World Summit Research Articles

Progress, Problems, and Prospects: R2P 15 Years after the World Summit

Abstract This short article introduces the GR2P Forum reflecting on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine 15 years after it was institutionalised at the international level through the World Summit Outcome Document. It contextualises the relevance of critical reflections on the R2P at its 15th anniversary and then lays out the aims and objectives of the Forum. It provides an overview of the different contributions, describing the perspectives of the authors and the key arguments they present.

The Adolescent: R2P at Fifteen

Abstract This contribution by the United Nations’ first Special Adviser for the Responsibility to Protect reflects on where R2P has been and where it is going fifteen years after it was approved at the World Summit of 2005.

The Dream and the Reality

Abstract In this contribution the author takes stock of the extent to which R2P has both met and fallen short of the dreams of its founders since its endorsement by the 2005 World Summit. As an effective reactive counter-force to atrocity crimes already under way, R2P’s record has been disappointing. But as an institutional catalyst and preventive mechanism it has been generally successful, and as a normative force it has been, and remains, very influential.

R2P at 15: Reflections of a Policymaker

Abstract The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was embraced at the World Summit 15 years ago, before nations and civil society had built the tools, knowledge and political endurance to implement its approach. Written by a policy researcher with R2P expertise who became a US diplomat involved in these issues, this piece reflects on the experience of the Obama administration’s efforts to bring US government focus to atrocity prevention. It considers what it got right, what it missed, and options for looking forward to address R2P in the decade ahead.

Enhancing Sustainability in Traditional Agriculture: Indicators for Monitoring the Conservation of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in Japan

The advent of modern technology in agriculture has increased the efficiency of our food production but also poses pressures on the sustainability of our planet. The Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been developed to safeguard traditional agricultural systems of global importance, which harnesses the harmonious relationship between people and nature. First launched in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 to address the sustainable development of family agriculture and traditional farming practices for developing countries, it now has 59 sites located in 22 different countries as of March 2020. Despite almost two decades of its implementation, FAO has not set any requirements nor given guidance on monitoring of the conservation of GIAHS, but leaves it to the discretion of each GIAHS site to conduct voluntary self-evaluation. This study is a comprehensive review of all 11 GIAHS application proposals in Japan, which aims to (1) conduct characteristic analysis to identify elements and perspectives related to the GIAHS selection criteria, (2) understand the motivations and socioeconomic conditions, including challenges and opportunities related to the GIAHS application, so as to (3) propose a set of indicators and perspectives to address these challenges and opportunities for improving the application, monitoring, and management of the GIAHS. The study finds that motivations for applying to GIAHS designation are primarily driven by push factors of abandonment of traditional farming practices and farmlands and underuse of farming resources resulting from Japan’s decreasing and aging rural population, as well as the pull factor of biodiversity conservation. The importance of continuing traditional farming practices, cultural heritage, and involvement of various stakeholders are emphasized against the background of an aging farming population, rural-urban migration, youth exodus, poor maintenance of farmlands, and transferring traditional and local knowledge. By identifying the drivers of change and understanding the current socioeconomic conditions of the agricultural heritage systems in Japan as portrayed in the GIAHS application proposals, the study has clarified the strengths and challenges of the sustainability of these systems. Based on the analysis, the study proposes a comprehensive set of indicators to be considered when developing the GIAHS proposals and for updating the action plan for monitoring and managing the GIAHS sites. It is expected that the findings and recommended indicators will contribute not only in the improvement of the information integrity of future GIAHS proposals, but also as reference for the development and monitoring of GIAHS conservation action plans.

Indian Perspectives on the ‘Responsibility to Protect'

The concept of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P) took shape to refine the contested concept of ‘humanitarian intervention’. In the initial phase, the concept of R2P did not receive enthusiastic endorsement. Developing countries including India perceived it as a new body with the old spirit and likened it with the concept of humanitarian intervention, and this was reinforced by the US-led war against Iraq in 2003. However, the 2005 World Summit proved to be a watershed in the evolution of R2P, just as it is a landmark to understand an important phase of India’s approach to the idea. It would not be accurate to characterize India as a determined nay-sayer on R2P endorsement, particularly in view of the widely known priority India attached at the World Summit to the question of United Nations (UN) Security Council enlargement. Eventually, by 2009 (with the introduction of ‘three- pillar principles’ of R2P), India became a major proponent for the cautious and legitimate implementation of R2P. However, the experiences gained from Libya made India become a voice of caution in invoking forcible options under the R2P principle in Syria. In this article, the attempt has been made to articulate various permutations and combinations regarding India’s evolving approach to R2P on a case-by-case basis.

