European Union has adopted certain framework decisions regarding co-operation between the asset recovery offices of the member countries on handling confiscation of crime-related properties. It asked the member countries to set up a national asset recovery office and made a judiciary authority which should be highly competent in dealing with confiscation or forfeiture of proceeds of crime thereby, curb the working of Mafia system or criminal deeds. They have put forward programmes to compensate the crime victims and promote social re- use of the criminal assets and even used for funding the asset recovery programmes. This paper tries to give an overview on the legal and institutional frame work given by European Union. The policy suggestions are helpful to frame policies for countries on their way to sustainable development. Keywords: Confiscated Assets, Asset Recovery, Vehicle Impoundment, Safe Disposal of Obsolete Vehicles

Abstract With the advent of Sustainable Development Goals, the issues concerning tourism, political stability, and economic growth have become a prominent subject of discussion. This study evaluates the impacts of tourism development on the economic growth of 52 African countries from 2008 to 2023. The research period selected is special because it encompasses two significant global events: the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Global Financial Crisis. Additionally, the study assesses how political stability and tourism development interact to affect Africa's economic growth. The two-step system generalized method of moments (2SY-GMM) econometric appraisal technique was employed to achieve the designed objective. The findings of the study disclose that tourism development (TAS) positively and significantly influences the economic growth rate of Africa before the introduction of political stability (POS) in Africa’s economic growth model. However, when the interactive term of political stability-tourism development (POS*TAS) is introduced in the model, the contribution of tourism development to Africa’s economic growth becomes significantly negative. Specifically, the 2SY-GMM shows that, when all other factors stay the same, a percentage change in the interactive term of political stability-tourism development is accompanied by an average decline of a 0.0718% in Africa's economic growth rate in the short run, while it reveals a decrease of 0.888% in the long run. This implies that once political stability was addressed in the growth model, Africa's tourism contribution to the economic growth rate became negative in both the short and the long term. Further, to improve the short- and long-term contributions of Africa’s tourism development to economic growth, member countries need to strengthen their commitment to establishing a politically stable environment and bolstering anti-terrorism efforts. Ultimately, this study suggests economic policies that encourage the Politically Stable Tourism-led Growth (STLG) if tourism development is to enhance Africa’s economic growth in a sustainable way.

On 29 September 2015, at its seventieth session, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution themed "Transforming our World: the 2030 agenda for Sustainable development. "l The World council on Environment and Development in its report titled "Our Common Future" had earlier defined the concept of Sustainable Development as "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UN General Assembly had also earlier, at its 68ül Session, received a proposal of 17 specific Sustainable Development Goals (17 SDGs) developed by the UN's Open Working Group (OWG) an intergovernmental process established to develop the SDGs. These 17SDGs (See Figure 1) cover a wide range of interrelated goals and are hatched on three developmental pillar themes namely economic, social equity, and environmental protection, sustainable development. They are Global goals that member states have committed to achieve by 2030 and emanates from major earlier commitments of member states, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), UN Convention on Biodiversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Now the scope and nature of these 17 SDGs necessitate concerted and coordinated efforts across all sectors and players in order to ensure their success and achievement by 2030 by all committed member countries.

Considering the increasing energy needs and environmental challenges in the world, BRICS members have also put in place a policy of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and moving towards more sustainable energy sources. This study aims to investigate the role and impact of the expansion of this bloc on the development and use of renewable energies, with a special focus on hydrogen energy. In this article, the combined method (quantitative and qualitative) and the theoretical framework of sustainable development and energy transition have been employed. Based on the results, BRICS can play an important role in accelerating the development of hydrogen energy by using policies such as knowledge and technology exchange between member countries, increasing investment in research and development of hydrogen energy, and financing hydrogen energy production infrastructure projects by the new BRICS Development Bank.

