CSCE Commission examines: "Africa's Helsinki" : the Conference on Security, Stability, Development, and Cooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, and Nigeria (Codel Deconcini: August 4 to 19, 1991) /

"October 1991."

report of the workshop on boosting SME development and competitiveness in the Caribbean

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, in collaboration with the Division of Production, Productivity and Management at ECLAC Headquarters in Chile, convened a one-day workshop on “Boosting SME Development and Competitiveness in the Caribbean”, at the Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean in Port of Spain on 14 May 2009. The workshop was the culmination of country studies that were carried out under an Italian Government-funded project to assess the policies, institutions and instruments for dynamic Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) development and competitiveness in Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The aim was to use the lessons learned from the three country studies to inform policy and practice in the other member countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC). The main objectives of the workshop were to: (a) share and discuss the findings of the country studies and lessons learned; (b) provide a forum for high quality discussion of the policy environment, instruments, business development and support services required for successful SME development in the Caribbean; and (c) map out a strategy for moving from analysis and recommendation to policy implementation and business changes in order to promote a dynamic and competitive SME sector. The workshop aimed to arrive at practical solutions to major constraints and a weighting of key actions in order of priority of implementation, by adopting a problem-solving approach. Participants at the workshop included representatives of key SME support institutions in the region, actual SMEs and academic researchers. The list of participants and provisional programme are annexed to this report.

Influence of temperature on larval survival, development and respiration in Chasmagnathus granulata (Crustacea, Decapoda)

Larvae of an estuarine grapsid crab Chasmagnathus granulata Dana 1851, from temperate and subtropical regions of South America, were reared in seawater (32 ‰) at five different constant temperatures (12, 15, 18, 21, 24 °C). Complete larval development from hatching (Zoea I) to metamorphosis (Crab I) occurred in a range from 15 to 24 °C. Highest survival (60% to the first juvenile stage) was observed at 18°C, while all larvae reared at 12°C died before metamorphosis. The duration of development (D) decreased with increasing temperature (T). This relationship is described for all larval stages as a power function (linear regressions after logarithmic transformation of both D and T). The temperature-dependence of the instantaneous developmental rate (D-1) is compared among larval stages and temperatures using the Q10 coefficient (van't Hoff's equation). Through all four zoeal stages, this index tends to increase during development and to decrease with increasing T (comparing ranges 12-18, 15-21, 18-24 °C). In the Megalopa, low Q10 values were found in the range from 15 to 24 °C. In another series of experiments, larvae were reared at constant 18°C and their dry weight (W) and respiratory response to changes in T were measured in all successive stages during the intermoult period (stage C) of the moulting cycle. Both individual and weight-specific respiration (R, QO2) increased exponentially with increasing T. At each temperature, R increased significantly during growth and development through successive larval stages. No significantly different QO2 values were found in the first three zoeal stages, while a significant decrease with increasing W occurred in the Zoea IV and Megalopa. As in the temperature-dependence of D, the respiratory response to changes in temperature (Q10) depends on both the temperature range and the developmental stage, however, with different patterns. In the zoeal stages, the respiratory Q10 was minimum (1.7-2.2) at low temperatures (12-18 °C), but maximum (2.2-3.0) at 18-24 °C. The Megalopa, in contrast, showed a stronger metabolic response in the lower than in the upper temperature range (Q10 = 2.8 and 1.7, respectively). We interpret this pattern as an adaptation to a sequence of temperature conditions that should typically be encountered by C. granulata larvae during their ontogenetic migrations: hatching in and subsequent export from shallow estuarine lagoons, zoeal development in coastal marine waters, which are on average cooler, return in the Megalopa stage to warm lagoons. We thus propose that high metabolic sensitivity to changes in temperature may serve as a signal stimulating larval migration, so that the zoeae should tend to leave warm estuaries and lagoons, whereas the Megalopa should avoid remaining in the cooler marine waters and initiate its migration towards shallow coastal lagoons.

Things Fall Apart: Dictatorships, Development, and Democracy in Africa

Recent events in Africa provide evidence of the failure of dictatorships to meet the needs of citizens and serve to debunk a number of development theory assumptions: that democratization is culturally determined, that democratization will follow economic development, and that dictatorships tend to produce durable, stable development. Therefore, the attempt to achieve development without democratization is risky and potentially very costly. We argue that dictatorship in Africa serves a function akin to Myrdal's backwash effects, thwarting economic progress in a cumulative and circular way, and that democratization must become a necessary criterion of engagement with African countries.

The Helsinki Follow-Up Meeting of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, March 24-July 8, 1992 : a report /

Shipping list no.: 92-0664-P.

Semiannual report by the President to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe : report submitted to the Committee on International Relations.

Issues for 3rd (December 1977)- submitted to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

ETYK III-vaihe (Tasavallan Presidentin esittämä Suomen puheenvuoro 31.7.1975 = Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe = main speech of Finland delivered by President Urho Kekkonen July 31, 1975)

Puhe