Authority conflicts in internet governance: Liberals vs. sovereigntists?

AbstractWe analyse conflicts over norms and institutions in internet governance. In this emerging field, dispute settlement is less institutionalised and conflicts take place at a foundational level. Internet governance features two competing spheres of authority characterised by fundamentally diverging social purposes: A more consolidated liberal sphere emphasises a limited role of the state, private and multistakeholder governance and freedom of speech. A sovereigntist challenger sphere emphasises state control, intergovernmentalism and push against the preponderance of Western institutions and private actors. We trace the activation and evolution of conflict between these spheres with regard to norms and institutions in four instances: the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12), the fifth session of the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UNGGE) and the Budapest Convention of the Council of Europe. We observe intense norm collisions, and strategic attempts at competitive regime creation and regime shifting towards intergovernmental structures by the sovereigntist sphere. Despite these aggressive attempts at creating new institutions and norms, the existing internet governance order is still in place. Hence, authority conflicts in global internet governance do not necessarily lead to fragmentation.

The efficacy of civil society in global internet governance

Civil society plays a critical role in the multistakeholder approach adopted in Internet governance. However, little is known about the dynamics within that stakeholder group. Besides the struggle and contestation for recognition, civil society actors face less well-known challenges such as managing the diversity among them while striving to arrive at decisions when they participate in global multistakeholder processes as a group. This article investigates the effort of and the challenges faced by civil society in managing its diverse entities to participate while aiming to be influential in watershed multistakeholder fora, namely in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) I and II, Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and the 2014 Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance (NETmundial). Using observational data, documents, and mailing-list messages, this study found that the coordination struggles within civil society affected their goals when they participated in multistakeholder processes. This study suggests that civil society actors need to manage their short- and long-term goals in Internet governance in order to strengthen the legitimacy and efficacy of their participation as a group in Internet-related multistakeholder policy-making processes.

A response to the persistent digital divide: Critical components of a community network ecosystem

The recent COVID-19 pandemic, and associated mitigation strategies of social distancing and self-isolation, has elevated the importance of telecommunications networks. In the current era there is little dispute amongst governments and at the highest levels of the United Nations in respect of the right of all citizens, regardless of their station in life, to have unfettered access to the Internet. However, despite substantive investments in telecommunications infrastructure development, a plethora of policy interventions and three world summits on the Information Society, more than half of the world’s population remain unconnected. Over recent years, an emerging solution to the problem has been a bottom-up model of telecommunications ownership, referred to as community networks. There are varying approaches to community networks and different modes of implementation are observed across the globe. However, there is little evidence and consensus on what are all of the necessary elements of the system that comprise a successful community network. In light of this, this paper takes a first step towards the development of a comprehensive framework of the community network ecosystem. Based on the extant literature, a four-pronged People, Technology, Organization and Environment (PTOE) framework is derived. This is then subjected to qualitative analysis against descriptive reports of 11 existing community networks. The final framework and its sub-components provides a holistic and comprehensive perspective of the community network ecosystem. It serves as a basis for further analysis and research of community networks models and also as a means of informing practical implementation of both current and future community networks.

“Bypass the UN”: Diplomatic Practices and Change in Multilateral Settings

AbstractThis article highlights diplomatic practices that contributed to the wide approval of the polemical issue of humanitarian intervention, reframed into the term Responsibility to Protect (R2P). The expression was coined in 2001. It is now reported that R2P was unanimously agreed upon by 155 heads of states and governments during the 2005 World Summit held at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The conditions under which such an issue can reach a swift consensus are complex and manifold. Here, I focus on a diplomatic strategy employed by a handful of actors who carefully bypassed UN headquarters rather than promote the idea within the organization, as the official narratives on R2P suggest. I show that this strategy was inspired by a previous experience that led to another important change in global politics—the entry into force of the Anti‐Personnel Mine Ban Convention in 1999. The actors involved contributed to a normative change on humanitarian intervention by creating new forums of negotiations and using new kinds of networks that avoid multilateral arenas such as the UN. This article exposes concealed and informal aspects of diplomatic practices.

