North-South Cooperation Research Articles

Las entidades públicas en Colombia y los procesos de cooperación internacional: un análisis comparado de las experiencias del servicio nacional de aprendizaje (SENA)

El presente artículo analiza los principales procesos internos y externos en pro de esta actividad de cooperación, que se desarrollan en las entidades estatales en Colombia. Para ello se toma el caso del centro de formación para el trabajo SENA a partir del análisis comparado de sus experiencias en Cooperación Internacional con sus pares SENAI en Brasil a nivel Sur-Sur y MOSHAW en Israel, a nivel Norte-Sur. Los hallazgos evidencian resultados positivos en la transferencia de conocimientos y experiencias en doble vía, receptor y donante, lo que puede ser replicable en una mayor dimensión en el SENA e incluso en otros tipos de entidades pública demostrando la fortaleza de la institución como oferente y receptor de cooperación en Colombia.
 Palabras Claves: Cooperación Internacional; Cooperación Norte-Sur; Cooperación Sur-Sur; SENA; organización gubernamental.

EU-Latin America: Towards a Constructive Model of Partnership

The article deals with the future-oriented forms in the bi-regional partnership between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The author analyses changes in the cooperation on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean with special attention to the geo-economic and geo-strategic interests of the parties due to the signing of the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement. The author holds that the EU currently needs a renewed approach to its dialogue with the LAC. In this regard a promising form of cooperation is the joint implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (agenda 2030). The author argues that the official development assistance and environmental programmes might be an important component of a constructive EU-LAC partnership. The EU currently implements a wide range of initiatives in sustainable development. Thus, the members of European Union seek to move forward to a new pattern of reproduction in the world economic system, based on the SDG agenda, both within the EU and in the interregional North-South cooperation. In this context, the significance of the EU and the LAC interaction in three dimensions of sustainable development ‒ economic, social and ecological – is growing.

La gobernanza regional de la cooperación Sur-Sur en América Latina

La cooperación Sur-Sur se ha consolidado como una modalidad complementaria a la tradicional cooperación Norte-Sur que, en la práctica, se ha materializado como un instrumento para el intercambio de ideas, políticas y experiencias, que se ejecuta entre países en desarrollo que tienen, o creen tener, elementos políticos, históricos y socioeconómicos afines. Sus orígenes se remontan a la década de los cincuenta, y desde entonces, la estructura ideológica que le ha dado forma ha estado influenciada por ideas y hechos que se interrelacionan a partir de distintas narrativas construidas por los estados, subrayando intereses comunes sobre el lugar que ocupan dentro de la arquitectura de la cooperación al desarrollo. A lo largo del siglo XXI, dicha modalidad ha ido ganando mayores espacios de concertación y negociación como un instrumento político de los países en desarrollo que se sustenta en los principios de horizontalidad, solidaridad, reciprocidad e independencia. Desde un enfoque regional, América Latina, por ejemplo, ha favorecido la creación de instrumentos técnicos que, desde la conceptualización hasta el registro de datos, han llevado a la creación de estructuras normativas para la ejecución de la cooperación Sur-Sur. En esa línea argumentativa, desde un enfoque social constructivista de difusión de ideas, normas y prácticas, este artículo analiza de manera descriptiva y explicativa cómo la región ha fortalecido la práctica de la cooperación Sur-Sur a partir de la identificación de problemáticas comunes y discursos encaminados a definirla desde las estructuras ideacionales. El objetivo de este artículo es entender el proceso de formación de la gobernanza regional de la cooperación Sur-Sur en América Latina, para lo cual, se analiza el rol de la Secretaria General Iberoamericana desde cuya institucionalidad, los países de la región fortalecen la difusión de prácticas e ideas que podrían significar avances para la construcción de una gobernanza global de la cooperación Sur-Sur.

