Work Of Committee Research Articles

Legal and socio-economic consequences of depriving the nomadic population of voting rights in the territory of East Kazakhstan (1926-1936)

The study of the Soviet society formation’s and the total system’s history is closely connected with the study of the repressive policy of the state, as well as those categories of the population that became its victims. The deprivation of voting rights was not only political, but also social in nature: due to the fact that the «disenfranchised» were limited in access to social rights. This measure was carried out in broader statistics of several functions: preventing increased attention to infectious agents, artificially structuring society, establishing control over the detection of the population’s part, maintaining an atmosphere of confrontation and division in society. This issue is relevant for the current state of Kazakhstan’s society, which extends discrimination against certain groups and groups of the population for various reasons, from ethnic to religious, both in Kazakhstan and in the territories of other republics of the former USSR. The article is devoted to the process of transformation of the social status of the inhabitants of the East Kazakhstan region, deprived of voting rights in the period 1926-1936. The author discusses the practice of the work of Soviet authorities and election commissions on the deprivation of this type of rights, analyzes the socio-economic and legal consequences of this repressive measure.

The results of a comprehensive survey of incapacitated and disabled citizens, living in inpatient social service organizations for people suffering from mental disorders, for the possibility of increasing their civil status

The article presents the results of studying the clinical and social characteristics of partially incapacitated and disabled citizens in psychoneurological inpatient facilities; an assessment of the comprehensive work of the regional commission on the possibility of improving the civil status of patients is given.

The art of effective oversight: unravelling the success of Israel's Cabel Inquiry Committee

ABSTRACT Legislative oversight of the executive branch is a fundamental mechanism for ensuring government accountability, good governance, and enhancing democracy. However, formal oversight powers alone are insufficient, and the practical application eventually determines effectiveness. In contemporary times, a distinct set of political phenomena exists, notably the emergence of populism and polarisation, a deep-seated crisis of representation, and a systematic decline in public trust regarding diverse branches of government, coupled with the personalisation of politics and the weakening of political parties. In light of these developments, it is essential to engage in a meticulous examination of the means by which legislatures can enhance their capacity to effectively oversee governments. This article examines the parliamentary committee of inquiry led by Knesset Member Eitan Cabel in Israel from 2017 to 2019, which focused on credit arrangements for large business borrowers. This committee's rigorous investigation into financial system failures makes it an exemplary case of robust oversight in action. The article analyses the Committee establishment, composition, mandate, systematic meeting-planning and questioning process, unique physical setting, report publishing, and other details. The analysis of the Committee's work reveals important insights regarding effective oversight, and isolates the practices which made its work such an augmented performance of legislative oversight. Factors such as the committee's activeness, cooperation, independence, preparation, respectful yet critical approach, transparency, accurate use of media, and precise procedure, created an exceptional performance of legislative oversight. The article concludes that while legislative oversight relies partly on formal mechanisms, it is primarily driven by how political actors apply them, and reveals the importance and centrality of the human factor. This single case analysis, focusing on the committee's oversight practices can inform comparative learning on delivering robust oversight beyond Israel's context, and derive widely applicable insights into key practices for effective legislative supervision of the executive branch.

