The Sustainable Development Goals and REDD+: assessing institutional interactions and the pursuit of synergies

This paper analyzes potential synergies between two recent sustainable development initiatives, namely the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), a climate mitigation mechanism negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The paper elaborates a conceptual framework based on institutional interactions and distinguishes core, complementary, and supplementary synergies that may be realized between the SDGs and REDD+. Potential synergies are analyzed at the global level, as well as within two national-level contexts: Indonesia, with its long-standing REDD+ programme, and Myanmar, which is in the early stages of implementing REDD+. Both are now also engaging nationally with the SDG implementation process. Our research draws on literature review and document analysis, direct observations of global policy processes relating to REDD+ and SDGs, as well as extensive engagement (of one author) at national level in Indonesia and Myanmar. Our analysis reveals that there are currently significant opportunities to pursue synergies in the implementation of these international initiatives at the national level, although pro-active interaction management is necessary, especially to achieve complementary synergies.     

Business to the rescue: private sector actors and global environmental regimes’ legitimacy

In 2006, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted decision VIII/17 to further involve the private sector in the activities of the Convention. This initiative mainly aims at improving the current regime’s legitimacy. By increasing business involvement, decision VIII/17 can be viewed within the context of the current academic debate on the ‘privatisation’ of environmental governance, which refers to the growing importance of private actors in the formulation of environmental policies. Against this background, this article aims at: (1) assessing the extent to which decision VIII/17 might reverse the CBD’s legitimacy crisis and (2) analysing the issues at stake when private sector actors are involved in environmental regimes. In order to do so, the article analyses the consequences of decision VIII/17 in terms of internal—representation and transparency—and external—institutional efficiency and implementation—legitimacy. The study is based on an extended empirical scrutiny of the negotiations linked to decision VIII/17. While adopting a general conceptualisation of legitimacy, the value added by the study is to broaden the usual understanding of business strategies towards environmental issues. In particular, this article shows how decision VIII/17 has generated several reactions—defensive as well as proactive—among the business community. At the practical level, the article proposes several recommendations to secure a constructive participation of all categories of business actors in biodiversity governance. At the theoretical level, it calls for a change in deterministic visions of economic actors’ interests.

论《联合国反腐败条约》与我国刑事法之协调

2003年12月9日,中国政府签署了《联合国反腐败公约》。国际反腐败趋势及我国反腐败刑事立法与《联合国反腐败公 约》存在一些差异,我国刑事法应与《联合国反腐败公约》进一步协调。     

The Implications of the ASLEF Case

The decision of the European Court of Human Rights in ASLEFv United Kingdom (27 February 2007) will require the governmentto re-visit the law relating to the right of trade unions toexclude and expel individuals because of their membership ofpolitical organisations perceived by trade unions to be hostileto their interests. It is now clear—as was pointed outat the time—that the changes made by the Employment RelationsAct 2004 do not go far enough to meet obligations under theEuropean Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, the casealso raises much wider questions about the compatibility ofother statutory restraints on trade union autonomy with Article11 of the ECHR, notably ss 64–67 (on unjustifiable discipline)and 174–177 (on exclusion and expulsion as a whole, andnot only the measures relating to membership of hostile politicalparties). This article considers both the immediate and thewider implications of the ASLEF decision for British trade unionlaw, in the context of what appears to be a greater willingnessof the Strasbourg Court to listen more carefully to trade uniongrievances than in the past. The article also draws attentionto the role of litigation as a trade union strategy to recoverlost rights, and again emphasises the importance of InternationalLabour Organisation Convention 87 and the Council of Europe'sSocial Charter of 1961 (as well as the jurisprudence thereunder)as important sources in the construction of the ECHR, Article11.     

Fear of lack of adequate medical care not well-founded fear of persecution

The Federal Court-Trial Division refused to set aside the Immigration and Refugee Board's (IRB) decision that a refugee claimant was not a Convention refugee because she had not proven a well-founded fear of persecution based on her HIV status or AIDS diagnosis. The court emphasized that the fear of a lack of adequate medical treatment, without a clear link to a ground under the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, does not constitute a well-founded fear of persecution.     

The status of human cloning in the international setting]

The General Assembly of the United Nations submitted a Declaration on Human Cloning in March 2005. The text of such Declaration was the result of a difficult and long process, taking more than three years. Being a Declaration instead of a Resolution, it has not legal capability in inforcing United Nations members to act according to its recommendations. This article begins with an explanation of several terms referred to cloning. Different countries' legislation on cloning is analyzed. Positions of the same countries at the Convention of the United Nations are as well analyzed. Comparing both countries' views shows that national legislation on cloning is independent and orientated by some countries' particular interests and biological and ethical views on these issues. Future developments on human cloning and its applications will be shared among all countries, both the ones currently allowing and supporting "therapeutic" cloning and the ones now banning it. In such case, it would be important to reach agreements on these issues at an international level. The article discusses possible legislative developments and offers some proposals to reach such agreements.     

