mitigated. This article examines to what extent the international legal and policy framework can ensure the protection of environmental protection actors during armed conflict. It is argued that environmental protection actors can be seen either as part of civil defence organizations or as humanitarian relief actors, and are therefore covered by special protections under international humanitarian law. However, two main challenges remain: (1) despite these existing provisions, environmental protection actors may still face access and safety issues during armed conflict, and (2) within this framework, environmental protection activities must be linked to civilian needs and cannot be conducted based on ecocentric motivations. To overcome these challenges, the article introduces the concept of “environmentarian corridors”. Environmentarian corridors would allow for the unimpeded movement of environmental protection workers and resources through contested territory and into emergency areas to protect the environment. They would also serve to increase awareness about obligations to protect the environment and would help to ensure the safety of environmental protection actors during armed conflict, as the role and mandate of these actors is explicitly accepted by stakeholders. Additionally, environmentarian corridors offer potential for conducting environmental protection activities on ecocentric grounds. The article concludes by advocating for stakeholders to employ the provisions and concepts articulated herein as a means to further promote and strengthen initiatives aimed at protecting the environment during armed conflict.

Human-modified landscapes driving the global primate extinction crisis.

The world's primates have been severely impacted in diverse and profound ways by anthropogenic pressures. Here, we evaluate the impact of various infrastructures and human-modified landscapes on spatial patterns of primate species richness, at both global and regional scales. We overlaid the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range maps of 520 primate species and applied a global 100 km2 grid. We used structural equation modeling and simultaneous autoregressive models to evaluate direct and indirect effects of six human-altered landscapes variables (i.e., human footprint [HFP], croplands [CROP], road density [ROAD], pasture lands [PAST], protected areas [PAs], and Indigenous Peoples' lands [IPLs]) on global primate species richness, threatened and non-threatened species, as well as on species with decreasing and non-decreasing populations. Two-thirds of all primate species are classified as threatened (i.e., Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable), with ~86% experiencing population declines, and ~84% impacted by domestic or international trade. We found that the expansion of PAST, HFP, CROP, and road infrastructure had the most direct negative effects on primate richness. In contrast, forested habitat within IPLs and PAs was positively associated in safeguarding primate species diversity globally, with an even stronger effect at the regional level. Our results show that IPLs and PAs play a critical role in primate species conservation, helping to prevent their extinction; in contrast, HFP growth and expansion has a dramatically negative effect on primate species worldwide. Our findings support predictions that the continued negative impact of anthropogenic pressures on natural habitats may lead to a significant decline in global primate species richness, and likely, species extirpations. We advocate for stronger national and international policy frameworks promoting alternative/sustainable livelihoods and reducing persistent anthropogenic pressures to help mitigate the extinction risk of the world's primate species.

The Impact of Climate Change on International Business Strategies

bstract: This research paper explores the impact of climate change on international business strategies. It examines the risks and challenges posed by climate change, including supply chain disruptions, resource scarcity, and regulatory pressures. The study investigates how businesses are integrating sustainability into their strategies, adopting innovative technologies, and capitalizing on climate-related opportunities. It also analyzes the role of international collaborations, policy frameworks, and stakeholder engagement in shaping business strategies. Using a multidisciplinary approach, including case studies and data analysis, the research provides insights for policymakers and business leaders to formulate effective strategies in response to climate change. This study highlights the importance of addressing climate change impacts on international business for a sustainable and resilient future.