RESPONSIBILITY AND STABILITY OF THE PARLIAMENTARIAN IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF MARTIAL LAW

Background . The parliament in the modern political world is presented, on the one hand, as a compulsory element that is naturally incorporated into the political structure at any level of power, which allows to introduce clearly the institutional position it occupies. On the other hand, the work of a deputy involves publicity, which expands the possibilities of analyzing various aspects and areas of activities of people's representatives. However, the conditions of Russian-Ukrainian war significantly affect and change the work of the national parliamentarian. Methods . The methodological basis of the research is based on the synergy of general scientific, scientific-sociological and philosophical-scientific methods. The fundamental methodological elements of the study of parliamentary activity as a form of state administration are analysis, modeling, forecasting and study of statistical data. General scientific methods provide a collective characteristic of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the development model of parliamentarism in a country at war. The analysis is based on the materials of the scientific discourse of the last five years, which highlight management strategies and practices in this management cluster. For the current study, scientific works were selected from the leading scientometric databases of Google Scholar. Results . Studying the status of a people's deputy as a legal institution in the authorities, which determines the political and normative nature of the deputy's mandate, as well as accountability and controllability to voters, it is possible to distinguish three main types of responsibility. First, it is criminal responsibility, the key concept of which is a criminal offense. Secondly, political responsibility, which lies within the framework of the code concept is a "party program". It makes sense to trace political responsibility both to a party deputy who represents the interests of the people, while adhering to the party's political program, and to a majoritarian deputy who focuses on representative and legislative activities to implement his local program principles. Thirdly, the responsibility is moral, which comes down to the concept of "promise". This type of responsibility is characterized to a greater extent as subjective responsibility, which is derived from the personal qualities of the deputy, such as decency, understanding, compassion and attitude to the population's problems as his own. Responsibility is the most important moral and social-psychological quality of a person. At the same time, it acts as a mechanism of society's control over public-private relations, in the process of which a consensus is reached between personal and public interests. Сonclusions . The effectiveness of the work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the special conditions of martial law attests to the responsibility and stability of parliamentarians. The exercise of powers was characterized by the intensification of work in committees and factions, as well as during plenary sessions against the background of a constant reduction in the number of parliamentarians. At the same time, we don't always see the clarity of their work, there is also the neglect of national interests by some people's deputies. The organization of Ukrainian parliament work in the conditions of martial law has become coherent and effective. The rules of deputy ethics must be mandatory, have an expansive interpretation, regulating the behavior of deputies both on duty and outside of official activity

The Dichotomy of Dachen Island’s Red Culture: Portrayal vs. Reality in the Context of Tourism Development

Following the evacuation of the Dachen Islands by the Republic of China in 1955, the People’s Republic of China undertook a reconstruction and redevelopment effort through the volunteer work of a youth committee known as the Reclamation Team. Today, Dachen Island is renowned for symbolizing Red Culture and the Reclamation Spirit, receiving significant government support, especially for developing its sustainable tourism industry. This field study investigates the disparity between the island's portrayal as a symbol of Red Culture and the Reclamation Spirit and its actual experience as seen through tourists, landscapes, and residents. Tourists are primarily drawn to Dachen Island for its natural scenery and relaxation rather than its Red Culture. The island’s social media image highlights its natural beauty, contrasting sharply with the patriotic culture emphasized by government and official news outlets. Although Dachen Island features several cultural and historical sites, many remain closed or underutilized. As modernization progresses, the island faces a declining youth population, while migrant workers are attracted by the expanding tourism industry. Red Culture and the Reclamation Spirit function more as branding tools that help the island secure government funding and recognition rather than reflecting the lived reality of its residents.

«Неделя партийной пропаганды» и начало деятельности губернского отдела РКП(б) по работе в деревне осенью 1919 – зимой 1920 гг. По архивным материалам Вятской губернии