对我国地方立法中职务犯罪预防措施的评价——以《联合国反腐败公约》为视角

《联合国反腐败公约》在强调打击腐败犯罪的同时，更强调对腐败犯罪实施综合预防战略。《公约》设立专章，对预防腐败措施作了系统的规定。目前，我国尚无预防腐败措施方面的中央级专门立法，但是，许多省、自治区、直辖市和较大市都进行了预防职务犯罪的地方立法。以《公约》为参照，借鉴国际经验，检视我国地方立法中职务犯罪预防措施，有利于促进我国预防腐败的制度建设和工作机制的进一步完善。     

Innovative Governance in a Federal Europe: Implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

A recent development in European law, less heralded, but no less path‐breaking than the Treaty of Lisbon, was the ratification by the EU of its first human rights treaty—the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Concluded as a mixed agreement, the CRPD's pioneering monitoring mechanisms demand a high level of cooperation from both the Union and its Member States. It, thus, provides an opportunity for the Union to further develop a distinctly European notion of federalism by the use of new, innovative governance mechanisms. This article looks at the Union as a federalist project through the prism of the mixed agreement, and specifically the ways that federalism may be balanced within it, using the CRPD as an example. Although the Union has an existing Code of Conduct under the Convention, it lacks true engagement with these issues, and this article proposes changes to that end.     

《联合国反腐败公约》第32条对我国的启示

腐败问题严重威胁着社会的稳定与和谐发展.如何完善和落实证人保护制度,直接关系到能否有效打击腐败犯罪.第五十八届联合国大会通过了《联合国反腐败公约》,中国已于2005年批准并签署了该公约,其中,《公约》第32条专门规定了保护证人、鉴定人等内容,这有利于保护证人免受侵害,确保证人积极指控腐败犯罪,因而如何正确理解和有效落实《公约》有关规定,具有重要而紧迫的意义.     

论我国贿赂犯罪的立法对《联合国反腐败公约》的应对--以国际刑法的国内化为视角

在我国缔约的<联合国反腐败公约>中,贿赂犯罪的规定与我国现行刑法的规定是不同的.现行刑法与<联合国反腐败公约>的相关规定的差异主要表现在贿赂的范围、贿赂外国公职人员或者国际公共组织官员犯罪与受贿罪、行贿罪的构成要件三个方面.完善相应的现行刑法的规定,是我国必须履行的国际法义务,也是司法实践的需要.     

More Twists, Turns and Stumbles in the Jungle: A Further Exploration of Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry Decisions within the Kyoto Protocol

This article traces the history of decisions relating to land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, for the period from 2001 until the present. It follows from an earlier article written by the author. As times progress, matters relating to LULUCF become more convoluted and complex. The article explores such issues as the definition of a forest, what constitutes 'Kyoto land', modalities for afforestation and reforestation under the Clean Development Mechanism, greenhouse gas inventories, reporting and reviews, and possible actions to reduce emissions from deforestation. The article also looks at the role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and its input into the science and policy-making process relating to LULUCF.     

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Punishment of Children Under English Law – Public and Private Vices?

The punishment of children in the domestic sphere and in the public domain is an issue of concern for those with care of children or whose interests lie in the protection of children’s human rights. How children are treated when they are judged to have broken rules reveals fundamental approaches to the welfare of those who have yet to reach adulthood. The effect of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in respect of how children are punished, whether in the home or as transgressors of criminal law, may be examined through two distinct but linked spheres: the private and home life context of domestic or personal punishment, and the public domain of state punishment of children in terms of criminal responsibility under English Law. Both spheres reveal attitudes towards the rights of children which suggest how human rights are accorded to particular groups in applying international obligations to a state’s domestic provision. This article seeks to explore some issues of compliance with Article 19 (the physical chastisement of children), Article 37 (the imprisonment of children being a ‚last resort’) and Article 40 (the minimum age of criminal responsibility) of the United Nations Convention on the␣Rights of the Child. The application of the rights of children and the operation of the ‚best interests’ of the child in applying Articles 19, 37 and 40 suggests that there are issues in relation to non-compliance which indicate a diminution of the separate rights of children under English Law in particular and in the operation of the best interests of the child. Penny Booth is a Reader in Law at Staffordshire University Law School.     

《联合国反腐败公约》中的引渡制度探析

<联合国反腐败公约>是目前反腐败方面最重要的国际法律文件,它筑起了一道强大的国际反腐法律强网.实现对腐败犯罪的引渡是国际反腐败的一种自然延伸.而<联合国反腐败公约>关于引渡的规定既是对缔约国的要求,也是各国进行国际合作的有效路径.为了实现对腐败犯罪的引渡,接受"死刑犯不引渡原则"则是我国的上上选择.     

