40 years of the regional gender agenda

The first Regional Conference on the Integration of Women into the Economic and Social Development of Latin America and the Caribbean was held almost 40 years ago (Havana, 1977). It provided a regional forum for exchange after the World Conference of the International Women’s Year in Mexico City in 1975, where participants supported the idea of social demands for women’s rights and gender equality (which were starting to spread from country to country) being converted into government commitments. On that occasion they adopted the Regional Plan of Action for the Integration of Women into Latin American Economic and Social Development, the region’s first road map for progress towards the recognition of women’s contribution to society and the obstacles that they face in improving their situation. At that same conference, the Governments gave the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) a mandate to convene periodically, at intervals of no more than three years, a Regional Conference on Women. In fulfilment of this mandate, over the next four decades ECLAC organized 12 Regional Conferences on Women, first through its Women and Development Unit, then its Division for Gender Affairs. This interaction between governments, with the active participation of the women’s and feminist movement and the support of the entire United Nations system, has become the main forum for the negotiation of a broad, profound and comprehensive regional agenda on gender equality, in which women’s autonomy and rights are front and centre. Policies for development and overcoming poverty have always been a key focus at these meetings. This publication is a compilation of all the agreements adopted by the Governments at the regional conferences and will serve not only as a tool for reference, but above all as a tool for action and for building a future based on the collective memory of the women of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Integration of ice-core, marine and terrestrial records for the Australian Last Glacial Maximum and Termination: a contribution from the OZ INTIMATE group

The degree to which Southern Hemisphere climatic changes during the end of the last glacial period and early Holocene (30-8 ka) were influenced or initiated by events occurring in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere is a complex issue. There is conflicting evidence for the degree of hemispheric 'teleconnection' and an unresolved debate as to the principle forcing mechanism(s). The available hypotheses are difficult to test robustly, however, because the few detailed palaeoclimatic records in the Southern Hemisphere are widely dispersed and lack duplication. Here we present climatic and environmental reconstructions from across Australia, a key region of the Southern Hemisphere because of the range of environments it covers and the potentially important role regional atmospheric and oceanic controls play in global climate change. We identify a general scheme of events for the end of the last glacial period and early Holocene but a detailed reconstruction proved problematic. Significant progress in climate quantification and geochronological control is now urgently required to robustly investigate change through this period. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

War crimes, conditionality and EU integration in the Western Balkans

The baleful legacy of the wars of the 1990s continues to dog the states and societies of the former Yugoslavia and has overshadowed the disappointingly slow and hesitant trajectory of the region towards the EU. At the start of the new millennium, with the removal of key wartime leaders from the political scene in both Croatia and Serbia, it was widely hoped that the region would prove able to ‘leave the past behind’ and rapidly move on to the hopeful new agenda of EU integration. The EU’s Copenhagen criteria, which in 1993 first explicitly set out the basic political conditions expected of aspirant EU Member States, proved effective in the case of the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe in supporting the entrenchment of democratic norms and practices, and stimulating reconciliation and good neighbourly relations among countries with turbulent histories. Building on this experience, the Stabilisation and Association Process, launched for the countries of the Western Balkans in 1999, included both full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and regional reconciliation among the political conditions set for advancing these countries on the path to EU integration. EU political conditionality was intended to support the efforts of new political leaders to redefine national goals away from the nationalist enmities of the past and focus firmly on forging a path to a better future. This Chaillot Paper examines the extent to which this strategy has worked, especially in the light of the difficulties it has encountered in the face of strong resistance to cooperation among sections of the former Yugoslav population, many of whom have not yet fully acknowledged the crimes committed during the 1990s. Key chapters in the volume raise the vital questions of leadership and political will. EU political conditionality does not work unless the EU has a partner ready and willing to ‘play the game’, which presupposes that EU integration has become the overriding priority on the national political agenda.

Grid Approach to Satellite Monitoring Systems Integration

This paper highlights the challenges of satellite monitoring systems integration, in particular based on Grid platform, and reviews possible solutions for these problems. We describe integration issues on different levels: data integration level and task management level (job submission in terms of Grid). We show example of described technologies for integration of monitoring systems of Ukraine (National Space Agency of Ukraine, NASU) and Russia (Space Research Institute RAS, IKI RAN). Another example refers to the development of InterGrid infrastructure that integrates several regional and national Grid systems: Ukrainian Academician Grid (with Satellite data processing Grid segment) and RSGS Grid (Chinese Academy of Sciences).

