Innovation and Development in the Age of Climate Change Adaptation: Open or Closed?

Change Adaptation: Open or Closed? Paper read at the Second African International Economic Law Network Conference, 7-8 March 2013, Wits School of Law, Johannesburg, South Africa. In a time of rapid convergence of technologies, goods, services, hardware, software, the traditional classifications that informed past treaties fail to remove legal uncertainty, or advance welfare and innovation. As a result, we turn our attention to the role and needs of the public domain at the interface of existing intellectual property rights and new modes of creation, production and distribution of goods and services. The concept of open culture would have it that knowledge should be spread freely and its growth should come from further developing existing works on the basis of sharing and collaboration without the shackles of intellectual property. Intellectual property clauses find their way into regional, multilateral, bilateral and free trade agreements more often than not, and can cause public discontent and incite unrest. Many of these intellectual property clauses raise the bar on protection beyond the clauses found in the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). In this paper we address the question of the protection and development of the public domain in service of open innovation in accord with Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in light of the Objectives (Article 7) and Principles (Article 8) set forth in TRIPS. Once areas of divergence and reinforcement between the intellectual property regime and human rights have been discussed, we will enter into options that allow for innovation and prosperity in the global south. We then conclude by discussing possible policy developments.

La justiciabilidad de los derechos económicos, sociales y culturales a través del desarrollo de indicadores: avances concretos en la Organización de las Naciones Unidas

Resumen  Los sistemas de indicadores en materia de derechos económicos, sociales y culturales han tenido un vertiginoso avance en los últimos tiempos en el seno de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas. La justiciabilidad de los derechos citados ha presentado sendos problemas debido a que el artículo segundo del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales establece que depende de aspectos tales como los recursos disponibles del Estado, la progresividad en la implementación de políticas, entre otros. Por lo tanto, no se le han asignado a tales derechos, un carácter exigible y esta situación ha provocado que su vigencia sea limitada. Precisamente, este ensayo pretende demostrar cómo se ha revertido esta concepción y a través de los sistemas de indicadores desarrollados para diferentes derechos humanos se pueden obtener prestaciones mínimas, que deben cumplir los Estados, para satisfacer las demandas de alcance general.Palabras clave: derechos económicos, sociales y culturales, Organización de las Naciones Unidas, justiciabilidad, progresividad, indicadores de resultado, modelo de indicadores, desarrollo humano.AbstractIndicator systems in terms of economic, social and cultural rights have had a rapid development lately within the United Nations Organization. The justiciability of these rights has presented problems, mainly because of the second article of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that it depends on aspects such as available resources of the State, the progressivity in the implementation of policies, etc. Therefore, these rights have not been given a mandatory character, and this has led to their limited effect. Precisely this essay intends to demonstrate how this conception has been reversed, and how, through the systems of indicators developed for different human rights, minimum benefits are available for the States to meet the demands of general application.Keywords: economic, social and cultural rights, Organization of the United Nations, Justice, output indicators, indicators model, human development.

PROBLEMAS NORMATIVO-OPERATIVOS EN LA PRESTACIÓN EFECTIVA DE LOS DERECHOS ECONÓMICOS, SOCIALES Y CULTURALES COMO DERECHOS HUMANOS BÁSICOS

ResumenEl presente artículo pretende establecer al menos, cuatro problemáticas que inciden o afectan la plenitud de  los derechos  económicos,  sociales  y  culturales  como derechos humanos de disfrute general. Las problemáticas por analizar consisten en la implementación; derecho mínimo exigible; justiciabilidad y decisiones políticas de los Estados, y en consecuencia en cada una de estas variables se examinará en que medida inciden en el desarrollo pleno de los citados derechos.  Se establece como idea central del ensayo, que tales derechos presentan problemas que empiezan desde su limitada concepción normativa (art. 2 Pacto Internacional Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales), hasta los factores cotidianos que igualmente limitan su alcance extensivo.  Palabras clave:libertad, igualdad, derechos económicos, sociales y culturales, prestaciones sociales, problemáticas de los derechos, recursos materiales, ajuste estructural, Estado, progresividad, garantía y reconocimiento de los derechos.AbstractThis article seeks to establish at least four issues that impact or affect the fulfllment of economic, social and cultural human rights of general enjoyment. The issues to be analyzed consist of implementation; minimum rights,  justiciability and political decisions of states, and therefore each of these variables will be examined to what extent affect the full development of those rights. Is established as the central idea of the trial, that these rights have problems starting from its conception limited legislation (art. 2 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), to the everyday factors that also limit their scope extended.Keywords: freedom, equality, economic, social and cultural rights, social, benefts rights issues, structural adjustment, state, minimum rights, conceptions of freedom applied, state responsibility, escalation of rights and recognition, guarantee rights.

