Member Countries Research Articles

Political Perspective in Geo-Map Analysis: What is the Role of World Governance Indicators in Reducing Greenhouse Emission in ASEAN Countries?

This study aims to analyze whether world governance indicators can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ASEAN countries. The data used is panel data of 11 ASEAN member countries in the period 2013 – 2020 with justifications before and after the Paris Agreement with panel regression methods and mapping using orange data mining geo maps. Empirical results show that political stability no violence, government effectiveness, corruption control, and the implementation of the Paris Agreement are able to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. It was concluded that the success of the Paris Agreement will occur when committed countries dare to carry out economic transformation. However, to achieve this, significant adjustments are needed, and all parties must have a uniform vision for achieving the net zero carbon target.

The Impact of Eurasian Economic Union Membership on Mutual Trade in Services: What Are the Challenges for Small Economies?

Despite the fact that a decade has elapsed since the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the impact of the EAEU on the economic development of its member states remains a subject of ongoing debate. This article examines the mutual trade in services between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries, with the aim of assessing the impact of membership on it. The difference-in-difference model has been applied for impact assessment. The model utilizes data from five EAEU member countries—Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia—capturing periods both before and after their EAEU membership, spanning 17 years in total. The results show that membership in the EAEU has significantly affected the exports of services from Russia and Belarus and has a less significant impact on the exports of services from Kazakhstan to the EAEU. At the same time, it has no significant effect on the exports of services from Kyrgyzstan and Armenia to other EAEU countries. In order to ascertain the challenges that exist, expert surveys among service exporters from Armenia have been conducted. Representatives of companies exporting various services to the EAEU have been selected as experts. The survey results indicate the presence of various barriers, including legal, logistical (for cargo transportation companies), and cultural challenges. These barriers encompass licensing difficulties, technical obstacles related to VAT refunds, a ban on cash payments, and difficulties with financial transfers due to sanctions against Russia. The findings of this research are of practical importance and can serve as a guideline for policymakers in the EAEU.

Satellite‐Derived Productivity Outputs for Land Degradation Assessment Vary With Biome and Rainfall

ABSTRACTEstimates of the extent of land degradation vary dramatically. To quantify the extent and location of land degradation globally, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) asks member countries to report on land degradation every four years, providing crucial baseline and change data. Finding remotely sensed products that best capture degradation is central to this reporting. Here, we compare assessments for South Africa's Trajectory of Land Productivity using the Trends.Earth tool, which allows use of various remotely sensed data and climate inputs (Land Productivity Degradation Models, LPDMs). These differ in how they account for precipitation, allowing countries to choose the most appropriate for their context. We compare extent and location of degraded, stable or improved Productivity indicator pixels as identified by five different LPDMs for the country over the UNCCD 2022 reporting period (2016–2019), and whether this varied with biome. The LPDMs differed in percentage of area identified as degraded. The most pessimistic identified 35% degraded and 4% improved, the most optimistic, 15% as degraded, and > 70% improved. LPDMs also differed in where degradation was identified. Models that account for rainfall were more likely to classify a location favorably than those that did not account for rainfall, particularly in shrubland biomes. South Africa's Grasslands were less likely than other biomes to be classified as degraded. Between 59%–78% of the country's area experienced drought over the reporting period, which may have accentuated differences between LPDM outputs. Mapping and monitoring degradation over space and time is crucial; to achieve this, all LPDM outputs should be carefully assessed by ecologists with a working knowledge of the landscapes of interest, supported by field validation data. This approach ensures that the most suitable remotely sensed models are used in national monitoring and reporting.

Women in Security and Defence Science in the Croatian Army

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 is the first official document on the position and role of women in armed conflicts, peace processes and activities related to peace and security. It marked a turning point in the direction of strengthening a comprehensive approach to security and opened the way for the realization of the specific contribution that women can and should make to world peace policy.The Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia are an example of a modern military organization in which women participate equally. According to data from the Annual Report on Defence for 2022, 14% of the Armed Forces are women, more than the average of NATO member countries. However, only a small number of women are in leadership positions. The military organization is known for its strict hierarchical structure and rules of behaviour and communication. Throughout history, the military was primarily intended for men. Nevertheless, women fought for equality and today, in most armies of developed democratic countries, they have become part of military organizations.The aim of this paper is to investigate how many women are represented in the educational work of the Croatian Army, how many of them participate in the teaching of the undergraduate and graduate university programmes in military leadership and management and military engineering. In addition to the above, the paper will investigate how they are accepted among their male colleagues and how much easier/harder it is for them, due to their private obligations (motherhood), compared to their male colleagues.