남⋅북⋅중 지경학적 협력의 정치경제-북한의 전략적 변화를 중심으로-

남⋅북⋅중 지경학적 협력의 정치경제-북한의 전략적 변화를 중심으로-

The International Community and Haiti: a story of mischief. The role of international cooperation 1990-2010

The article analyzes the actions of international cooperation, bi and multilateral, received by Haiti since the 1990s, and how this defines the (im)possibilities of sustainable development, considering the upsurge of South-South cooperation since 2004. Given that conditions show that North-South cooperation hasn’t been able to achieve its goals, an analysis of the available funds and its allocation will be made, based on author’s elaboration data regarding sectorial allocation of funds for the 1990-2004 period. The conclusions will consider the lessons learned from the studied period, which gain new meaning in the context of the post-earthquake reconstruction.CITE AS:Herbst, N. (2013). La comunidad internacional y Haití: una historia de desamor. El rol de la cooperación internacional 1990-2010. Iberoamerican Journal of Development Studies, 2 (1): 24-45

PO 8578 THE ROLE OF CLINICAL RESEARCH IN EDUCATING THE HEALTH WORKFORCE IN GUINEA-BISSAU

BackgroundThe World Health Organisation estimates a global deficit of approximately 4.3 million health workers, particularly doctors, nurses and midwives. Guinea-Bissau is among the 36 countries that suffer from a critical need for human resources (less than 23 health professionals per 10.000 inhabitants). The present research investigates the impact of clinical trials on health worker’s capacity and training.MethodsThis is a qualitative study. I interviewed health professionals who assisted in clinical trials during the past five years and obtained assistance to attend health-related courses. The interviews collected data about the professional’s technical capacity, clinical practices, work conditions, their qualification for their work and socio-economic variables. Additionally, documents about clinical trials conducted in Guinea-Bissau through North-South cooperation, were analysed.ResultsInterviews were held with 35 health professionals (21 female, 14 male) who participated in clinical trials with the Bandim Health Project (Guinea-Bissau) as research assistants and who received subsidies to realise undergraduate or graduate degrees. Among those interviewed, 28 (80%) received support to realise an undergraduate degree in nursing, 4 (11%) a laboratory course, and 3 (9%) a postgraduate course. Twenty-four (24; 69%) stated that they experienced significant improvements in their working conditions within the institutions where they worked after their clinical trials; 7 (20%) declared that they have progressed in their career after being placed in a health center or a hospital; 29 (83%) stated that the participation in clinical trials significantly strengthened their technical capacity and had a positive impact on their careers.ConclusionI observed a positive impact of the involvement in clinical research on the development of health professionals’ capacity. However, the quantity of clinical research in Guinea-Bissau is insufficient to train all health practitioners in this area.

Brexit and the Irish question IN FOCUS part two: Brexit’s unintended consequences. Five key challenges

Since 1998 the Irish border has become invisible, more conduit than barrier between Ireland North and South and at every level. Cross-border trade has expanded exponentially and increasing civic engagement is both entrenching and normalizing the peace process on both sides. The border region is slowly but surely becoming as much a shared civic and political, as a merely functional or economic space. The prospect of a reinstated border threatens that endeavor, concentrating minds in both communities, in government and in Brussels about the malign consequences of what seems to most observers to be an entirely retrograde move. In these uncertain times, the likelihood is that the significantly altered status of the post-Brexit border will have far-reaching and mostly negative consequences for future relations on the island of Ireland, and at every level. Brexit threatens a fundamental reversal of a tentative yet tangible peace process, a fundamental downshift in political, commercial and civic relations that means North-South co-operation cannot continue on present terms. Certainly not, if as seems likely, quite different economic and regulatory arrangements will pertain in the island’s respective political jurisdictions, a fact that will become even more conspicuous with a reinstated and formal border.

Leveraging research partnerships to achieve the 2030 Agenda: Experiences from North-South cooperation

Creating an interconnected, transnational knowledge society that provides equal opportunities for everyone could prove a powerful way of moving towards sustainable development. Having experienced decades of North-South cooperation, the authors believe that with more transdisciplinary research and support from funders, governments, the private sector and civil society, research partnerships can help forge a path towards a more balanced production and dissemination of knowledge. The opportunities offered by the digital era can help strengthen the framework and performance of these partnerships.Transnational research partnerships are considered fundamental for supporting research and creating shared knowledge for sustainable development. They enable the acquisition and global sharing of high-quality information and create shared knowledge and capacity. This paper aimed to identify the enabling factors of such partnerships. In a survey carried out by the authors of this article, partnerships were perceived most beneficial when they provided access to new key features such as funding, technology and training. Compliance with research partnership principles, combined with funds and shared interests, was seen to further enhance the longevity of partnerships. Upon consulting the recent peer-reviewed literature, it became clear that research was lacking with regard to optimising the framework and performance of research partnerships, despite galloping technological progress in other areas of sustainable development. We believe that technological opportunities could be better harnessed to enable the concept of partnership to evolve and move towards transformative research for the advancement of sustainable development.