Derechos humanos en Costa Rica

ResumenLa historia de los derechos humanos en Costa Rica muestra una característica muy particular,por cuanto desde mucho antes de haberse promulgado la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos en 1948 ya se daban pasos en su búsqueda. Desde el siglo XlX, aunque fuera de forma clandestina o artesanal, se empezaron a hacer sentir organizaciones y distintas formas de expresión a través de las cuales denunciar las malas condiciones de vida y alcanzar algunos beneficios. En medio de circunstancias adversas y poco apropiadas los movimientos fueron aumentando de intensidad al punto de que ya para 1930 cobran más vigor, lo que se evidencia con un movimiento obrero más organizado y la conformación del Partido Comunista. La lucha por lo que hoy conocemos como derechos humanos logra alcanzar su mayor esplendor en los años de 1940 gracias a las circunstancias coyunturales que favorecieron la presencia de un gobierno reformista como el del presidente Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia y una activa participación de la Iglesia católica a través de Mons. Víctor Sanabria. De esta forma en Costa Rica se obtuvo el paquete de garantías sociales: un código de trabajo que regulara todo lo pertinenteal trabajo y la seguridad social con la creación de la CCSS. En un tiempo prudencial y con una amplia participación social los y las costarricenses alcanzaron derechos económicos, sociales, políticos y culturales.Palabras clave: derechos humanos, legislación social, código de trabajo, movimiento obrero, Partido Comunista, Iglesia católica.AbstractThe history of Human rights in Costa Rica shows a particular characteristic because long before the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, steps towards its search were taken in the country. Since the nineteenth century, although in a clandestine or rustic manner, different organizations and forms of expression through which expose the poor conditions of life and reach some benefits began to be felt. In the midst of adverse and inappropriate circumstances, the movements were increasing in intensity to the point that they got stronger by 1930, as evidenced with a more organized labor movement and the formation f the Communist Party. The fight we know today as human rights reaches its greatest prominence in the 1940’s thanks to temporary circumstances favoring the presence of a reformist government as that of President Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia’s, and an active participation of the Catholic Church by Bishop Víctor Sanabria. In this way Costa Rica obtained the social security package: a working code to regulate all matters related to labor and social security with the creation of the CCSS. In an appropriate manner and with broad social participation, costa ricans reached economic, social, political an cultural rights.Keywords: human rights, social legislation, Labor Code, labor movement, the Communist Party, Catholic Church. 

Towards a just community: an examination of the development of cultural citizenship rights in Canada from a communitarian perspective

The notion of citizenship, while a basic human right, has come under scrutiny. It was once assumed a liberal inspired regime of citizenship rights would reign as the primary ideological perspective in the Western world, however this has not been the case. Numerous competing paradigms have questioned the premise upon which liberal guarantees of citizenship rights are based. In particular, communitarianism has subjected liberal rights discourse to a closer examination. Communitarian theory holds that universalist principles negate any articulation of community and its internal diversity, such as cultural citizenship. It is this understanding of citizenship that has taken hold in Canada. The Canadian political experience illustrates a number of attributes associated with communitarian thought. It is a collectivist society that articulates a notion of the common good, acknowledges the internal diversity of its citizens and possesses a highly developed deliberative democratic process. To this end, Canada can be described as being more communitarian than liberal in nature in the process it has adopted to address citizenship rights. However, the type of commuIiitarianism displayed in Canada differs from the political models examined by such scholars as Michael Sandel, Iris Marion Young or Will Kymlicka. Cultural citizenship rights are fluid and malleable in Canada. While no clear guarantees of citizenship rights exist, there is a common commitment by Canadians to engage in a fair, open and inclusive deliberative process. This model is unique to Canada; it cannot be exported in that it is a product of Canadian political culture. As a result, the contemporary demands of cultural citizenship are dealt with effectively and democratically in Canada in that the proper mechanisms for public deliberation exist.

Sustaining linguistic diversity within the global cultural economy: issues of language rights and linguistic possibilities

This paper draws on ethnographic case-study research conducted amongst a group of first and second generation immigrant children in six inner-city schools in London. It focuses on language attitudes and language choice in relation to cultural maintenance, on the one hand, and career aspirations on the other. It seeks to provide insight into some of the experiences and dilemmatic choices encountered and negotiations engaged in by transmigratory groups, how they define cultural capital, and the processes through which new meanings are shaped as part of the process of defining a space within the host society. Underlying this discussion is the assumption that alternative cultural spaces in which multiple identities and possibilities can be articulated already exist in the rich texture of everyday life amongst transmigratory groups. The argument that whilst the acquisition of 'world languages' is a key variable in accumulating cultural capital, the maintenance of linguistic diversity retains potent symbolic power in sustaining cohesive identities is a recurring theme.

Democracy at risk : the cultural negotiation of hatred, rights and freedom

The idea for this panel emerged from a research project being undertaken at the Institute for Globalisation and Citizenship, Deakin University, Australia, – Moving On ›Cultural Negotiation‹ in Theory and Practice for the 21st Century.