Lesson from History: Navigating Turbulent Waters – The IMF's Role in Global Economic Stabilization

Purpose: In the wake of the 2008-2009 international financial crisis, understanding the mechanisms and institutions that contributed to global economic recovery becomes imperative. This study aims to examine the crucial role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in restoring global economic stability and recovery during this period. Method: This study employed a qualitative method. Data was collected through literature review and information related to the international global crisis in 2008-2009. Data was search only from Google Scholar, with no particular or specific indexed journal. Findings: The study reveals that the IMF significantly influenced the crisis management by increasing global liquidity, providing loans to member countries facing financial difficulties, and overseeing the macroeconomic policies of member countries. Implication: The IMF's interventions were pivotal in stabilizing and recovering the global economy during the crisis, demonstrating the importance of international financial cooperation and support in times of economic distress. The study demonstrates that the IMF's role extends beyond financial assistance; it encompasses fostering international cooperation and reinforcing global economic governance, which are essential components in navigating and overcoming financial crises. Originality: This study highlights the specific mechanisms and strategies employed by the IMF during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, offering a detailed analysis of its impact on global economic stability and recovery

Reimagining Africa’s Insurance Landscape: How Regulatory Compliance Fuels AfCFTA’s Promise

This study explores how regulatory compliance in the African insurance sector can drive change under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It examines how harmonized regulatory frameworks can boost market resilience, facilitate cross-border operations, and enhance competitiveness. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines qualitative data from interviews with insurance executives, regulators, and academics, alongside quantitative surveys from 41 leaders across AfCFTA member countries. The findings reveal that aligned regulatory standards improve market stability and foster regional collaboration. However, challenges such as regulatory fragmentation, inconsistent data protection, and differing educational standards remain. The study advocates for a unified regulatory approach, enhanced cross-border cooperation, and the alignment of educational curricula to fully realize the AfCFTA’s potential in transforming Africa’s insurance market.

Financial Technology, Innovation, and Bank Performance Nexus: Evidence from ECOWAS Member Countries

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effect of financial technology and innovation on bank performance in the Economic Commission of West African States from 1997 to 2022. The autoregressive distributed lag technique is applied. Return on asset and return on equity measure bank performance, mobile banking, and internet banking proxy financial technology. Automated teller machines, point of sale, mobile payment, and mobile money proxy financial innovation. The findings reveal a long-term association among the variables and the individual units. The findings specify that financial technology and innovation affect bank performance positively. Investments in financial technologies and innovations in legally controlled banking systems should be encouraged to enhance bank performance. Governments, bank managers, and other stakeholders should efficiently draft and apply policies that safeguard financial technology and innovative investments to stimulate banks performance. Research results on the nexus of financial technology, innovation, and bank performance are inconclusive. The studies provide diverse results which are arguable. Some divulge positive effects, others present negative effects, and others indicate different directions of causality. So, this study is to fill the lacuna.

Legal regime of stay in the EU of citizens of Ukraine

The article focuses attention on the factors that became catalysts for the adoption of Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382, which establishes the presence of a mass influx of displaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC and introduces temporary protection. The above-mentioned decision became the basis for the appearance of a legal regime for the stay of Ukrainian citizens in the EU, which did not exist before - this is the regime of temporary protection. Focuses on the Council conclusions of 27 May 1999 on displaced persons from Kosovo, Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof. The article highlights all existing legal regimes of a Ukrainian citizen’s stay in the EU (temporary protection; tourist; refugee) and characterizes them. It is emphasized that the regime of temporary protection is limited in time, it is not the same as permanent protection and that it provides that EU member states take measures necessary for the voluntary return of persons who enjoy temporary protection or whose temporary protection has expired - to Ukraine. If the legal regime of a tourist - a citizen of Ukraine independently ensures his stay in an EU member state, he does not have the right to work in the EU. Refugee status can be acquired by a citizen of Ukraine who proves that he has a justified danger of being persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, belonging to a certain social group or political beliefs. Under the legal status of a refugee, a person gains access to the labor market if the application for granting refugee status has not received a final review within 9 months. It is emphasized that EU law establishes only minimum standards of protection that each EU member state must ensure. National protection standards (EU member countries) are higher compared to EU standards.

Child-specific deprivation: insights from Italy

The EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) is one of the main sources of data for periodic reports on the social situation of the European Union and the spread of the risk of poverty in member countries. In the national context, the reference population of the EU-SILC survey consists of all the households residing in Italy at the time of the interview, and their members. All household members are surveyed, but only people aged 16 or over are personally interviewed. However, the needs and living standards of children are different from those of adults, even within the same households. Although many of the household-level material and social deprivation items available from the core questionnaire are relevant to the situation of children, the accurate measurement of the actual living conditions of children requires the collection of information specific to the children’s situation and needs. To this end, in addition to the annual variables, the EU-SILC survey includes also variables collected every three years via a specific module on children. This thematic ad hoc module includes child-specific items on material and social deprivation, which made it possible to compute the child-specific indicator. To this end, in this paper we present the results of the child-specific indicator calculation for the Italian context – referring to the data from the modules included in the 2017 and 2021 survey editions, also showing which social dimensions are mainly interrelated with child deprivation.

