Tripartite Agreement Research Articles

Upholding Sovereignty and Constitutional Mandates: The Philippine Supreme Court’s Ruling on the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the South China Sea

Abstract This article examines the Philippine Supreme Court’s landmark ruling declaring the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (jmsu) unconstitutional, emphasizing its implications for Philippine foreign policy and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The jmsu, an agreement between China, Vietnam, and the Philippines for joint exploration in a contested maritime area, was challenged for contravening the Philippine Constitution’s provisions on national sovereignty over natural resources. The decision reaffirms the Philippines’ sovereign rights and sets a legal precedent emphasizing the primacy of the Philippine Constitution in international agreements on natural resource exploration. This article discusses the decision’s significant impact on Philippine foreign policy, the ongoing territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and its wider relevance to diplomacy and international law. The ruling marks a critical affirmation of Philippine sovereignty and adherence to legal norms, shaping the country’s future diplomatic relations and stressing the importance of constitutional fidelity in international agreements, especially within the contentious South China Sea areas.

Tenacity Besides Depletion: Pandemics, Protests, and Workers from the Sri Lankan Apparel Sector

AbstractSri Lankan apparel has conventionally crafted itself as a niche and ethical supplier. Staying with this record, shifting to PPE (personal protective equipment) production, a tripartite agreement on minimum wages and a furlough scheme were key successes during the pandemic. However, the recurrent absence of living wages resulted in varied worker experiences. I use written testimonies from women garment workers to raise pivotal questions on how the lives of workers started to deplete during the pandemic and yet it did not prevent women workers from claiming differently—underlining slivers of hope, where depletion and tenacity are constant bedfellows. The pandemic was when Sri Lankan apparel's dis/articulation within global production processes came about. Contributing to feminist political economy readings of global production processes, I illustrate how depletion and tenacity are no binaries; acknowledging these spaces of hope offers the potential for agentive action.

Private Vs Public ownership of Forest in India-analysis and few suggestions for change to increase forest cover

arious forest legislations enacted over some time have been extremely important in shaping the forest landscape of India. Even though the Indian Forest Act, of 1927 applies to forests declared as such under the provisions of this Act, Section 38 provides that if any owner of land, desires that his land should be managed by the Forest Department as a reserved/protected forest, the management of such land can be done on mutually agreed terms with the owner of land without depriving the owner of land of his right in the property. This is a significant and visionary proviso in the Act. There are many laws and forest policies of 1952 and 1988 which regulate the protection and conservation of forests but they do not inspire people at large to take it as a mass movement in furthering the causes of forests. For example, the 1952 and 1988 Forest Policies recognize limited individual /community ownership but it does not take the shape of mass movement. Therefore, the only solution that seems on the horizon is a Public-Private partnership with a long-term contractual agreement or Tripartite agreement between the State Govt, local body and individual growers or with Easement rights to local people.

EDGARD MILHAUD AND THE CASE FOR ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL CLEARING UNION IN THE 1930S: A FORGOTTEN FORERUNNER OF KEYNES?

Edgard Milhaud (1873–1964), a professor at the University of Geneva, published a series of texts (from 1932 onwards) promoting the establishment of multilateral international compensation between nation-states, and actively campaigned for this project. His plan centered on a call for a “gold truce” as an alternative to the bilateral clearing agreements that proliferated at the time. The plan drew the attention of several international organizations. It reached the point of arousing the interest of the League of Nations (LON), which decided in 1934 to launch an inquiry (published in 1935) questioning LON members about the project of making clearing agreements multilateral. The Milhaud plan nevertheless fell into oblivion after the Tripartite Agreement (1936) and then the outbreak of WW II. This work aims to situate the Milhaud plan in its intellectual and political context—i.e., the 1930s—analyze its content, and understand its failure. The article also assesses what it had in common with Keynes’s plan for an international clearing union developed several years later.

Health data governance for research use in Alberta.