The scientific work is devoted to the analysis of the «Party Propaganda Week» and the beginning of the activities of the departments for work in the village of party committees in the autumn of 1919 – winter of 1920. The article is written on the basis of the documents of the archival funds of the Central State Archive of the Kirov region introduced into scientific circulation for the first time: Vyatka Gubkom, Kotel’nichskii, Malmyzhskii, Nolinskii, Orlovskii and Yaranskii ukoms of the RCP (b). The purpose of the study is to analyze the beginning of the formation of systematic agitation and propaganda work in the village. The author sets the following tasks: to clarify the specifics of the «party weeks» and the creation of departments for work in the village as part of party committees. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that this is the first attempt in local historiography to analyze the beginning of the systematic work of party committees among peasants. Our article is written on the basis of archival materials using the principle of historicism and the method of historical institutionalism. The «Party Propaganda Week», held for the first time in Moscow, Petrograd and other cities, on the recommendation of the Central Committee of the RCP (b), began to be held throughout the country, becoming one of the forms of agitation and propaganda work. The main goal of the «party week» is to acquaint the broad strata of workers and peasants with the ideas of the party and attract them to their ranks. It should be emphasized that no systematic work was carried out among the peasantry of the province until the autumn of 1919: there were no specialized departments of party committees that could work in the village, there were almost no trained organizers, agitators and propagandists, the task of conducting such work in the village was not realized in the party committees. An analysis of the first «party week» in October and the second – in November 1919 – allows us to conclude that the number of people who joined the party is impressive – 4482 people. However, there were not many peasants among them, who made up the absolute majority of the inhabitants of the province. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find out the number of peasants who joined the party, but the reports of agitators and reports of party committees indicate that the holding of «party weeks» in the village did not achieve its main goal – to attract as many workers and peasants as possible to the party. Realizing that the Central Committee of the party would not be satisfied with such results, the gubernatorial committee decided not to indicate in the final report the number of those who joined the party by counties, but to name the total number for the provincial organization. The failure in the village was covered by a significant number of Red Army and pro-Army men who joined the party. The results of the «party weeks» prompted the Gubernatorial committee to take measures to organize departments for work in the village in the ukoms, whose activities in the winter of 1919-1920 were just beginning to acquire a systematic character.

LEGITIMNOST MEĐUREPUBLIČKOG RAZGRANIČENjA U KOMUNISTIČKOJ JUGOSLAVIJI I MOGUĆE GEOPOLITIČKE POSLEDICE TOG PROCESA U NOVIM OKOLNOSTIMA

The internal, republican borders between the federal units were declared internationally recognized after the dissolution of the former common state. As such, they were accepted by the most important international actors, and the membership of the former Yugoslav republics in the OUN took place according to the limits determined by the principles of the Second Session of the AVNOY in Jajce in 1943. Despite the fact that in this way and with the assistance of the international community, the demarcation process was finally legalized, the question of its legitimacy remained open. Especially if one takes into account the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis from February 2022 and the accompanying re-actualization of the issue of borders in the former communist federations. The paper consists of four parts. The first part presents the way of making the decision on the federalization of Yugoslavia and demarcation within the country. The second part is dedicated to the events during the breakup of the SFR Yugoslavia, with reference to the work of the so-called Badinter Commission and the “internationalization” of internal borders. The third part analyzes the impact of the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis on the re-actualization of the issue of legitimacy of demarcation, while the fourth is reserved for concluding considerations.

Oduduwa: Through the Eyes of a Wood Carver

History is the chronological and integrated account of relationship between man, event, person, time and places. The Yoruba history has long been at the mercy of the West due to the disinterest of the Yoruba people in the preservation and propagation of their Tradition, Culture and Religion. This has led to the publication of volumes of misinterpretations, flawed and shallow analysis of Yoruba religion for which the Yoruba could only be grateful. Oduduwa is one of the most important Yoruba Progenitor in the history of the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria. He was a powerful leader under whom the nucleus of the Yoruba race migrated into this land from their original home in Ile-Ife. He was a man of great leadership skills, understanding and repute. He is one of the most discussed Yoruba Deity with different point of view because various scholars have not come to a conclusion of who he was. Unfortunately, from our oral Yoruba traditional history there is no descriptive analysis of how Oduduwa looked like but, however, a sculptor in person of Lamidi Fakeye, a traditional wood carver, carried out a commissioned work of Oduduwa in wood carving, describing what he looks like through a story which surrounds the creation of the world. The paper intends to discuss the life of Oduduwa and a conceptual analysis of the wood carving executed in his form. The background data for this paper came largely from textbooks, articles, field work, documentation, archival records, and observation of physical artefacts.