ABSTRACT This study employs the OECD Digital Services Trade Restrictiveness Index framework to quantify changes in digital trade costs triggered by digital trade provisions within RTAs and incorporates these changes into a trade structure model that differentiates between intermediate and final goods. It assesses the trade and welfare impacts resulting from the implementation of digital trade rules under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans‐Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA). Unlike traditional tariff concessions, digital trade rules—once implemented by a country—apply universally, thus significantly promoting trade for both member and non‐member countries. Further decomposition reveals that the changes in trade flows are primarily driven by intermediate goods. Welfare levels have substantially improved for CPTPP and DEPA members, mainly due to the welfare gains associated with reduced digital trade costs. Non‐member countries have also seen slight welfare improvements due to the spillover effects of these digital trade rules. Should China accede to either CPTPP or DEPA, it would generate positive trade and welfare effects for member countries, with China being the primary beneficiary. Non‐member countries would also benefit, albeit to a lesser extent than members, ultimately leading to an improvement in global welfare.

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impact of foreign trade protectionism on sectoral performance in the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU), focusing on productivity and labour compensation. Using comprehensive data from the Global Trade Alert database, this study systematically assesses how various tariff- and non-tariff barriers implemented abroad affect EU industrial sectors. To address potential endogeneity, a dynamic panel data approach is applied. The findings reveal a mixed picture: while foreign trade protectionism tends to depress sectoral compensation of employees, productivity exhibits some gains, suggesting that firms may respond with efficiency improvements to mitigate adverse effects. These results contribute to the growing body of research on the broader consequences of protectionism, particularly the impact of non-tariff trade barriers on affected economies.

Purpose – This study examines the effect of Islamic financial literacy on women’s empowerment using Islamic financial inclusion as a mediating variable. In addition, digital financial literacy was examined to capture its complementary role in expanding women’s financial participation.Methodology – Using data of 140 female who were or had been married, this group reflects household decision-making roles and provides valuable insights into women’s empowerment. The relationships among the variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS). Findings – The results show that both Islamic financial literacy and digital financial literacy significantly enhance Islamic financial inclusion and women’s empowerment. However, Islamic financial inclusion does not significantly mediate the relationship between literacy (Islamic and digital) and women’s empowerment. Implications – The findings emphasize the need to strengthen financial literacy programs, both digital and Islamic, as part of broader efforts to advance women's empowerment in OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) member countries. Financial institutions and policymakers should integrate literacy initiatives with inclusion strategies to ensure that women fully benefit from Sharia-compliant financial services.Originality – This study provides new evidence linking Islamic financial literacy, digital financial literacy, and Islamic financial inclusion to explain women’s empowerment. This offers insights into the pathways through which literacy and inclusion interact, particularly in the context of Islamic finance.

This study systematically examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on national economic resilience and its underlying mechanisms, using member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development (OECD) as the sample. Based on cross‑national panel data from 2000 to 2023, we construct a composite index to measure economic resilience and employ AI patent stock and industrial robot installations as core explanatory variables, estimated via a fixed‑effects model. The baseline regression results reveal that the level of AI development exerts a significant positive effect on economic resilience. A series of robustness tests—including substituting the dependent variable with the share of industrial value‑added and replacing the explanatory variable with robot installations—confirm the reliability of this core finding. Further heterogeneity analysis indicates that the enabling effect of AI exhibits distinct “institutional thresholds” and “development‑level thresholds,” being more pronounced in countries with higher government AI readiness and higher income levels. Mechanism tests uncover two key mediating pathways: AI not only directly enhances economic resilience but also generates significant indirect effects by driving national digital transformation and stimulating R&D investment. Theoretically and empirically, this study provides new evidence for understanding AI as a general‑purpose technology in strengthening the risk‑resistance and recovery capacity of macroeconomic systems, and offers policy insights for designing differentiated and inclusive AI development strategies to improve economic resilience.

ABSTRACT Since its formation in 1985, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has generated both hope and despair. Started with a limited non-controversial agenda, its scope of cooperation has expanded as member countries aspired to a customs union, common currency, a common energy grid, and integrated market and transport corridors that had the potential to transform the regional economy. However, there has also been the emergence of the politics of ‘otherisation’ and extreme nationalistic impulse, which often see cooperation through a zero-sum lens. Although SAARC avoided bilateral disputes and emphasised consensus decision-making, it is bilateral relations with geopolitical undertones that have undermined SAARC. The promise of the transforming potential of geo-economics is now buried under geopolitical imperatives in which terrorism has taken centre stage; this has emerged as a make-or-break moment for SAARC. While SAARC has stagnated, China is engaging the SAARC countries in several forums. Does this mean bilateralism and sub-regionalism have emerged as alternative mechanisms? What is the future of SAARC?