Alberta has rich clinical and health services data held under the custodianship of Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services (AHS), which is not only used for clinical and administrative purposes but also disease surveillance and epidemiological research. Alberta is the largest province in Canada with a single payer centralised health system, AHS, and a consolidated data and analytics team supporting researchers across the province. This paper describes Alberta's data custodians, data governance mechanisms, and streamlined processes followed for research data access. AHS has created a centralised data repository from multiple sources, including practitioner claims data, hospital discharge data, and medications dispensed, available for research use through the provincial Data and Research Services (DRS) team. The DRS team is integrated within AHS to support researchers across the province with their data extraction and linkage requests. Furthermore, streamlined processes have been established, including: 1) ethics approval from a research ethics board, 2) any necessary operational approvals from AHS, and 3) a tripartite legal agreement dictating terms and conditions for data use, disclosure, and retention. This allows researchers to gain timely access to data. To meet the evolving and ever-expanding big-data needs, the University of Calgary, in partnership with AHS, has built high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure to facilitate storage and processing of large datasets. When releasing data to researchers, the analytics team ensures that Alberta's Health Information Act's guiding principles are followed. The principal investigator also ensures data retention and disposition are according to the plan specified in ethics and per the terms set out by funding agencies. Even though there are disparities and variations in the data protection laws across the different provinces in Canada, the streamlined processes for research data access in Alberta are highly efficient.

Health diplomacy in action: The cancer legacy of the Good Friday Agreement

2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which led peace in Northern Ireland. As well as its impact on peace and reconciliation, the Good Friday Agreement has also had a lasting positive impact on cancer research and cancer care across the island of Ireland. Pursuant to the Good Friday Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the respective Departments of Health in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI), giving rise to the Ireland – Northern Ireland – National Cancer Institute Cancer Consortium, an unparalleled tripartite agreement designed to nurture and develop linkages between cancer researchers, physicians and allied healthcare professionals across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the US, delivering world class research and better care for cancer patients on the island of Ireland and driving research and innovation in the US.

International Clinical Radiotherapy Audit in CCCN- iPAAC Project.

Project iPAAC - Innovative Partnership for Action Against Cancer was a project in which 2 centers in Europe were selected for international certification (Lower Silesian Oncology Center and Charité Hospital). We were subjected to general certification under CCCN and organ certification for colorectal and pancreatic cancer. The certification process included the reporting of a set of standards books (general and specific) and quality measures - 35 for colorectal and 21 for pancreatic cancer, an onsite presentation at an audit and a site visit. Radiation therapy was one of 10 table of contents sections. These sections included a description of the structure of the facility including satellite units, equipment and systems integration, the number of patients treated, the team of radiation oncologists, medical physicists, medical technical radiology assistants. In addition, crucial elements were the reporting of waiting time and overrun of total treatment time. We have begun the process of standardizing data entry, acquisition and reporting using the Aria v.15.6 management and verification system with InSightive. The following metrics proved to be key to RT application and quality: QI13 - information on distance to mesorectal fascia, OI26 - quality of TME rectum specimen, QI27 - complete pathology report of colorectal carcinoma, QI2add - neoadjuvant RT/CRT clinical UICC stages II and III. For the calculation of QI, the MSD Data Warehouse system was used. The final audit was performed on the time frame data from 1.01.-31.05.2021. The project lasted from the signing of the tripartite agreement on 7.06.2019 through the pre-audit on 10-11.09.2020 and the audit on 1-2.07.2021 until the certification on 16.09.2021. We have fulfilled mostly set of standard general and specific for colorectal and pancreatic cancer. The SOP for the management of LINAC breakdowns, and radiochemotherapy was detailed. According to the data obtained from the InSightive: the number of patients treated with teleradiotherapy by 31.05.2021 was 2298, and with brachytherapy - 167. The system allowed, with the help of an automated dashboard, to determine the average planning time of 15.3 days and to monitor the overrun of the total treatment time of 0.14% for Wrocław, and 0.31% and 0% for satellite units (in 2020 - 4.5% during Covid pandemics). The percentage results for the reported metrics are as follows: QI13 - 38.65% QI26 - 89.29% QI- 27 - 59.21% QI2add - 80%. In the international audit radiation oncology was summarized in the audit report as very high level and as leading position of CCCN and the chapter of set of standards has been implemented on a wide scale. International audit with set requirements allows to check the resources on personnel, equipment and to complete the missing procedures (SOP). The most objective tools for auditing are quality metrics, and their collection should be automated, allowing for a continuous ongoing quality assurance process.