Экономические стратегии ЕС 2020-2024: цели и показатели

The paper discusses the EU Strategy 2020-2024 created in 2019. There are analyzes the Strategy plan and Management Plan EU, Economic forecast EU, the hierarchy of General and Specific objectives, Activities with results, indicators and targets to achieve the goals and systems for implementing the Strategy for the EU in the paper. The analysis used EU Commission work programme, Strategic Plans 2020-2024 EU Commission, Management Plans EU Commission for the current reporting year (2024), Annual activity report. It is a system of documents of Departments and executive agencies (Directorate General, Executive agency and Service) of the EU Commission, whose competence and area of activity are related to the implementation of EU economic policy. The analysis is based on the plans and reports of The Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) of the European Commission: Strategic plan, Management plan, Annual activity report, Annual work programme. It is shown that the EU is pursuing a proactive policy regarding digitalization, climate neutrality and a number of other goals to achieve competitiveness in the global market. The system of macroeconomic indicators of the Economic Forecast underlies the formation of plans of all The Directorate General of the EC. Activities are described in results, indicators and targets to achieve the stated General and Specific objectives 2020-2024. The final values of the main macroeconomic indicators for the current period are not justified and the forecast indicators for the period until 2025 remain almost unchanged. An analysis of the added value of the EU economy by industry shows the instability of the structure of the EU economy for the period 2020-2023.

Technological Developments as a New Challenge for Modern Legislation

Aim: The aim of the article is to present the legal aspects of the use of new technologies. Accelerating the progress of civilization through the rapid development of technology is a challenge for both the legislator and entities who, when applying the law, interpret imperfect regulations or have to deal with the lack of regulations on a daily basis. In this publication, the author discusses legal aspects related to the development and implementation of new technologies and answers the question whether the applicable regulations combine the intentions of the creators of the regulations with social and economic needs. Introduction: The essence of all development is the improvement and expansion of human and technological capabilities and potential. Civilizational development is a system of interconnected vessels based on mutual social, cultural and technological interdependencies, and all these spheres of public life are inextricably linked with legal regulations. Without elementary knowledge of regulations, it would be difficult to make rational decisions regarding everyday life, therefore legal standards should include solutions adequate to the needs of citizens and the economy. In case of new technologies, which are subject to continuous and dynamic changes, the traditional norm-setting model known as hard law does not fully achieve its goals, and what is more, the applicable law does not keep up with the development of new technologies. Methodology: he article describes the current state of knowledge in the field of selected aspects of new technology law. The work uses theoretical research methods, including the analysis of applicable regulations and the literature and views of the doctrine, as well as the results of the research work of the author of the publication. Conclusions: Current legal regulations do not keep up with new technologies. The legislative process itself is complicated and very long. The introduction of new regulations and legislative changes requires, among others, inter-ministerial and social arrangements, work in Sejm and Senate committees, voting in Parliament, and finally the signature of the President of the Republic of Poland. The above-mentioned legal activities take time, and new technologies mean variability and dynamism – a constant fight against time. The development of technology is certainly a new challenge for legislators, for whom cooperation with the scientific community and representatives of various technological industries is an opportunity to create regulations that support rather than limit the development of 21st century technologies. Keywords: law of new technologies, technological revolution, security, implementation of innovations

Doing Meso-Level Integration: The cultural, relational, and communications practices that draw primary care closer to the broader system.

Introduction: In alignment with the conference’s first theme, this paper draws on qualitative research to address issues of change management implementation at the meso-level in integration. It uses a case study of integration efforts as they played out during the first wave of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in Alberta, Canada to identify practical ways of doing organization-to-organization integration in Primary Care (PC).
 Background: While the existing literature describes three high-level approaches to enabling the integration of health and social systems in a range of contexts, it is unclear how stakeholders in PC and health system organizations might practically operationalize these approaches. How, specifically, should those stakeholders go about: enacting a pro-integration culture; doing the relationship work required for integration; and communicating to support integration? Put differently, what are the practical change management behaviours that give life to these three key approaches and make integration real?
 Approach: A subset of semi-structured interviews with key informant stakeholders was drawn from a larger study of policy and change management implementation under pandemic conditions in Alberta, Canada. Participants in these interviews were directly involved in efforts to integrate PC into the province’s health system response to COVID-19 generally, and specifically into the response to the Omicron wave. The 10 interviews averaged 65 minutes in length and included key informants from both independent PC and central health system organizations. The Interpretive Description technique was used to analyze the interview transcripts and so identify practical enactments of pro-integration culture, relationship work for integration, and integration-supportive communication.
 Results: Key ways of enacting a pro-integration culture included: sending signals with staffing choices; making personal expressions of commitment to the values of integration; and ensuring communal commitments to those same values. Doing integration relationships involved: following through on rhetorical commitments; and persevering at proving oneself in the eyes of counterparts from other organizations. Finally, communicating in ways that supported integration involved: bidirectional communication that included listening as well as talking; the elimination of intermediaries to close the social and knowledge distance between PC and health system stakeholders; and actuating a mix of formal and informal communication channels rather than relying on purely formal committee work or informal contacts.
 