Cultural diversity and biodiversity as foundation of sustainable development

Cultural diversity and biodiversity as foundation of sustainable development

ВСЕСВІТНІЙ САМІТ МИРУ В СЕУЛІ 2020

2-8 лютого 2020 р. відбувся World Summit 2020, в якому взяв участь президент НАПН України В.Г. Кремень. У рамках World Summit 2020 відбувся Всесвітній конгрес президентів університетів «The Peace of Humankind and the Role of University in the Next 100 Years», на якому пріоритетними в обговоренні були питання щодо проведення університетами необхідних заходів для зміцнення миру. З доповіддю виступив В.Г. Кремень та звернув увагу на розвитку людського капіталу на основі дитиноцентризму в школі, студентоцентризму в університеті, а також розвитку людини з інноваційним мисленням і максимальним використанням цифрових технологій в освіті.

Television as an important component of the media: information and communication potential

The article discusses the place and role of television in shaping the culture of the information soci- ety, explores the features of television as an important component of the media. The authors pay special attention to the relationship between the state’s info-communicative level and the successful implemen- tation of the communicative and educational functions of television. The purpose of the scientific article is to analyze the important modern functions of television, to study the processes of its transformation under the influence of modern technologies, and to forecast the preservation of information potential. The methodological basis of measuring the information impact of television on society is studied. The scientific and practical value of the study lies in determining the nature of the relationship be- tween the growing importance of television broadcasting and the needs of the audience. Humanity is getting used to living in an information society. As you know, in the documents of the World Summit, where the issues of the information society were discussed, new requirements for the means of mass communication were formulated. Including television, as the most popular media institute. The main results of the study. In the article, the authors analyze the communicative and enlighten- ing functions of television, identify the features of modern information and communication technologies that affect the formation of Kazakhstan’s information culture. The authors argue the importance of the cultural-forming function of television, while highlighting its educational features and gives the basic principles of its activities. The authors’ claims that the effective use of the educational functions of television and the benefits of new communication technologies require a high level of information culture of the society and the availability of modern information and communication infrastructure can be called a valuable conclusion to the work. In this paper, we study the problems of the functioning of Kazakhstani television in the context of the new legislation regulating the information policy of the state, taking into account the culture-forming, informational and educational properties of modern television. These recommendations can be used by domestic television channels to increase their potential in the new era and strengthen their influence in the system of relations between society and the state.

Why Tree analysis to find the root cause of environmental problem (case study on geothermal power plant)

Concept of sustainable development were introduced in 1987 by the world commission on environment and development, chaired by Gro Harlem Bruntland. Sustainable development is a development process that is principled to meet the needs of the present without compromising with the risk of fulfilment of the needs for future generations. Challenges that must be faced in order to achieve sustainable development is how to repair the environmental destruction without compromising the need for economic development and social justice. The 2005 World Summit outlined sustainable development consisting of three main pillars, includes economic, social and environmental interdependence and strengthening. Environmental aspects sometimes having problems either because they are directly caused by human error or mismanagement. Root cause analysis method is needed to find out the contributing factor of the problems. In this research, Why Tree method is used along with the RCA-Constructor software to investigate the root cause of geothermal power plant’s environmental problems in Indonesia. This finding is expected to formulate appropriate and continuous improvement steps to prevent the similar events in the future.

МІЖНАРОДНИЙ ФОРУМ ЧЖУНГУАНЬЦУНЬ «НАУКОВІ Й ТЕХНОЛОГІЧНІ ІННОВАЦІЇ ТА СПІВПРАЦЯ МІЖ СВІТОВИМИ АКАДЕМІКАМИ»

Вчений з Національної академії педагогічних наук України був запрошений виступити з доповіддю на Міжнародному Форумі Чжунгуаньцунь «Scientific and Technological Innovation and Cooperation by Global Academicians», що відбувався в Пекіні 16-18 жовтня 2019 р. А також його запросили на Всесвітній саміт молодих учених у китайському м. Веньчжоу (26-27 жовтня 2019 р.), на якому В.Ю. Биков виступив з науковою доповіддю та був керівником секції.

Impact of ASEAN-China free trade agreement in CO2 emission of marine transportation

World Summit and Sustainable Development (WSSD) agreed to link international trade with the environment from two aspects to realize sustainable development, namely, mutual support between trade, environment and development; and mutually beneficial between the multilateral trading system and multilateral environmental agreements. In the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) that has been running since 2010, research was mostly focused on trade aspect. This study aims to evaluate CO2 emission from the marine transportation of trade, before and during ACFTA. The data was taken from the UNCTADSTAT, WITS, CEPII. By using the IATA standard of CO2 emissions i.e. 985.97g/ton-km from air transport, and 9.53g/ton-km of sea transport, the results showed that there was an increase 1.6 time in CO2 emissions from ASEAN-China trade transportation from period 2001-2009 (before ACFTA 2009) to period 2010-2018 during ACFTA.