Evaluasi pengelolaan limbah medis pada masa pandemi COVID-19 di RSUD Petala Bumi provinsi Riau

Services for COVID-19 infections have an impact on increasing the amount of infectious waste so that it burdens health care facilities. The Petala Bumi Regional General Hospital, Riau Province, is one of the hospitals that provide services to patients with suspected or confirmed Covid-19. Before the 2019 pandemic, the amount of medical solid waste generated was an average of 25 kg/day or 8,304.4 kg during 2019. In 2020 it increased by 45.07% or 12,047.7 kg/year, for 2021 it increased by 51.56% or 18,257 .5 kg/year.
 The results of the research on the process component show that the overall Covid-19 medical waste generated by the Petala Bumi Hospital, Riau Province in 2021 has been managed by carrying out management stages starting from reducing and sorting waste at the waste source, storing and transporting waste to B3 waste TPS. , storage of waste at TPS as well as transportation and final disposal of waste carried out by a tripartite agreement between the hospital, transporter and the processing party.
 The results of the analysis on the output component. The implementation of infectious medical waste management during the Covid-19 pandemic at the Petala Bumi Hospital, Riau Province as a whole has been carried out according to the existing stages.

The Zangezur corridor as part of the global transport route (against the backdrop of power games in the South Caucasus region)

The restoration of historical transport routes and the creation of new ones is a strategic objective of most states in modern times. Located at the intersection of the North–South and East–West transport routes, Azerbaijan is currently recognised as an important transport and logistics hub. Successful cooperation with European Union countries in this field is taking place. The East–West and North–South international transport routes passing through the territory of Azerbaijan are very convenient for cargo transportation in terms of distance and duration. This paper discusses the plausibility of the Zangezur corridor being used (which is mentioned in the tripartite agreement that dates back to 10 November 2020) and highlights its importance as an integral element of the global transit route. A comparative analysis of different transit routes was carried out, and the advantages of opening this corridor for all stakeholders was justified.

Famine and Russia’s war against Ukraine

ABSTRACT The risk of famine is one of the many consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Statistical data indicate the risk of famine in various countries and links between the disruption of the Ukrainian supply of grain and the increase in food prices in third countries. Several countries in the Middle East and Africa depend on Ukraine’s exports. The tripartite grain agreement unblocking of the ports of Ukraine and allowing resumption of the export of grain is significant but does not compensate for the big cut in Ukraine’s export capacity in the face of a global shortage. These conclusions should be followed up by historians, sociologists, lawyers and environmental scientists scrutinising the multidimensional impact of this war.

Evaluation of the National Health Insurance Program of Nepal: are political promises translated into actions?