 Conclusions: Practical steps towards achieving meso-level organization involve making high-level approaches to culture, relationships, and communication real in everyday behaviour. Efforts to integrate PC into a broader pandemic response in Alberta Canada provide a window on these specific change management implementation behaviours and so how to ‘do’ integration. Doing pro-integration culture involves sending signals through staffing choices, personal, and group commitments. Doing integration relationships involves following through on commitments and persevering. Doing integration communications involves listening as well as talking, closing the distance between stakeholders, and taking advantage of formal and informal channels. Stakeholders seeking to integrate at the meso-level may wish to consider these practical action

Protection of Citizens' Electoral Rights: The Problem of the Proportionality of Criminal Sanctions

This article is a criminal law axiological study of the protection of electoral rights of citizens of the Russian Federation in modern conditions. The object and subject of research were determined on the basis of the analysis of current Russian legislation. The immediate object of the study are the Articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation determining liability for obstructing the exercise of electoral rights or the work of electoral commissions; for violating the procedure of financing a candidate’s electoral campaign, electoral union, work of an initiative group conducting a referendum, or another group of referendum participants; for falsifying electoral documentation, documentation of a referendum, documentation of an All-Russian vote; for falsifying the vote’s results; for unlawful provision and obtaining of an electoral bulletin, bulletin for voting at a referendum, bulletin for an All-Russian vote. The main methodological instrument of the study is the «protection index» introduced into scientific discourse by representatives of the Ural Law School. In recent years the «protection index» has become widespread both in the general theory of law and in different branches of law, including criminal law. The use of this index lies behind an attempt to show the proportionality of sanctions for crimes against the electoral rights of citizens. The current article determines the methodology of the study, its goals and tasks. The authors suggest supplementing the existing methods with a new electoral protection index, which will allow them to better present the specific features of the subject under research. The diversity of criminal law sanctions for electoral crimes makes the research objectives considerably harder to achieve, but, at the same time, renders them more relevant and valuable from the practical viewpoint because the proportionality of sanctions is a problem not only of the theory of criminal law, but also the practice of determining punishments in criminal cases. Besides, the criminal law norm sanction is viewed not only as an element of the law norm, but also as a part of the criminal law regulation mechanism. The suggested method makes it possible to illustrate the proportionality of the sanctions for electoral crimes in criminal law norms and to formulate suggestions on improving the current legislation.

Attuning to Emotions in the History of Border-Making: The Estonian-Latvian Boundary Commission in 1920

Borders are key sites for the amplification of emotions, yet historians have rarely made emotions into a focal point for studies of boundary-making processes. This article sets out fragmentary evidence for how to read across a fuller array of sources that move us beyond technocratic understandings of boundary commissions to highlight the range of emotional interactions which occurred between boundary commissioners and local populations. It draws on evidence from the Estonian-Latvian Boundary Commission, established in the summer of 1919 to demarcate the international border between the newly independent states of Estonia and Latvia. Petitions sent to the Boundary Commission by the border region inhabitants expressed fear, trepidation or anger about the border proposal and professed feelings of patriotic loyalty to the Estonian or Latvian state. The press derided the Boundary Commission, using humour to convey frustration and shock at the absurdity of the border proposal and tarnish the reputation of the commissioners by portraying them as hot-headed. The accumulating emotional toll of these public sentiments left the boundary commissioners feeling weary and disheartened. By attuning to moods and sentiments surrounding the work of the Estonian-Latvian Boundary Commission, this exploratory article calls for historians to consider emotions methodologically as part of a broader toolkit of approaches for studying histories of boundary-making and to reflect on the insights such perspectives can bring to the field.