남북협력체제의 법적 틀과 지향점에 대한 헌법적 탐구

남북협력체제의 법적 틀과 지향점에 대한 헌법적 탐구

Finding the Balance Between Benefits and Harms When Using Statins for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Modeling Study.

Many guidelines use expected risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) during the next 10 years as a basis for recommendations on use of statins for primary prevention of CVD. However, how harms were considered and weighed against benefits is often unclear. To identify the expected risk above which statins provide net benefit. Quantitative benefit-harm balance modeling study. Network meta-analysis of primary prevention trials, a preference survey, and selected observational studies. Persons aged 40 to 75 years with no history of CVD. 10 years. Clinicians and guideline developers. Low- or moderate-dose statin versus no statin. The 10-year risk for CVD at which statins provide at least a 60% probability of net benefit, with baseline risk, frequencies of and preferences for statin benefits and harms, and competing risk for non-CVD death taken into account. Younger men had net benefit at a lower 10-year risk for CVD than older men (14% for ages 40 to 44 years vs. 21% for ages 70 to 75 years). In women, the risk required for net benefit was higher (17% for ages 40 to 44 years vs. 22% for ages 70 to 75 years). Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin provided net benefit at lower 10-year risks than simvastatin and pravastatin. Most alternative assumptions led to similar findings. Age-specific data for some harms were not available. Statins provide net benefits at higher 10-year risks for CVD than are reflected in most current guidelines. In addition, the level of risk at which net benefit occurs varies considerably by age, sex, and statin type. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship Office, Béatrice Ederer-Weber Foundation, and North-South Cooperation at the University of Zurich.

Chile\u2019s role in global health diplomacy: a narrative literature review

BackgroundGlobal health diplomacy (GHD) has become an important field of investigation due to health concerns increasingly entering the foreign policy domain. Much of the existing academic writing focuses on North-South cooperation in global health, and emphasizes the role of security and economic interests by Northern countries as drivers of GHD. Chile presents a favourable environment for an expanded involvement in future GHD activities. However, there is little knowledge about what has been driving Chile’s integration of health into foreign policy, and little effort to appropriate knowledge from international relations theories to better theoretically grasp the emergence of GHD.MethodsTo fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a narrative literature review of the driving forces behind Chile’s integration of health into foreign policy. Drawing on a popular analytical framework used in international relations scholarship, we identified driving forces of the integration of health into Chile foreign policy at three levels of analysis.ResultsAt the international/global level of analysis, the main driving forces were related to national security concerns and compliance with regulations of international organizations. At the regional level, GHD was driven by a commitment to regional solidarity through mutually beneficial cooperation in response to neoliberal reforms; health coordination in emergencies; and protection of indigenous peoples. Finally, at the domestic level, drivers identified include economic interests of various productive sectors and how health regulations might impact those; the high degree of social inequity which impacts on access to healthcare; and management of natural disasters.ConclusionHealth actions in the context of international relations in Chile are still mainly motivated by more traditional foreign policy interests rather than by a desire to satisfy health needs per se. This seems to conform with findings of existing GHD scholarship that emphasize the importance of security and economic interests as driving forces of GHD, and how health is often appropriated instrumentally within foreign policy settings to achieve other goals. But the review also reveals that in the context of South-South cooperation (and regional health diplomacy), solidarity and normative considerations can be important driving forces as well. Finally, the review demonstrates that there has been an evolution from chiefly domestically focused health policies (e.g. maternal and child nutrition treatment) towards internationally inspired integrated policies (e.g. maternal and child nutrition promotion aligned with international guidelines).

Perspectives on the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation

The establishment of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) created the unique opportunity to bring together and explore synergies between South–South cooperation (SSC) and traditional aid, or North–South cooperation. However, the GPEDC lacks support from both sides due to a lack of trust and misconceptions among partner countries. This article discusses the challenges of operationalising the GPEDC as a truly global and inclusive partnership. This is done by analysing differences between North–South and South–South cooperation and the challenges of bringing them closer. Furthermore, the particular reasons of individual SSC providers, the rising powers in particular, for withholding support for the GPEDC are identified and looked at in the context of fundamental differences between SSC and OECD-DAC aid.

At the Root of the North–South Cooperation Gap in Italy: Preferences or Beliefs?