BackgroundDespite political promise to reduce out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure on healthcare through the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) of Nepal, its implementation is challenging with low enrolment and high drop-out rates. Program performance can often be linked with political economy considerations and interests of stakeholders. This study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of organizational and systemic challenges in implementing NHIP.MethodsWe conducted a structured narrative review of available literature on the NHIP in Nepal. We analysed data using a political economy analysis for health financing reform framework. The findings were explained under six broad categories: interest groups, bureaucracy, budgets, leadership, beneficiary and external actors. In addition, we triangulated and further presented the literature review findings using expert opinions (views expressed in public forums).ResultsNepal has formulated acts, rules, regulations, and policies to implement NHIP. Under this program, the Health Insurance Board (HIB) is the purchaser of health services, and health facilities under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) are the providers. The NHIP has been rolled out in all 77 districts. Several challenges have hindered the performance of NHIP at the policy and implementation levels. Challenges under interest groups included inadequate or delayed reimbursement and drop-out of hospitals in implementing the programme. Bureaucracy-related challenges were hegemony of provider over the purchaser, and inadequate staff (delay in the approval of organogram of HIB). There was inadequate monitoring of premium collection, and claim reimbursement was higher than collected premium. Challenges under leadership included high political commitments but weak translation into action, consideration of health insurance as poor return on investment, and intention of leaders to privatize the NHIP. Beneficiaries experienced compromised quality of care or lack of services when needed, high drop-out rates and low interest in renewal of premiums. External actors provided technical assistance in policy design but limited support in implementation.ConclusionsDespite enabling a policy environment, the NHIP faced many challenges in implementation. There is an urgent need for institutional arrangements (e.g. digitalization of claims and reimbursement, endorsement of organogram of HIB and recruitment of staff), increased coverage of financial protection and service (increased benefit package and introduction of cost-sharing/co-payment model), legislative reforms (e.g. legal provision for cost-sharing mechanism, integration of fragmented schemes, tripartite agreement to reimburse claims and accreditation of health facilities to ensure quality healthcare), and leveraging technical support from the external actors. High levels of commitment and accountability among political leaders and bureaucrats are required to strengthen financial sustainability and implementation.

Modeling, Energy Performance and Economic Analysis of Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic System for Net Energy Metering Scheme in Malaysia

Energy is one of the essential inputs for modernization and social development. Energy demand is increasing, and the primary energy source is fossil fuels, which negatively impact the environment. Energy saving and renewables are the potential solutions which could minimize environmental impact. This paper investigates the energy-saving and solar photovoltaic energy potential of an educational institution, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah (PSAS), Malaysia. The feasibility analysis was conducted by assuming that PSAS joined the Net Energy Metering (NEM 3.0) program, where PSAS, as a NEM consumer, has a tripartite supply agreement with renewable energy (SARE) with a distribution licensee known as Tenaga National Berhad (TNB). This paper focuses on zero capital expenditure (CAPEX) saving through a 20-year contract. This paper proposes a rooftop solar photovoltaic diagram using a NEM meter installed in the ring distribution system at PSAS. The estimated savings to be obtained by PSAS in the 20 years that the contract is in force are calculated based on the assumption that the installed solar system has a capacity of 688 kW. The maximum value of power generated by the system for a year is 990,720 kWh. The feasibility analysis found that the cumulative net savings estimate for PSAS based on the overall calculation for 21 years of solar use is RM 3,534,250. Meanwhile, the cumulative assessment of carbon emission reduction obtained in the same period is 14,559,760 kg CO2 or 14,559.76 tons of CO2, which would save 363,994 mature trees from being cut down.

Surrogacy (Regulation) bill 2020 and its implications on the reproductive tourism industry in India

Surrogacy in India is an unfettered and unregulated practice which is being carried out blatantly without any legal sanction. The guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research to regulate clinics running Surrogacy arrangements under the umbrella of Artificial Reproductive Technique are the current driving force of this Fertility Tourism Industry. The codified law is yet to be adopted and implemented. The growth in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) methods is the recognition of the fact that infertility as a medical condition is a huge impediment in the overall well-being of couples and cannot be overlooked, especially in a patriarchal society like India. A woman is respected as a wife only if she is a mother of a child so that her husband's masculinity and sexual potency is proved and the lineage continues. The practice of nourishing another's fetus in the womb is known as surrogacy. Surrogacy has been the most contentious use of ARTs. These include the possibility of finding substitutes not only for parental genetic material but also for the womb. Surrogacy is a tripartite agreement which includes the intending parents, the surrogacy clinics, and the surrogate woman who agree to commission a pregnancy on behalf of another woman, ready to relinquish all her rights on the child born out of the arrangement for a monetary remuneration. The practice of surrogacy involves social, moral, legal, ethical, and scientific issues in an attempt to harmonize conflicting interests. This paper will focus on the new Surrogacy Bill 2020 and its implications on the medical infertility tourism industry in India.