《联合国反腐败公约》与我国反洗钱立法的完善

《联合国反腐败公约》对洗钱犯罪作了规定,我国现行《刑法》对洗钱罪的规定与《公约》存在较大差异,从而使我国对洗钱罪及其上游犯罪的预防和打击的效果受到影响。我们有必要对洗钱罪的犯罪构成要件作深入的研究并根据《公约》的规定完善我国关于洗钱犯罪的立法。     

我国刑事赔偿制度之改革

In reference to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (hereinafter referred to “the Covenants”), the state compensation system of China in criminal justice shall be reformed as such: Compensation for a miscarriage of justice should not be determined by the results of first instance or second instance, but no guilty through retrial in the final trial upon finding of new evidences. If policemen, prosecutors and judiciaries take lawful measures, causing loss to the suspected due to arrest, detention or other enforcement in the criminal proceedings, the suspected should not get the state compensation for that even if he is decided no guilty in the final trial. If the suspected is cooped up illegally, he should get the state compensation even if being decided guilty finally. The measures of search and seizure should be included in coercive measures, hence differentiating the lawful search and seizure and the unlawful infringement of the property rights. Yang Yuguan, Professor of the Procedure Law Institute in China University of Political Science and Law, whose research mainly covers procedure law and human rights law. He wrote many books and essays, for instance, “Computer and Crime” (1986), “On Plea Bargaining” (1986), “Basic Education in Prisons in China” (1995), “The United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Policy” (1996), “On the Ratification and Implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” (2000), “On Hearsay” (2001), “On Exclusionary Rule” (2002), “Human Rights Law: Study On International Covenant on Civil and Political Right” (2003), “The International Criminal Court: Idea, reality and Prospective” (2007), “Death Penalty Control with Procedural Law” (2006), “On Due Process of Law and Human Rights Protection” (2005). He was once a researcher fellow of Ministry of Justice of China, a member of the Crime Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office at Vienna, and an editor-in-chief in some books, such as “The United Nations Criminal Justice Norms and Standards”, “The United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies and their Comments”, “A Study On UN Convention of Anti-corruption”.     

国际刑事司法协助制度的若干新发展

《联合国打击跨国有组织犯罪公约》和《联合国反腐败公约》对国际刑事司法协助制度的新近发展作出了一定程度的总结,特别是确立了以追缴被非法转移的犯罪所得或收益为中心的司法协助新体系,放宽了双重犯罪原则对非强制性司法协助活动的限制作用,全面推广司法协助"中央机关"的联系机制,同时,倡导各国在条件允许的情况下采纳远程视频听证和联合调查的取证新方式。这些发展所涉及的一些新规则值得加以深入研究。     

200海里以外大陆架法律制度与中国

联合国第三次海洋法会议经过艰苦卓绝的谈判诞生了人类历史上迄今为止最为全面、最为完整的海洋法典——1982年《联合国海洋法公约》。《公约》创设了以第76条和附件二为核心的200海里以外大陆架的法律制度,使沿海国得以在大陆架界限委员会的指导和协助下依据国际法建立范围最大、也是最后的国家管辖海域。地理位置相对不利的中国虽然存在一定的机遇,但来自周边各国的严峻挑战使得中国在东海、南海的200海里以外大陆架的划界异常艰难。中国需要在国家层面从历史性权力和全球战略的视角提出中国未来海洋权益的目标和对策。     

日本主权豁免法制的最新发展与启示

作为联合国《国家及其财产管辖豁免公约》的缔约国,日本通过国内立法完成了对公约的转化。出于限制豁免主义立场的考虑,日本在商业交易的判断标准、给予外国国家豁免的具体情形以及外国国家参加法院诉讼的法律效果等问题上对公约进行了较大修改;出于与国内法衔接的考虑,对国家与国家企业的关系采取了回避的态度;而在劳动者损害赔偿诉讼的管辖权等方面,虽然条文表述有异,但却符合公约的精神。日本国内立法的整体方向是扩大日本的司法管辖权,这一点既需要引起我们的警觉,也值得我们借鉴。     

THE RESERVATION OF THE SEAS EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES

The general principle of the high seas shall be reserved for peaceful purposes is embodied in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and it is comprehensively in conformity with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter. It is also applicable to the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). In exercising their rights and performing their duties under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the States Parties shall refrain from any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. It can only be said that “military activities” do not include “law enforcement activities.” Marine scientific research conducted for military purposes is, if contrary to the principles in article 301 of the Convention, forbidden in any part of the oceans.     

控制下交付国际准则研究

《联合国禁止非法贩运麻醉药品和精神药物公约》《联合国打击跨国有组织犯罪公约》与《联合国反腐败公约》对控制下交付国际准则作了明确的规定,具体包括适当使用原则、逐案判断原则、安全原则、同意原则、国家主权原则等五项基本准则,并在区域性国际公约、国际协议和国内法中得到广泛体认和贯彻。基于"条约必须信守"的原则,我国也必须体现和遵循控制下交付国际准则,然而由于国际公约对控制下交付国际准则并没有作出详细规定,所以我国在通过制定国内法严格遵守、履行控制下交付国际准则的同时,还必须对如何贯彻控制下交付国际准则做进一步的精细化制度设计。