A Problem Shared Is a Community Created: Recommendations for Cross-Institutional Collaborations.

Committee work is a requisite job function for many in academia, yet designing a productive collaborative experience often remains a challenge. In this article, we reflect on our experiences as part of a successful cross-institutional working group and describe strategies to improve leadership structure, group dynamics, accountability, and incentives for collaborative projects. As of January 2023, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Data Management & Sharing (DMS) Policy requires investigators applying for funding to submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan (DMS Plan) that describes how scientific data will be managed, preserved, and shared. In response to this new policy, a community of more than 30 librarians and other research data professionals convened the Working Group on NIH DMSP Guidance, collaboratively producing comprehensive guidance about the policy for researchers and research support staff. In less than a year, the working group produced glossaries of NIH and data management jargon, an example data management and sharing plan, a directory of existing example plans, checklists for researchers and librarians, and an interactive repository finder. This group was a successful grassroots effort by contributors with diverse expertise and backgrounds. We discuss practical strategies for each stage of activity throughout the lifecycle of the working group; from recruiting members, designing pathways to encourage participation from busy professionals, structuring the meetings to facilitate progress and productivity, and disseminating final products broadly. We invite fellow librarians, data professionals, and academics to apply and build upon these strategies to tackle cross-institutional challenges.

Prospects for the introduction, usage and responsibility of artificial intelligence in the EU and Ukraine

The development of artificial intelligence and its significant role in economic and social relations, military and cyber threats generated by it indicate the urgency of researching this problem. Ukraine, as a victim of russian large-scale military aggression in 2022, is interested in regulating this area in order to neutralize threats in military and cyberspace.
 The study of the introduction, usage and responsibility of artificial intelligence in the European Union can provide vectors of criminal responsibility of individuals, legal entities, as well as states that implement them in peacetime or wartime with a criminal (terrorist) purpose. An important issue in this study is the possible implementation of artificial intelligence as a tool for criminal justice agencies. The European Commission, taking into account the growing use of artificial intelligence in the European Union, formulated its definition in 2018. In 2020, Ukraine also adopted the Concept of the Development of Artificial Intelligence. However, the fact of harmonization of the legislation of the EU and Ukraine in this area becomes obvious.
 The European Commission's work on artificial intelligence is reflected in the 2018 AI Strategy for Europe, the 2020 White Paper on AI and the recently updated Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence. The preparation of the Artificail Intelligence Act is also underway.
 Analysis of the regulatory framework and positions regarding the implementation, usage and responsibility of artificial intelligence indicate the following trends: 1) the use of artificial intelligence in the European Union is becoming a regulated area that shapes the rights, duties and responsibilities of participants; 2) the usage of artificial intelligence in criminal justice agencies is subject to significant restrictions and prohibitions; 3) responsibility for the use of artificial intelligence and for the dangerous consequences that may be caused by it rests with individuals and legal entities, as well as states, in whose interests it is used.

Legal Adaptation for the Syrian Constitutional Committee Formed Based on UN Security Council Resolution 2245