Football and Its Politicisation in Darjeeling

Abstract Football in India and Darjeeling, like in many parts of the world, was introduced during the colonial period. Darjeeling was “gifted” to the British by the king of Sikkim in 1835 to build a sanatorium. A military recruiting depot was also soon established. Along with the military came missionary schools. These two elements of the British social system facilitated the gradual growth of football in the region. Many tournaments were played and football soon became part of the social landscape. The Herlihy Cup which started in the year 1917, the same year, the Hillmen’s Association submitted a refined version of the 1907 memorandum, demanding a “separate administrative unit” comprising the present-day Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts along with the Dooars areas, was the only tournament of that period to be played till today. Until the 1980s, when violent agitation for the creation of Gorkhaland took place, football and the state enjoyed a cordial client-patron relationship. The agitation and the subsequent signing of a tripartite agreement between the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal, and the Gorkha National Liberation Front for the creation of the semi-autonomous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988 changed the political landscape of Darjeeling. Football began to be used as a tool for asserting identity, leading to the old structure's breakdown. The tripartite agreement did not completely suppress the aspirations for creating Gorkhaland. In 2017 another round of agitation started. The agitation failed due to the betrayal of two leaders and the indiscriminate use of repressive apparatus by the state. To proclaim normalcy, football tournaments were initiated when fear and unfreedom were the norm and hegemony of power, domination and repression were the reality. This article is based on the methods of auto-ethnography and reflexivity and will try to highlight and analyze the relationship between football and politics in Darjeeling after the 1980s.

The Zangazur Corridor as the new haulage hub for integration and cooperation in the South Caucasus

This paper examines the economic significance of the South Caucasus' Zangazur Corridor in terms of achieving long-term peace, connectivity and integration in the region, and boosting regional growth. It further claims that the Zangazur Corridor will aid future South Caucasus reconciliation and economic cooperation.Upon the signing of the declaration, the establishment of the Zangazur corridor became even more critical. The Zangazur Corridor will connect the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via the Republic of Armenia's Meghri area. The route was important in regional and international railway and highway transportation between Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, and Russia during the Soviet era. However, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan disrupted transportation for thirty years. The transportation links will then be extended from China to Europe. The Zangazur Corridor will play a vital part in the construction of East-West and North-South haulage. Many countries will benefit from the restoration of railways and roadways in the future. Hence, the study discusses the prospect of utilizing the Zangezur corridor - which is specified in the tripartite agreement dated 10 November 2020 - and emphasizes its significance as a vital element of the international transport network.

A avaliação de desempenho da atenção primária: balanço e perspectiva para o programa Previne Brasil

ABSTRACT This article describes and analyzes the response of municipal governments to the payment-for-performance guideline in Primary Health Care (PHC) in the ‘Previne Brasil’ (PB) program in the 2020-2022 period. By establishing the PB in 2019, the Ministry of Health (MS) broke with the PHC financing model, which was based on linear per capita transfer to municipalities and the Federal District. Under the new policy, financial transfers from the MS would result from the analysis of the results of seven performance indicators of health teams reported in the National Register of Health Establishments. The article evaluates the response of subnational governments to the indicators defined by the PB, using data from the Health Information System for Primary Care of the Ministry of Health. The municipalities showed low effectiveness in relation to the performance commitments proposed by the tripartite agreement of the PB in the three-year period investigated. In general, the coverage results agreed in PB are exceptionally low and especially indicative of the risk of an epidemic due to failure in vaccination actions. Decisions to implement payment for performance were repeatedly postponed by the MS, favoring the demobilization of municipal governments in the development of PHC actions.

An initiative for a more inclusive working life and its effect on return-to-work after sickness absence: a multistate longitudinal cohort study

ObjectivesTo reduce sickness absence (SA) and increase work participation, the tripartite Agreement for a More Inclusive Working Life (IA) was established in Norway in 2001. IA companies have had access...