National and Regional Convergence Outcomes of The Global Financial Crisis (2008): The Case of Türkiye and the EU

According to the convergence hypothesis, units (country, region, sector, etc.) with relatively lower incomes would converge to those with higher incomes. Reducing regional development disparities has been a key priority of European integration. Before full membership, candidate countries are expected to converge as much as possible to the EU average in terms of certain economic indicators. Financial crisis affects the differences in the level of income between regions and countries. The global crisis, which started in the USA and spread to the EU and the world as of 2007, was effective on national and regional scales; produced results worth discussing in the context of convergence. In the study, the convergence relationship between Türkiye and the EU member countries and their selected regions during the global financial crisis is investigated to see whether the global financial crisis is an opportunity for convergence in the relatively low-income level-2 regions. 81 regions of the EU and Türkiye for the period of 2004 - 2017 is used. Findings indicate that, Türkiye converged to the EU during the crisis. 26 regions converged positively and 18 negatively; 21 diverged positively and 11 negatively; there was no significant change in the relative position of 5 regions.

Foreign experience in improving special physical training of NATO member states

The analysis of the physical training of NATO member countries includes an assessment of the level of general physical training of military personnel and their ability to perform various combat missions. It is worth noting that NATO does not have a uniform standard for physical training, since each country has its own national standards, which is also due to the use of different types of weapons, geopolitical situation, and the terrain in which the population of the countries that are part of the North Atlantic Alliance lives. Special physical training of military personnel of NATO member countries usually includes various aspects. It is aimed at improving the general physical fitness, endurance and strength of the serviceman. In addition, this training may include such elements as running, swimming, jumping, muscle strengthening exercises, acrobatics, martial arts and other military-physical training.

The impact of governance and economic factors on Biocracy in the committed countries in COP28

<p>Biocracy refers to a system of governance and decision-making that prioritizes the well-being and health of living systems, including ecosystems, species, and human communities. Biocracy promotes holistic, participatory, and adaptive management, integrating science, traditional knowledge, and collective decision-making. The goal is to cultivate a mutually enriching relationship between humans and the natural world. As a result, all human actions have an impact on Biocracy. This study covers annual data from 2010 to 2022 for a group of member countries of the COP28 with the percentage of emissions reduction needed to meet the 1.5-degree Celsius target by 2030 among current top emitters and employs the tobit panel model with a limited dependent variable (LDV). The primary economic variables that substantially influence Biocracy are GDP growth, foreign investment, inflation rate, employment, trade-related variables (exports and imports), and governance. The results indicate that the governance index and imports variable have the most significant positive effect on Biocracy, and the elasticity of governance has the largest impact on Biocracy among all the variables studied. The study’s objective is to identify strategies to enhance Biocracy without hindering economic growth, with an emphasis on the role of good governance.</p>

Exact score and information matrix for panel hidden semi-Markov models

We describe a general multivariate hidden semi-Markov model for time series and panel data. The model entails multiple response variables arising from exponential families conditionally on covariates and a discrete time-varying latent variable. The latter is modeled through transition probabilities and sojourn time distributions. We derive efficient forward recursions to exactly compute the score and information matrix. In a simulation study, we show the validity of our inferential approach for parameter and standard error estimation. The approach is also illustrated on an original real data example on sales of four arm types from member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to non-member countries in the period 2002–2022.

Inequality and Convergence in Latin American Regional Trade Agreements

ABSTRACTThe process of Latin American integration has been characterized by both significant advances and setbacks; it is driven by the potential for economic convergence, which seeks to reduce disparities and asymmetries among the region's countries. This article aims to estimate inequality indexes and assess the presence of convergence within and among Latin American integration blocs—The Pacific Alliance, the Andean Community, and the Southern Common Market. To achieve this goal, measures of inequality—including sigma dispersion, the Gini coefficient, and the Theil index—were calculated for the past 22 years. The findings indicate that inequality has increased throughout most of the studied period, with the Southern Common Market exhibiting the highest levels of inequality, followed by the Andean Community and the Pacific Alliance. Furthermore, the analysis of data from 1990 to 2021 reveals a lack of economic convergence between the Southern Common Market and the Andean Community during periods of unilateral trade liberalization, North–South free trade agreements, and the commodities boom. Similarly, the Pacific Alliance shows no evidence of economic convergence between its member countries. While the bloc's formation in 2012 suggests a possible shift in the trend, this change is insufficient to establish a definitive convergence.

