Report of the expert group meeting on the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Pertnership Agreement

On 15 October 2008, the European Union (EU) and the CARIFORUM Group of Countries – the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic – assembled in Barbados to commemorate the beginning of a new chapter in their economic relationship by signing the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) after four and a half years of negotiation. In signing the Agreement, a joint declaration was also issued calling for a comprehensive, five-yearly review of the Agreement in order to determine its impact, including the costs and consequences of its implementation. During negotiations between the parties to the Agreement, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean undertook several studies directed at examining the implications of the EPA for the region as well as informing the process for the preparation of an implementation plan for CARIFORUM. The possible gender implications were also considered in collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

The CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): an assessment of issues relating to market access, safeguards and implications for regional integration

The recent collapse of the Doha round once again underscores the tenuous nature of international trade negotiations. Likewise, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the CARIFORUM grouping and the European Union (EU) has generated a great deal of discussion and debate over the past several months. What has clearly emerged is the existence of two diametrically opposed views on the impact and usefulness of the agreement. One view has it that the EPA is a major breakthrough in trade relations that will greatly benefit the region. On the other hand, some see it as being detrimental to the region and perhaps a total capitulation to the EU on the part of the CARIFORUM. They assert that it is part of a global EU strategy to impose World Trade Organization (WTO) policies on developing nations and get around the Doha obstacles. Both sides in this debate attempt to back up their views with reference to the text of the agreement. The objective of this review is to shed some light on the issues driving this debate particularly in the areas of market access, the impact on tariff revenues, and the implications for regional integration. This review also attempts to clarify and distill some of the main contentious issues regarding the EPA and to inform further discussion regarding an implementation plan. The approach is based on detailed study of the EPA text and its annexes plus extensive interviews with some of the main negotiators on the CARIFORUM side. Interviews were conducted both in person and via the Internet as many of the regional negotiators live or work outside of the region. The reviewer also attended presentations and discussions with some of the leading regional critics of the agreement.

As almas da terra: a violência no campo paraense

Durante o governo da Ditadura Militar, a Amazônia se tornou parte do projeto de prioridades para ajudar o Brasil a alcançar um desenvolvimento maior. O Pará teve nesse processo grande destaque por ser o ‘portal de entrada da região’. Assim, boa parte dos empreendimentos que foram implantados neste estado, não levava em consideração a população que habitava esta longínqua parte do Brasil, há muito esquecida pelos governos federais. Os projetos pensados eram totalmente opostos ao tipo de atividades econômicas que durante séculos se trabalhava na região pelas comunidades existentes, como dos indígenas ou dos colonos. Os projetos agroindustriais tinham como meta a apropriação de grandes quantidades de terra para alcançarem seus objetivos. Com a concessão dos representantes militares, a Amazônia sofreu profundas mudanças depois da instalação desses agros negócios, fazendo com que muitas cidades que já existiam vivessem uma fase de grandes conflitos para não permitirem que os projetos se instalassem simplesmente de acordo com a vontade desses empresários e que prejudicassem inúmeras famílias. O município de Moju vivenciou esse cenário. O processo de instalação das agroindústrias se iniciou ainda na década de 1970, mas foi na década de 1980 que os colonos viram-se ameaçados de perder suas terras para esses empreendimentos. Dessa forma, neste trabalho, analiso como se deu à entrada desses projetos, assim como a organização desses colonos e os enfrentamentos que tiveram durante todo este período e que fez com que com que este cenário se transformasse em “palco de guerra” durante vários momentos. Os documentos utilizados como dossiê, reportagem de jornais, atas de reuniões, reportagem de revistas, entrevistas de lideranças sindicais, lavradores, vitimas da violência, ajudam a entender como se deu este processo turbulento na pequena cidade, que a todo custo deveria chegar ao ‘desenvolvimento econômico’.

Towards criterion validity in classroom language analysis: methodological constraints of metadiscourse and inter-rater agreement

This paper reports on a process to validate a revised version of a system for coding classroom discourse in foreign language lessons, a context in which the dual role of language (as content and means of communication) and the speakers' specific pedagogical aims lead to a certain degree of ambiguity in language analysis. The language used by teachers and students has been extensively studied, and a framework of concepts concerning classroom discourse well-established. Models for coding classroom language need, however, to be revised when they are applied to specific research contexts. The application and revision of an initial framework can lead to the development of earlier models, and to the re-definition of previously established categories of analysis that have to be validated. The procedures followed to validate a coding system are related here as guidelines for conducting research under similar circumstances. The advantages of using instruments that incorporate two types of data, that is, quantitative measures and qualitative information from raters' metadiscourse, are discussed, and it is suggested that such procedure can contribute to the process of validation itself, towards attaining reliability of research results, as well as indicate some constraints of the adopted research methodology.

DNA human identification for the family rights: one year of agreement between UNESP/laboratory of paternity and public defender service in São Paulo State

The universities have realized the importance of extending their knowledge to the population through the provision of services. Thus, this paper presents the data obtained in an agreement between UNESP/Laboratory of Paternity and Public Defender Service in São Paulo State to make DNA paternity tests.