The marked difference in the development of the North and the South of Italy represents a prototypical case of seemingly intractable within-country disparities. Recent research found that a plausible determinant of this socio-economic gap would be a difference in the ability to cooperate. Through a laboratory experiment we investigate whence this difference derives, whether from different preferences or from different beliefs. Our findings indicate that Northerners and Southerners share the same individual pro-social preferences, and that the cooperation gap lies rather in the pessimistic beliefs that Southerners have about their cooperativeness. Southerners, furthermore, manifest a stronger aversion to social risk, as compared to the risk of nature. A policy implication is that an intervention or an event that reduced pessimistic beliefs would directly boost cooperation levels.

The Island of Ireland and Brexitt A Legal-Political Critique of the Draft Withdrawal Agreement

Based on a legal analysis of the position of the island of Ireland in the draft withdrawal agreement, this paper argues that the draft does neither fully protect socio-economic and civic cooperation between on the island of Ireland, nor do justice to the Agreement concluded in Belfast o Good Friday 1998 (the 1998 Agreement). While the common regulatory area is an ingenious proposal to keep Northern Ireland in the Customs Union as well as the EU Internal Market for goods (including agricultural goods and electricity), the fledgling service economy on the island of Ireland remains unprotected, as well as civic cooperation and an all-island services of (social) general interests such as (higher) education and health care. As a consequence, even the second draft falls short of fully safeguarding North-South cooperation on the island of Ireland. If that is to be achieved, Northern Ireland will have to remain not only in the Customs Union, but also in the Internal Market and covered by the EU citizenship acquis, including the anti-discrimination acquis. However, if Great Britain does not follow the same course, the existing constitutional divergence between Northern Ireland and Great Britain will become more pronounced. The draft is thus testimony to the decisive role of common EU membership of the UK and Ireland for safeguarding the 1998 Agreement.

The UN World Water Development Report 2016, Water and Jobs: A Critical Review

The UN World Water Development Report 2016, <i>Water and Jobs</i>: A Critical Review

The Contribution of Professor Gian Tommasso Scarascia Mugnozza to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

During his lifetime, Professor Scarascia Mugnozza contributed significantly to the field of population genetics, his research ranging from wheat breeding in arid and semi-arid regions, to the conservation of forest ecosystems. He promoted regional networks across the Mediterranean, linking science and policy at national and international levels, focusing on the conservation and sustainable use of genetic diversity. In addition, he worked intensely on improvement of knowledge bases, raising awareness on how research could inform international agreements, and thus lead to evidence-based policies. The loss of biodiversity and the resulting implications for environmental, socio-economic, political, and ethical management of plant genetic resources were of major concern, and he highlighted the absolute necessity for conservation of genetic diversity, stressing the importance of building positive feedback linkages among ex situ, in situ, on-farm conservation strategies, and participatory approaches at the community level. His work emphasized the importance of access to diverse plant genetic resources by researchers and farmers, and promoted equitable access to genetic resources through international frameworks. Farmers’ rights, especially those in centres of origin and diversity of cultivated plants, were a key concern for Professor Scarascia Mugnozza, as their access to germplasm needed to be secured as custodians of diversity and the knowledge of how to use these vital resources. Consequently, he promoted the development of North-South cooperation mechanisms and platforms, including technology transfer and the sharing of information of how to maintain and use genetic resources sustainably.

SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IN THE CHÁVEZ ERA IN VENEZUELA