Az integrációérettség elméletének továbbgondolása és kiterjesztése (Rethinking the theory of integration maturity)

Az integrációérettség elméletével és összefüggéseivel Palánkai Tibor mélyen és részletesen foglalkozik. Napjainkra egy olyan egyedi módszertant is megalkotott ezzel kapcsolatban, amely a hazai és nemzetközi integrációérettséggel foglalkozó irodalom egyik meghatározó elemévé vált. Jelen tanulmány megkíséreli az elmélettel kapcsolatos főbb eredmények összefoglalását és az integrációérettség módszertanának rövid ismertetését, valamint áttekinti a módszertan alkalmazásának lehetséges területeit, ami magában foglalja annak kiterjesztését a Nyugat-Balkán államainak jellegzetességeire. _____ Tibor Palánkai focuses on integration problems of the EU candidate countries. He created a new concept of integration maturity with a unique methodology, which have already begun a significant concept and methodology among international and domestic literature. The study tries to give a summary of this concept and methodology, focusing on the main results. Moreover, the paper discusses the extension of this methodology, which includes its adaptation to the Western Balkan countries.

Metropolitan Tourism Experience Development. Selected studies from the Tourism Network Workshop of the Regional Studies Association, held in Budapest, Hungary, 2015

On January 28-30, 2015 Corvinus University of Budapest hosted the latest workshop of the Regional Studies Association’s Tourism Research Network. The event had been held previously in Izmir, Aalborg, Warsaw, Östersund, Antalya, Leeds and Vila-seca Catalonia. The aim of the RSA research network is to examine tourism diversity from the perspective of regional development in order to identify current challenges and opportunities in a systematic manner, and hence provide the basis for a more well-informed integration of tourism in regional development strategies and move beyond political short-termism and buzzword fascination. In the frame of the network a series of workshops have been organised from various topics of destination management till rural tourism.

The integration by trade and FDI of emerging economies: The Asian example

The paper investigates the role of regionalization and regional identity in the endeavours of emerging economies to connect successfully to the global world economy. It addresses the question of whether the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with its loose institutional integration framework, has contributed to the global integration of its very heterogenous members in the first decade of the 21st century – and, if so, what are the drivers behind this. The paper summarizes connecting theories, using a multidisciplinary approach, and uses descriptive statistical analysis to identify the achievements of the ASEAN-6 countries within global trade and foreign direct invesment (FDI) flows in the given time period. We suggest that ASEAN countries, with their efforts to initiate interconnecting regional organizations in Asia, most specifically the ASEAN+3 (APT) construction, did contribute to greater integratedness of member countries; and they have created a regional image with a common market and production base. Such achievements, however, can be in great part attributed to the micro-level activities of international and regional firms wishing to establish cross-border production networks in these countries.

Desenvolvimento regional: um debate sobre as políticas industriais no Rio Grande do Norte

The discussion of economic development emphasizes the emergence of a gradual change of economic structure, which would rise from an agrarian to the industrial stage, and later with a predominant tertiary sector. However, the high Brazilian regional inequality resulted in the coexistence of modern spaces and other arrears. Such disparities are visible not only in economics, but spatial, social and environmental. Although Brazil has gone through changes in the production structure and the location of these activities, space - territorial disparities manifest themselves in a high level of regional heterogeneity. In this context, the Northeast emerged as a region that has historically been characterized by socioeconomic backwardness and the presence of the worst indicators of inequality. The presence of these indicators showing the socioeconomic backwardness of the other fronts region contributes to the priority of action aimed at reverting this regional disparity public policy. The historical account of the development policies of regional studies shows that the state played a pivotal role in ensuring regional planning. Besides the creation of development agencies such as the Northeast Sudene, tax and financial incentives have been widely used strategies in the region to foster greater national integration. However, the use of incentives is much discussed in view of the possible advantages and disadvantages brought by its use. Thus, this study aims to build a theoretical framework tool for building effective public policies for industrialization in the Northeast, specifically in Rio Grande do Norte.

Firm-level utilization rates of regional trade agreements : importers' perspective

While previous theoretical studies have examined exporters' choice of tariff schemes without considering explicit heterogeneity of importers, an empirical analysis on regional trade agreement (RTA) utilization is, in general, possible by employing trade data covering the importers' side. To better link the empirical analysis with a theoretical model, this study develops a model that sheds light on the role of both importers' and exporters' characteristics in RTA utilization. The model enables us to replicate stylized facts concerning importers' RTA utilization. Based on this model, we derive some propositions on the determinants of RTA utilization rates (i.e., share of imports under RTA schemes out of total imports) at an import firm-product level. Finally, we found that these theoretical predictions are supported by highly detailed import data in Thailand from Australia from 2007 to 2009.