Background: Presumably, constitution-making is a national process reflecting the state’s sovereignty and people's will. The severity of the conflict in Syria and its danger led the international community to intervene, and in 2015, the Security Council issued Resolution 2254 to settle the conflict. This resolution, in item 4, called for the start of the drafting process of a new Constitution for Syria; hereby, the Constitutional Committee was formed in Geneva in 2019 with the agreement of the conflict parties, the government and the opposition, and the consent of the international community represented by the United Nations. This research discusses the extent to which the intervention of the United Nations in the Syrian Constitutional Committee's formation and work in Geneva affects the principle of the Constitution's nationalism and state sovereignty. The research also discusses the legitimacy of the powers granted to this committee, whether in drafting a new constitution for the Syrian state or amending the current 2012 Constitution, and whether they conflict with the national sovereignty principle in considering the constitutional law principles. Methods: We relied on the analytical method to study the legal adaptation of the Syrian Constitutional Committee formed based on Security Council Resolution 2254. The impact of the United Nations intervention in the Syrian Constitutional Committee and whether it conflicts with the principle of national sovereignty depends on clarifying the role played by the United Nations in forming the committee and its ability to impose binding decisions on it. Achieving this objective requires analysing the powers of the Constitutional Committee in light of the principles and rules of constitutional law. This entails determining whether the committee possesses the full authority of the original constituent power to establish a new constitution for the state without referring to the people or if its jurisdiction is limited to drafting. Through this analytical method, we shall know whether the formation of the Constitutional Committee and the jurisdiction granted contradicts the principle of national sovereignty, which assumes that the Constitution is a national industry. Results and Conclusions: The formation of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, authorised by the United Nations through the Security Council Resolution 2254, does not detract from Syrian national sovereignty nor conflict with the principle of constitutional nationalism. Firstly, the formation of the constituent authority responsible for establishing the Constitution is not a legal issue but rather derives its existence from reality, and this applies to the Syrian Constitutional Committee, which derived its existence from the Syrian reality conflict and with the agreement of its parties, government and opposition. Therefore, one cannot say that the formation of this committee is illegitimate or inconsistent with the principles of constitutional law, given the absence of a legal framework governing the mechanism for forming the constituent authority, whether in Syrian constitutional law or comparative constitutional law. The Constitution is a result of the circumstances and situations that have accompanied its emergence and determined the method of its establishment. Secondly, the Constitutional Committee is not a full constituent authority because it does not have the power to approve a new constitution or an amendment to the current Constitution in its sole discretion. It might adapt as a technical consensus committee whose role is limited to formulating proposals that require popular consent. Thirdly, It is arguable that Security Council Resolution 2254 and the decision to form the Syrian Constitutional Committee constitute the legal framework from which this committee derives its legitimacy and work. Therefore, we can say that the issue of forming the Syrian Constitutional Committee and its work has become a legal issue governed by an international legal framework, marking a departure from its previous extrajudicial status under national constitutional law.

IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INSTITUTIONS OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

The article covers the theoretical, methodical and practical aspects of the implementation of information technologies in vocational education and training. The purpose of the article is to find factors for improving the educational process, management, methods and information work via the introduction of information/information and communication technologies in institutions of vocational and technical education. The following methods were used in the research process: theoretical and substantive analysis of primary sources and advanced pedagogical experience, analysis, generalization and systematization of scientific approaches in the use of information and communication technologies in the educational process of vocational education institutions, as well as methods of modelling and designing the “Teacher’s Road Map”. It has been established that information/information and communication technologies in vocational education are an important area of activity of an educational institution and a tool for increasing the teacher’s productivity. It has been found out that the pedagogical terms contributing to the effectiveness of the use of information technologies in vocational education institutions are a high level of information culture of teachers and students; implementation of innovative technologies including information and communication pedagogical ones based on subject-subject interaction; ensuring the reflection of the subjects of the educational process, their capability of adequate self-assessment of their personality. A virtual road map for the teacher has been developed as an electronic public resource (for example, a website). The map shows all mandatory points and routes that a teacher should take during educational activities in a vocational education institution. The main directions in the teacher’s virtual road map which are consistent with the similar ones of the teacher’s activity in a real educational situation are defined. The virtual road map covers educational and methodical work, has a hyperlink to the plan of methodical work of the cycle commission for the year, a hyperlink to methodical manuals or guides on the organization work in a vocational education institution; provides teachers with system suggestions and hyperlinks to electronic educational resources; a hyperlink to cloud storage for downloading documents for advanced training courses or internships; certificates, diplomas regarding participation in scientific and methodical events and self-education; a hyperlink to the cloud storage for uploading planning documents and methodological developments for review and approval. The virtual road map is differentiated by subject area which allows for providing meaningful instructions to occupational safety teachers, road safety teachers, industrial training masters, and teachers of special disciplines. The result of the research is the development of a meaningful module “Digital technologies in education: cloud services, online platforms for the creation of an educational environment by the teacher and the improvement of the qualifications of the pedagogical staff of the vocational educational institution.” It has been concluded that due to the testing of the information educational environment model at the Kostyantyniv Higher Vocational School, the approaches to the internal management of the institution, the organization of methodical, educational and study work, the forms and methods of teaching the profession, the culture of designing theoretical and industrial training lessons, the system assessment of educational achievements of students, and ways of involving parents in the educational process at the institution have been enhanced.