South-South Cooperation (SSC) has become one of the major trends in the International Relations of the new millennium. Initiatives of political cooperation, economic and technical assistance can be traced back to the 1960’s, for example the Bandung Conference of non-aligned countries or the creation of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) under Ra u l Prebisch’s aegis [Braveboy-Wagner 2009; Prebisch 1954, 1969]. Nevertheless, the emergence of China and the BRICS and a new period of high oil prices have produced an increased involvement of middle-income states in initiatives of cooperation with other countries of the Global South. Venezuela has been an actor in this wave of SSC during the government of Hugo Ch a vez. Certainly, SSC is not new in the Venezuelan external relations because Caracas implemented programs of cooperation to supply oil in special conditions to some Central American and Caribbean countries since the 1970’s. Example of this were the Puerto Ordaz Agreement, approved during the Carlos Andr e s P e rez administration (1974-1979) and the San Jos e Agreement, a Venezuelan-Mexican initiative implemented in the early 1980’s [Grayson 1985]. Similarly, Carlos Andr e s P e rez played a role in the promotion of a New International Economic Order and in the establishment of the Latin American Economic System (known in Spanish as SELA) [P e rez 1980, 1983]. However, the logic of Venezuelan South-South cooperation was transformed since the rise to power of Ch a vez in 1999 and in particular after his victory in the recall referendum convened in 2004. Ch a vez aimed to transform the Venezuelan foreign policy since the beginning of his government. One of his goals was obviously the deepening of the relations with the Global South. Venezuela as a middle-income country became a driver in the new dynamics of SSC both in Latin America and the Caribbean and beyond the Western Hemisphere. This paper analyses this increasing involvement of Venezuela in initiatives of SCC, in particular the reasons that led Ch a vez to promote those initiatives. Due to the particular narrative furthered by the Venezuelan government to explain its SSC agenda, supposedly based on solidarity, complementarity and cooperation, this paper compares Venezuelan strategy of international cooperation with more traditional forms of North-South Cooperation (NSC). To achieve such a goal, a qualitative methodology is used in the paper based on the review of the literature on international cooperation and on the evaluation of international cooperation promoted by the Venezuelan government.

Питання ірландського кордону на першому етапі Brexit.

The article deals with one of the main issues related to the UK’s exit from the European Union, the issue of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This was a key problem at Brexit’s first round. The issue of a hard or a soft UK-Irish border has been not only a bone of contention for the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union, but also the serious internal political challenge for the Teresa May’ government. It is noted that it is important for the United Kingdom to have no regulatory deviations from the rules of the internal market and the customs union that are or may be in need for North-South cooperation in the future. If the Belfast Agreement is violated, the United Kingdom will be forced to pay the political price of an unsuccessful peace process. Simultaneously Brexit caused a rather negative reaction in the Irish political circles. The main non-tariff problem for the Irish border is the standards of food and agricultural products. Also, after the Belfast Agreement of 1998, the EU invested heavily in supporting border communities for the development of small business and industry. This improved the economic situation in the area of the former conflict and facilitated the border dialogue. But this also led to the fact that many enterprises were oriented towards the EU market or border trade. Many people are now considering plans to move south if a tight border will set. After the EU summit on December 14-15, 2017, the second stage of the negotiations has began, when the parties should agree on the configuration of the two-year transition period and on future relations between the United Kingdom and the EU, especially in the area of security and trade. The article concludes that the Irish issue is agreed upon by the parties only temporarily and in the course of future negotiations will be repeated on the agenda.

A mitigação das assimetrias globais socioeconômicas pela cooperação internacional e pelo tratamento especial diferenciado

A problemática do artigo se extrai da identificação no cenário internacional de desigualdades entre os Estados, em especial no que diz respeito ao nível de desenvolvimento e a concentração de riquezas destes que permite formular o seguinte questionamento: há prognóstico jurídico para a mitigação destas assimetrias globais? O tema se justifica na necessidade da promoção de um ambiente que garanta a igualdade material pela percepção das vulnerabilidades dos países menos desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Para tanto, indica-se duas possíveis soluções: a) a concretização do princípio da cooperação internacional por meio de políticas de cooperação norte-sul e cooperação sul-sul; b) a adoção do tratamento especial e diferenciado no âmbito do sistema multilateral do comércio. A pesquisa se pauta na revisão doutrinária bibliográfica, cujo recorte teórico se concentra no âmbito do direito internacional econômico, bem como na análise de dados oficiais e classificações elaborados por instituições e organizações do direito internacional.

The AIDS Epidemic and the Mozambican Society of Medicines: an analysis of Brazilian cooperation.

This article analyzes the Brazilian South South Cooperation in Health in Mozambique, specifically the fight against the AIDS Epidemic through the Antiretroviral Factory, in light of the concept of Structural Cooperation in Health, and with a basis in the literature on Cooperation for Development and Global Health. Thus, the article is divided into four parts: (i) a historical-bibliographic review of health as an International Relations issue; (ii) an overview of the field of health in Mozambique; (iii) an historical-political-conceptual debate about both types of International Cooperation for Development: North-South Cooperation and South-South Cooperation; (iv) a study about the antiretroviral factory, better known as the Mozambican Society of Medicines (Sociedade Moçambicana de Medicamentos). Through a case study, our goal is to verify if the Brazilian actions in Mozambique are in accordance with the concepts defended by the Structural Cooperation in Health, as well as to create new inquiries for academic debate.