The European Union in global environmental governance: Leadership in the making?

For well over a decade, the European Union (EU) has proclaimed its leadership role in global environmental governance (GEG). In this article, we examine both the nature of its leadership and the underlying conditions for ‘actorness’ upon which leadership must depend. The EU’s record in the global conferences as well as its influence on the reform of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are also investigated. We argue that the EU has frequently sought to shape international environmental negotiations and promote sustainable development as an organising principle of global governance. Despite its inadequate status at the UN and internal problems, it has had a significant effect on the global agenda. However, due to persistent diplomatic opposition from other coalitions, its real, directly visible influence has been more modest. For genuine directional leadership, which goes beyond the defence of self-interest, the Union will have to make internal policy coherence a greater priority. Moreover, apart from relying solely on its weighty presence in the international system or its potential capabilities, the EU needs to achieve a high level of credibility in order to enhance its powers of persuasion.

Norway in UN environmental policies: ambitions and influence

This is a study of Norway’s ambitions for influencing UN environmental policies and then on the scope for impact. On the whole, it is clear that Norway has not been particularly successful in its general efforts at strengthening UNEP. These proposals have failed, due mainly to opposition from key states. Norway is after all a minor player in global governance issues, even in those pertaining to the environment. Norway has been more successful in efforts that indirectly strengthen UNEP, by supporting UNEP in initiating new MEAs. We found three main factors that help to explain why Norway has a relatively high level of influence at the international environmental arena compared to its size. First, there is a relatively straightforward domestic decision-making process with little conflict. Second, Norwegian officials and NGOs possess considerable expertise in these issues, adding to the intellectual leadership role of Norway in pushing for new principles and international legislation through UNEP. Third, Norway is sometimes able to join forces in environmental alliances with other like-minded countries. This would seem to carry the widest scope for increasing impact.

The effectiveness of UN environmental institutions

This is a study of the effectiveness of key UN institutions focussing on environment and sustainable development: the global conferences on development and the environment, the CSD and UNEP, primarily its co-ordinating functions. According to the indicators used to measure effectiveness here, it is concluded that the overall effectiveness of these institutions is quite low. This particularly applies to the CSD. UNEP has been quite effective in creating new institutions but has been less effective in co-ordinating them. As to the global conferences, their significance has been reduced over time.

From norms to programs: The United Nations Global Compact and global governance

Norms shape policy when they get translated into concrete programs. What if a widely shared norm gets translated into a weak program? How might this influence the program's legitimacy? We examine these issues in the context of the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary program that embodies the widely shared norm of corporate responsibility. While both international intergovernmental organization (IGO) and international non‐governmental organization (INGO) networks support this norm, they differ on the adequacy of the Compact's program design. We explore how this tension affects the diffusion of the Compact across countries, which vary in their levels of embeddedness in IGO and INGO networks. Our findings suggest that embeddedness in IGO networks encourages adoption, while embeddedness in INGO networks discourages it. Our analysis provides important lessons for sponsors of voluntary governance mechanisms. Widespread support for a norm does not automatically ensure support for a program that claims to embody it.     

Global functioning and suicide among Chinese rural population aged 15-34 years: a psychological autopsy case-control study

As the relationship between global functioning and young suicide remains unclear in rural China, this study was aimed to explore the relationship between them. Data of 391 rural suicides and 416 controls, all aged 15-34 years in three provinces in China were used for this study. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale was adopted to assess global functioning of suicides and controls. The results showed that GAF score was stronger than mental illness in predicting suicide in China. Different correlates of GAF score were found between suicides and controls. Unsurprisingly, GAF score was significantly correlated with mental illness in both suicides and controls. Different characteristics were also found among three types of suicide which were classified using GAF score. Assessing global functioning is useful and GAF scale should be regularly used in suicide prevention practice.     