Occupational Injuries and Their Determinants Among Healthcare Workers in Western Countries: A Scoping Review.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) in developed countries can be exposed to a wide range of hazards. The systematic identification of working conditions associated with the risk of occupational injury can significantly reduce this risk. From January 2000 to December 2021, a scoping review was performed using PCC (Population, Concept, and Context) criteria and searching major scientific databases. Studies conducted in Western Countries, defined as member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), were selected. We identified 282 studies for the present review. Studies focused more frequently on biological injuries (59%). Musculoskeletal injuries and injuries due to aggression and violence followed, based on the frequency of the investigated topic. Most studies focused on the risk of bloodborne infections, while a knowledge gap emerged on the epidemiology of accidental exposure to other transmission pathways. Although the proportion of injured workers is not negligible in most studies, the most common determinants and risk factors of injury are entirely preventable.

The influence of foreign debt, foreign direct investment, exports, and labor on economic growth in ASEAN member countries

This study aims to analyze the impact of foreign debt, foreign direct investment (FDI), exports, and labor on economic growth measured by gross domestic product (GDP) in five ASEAN member countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This quantitative research uses panel data regression methods, combining time series and cross-sectional data from 2008 to 2018. The data were analyzed using the Common Effect Model (CEM) method. The results show that simultaneously, foreign debt, foreign direct investment, exports, and labor have a significant effect on economic growth. The analysis reveals that foreign debt and FDI have positive and significant impacts, exports have a significantly negative impact, and labor has a statistically insignificant impact on economic growth. The findings suggest that effective management of foreign debt, promotion of FDI, and investment in exports and labor development are key to sustaining economic growth in the ASEAN region. This study provides insights for policymakers to balance foreign debt with productive investments and to attract FDI to sectors that enhance export potential and labor productivity. It further provides references for ASEAN countries in managing debt, attracting investment, optimizing exports, and improving the quality of the workforce to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Agritourism in Southern Africa: a policy analysis

Over the years agritourism has emerged as a valuable alternative tourism route. It has also been presented as a viable strategy for promoting rural development, enhancing agricultural productivity, and diversifying the tourism product. However, despite agritourism being heralded as a panacea to tourism product diversification and rural development challenges in southern African countries, very little has been done in terms of policy development and adoption. This paper therefore sought to provide a policy analysis of agritourism among Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member countries. These southern African countries have unique tourism profiles, thus a sample of six countries were used, namely, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A systematic review of policy documents, government reports, government websites, journal articles and other published material on agritourism related to the different countries was done. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the gathered data. Five major themes emerged from the study which are; national level policy recognition, institutional framework for agritourism, infrastructure, key stakeholders in agritourism and monitoring and support mechanisms for agritourism. The study findings highlight the important role played by national level policies, public-private partnerships and capacity building efforts in driving the growth of agritourism. Insights from this review paper will inform policy makers and other stakeholders on how to be more effective and coordinated in designing agritourism strategies across the Southern African Region and beyond.

Political conflicts and food import refusals

AbstractWe examine the impact of political conflicts on China's food import refusals using monthly data from 2010 to 2022. Our analysis reveals that political conflicts significantly contribute to increased food import rejections. Specifically, a one‐standard‐deviation rise in political tensions results in a .02% increase in the number of import shipment rejections. Heterogeneous analysis shows that this effect is more pronounced for developed countries than for developing ones and is stronger for differentiated products compared to homogeneous ones. Dynamic analysis indicates that the impact lasts for approximately 6 months. We also find that past rejections, the presence of non‐tariff measures (NTMs), the duration of a country's WTO membership, and past export values, also significantly influence China's decisions to reject food imports. These findings highlight the importance of considering the risks of shipment rejections linked to political conflicts.

Management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a pragmatic scoping review of European guidelines and literature.

Management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a pragmatic scoping review of European guidelines and literature.

Long-Term Building Renovation Strategies—F-TOPSIS Analysis of Solutions Applied in the Chosen European Union Countries

The article analyzes long-term renovation strategies in EU member countries using the F-TOPSIS method, focusing on chosen criteria such as CO2 emission reductions, renovation rates, energy savings, investment requirements, and overall strategy quality. High-performing countries, such as Finland and Spain, demonstrate the importance of clear targets, robust planning, and substantial financial commitments. In contrast, several countries show gaps in strategic detail or ambition, highlighting challenges in achieving EU climate neutrality goals. The methodology underscores the effectiveness of multi-criteria decision-making tools in assessing complex renovation strategies. The findings emphasize the need for harmonized metrics and innovative approaches, such as digital tools like building renovation passports.