Public management reform has developed as a global trend since the 1980s, in line with the increasing complexity of public issues and demands for more effective and accountable governance. Member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) play a crucial role in shaping and disseminating the public management reform paradigm through the development of modern governance standards and practices. This article aims to analyze the development of contemporary public management theory and examine how OECD reform trends are adapted to the context of Indonesian governance. This research uses a qualitative approach with a systematic literature review design. The literature search was conducted through Scopus-indexed international journals from 2021–2025 using the keywords public management and OECD. Selected articles were analyzed thematically to identify patterns of theory development, the role of the OECD as a global normative actor, and the dynamics of reform adaptation at the national level. The study results indicate that public management reform within the OECD has shifted from the New Public Management approach to a post-New Public Management framework that emphasizes cross-institutional coordination, institutional capacity, and policy integration. In the Indonesian context, these principles have been selectively adopted through bureaucratic reform, performance-based management, regulatory reform, and digital government. However, their implementation faces structural challenges, resulting in a hybrid governance pattern. These findings confirm that OECD-based reforms require contextual adjustments to sustainably strengthen the quality of public governance.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the impact of economic growth and decent work on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by OECD member countries. Method: The data obtained from the 2024 Sustainable Development Report, which included the overall SDG scores and the indicator scores related to economic growth and decent work (SDG 8) for 38 OECD member countries, were analyzed using the Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method. Results: Financial inclusion and protection of basic workers’ rights were identified as the most impactful indicators contributing to sustainable development. Conclusion: The study identified the critical factors contributing to sustainable development in OECD countries and provided valuable insights into the areas that countries should prioritize, improve, and support through concrete policy actions.

Introduction Government monopoly alcohol shop systems have existed for around 100 years in five well-developed and high-income countries. These countries have a monopoly to sell alcohol above a specified alcohol concentration and apply higher levels of taxation to these sales. The aim of this study is to compare population drinking levels in OECD high-income countries with and without these monopoly shop systems for the period 1973–2015. Methodology The study employs a panel regression design. Annual alcohol consumption (liters per capita aged 15+ years) in these countries is the outcome variable. Results While there were changes in the monopoly shop operations and their operational contexts, their core public health-oriented goals did not change. There is a significant negative association between whether foundational and early joiner OECD member countries have monopoly shop systems and level of alcohol consumption across the whole study period. Second, results were similar for the two subperiods 1985–2000 and 2005–2015 for foundational OECD member countries and all joiners together. Conclusion Some caution should be exercised in drawing conclusions from this historical data. However the results suggest that countries with monopoly shop systems were overall successful in protecting their population’s public health through restricting access to alcohol.

Purpose The study is conducted to investigate the impact of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-induced transport infrastructure on export sophistication in BRI member countries. For this purpose, panel data from 65 BRI member countries from 1990 to 2023 are utilized both in the total sample and in the grouped sample of South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East & Africa and European BRI member countries. Design/methodology/approach We have devised a new global transport infrastructure to cover all the key extents (i.e. air, sea and land infrastructure). For analysis, a panel ARDL model with a dummy approach is employed. Findings The result of the study shows that BRI-induced transport infrastructure has a positive significant impact on export sophistication in every sample of the study. By comparing the results of different samples of the study, we conclude that BRI-induced transport infrastructure impact on export sophistication is stronger in the Central Asian sample, followed by the total sample and the Southeast Asian sample, while in the case of South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the European sample, its effects are relatively low. The study further points out that with the passage of time, transport infrastructure’s impact on export sophistication increases. Besides the main variables, the control variables of the study, such as institutional quality, human capital (taken as a proxy for knowledge), FDI, per capita GDP and research & development expenditures (taken as a proxy for innovation), have a positive impact on export-sophistication, while exchange rates have a negative impact on export-sophistication. Originality/value For the robustness check of these results, the GMM estimation procedure is adopted, which confirms the reliability of the estimated panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag results of our study.