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE’S APPROACH TO THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE

The author analyses changes in the position of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee by comparing debates on Ukraine during two distinct periods: 2014–2017 and 2022– 2023. The article considers the most pressing issues raised during the parliamentary debates. Particular attention is paid to the methods used by the committee and the ways in which the committee members informed the British government about their position. The analysis is based on the materials of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee: reports, oral and written evidence, sessional returns and the news about committee work found on the UK Parliament’s website. The author concludes that the committee’s views on Ukraine have changed significantly. It is highlighted that in the mid 2010s the committee condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine but sought to maintain cooperation with Moscow on the most vital issues, whereas during the second period of 2022–2023 the committee’s position became more consolidated as it took a harsher stance on Ukraine.

A Pathway for Increased Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Surgical Infection Society.

Background: With the rise of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts across medicine, the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) leadership undertook a several-year mission to evaluate DEI issues within the SIS, through the formation of a DEI Ad Hoc Committee to guide the application of best practices. The purpose of this article is to describe the work of the DEI committee since its inception, as well as report on advances made during that time. Methods: Beginning in September 2020, 26 volunteer committee members met monthly to explore the current state of science and best practices around DEI, identify opportunities for the SIS, and translate opportunities into recommendations. As part of this initiative, a survey of the SIS membership was conducted. Survey results, published best practices from business and medicine, and experiences of committee members were utilized collaboratively to outline specific opportunities and recommendations. These findings were presented to the SIS Executive Council and to the membership at the SIS Annual Business Meeting. Results: Committee-identified opportunities and recommendations fell into broad categories of Membership, Leadership and Society Structure, the Annual Meeting, and Research Priorities. Several recommendations were immediately enacted, and a standing DEI committee was established to continue this work. Conclusions: Beyond the main mission of the SIS to advance the science of surgical infections, the SIS can also have a major impact on DEI within society and academic surgery at large.

Advantages and disadvantages o the establishment of local self-government in the Federal Republic of Germany during the First World War

The scientific article is devoted to the issue of researching the advantages and disadvantages of the formation and development of local self­government in Germany in the period before the First World War, when it was Germany that chose the model of local self-government. The article reveals the main issues of the genesis of local self-government in Germany. The article reveals the issues of legislative regulation of local self­government in Germany at various historical stages. The scientific article states that by the end of the 19th century. only Prussia retained open voting, and other parts of the German Empire implemented secret voting; the principles of counting votes also differed; with the same number of votes, a draw was held; in Bavaria and Baden at the beginning of the 20th century. the system of proportional representation was introduced. The article stated that the specified period included demands for universal secret direct suffrage for all German citizens aged 20 and over, proportional elections, full provincial, district and community self-government through officials elected on the basis of universal suffrage, and stipulated the abolition of all local governments appointed by the state. The struggle for universal suffrage is revealed, gender policy in the field of local self­government is given, in particular, the possibility of women to participate in the work of executive commissions that dealt with issues of care, public education and sanitation at local authorities, and the legislative prerequisites for this are indicated. It was determined that during the creation of the German model of local self-government in the 19th century. English local self-government was taken as a model. The article examines the implementation of bureaucratic decentralization and integration of local self-government into the system of state authorities. It was stated that the corresponding period in Germany was spent in search of a suitable model of implementation of local government, the choice of English or French in particular.