Feasibility of Middle East-to-India Pipeline Examined in Study

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 202396, “Middle East to India Pipeline,” by Ian Nash and Matthew Rawlings, SPE, Peritus International. The paper has not been peer reviewed. The complete paper addresses the conceptualization and planning of a Middle East-to-India deepwater pipeline (MEIDP), which is planned to reach a record water depth of 3450 m and cross two continental slopes, an earthquake subduction zone [the Owen Fracture Zone (OFZ)], and outfall debris of the Indus River Fan in 2500-m-deep water. The authors examine the techniques, analysis, and technology development available at the time of writing to make such challenging routes increasingly feasible. Introduction India relies on regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with terminals at major port locations. The Middle East has ready supplies of gas; however, significant challenges exist for a long-distance, ultradeepwater pipeline. South Asia Gas Enterprise (SAGE) has been developing the MEIDP as a transnational gas infrastructure project to deliver 1.1 billion scf/D from Oman to the Gujarat coast of India by a deepwater route across the Arabian Sea (Fig. 1). The pipeline will be laid as a common carrier pipeline wherein SAGE would be the gas transporter and pay a tariff for pipeline use. Gas buyers and gas sellers will negotiate long-term gas-supply contracts in a tripartite framework agreement. The current work builds on the extensive study of a potential deepwater route of the Oman-to-India pipeline performed in the early 1990s. Economic and political drivers for the project, including project economics, are detailed in the complete paper.

Financing of development projects in Russia and abroad

The article examines the essence and content of the category "development project". A comparative characteristic of the views of scientists on the definition of the term "development project" is given and the author’s defi nition of the studied category is derived. In the context of expanding economic relations between the state, developers, market agents, investors and development companies, the supply on the real estate market is expanding, the requirements for the formation of a portfolio of investments directed to the creation and implementation of a development project are changing. The author examines the stages of financing development projects, taking into account the need to develop and monitor master plans for the development of the urban economy. The article emphasizes that the central place in the financing of development projects in Russia today is occupied by the account-ESKROU agreement, which is a tripartite agreement concluded between an individual (legal entity), a bank, a developer for the purpose of equity financing of the construction of a residential property. The needs of the company in attracting investments in a development project have been studied on the example of renewing the territories of St. Petersburg. An assessment of the best foreign practice of financing development projects for attracting syndicated loans and ESCROU accounts to the system of financing innovative development programs in China, Canada, Great Britain, and the United States is given.

Opportunities and Traps for Trade Unions in European Employment Policy Initiatives

Abstract After some promise in the 1990s, European unions have grown increasingly disillusioned with regard to the results of EU social policy and EU social dialogue. The paper analyses the extent and reasons of this disillusion by looking at the impact on social dialogue of the Active Inclusion Recommendation launched by the European Commission at the outset of the economic crisis in 2008. The Recommendation led to a tripartite framework agreement at the EU level in 2010 (the only such agreement in a decade), which was then to be implemented at national and regional levels. With a multilevel governance approach, the paper looks at the extent to which social dialogue on Active Inclusion at the EU level, in six EU countries (France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK) and six regions (Rhône-Alpes, Lombardy, Lower Silesia, Catalonia, West Sweden and Greater Manchester) within those countries was somehow revitalised. The analysis, looking at both top-down and bottom-up processes and based on documentary analysis and interviews, shows that the initiative displays ambiguities similar to those of typical composite EU principles, such as famously the case of ‘flexicurity’. The multilevel governance of the EU, including the interaction between ‘soft’ employment policies and evolving ‘hard’ Eurogovernance tools, and with poor horizontal and vertical coordination, resulted in multiple distortions of the principle and, over time, to frustration. Unions’ engagement varies by level, country and region, reflecting both traditional national approaches and the local perception of ‘active inclusion’ as an opportunity. Although trade unions were more welcoming of ‘active inclusion’ than they had been for flexicurity, similar related threats and opportunities led to modest achievements and a gradual fading of the idea at the European and national levels, with some more opportunities however at the regional level. The paper concludes that, if trade unions want to engage with the idea of a European Social Model and with Eurogovernance, they could develop stronger networks among regional organisations.