Sustainable development has become a global priority, and the EU has responded with an increasingly stringent and standardized regime to regulate corporate sustainability practices. However, these directives have also received criticism from both companies and member countries. To ease the burden of companies and increase competitiveness, the EU presents the Omnibus Simplification Package I in early 2025 which simplifies requirements in key sustainable directives. This article examines current sustainable reporting challenge and predicts the possible effect of the EU Omnibus Simplification Package I. First, drawing on the sustainability reports of three large companies from different industries, I found that, under current strict sustainable directives, they have conducted practices to obscure their adverse performance. Second, though the implementation of simplification package can release corporate's burdens, its over-simplified provisions may exacerbate current reporting situation. Additionally, if the simplification package been implemented, companies may avoid their sustainable obligations through four predictable approaches: managing to stay below the threshold applicable, taking intense activity only near the assessment year, maintaining or even intensifying current practice to construct a green image and avoid penalty through litigation over "uneven" fines. Keywords: Omnibus Simplification Package, Over-simplified, Sustainability reporting, ESG, Regulatory capture

Objectives: This study aims to assess the role of the Arab League in achieving comprehensive economic security between 2019 and 2023, nearly eight decades after its establishment. It focuses on analyzing key economic indicators to evaluate the organization's effectiveness in addressing economic challenges. Methods: The study employs a statistical analysis approach and the school of indicators to examine economic issues directly linked to the Arab League's inability to achieve comprehensive economic security. Additionally, the theoretical frameworks of interdependence and regional integration are utilized to measure economic indicator sectors among member countries. Results: The findings reveal weak cooperation and interdependence among most Arab countries. Economic indicators related to food security, economic growth, and high rates of inflation, unemployment, and poverty demonstrate significant challenges in achieving comprehensive economic security. The study emphasizes that implementing a regional economic system requires a new political strategy grounded in regional integration and interdependence. Conclusions: The study concludes that a negative correlation exists between current economic indicators and the attainment of comprehensive economic security within the Arab League. Achieving this goal necessitates strengthened Arab cooperation, fostering a collective will, and leveraging the capacities of economically advanced countries to support integrated development plans that address the needs of less developed nations.

Global assessment of insulin and oral hypoglycaemic agent accessibility and affordability: A cross-sectional survey of international diabetes federation member countries.

OPEC member countries face a persistent challenge in balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability and public health. This study investigates the interlinked dynamics among economic growth, environmental protection, and public health using a panel dataset from 1990 to 2024 and employing robust econometric methods, including stationarity tests, fixed effects estimation, and the Hausman test. Key variables analyzed include per capita GDP, capital accumulation, urbanization, education, CO? emissions, and adult mortality rates. The results demonstrate that while capital accumulation and urbanization significantly enhance economic growth, they do not inherently alleviate environmental pressures. The empirical rejection of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) suggests that rising income levels in OPEC countries are associated with continued environmental degradation. Public health, conversely, was found to positively influence economic growth, highlighting its role as both an outcome and a driver of development. Education emerged as a supportive factor, improving health outcomes and correlating positively with economic growth, although its environmental impact was statistically insignificant. Drawing upon these empirical results, the present study delineates focused strategies for policymaking, including increased investment in human capital, reallocation of oil revenues toward healthcare and environmental remediation, and a gradual transition toward cleaner industrial practices. These proposals aim to help OPEC countries address the negative trade-offs between industrial expansion, environmental degradation, and public health challenges on the path to sustainable development. Keywords: Sustainable Development, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Public Health, Kuznets Curve hypothesis, OPEC Member Countries

Profile of training courses offered in clinical pharmacy in healthcare establishments: an exploratory North-South study

Economic evaluation of next-generation sequencing technologies in pediatric patient groups with confirmed or possible rare diseases: A systematic literature review.

This contribution to the debate on anti-corruption public policies suggests it is necessary to separate public integrity and public accountability in order to understand their effects on corruption control. The core argument is that improving corruption control depends on achieving a high level of both public integrity and public accountability. Yet there is no causal mechanism linking these conditions: public integrity does not depend on public accountability, and vice-versa. They are but two separate dimensions of a single explanation. The research is grounded in set theory and unfolds a configurational analysis of two sets of conditions—public accountability and public integrity—for high corruption control perceptions. A qualitative comparative analysis is conducted across the 38 OECD member countries, which have been selected for their long-lasting commitment with anti-bribery and public integrity strategies. The findings indicate that public integrity is neither necessary nor sufficient for corruption control, unlike public accountability. This contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between policy design and institutional change in democratic governance.