Gender Digital Divide – Examining the Reality

In this age of digital revolution, one of the most significant inequalities that prevail across all social and economic groups is the gender divide. The limitation, obstacle and challenges faced by the women across the globe prevent them to access and use the information technology. There is an underrepresentation of women in the decision-making structures in the digital information society, where they are considered as technophobic, wherein the plans and policies were gendersensitive. The constraining elements in relation to women’s usage of technology lie in the socio-economic and cultural barriers laid down by society. Gender bias-ness exists in the attitude of using information technology. The cultural norms forbid women’s interaction with the outside society which restricts them from the usage of ICT. In addition, the disparity in the education and income sectors, social class and geographic locations cast a shadow in the usage of the ICT. But a contradictory situation exists in the present postmodern society, where women are gaining education and income opportunity, where ICT as a digital tool has enabled them to overcome this long-lasting inequality, contribute in the community building and decision-making process. It has provided them with the freedom of interaction and shares their opinions and gathers information across the information society. But the United Nation World Summit on the Information Society (2003-2005, 2017) highlighted that gender digital divide still persist in the society. Like so, the question remains whether the gender digital divide is hype or reality? So, this paper will try to examine the gender divide existing in this digital information society.

Land use and urban sustainability assessment: a 3D-GIS application to a case study in Gozo

Balancing urban growth and natural resource availability has been recognized as the main challenge of the 21st century from the strategic documents adopted by the recent World Summits. Agenda 21 advocates sustainable land use, as soil is a crucial natural resource to reduce urban vulnerability due e.g. to climate change, energy saving, and natural disasters. In this perspective, this paper aims at supporting local decision makers in identifying the portions and the buildings of an urban area most susceptible to transformation, in order to promote a sustainable land use according to physical and functional characteristics. The proposed methodology combines the 3D modeling of urban settlements and the adoption of the performance-based approach by the urban transformation government, in order to guarantee the satisfaction of the supply–demand ratio through a compatible balance between urban growth dynamics and the overall urban efficiency. The test area was Gozo island, where a significant urban transformation will occur as a consequence of the new Malta-Gozo tunnel construction.

Incorporation of information ethics into the curriculum at the University of Botswana

The rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has resulted in universities becoming avid users of digital devices. However, extant research shows that paralleling this trend has been an alarming rate of unethical behavior amongst users of ICTs. The University of Botswana (UB) hosted the second international conference of the newly formed African Network on Information Ethics (ANIE) in 2010, and has been represented virtually in all four conferences held thus far. While UB has played a key part in ANIE activities, the extent to which information ethics has been incorporated into its curriculum has not been assessed. The objective of this study is to assess the extent to which information ethics have been incorporated into the curriculum. Following both the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and ANIE models, a content analysis of the University of Botswana courses was undertaken. Seven of the eight faculties had a total of 56 courses with information ethics, but only 9 (16.1%) of the 56 courses were graduate level. A large proportion of the courses were optional and they are bereft of WSIS and ANIE contents. Recommendations are made for incorporating these information ethics contents into the University of Botswana curricula.

Development Support Communication in Practice: Towards Realizing Child Rights Through UNICEF

The author studied 6 years with Professor Joe Ascroft at the University of Iowa on a team defining principles of Development Support Communication (DSC, now widely called C4D). In 1984, he returned to the world of development practice and a 22-year career with UNICEF. The article describes his first assignment in Nigeria using an innovative communication strategy to speed the adoption of oral rehydration therapy for treatment of diarrhoea and dehydration. It also summarizes subsequent work that applied perspectives and expertise in communication to UNICEF’s challenges to further child rights: involving pharmacists as promoters of oral rehydration, and helping to launch the global ‘Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative’ in Turkey; formulating a strategy to apply national mass campaign approaches pioneered in global vaccination initiatives to reduce pneumonia deaths in Central Asia; working on emergency programmes in the ‘failed state’ of Afghanistan; building support and understanding of child rights in China, along with strengthening decentralized capacities to monitor progress towards World Summit for Children goals and targets; and as UNICEF Representative in Swaziland tackling challenges of one of the world’s worst HIV and AIDS crises. He provides seven key ideas and principles—drawn from ‘DSC Iowa Style’—that guided his development work over those years.