A critical analysis of the prospects for the effective development of a regional approach to competition law in the ASEAN region

This thesis is an examination of the ASEAN’s prospects in establishing regional competition policy in the Southeast Asia region, a topic of contemporary relevance in light of the ASEAN’s recent foray into the economic integration field on 31 December 2015. It questions whether the current approach undertaken by the ASEAN could contribute to an effective regional competition policy under the regional market integration. In answering this question, the thesis first critically surveys the current terrain of regional competition laws and policies in order to determine the possible existence of an optimal template. It argues that although the EU model is oft used as a source of inspiration, each regional organisation conceives different configurations of the model in order to best adjust to the local regional contexts. The thesis makes an inquiry into the narratives of the ASEAN’s competition policy, as well as the ASEAN’s specific considerations in the development of competition policy, before comparing the findings to the actual approaches taken by the ASEAN in its pursuit of regional competition policy. This thesis reveals that the actual approach taken by the ASEAN demonstrates an important discrepancy from the economic integration goal. The ASEAN applies a soft harmonisation approach regarding substantive competition law while refraining from establishing a centralised institution or a representative institution. The sole organ with regards to competition policy at the regional level is an expert organ. The thesis also conducts an investigation into the reception of the ASEAN’s regional policy by the member states in order to ascertain the possibility of the achievement of the ASEAN’s aspiration of regional competition policy. The study reveals that despite some shared similarities in the broad principles of competition law amongst the member states, the various competition law regimes are not harmonised thus creating challenging obstacle to the ASEAN’s ambition. The thesis then concludes that the ASEAN’s approach to regional competition law is unlikely to be effective.

Criança e arte: expressão da cultura regional em um ambiente de aprendizagem em arte de uma escola municipal de educação infantil de Rio Grande/RS

Esta dissertação buscou identificar a presença dos aspectos da cultura regional nas situações cotidianas vivenciadas por um grupo de crianças de quatro anos de idade no Ambiente de Aprendizagem em Artes e Ciências Naturais da EMEI Oscar de Moraes, pertencente à rede municipal do Rio Grande (RS). A proposição da investigação partiu da mudança proposta pela Lei Federal nº 12.287/2010, que alterou o segundo parágrafo do artigo 26 da LDB 9394/96. A nova redação estabelece que ―O ensino de arte, especialmente em suas expressões regionais, constituirá componente curricular obrigatório nos diversos níveis da educação básica, de forma a promover o desenvolvimento cultural dos alunos‖ (BRASIL, 2010, p. 1). Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, tendo o estudo de caso como importante elemento de compreensão do ambiente pesquisado e a observação e o registro em caderno de campo como as estratégias utilizadas para a produção de dados. A inserção no Ambiente de Aprendizagem em Artes e Ciências Naturais da EMEI Oscar de Moraes permitiu identificar a utilização desse ambiente para registro, através de diferentes modos e linguagens do trabalho realizado com projetos, e também a possibilidade de descobertas e brincadeiras por meio das produções e criações artísticas das crianças. A análise dos dados foi realizada com base nos seguintes autores: Derdyk (1990), Richter (2004), Edwards (1999), Duarte Júnior (1981), Horn (2007), Ostetto (2000), Rinaldi (2012), Cunha (2014), Brougère (1998), Bertoni (2014). Os resultados expressaram que a presença da família na escola pode ser considerada uma das formas de inserção da cultura regional na escola, promovendo a convivência com diferentes pessoas e ampliando, dessa forma, o repertório de vivências e aprendizados das crianças. Os resultados também evidenciaram a presença da utilização das datas comemorativas nas situações cotidianas do Ambiente de Aprendizagem em Arte e Ciências Naturais, levando em consideração, nesse aspecto, a documentação abordada no estudo e os referenciais utilizados; considerei também como uma possibilidade de inserção e apropriação da cultura regional na escola

Establishing continental sovereignty in Africa: risk and opportunity in financial integration - lessons for Africa from a legal perspective