国际税收透明度同行评议及中国的应对

为实施国际税收透明度和信息交换原则而组织的全球税收论坛同行评议是国际税收合作中的新机制。评议中发现在涉外信托、无记名股票和名义持有人三个问题上各国普遍存在信息透明度不足的缺陷。我国作为大陆法系国家,现行的法律法规与论坛所设计的标准也有一定距离,值得引起注意。应当在完善信托税制的实体法律基础上加强获取信托信息的税收征管程序立法,对国内信托和涉外信托分别制定信息申报规则;有必要对公司法第130条进行修订,取消发行无记名股票的规定;制定隐名投资中的名义股东的信息保存法,对名义股东施以信息报告义务。     

世界粮食危机中泰国粮食政策研究

粮食是重要的农产品,事关人民基本生活和国家经济社会的稳定与发展.今年发生的世界粮食危机让许多国家陷入饥荒与混乱.泰国是世界上重要的粮食生产国和出口国,面对这场"无声的海啸",机遇与挑战并存,泰国政府从容不迫,从维护本国政府和人民的利益出发,着眼于粮食的可持续生产及农业的长远发展,制定出行之有效的粮食政策.这些政策主要涉及保护农民的种粮积极性、敦促利益分享机制的执行、整合农业发展、粮食生产的资金投入和增强国际协商与合作等方面.目前泰国的粮食政策运行良好,可资其他粮食生产国和出口国借鉴.     

Kyoto,Europe?—An Economic Evaluation of the European Emission Trading Directive

To meet its obligations accepted in the Kyoto Protocol cost effectively, the European Union introduces a scheme of Greenhouse Gas Allowance Trading for its member states. This paper evaluates the cost effectiveness, ecological accuracy and dynamic incentives of this approach.The EU-emissions trading constitutes an important shift in the paradigm of environmental policy, from command and control to a market based approach. Still, the EU-system does not fully realize the economic potential of the transferable discharge permit policy. Especially, the limited scope of trading regarding geography, pollutants, sectors and activities reduces the quality of the system. Moreover, the EU-Directive is unspecific in many respects and it leaves many decisions defining the rules of the game to the individual member state. Uncertainty and heterogeneity increase transaction cost and thereby hamper the effectiveness of the system.JEL Classification: Q54, Q58, K32     

Some Aspects of the Principle of " common="" butdifferentiated="" responsibilities""="

The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, one of the key concepts of sustainable development, has dual grounding; the pressures developed countries place on the global environment; and the technologies and financial resources they command. Though the developed countries are reluctant to admit the first grounding, the developing countries have a strong leverage to induce the former to accept differentiated treatment in their favor.Thus, this principle has become to be reflected in some conventions in the field of environment and development. The reflection of this principle takes two forms: one is "double standards" in environmental protection standards as well as their implementation in favor of developing countries; and the other is assistance by developed countries for sustainable development of developing countries. At present, "double standards" seem to be inevitable, but, they must be temporary measures in view of the integral and interdependent nature of global environment. And, in order to overcome these "double standards", the attainment by developing countries of their sustainable development seems to be indispensable. In a substantial number of environmental conventions, developed country parties assume obligations to assist development country parties. However, these obligations are confirmed to "incremental costs" necessary for implementation of the convention concerned, and do not extent to assistance for sustainable development in general. Changing consumption and production patterns seems to be one of the most important aspects of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, since this concept takes issue, for the first time, with the pattern of development pursued by developed countries. However, this concept has much difficulties in translating into international legal terms.Though it may be difficult at present to characterize the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities to be a customary norm of international law, it is surely a basic principle of international law, and as such, may operate as a guiding principle for law-making, as well as for the interpretation and application of conventions in the field of environment and development.     

马克思的“世界历史”理论与“世界历史”的形成及后果

马克思的"世界历史"指的是世界性历史,相对于区域、民族和国家历史而言."世界历史"理论主要是根据时代的发展和资本主义开始全球性扩张的现实而提出的.从实际过程看,"历史"向"世界历史"的转化不仅经过了历时性的进化,也经历了地域范围的扩展.它是一个充满苦难和血腥的过程,是东西方民族国家之间不平等交往的过程;但是它客观上让资本主义文明散布于世界各地.