LEGAL AND REGULATORY MODEL FOR THE AUDIT PROFESSION： THE UK AND CHINESE MODELS COMPARED

The article discusses whether the UK＇s liberal regulatory model for the audit profession could benefit China as it continues its reform towards a western-inspired liberal market economy. China has already carried out substantial reforms.＂ the disaffiliation programme, audit industry consolidation, and the diffusion of international audit norms. However, substantial deficiencies in the Chinese audit profession remain, and corporate audit continues to lack credibility. Adopting a system modelled on that used in the UK could resolve these issues. However, if China chose to adopt the UK＇s liberal regulatory model, it would not only require economic reform, but also structural reform to its political system. This would include removing conflicts of interest between the audit profession and companies controlled by public authorities; the development of an independent self-regulatory system accountable to the judiciary; corporate democratisation; the development of private enforcement and the introduction of an independent judicial system.     

PEACEKEEPING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN DARFUR： A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF UN-AU HYBRIDIZATION MECHANISM

The central thrust of the paper is to locate the appropriateness of peacekeeping in conflict resolution. Since 1948, peacekeeping operation has gained steady importance as a method to resolve both inter and intra state conflicts. In Darfur, since 2003 when the horrendous carnage first broke out resulting in killing of over 200,000 civilians and displacement of millions others,     

LESSONS FOR THE US SYSTEM OF FINANCIAL ARBITRATION： A RESPONSIVE EMPIRICAL EXPLORATION OF ARBITRATION AND OMBUDSMAN SERVICES

The United States largely relies on a system of arbitration to handle retail consumer financial disputes. This approach has undergone significant challenges in recent yearsparticularly in light of recent abuses of consumer credit arbitration mechanisms. This paper reports on the result of a non-randomized smalLn survey which we label the ＂Financial Dispute Study＂ aiming at evaluating the relative effectiveness of two major approaches to financial dispute resolution -- arbitration and ombudsman services. Nearly a hundred survey questionnaires were distributed to financial dispute resolution practitioners throughout the world. A total of forty-eight arbitrators and ombudsmen from East Asia, North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa responded. In the Study the participants were asked how practitioners viewed the level of satisfaction, settlement rate and perceived increase or decrease in the use of the given method of financial dispute resolution -- whether arbitration or ombudsman service.     

POWER IN POWERLESSNESS： STRATEGIES FOR CLIMBING THE SOCIAL LADDER UTILIZED BY MINORITY GROUPS IN SERBIA

The issue of ethnic minority groups is marked by the struggle for power, because the identity of a minority group is constructed in the atmosphere characterised by the relationships of domination and subordination, as well as humiliation and pride. According to the usual definition, ethnic minorities are subordinate groups that are the targets of discrimination of the ethnic majority. However, in the modern world, thanks to strong and active international institutions,     

TOWARDS A NEW CONCESSIONS REGIME IN THE EU： ABOUT THE MERITS AND SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CONCESSIONS＇ DIRECTIVE

The European Commission published a proposal at the end of2011 for a self-standing directive on the awarding of concessions in the context of the revision of the public procurement framework. With the aim of harmonizing rules and developing minimum standards based on the EU primary law and ECJ case law, the purpose of the proposed directive was, according to the Commission, to ensure more transparency and legal certainty in all Member States in awarding concessions and enhance the development of PPPs （Public-Private Partnerships） 1 However, negotiations on the proposal for a concessions directive proved to be difficult. The text2 finally adopted on February 26, 2014 stems from three compromises： 1. Within the European Commission, between a fully fledged approach and a so-called ＂light approach ＂; 2. within the Council between Member States in favor of a detailed directive for the sake of easy transposition, and Member States reluctant to the very directive, whose added value was challenged either by fear of amending their own existing national legislation on concessions or, conversely, by fear of putting at risk existing contracts awarded without open tender; 3. within the European Parliament, as the rather technical issue of public procurement became a politically driven debate on both the principle of subsidiarity and the legitimacy of private operators to manage services of general interest. As a result of a complex deal brokered by the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, the main merit of the directive is its existence. In the light of the numerous exclusions to its scope, it remains to be seen whether some of its promising provisions regarding the definition, the award and the life of concessions will facilitate on the ground the development of transparent, performing concessions projects. At the end of the day, options to be embraced by the Member States for the transposition of the concessions directive will be a key element in the success and use of the new legal concessions reg