This thesis identifies and defines the new African sovereignty. It establishes a modern sovereignty in Africa hatched from the changing nature of sovereignty in which countries come together at various levels or grades of partial surrender of national sovereignty in order to work closer together for their mutual advantage and benefit. To this end, the narrative zooms in on the central issues within the realms of money matters whereby a new model of monetary sovereignty and monetary solutions is designed in an attempt to ease the recurring tensions and challenges of modern national sovereignty in the continent of Africa. As such, this discussion will offer a historical journey through the constitution of sovereignty, to the birth of the nation state and international public law. It develops the theory of the changing nature of sovereignty within the modern state and opens new lines of inquiry for Africa. In this regard, it draws from juxtaposing and mixing elements of regional and global financial integration as well as retaining national financial sovereignty features to form this new design which I dub continental sovereignty. At its core, the thesis will deal with the legal aspects that stem from the co-mingling of legal systems of nation states and communities at the regional and global levels within the context of financial integration. The argument is that the rule of law remains sacrosanct in monetary management. Effective financial integration is the result of properly structured and managed legal frameworks with robust laws and institutions whether at a national, regional or global level. However, the thesis reveals that in order to avoid undermining the progress of Africa’s financial integration project, any solution for Africa must be immersed within a broader global solution where development issues are addressed and resolved and Africa can form a more central part in all relevant international discussion fora. The work will expound these issues by applying them within a regional and global context, with the state of affairs in Africa forming the nucleus. This application consequently presents the six key themes of the thesis which will be considered therein. They are: a.) regional advantage: which exploits the possibilities of deeper and further financial integration between smaller communal arrangements; b.) regional risk and exposure: the extent to which this deeper form of financial integration can spiral out of control if effected too quickly and too ambitiously; c.) global advantage: which considers the merits of global financial integration and the influence exerted by financial laws on the global financial architecture; d.) global risk and exposure: which considers the challenges of global financial integration especially within the background of the Global Financial Crisis 2007-2008; e.) African challenge: which considers the extent to which this analysis impacts the African economic and financial integration agenda; and f.) development challenge: which examines the extent to which global development issues impact the African solution (continental sovereignty) and the need for any solution for the continent to be roped into a broader global solution within which Africa can form an important part. Even though the thesis requests an optimistic undertone on the progress made so far, it unearths the African problem of multiple national sovereignty and multiple overlapping regional sovereignty constituted as the ‘spaghetti bowl’ dilemma. As such, the unique contribution to knowledge on financial integration in Africa can be echoed in these words: Africa‘s financial integration agenda has had little success in authenticating a systematic and dependable legal framework for monetary management. Efforts made have been incomplete, substandard, and not carefully followed through particularly reflected in the impuissant nature of the judicial enforcement mechanisms. Thus, the thesis argues that, any meaningful answer to the problems dogging the continent is inter alia deeply entrenched within a new form of cooperative monetary sovereignty. In other words, the thesis does not prescribe the creation of new laws; rather it advocates the effective enforcement of existing laws.

Da bancada ao Bureau: análise do desenvolvimento da biotecnologia no Nordeste Brasileiro sob o enfoque de Sistema Regional de Inovação

The starting point of the present work consisted of investigating the development of biotechnology in the Northeast region of Brazil from the perspective of a Regional Innovation System (RIS). The theoretical framework adopted relied on the approaches and concepts presented by the Neo-Schumpeterian perspective. This framework was chosen because, by means of the Innovation System concept, this literature allows us to analyze the relationships and configurations of actors, as well as the role of the state and of social, science and technology, and economic policies in the studied region. The analysis considered four selected dimensions: physical infrastructure, human capital, scientific production, and funding. These variables were chosen because they allow us to verify the possibilities and limitations of developing a biotechnology RIS in the Northeast of Brazil, and these elements would help in answering the question behind this dissertation. The location of the physical infrastructure was determined by means of bibliographic and documental research and interviews with heads of institutions that do biotechnology research. Regarding human capital, the analysis focused on resource training in biotechnology, highlighting graduate courses and research groups in the area. To measure knowledge production, we delimited scientific collaboration among researchers in the field of biotechnology as the focus of this category. For the funding dimension, information was gathered from reports available at the websites of national and state funding agencies. The data was analyzed through method triangulation, involving quantitative and qualitative research stages. To back the analyses, we revisited the integration policies in the area of Science, Technology and Innovation. Our analysis has shown that these policies play a crucial role in the development of biotechnology in the region being studied. The data revealed that the physical infrastructure is concentrated in only three states (Bahia, Ceará, and Pernambuco). In this regard, the Northeast Biotechnology Network (Renorbio) stands out as a strategic actor, enabling states with poor infrastructure to develop research through partnerships with institutions located in another state. We have also verified that the practices involving human resource training and knowledge production are factors that enable the emergence of a regional system for biotechnology in the studied region. As limitations, we have verified the low immersion level of regional actors, the heterogeneity of socioeconomic indicators, the lack of financial resources, and a low innovation culture in the business sector. Overall, we have concluded that the development of a Regional Innovation System in Biotechnology, based on the current regional dynamics, depends on an effective change in the behavior of the social agents involved, both in the national and regional dimensions as well as in the public and private spheres

Economic Development in Latin America and the regional integrations in the twentieth century

This paper discusses some economic integrations in Latin America, which have become an expression of governance in the neoliberalist context -- These integrations are also the results of second-generation adjustments in terms of trade openness, sale of state assets, free short-term capital mobility and Asian and European integrations that preceded the regional ones -- In addition to this, this paper provides answers to the following questions: Are integrations aiming to achieve development? Would North-countries integrations take the same endangering course as in South America? Who should benefit from the integrations? Is there a link between development and demographics?