无正本提单交付货物的中英法律解读

无正本提单交付货物一直是困扰国际海上货物运输的主要问题之一。应该说,自从提单这一运输单证诞生并开始肩负作为交付货物凭证的功能时起,无单放货就伴随其产生了。从承运人的角度来说,最关心的莫过于如何认定无单放货的形式和性质以及因承担无单放货而产生的责任;从正本提单持有人的角度来说,在承运人无单放货的情况下如何行使索赔权则是其关注的核心。为了解决中国海事司法审判实践中出现的有关无正本提单交付货物纠纷的法律适用方面的问题,最高人民法院在2009年3月5日出台了《最高人民法院关于审理无正本提单交付货物案件适用法律若干问题的规定》,由于在起草过程中大量借鉴了国外海事审判经验,而英国又是海事审判最先进的国家之一,积累了大量有关无单放货的判例,因此有必要通过这些案例来对该规定的主要内容进行解读,以便对相关内容进行更好的理解和把握。     

论《鹿特丹规则》中的无单放货问题

在当前的海运实践中,无单放货现象普遍存在。为了解决这一问题,《鹿特丹规则》改变了过去将凭单放货作为承运人一项强制性义务的做法,反而允许承运人在某些情况下可以无单放货并无须承担相应的法律责任。此种新规定有其积极的意义,但也存在着诸多不成熟和不完善之处。在这一问题上,我国应保持谨慎的态度,切不可盲目移植《鹿特丹规则》中的新规定。     

世界粮食危机与中国粮食安全

世界粮食危机预示着高粮价时代的到来,各国开始重新审视自己的粮食安全。全球人口膨胀和消费需求不断增加打破了供需之间的平衡,而美国推行的生物燃料政策和美元霸权进一步加剧了这种不平衡。因此,美国要为世界粮食危机的加剧负主要责任,但美国同时也是世界粮食危机的最大受益者,国际粮价的高涨体现了美国粮食武器的威力。面对形势严重的世界粮食危机,中国应该保证自给自足,高度重视粮食安全,力保粮食主权,实现经济和社会的可持续发展。     

Right place,right time: Increasing the effectiveness of agricultural development support in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper suggests that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are well placed to seize the opportunities from expanding global and regional demand for agricultural products but that this will require a shift from extensive to more intensive production systems. The ability of SSA's smallholder farmers to increase on-farm investments in productivity is, however, constrained by their capacity to manage the risk-return trade-offs in moving towards intensified agriculture. While stakeholders are increasing their investments to assist smallholders in SSA to participate in integrated supply chains, the returns in terms of technical and financial results from these investments are generally lower than in other developing regions. This paper suggests that this is, at least in part, a consequence of problems associated with the role of spatial and temporal coordination in program delivery. Hence, much more focus needs to be devoted to delivering goods and services for smallholders at the right place and the right time, and this should be better monitored and evaluated in the context of development programs.     

Achieving zero hunger: implementing a human rights approach to food security in Ethiopia

A human rights approach to food security seeks to empower vulnerable groups to claim their rights. It also reinforces a government’s obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the right to food. Furthermore, it encourages the integration of the right to food into the design and implementation of food security policies. This article examines the human rights approach to food security, with specific reference to Ethiopia. It assesses the historical causes of Ethiopia’s food insecurity, and examines the legislative and policy measures that the country has adopted over the last three decades in order to achieve food security. Food insecurity in the country is largely explained by the absence of government accountability. In 1973 and 1984, the hunger caused by drought was transitioned to famine not because of overall unavailability of food in the country, but because the government failed to provide food aid to the starved people and concealed the occurrence of famines from the international donors. Despite designing some food security policies over the last three decades, the country has not yet adopted sufficient legislative and judicial measures to enforce the right to food. This article argues that Ethiopia should introduce a framework law on the right to food to end hunger in the context of achieving national food security.     

Does User Co-Production of Public Service Delivery Increase Satisfaction and Trust? Evidence From a Vignette Experiment

Whereas it is assumed that involving users in the delivery of public services yields more positive evaluations of those services, this study shows that levels of satisfaction and trust are not necessarily positively affected by such user co-production. An experimental vignette design among students (n = 174) is used to analyze the differences concerning trust and satisfaction between co-produced and non-co-produced public services. In some cases, the results suggest, co-production actually leads to less satisfaction and trust. This might be explained by the self-serving bias, which states that co-producers take credit for success but blame service providers for failure.     

Understanding the Role of Participation in Public Service Delivery: Evidences from Rural West Bengal,India

The present study, using household level data of East Midnapore district of West Bengal, India, examines the role of people’s participation in public service delivery. It considers four dimensions of participation namely attending meetings, raising voice, lodging complaints, and making contributions. The study confirms the role of participation in public service delivery. Apart from participation, households’ socioeconomic and political positions also exert significant impacts. There is, however, likelihood of “elite capture” and “clientelism” in the delivery of public services. Effective service delivery presupposes that while attending meetings, people must raise their voice and make contributions.     

特殊动产物权变动的公示方法

关于船舶、航空器和机动车等特殊动产的物权变动,可以采取登记或者交付的公示方法。此类特殊动产的物权变动采登记对抗主义,并非意味着交付的效力优先于登记。相反,交付后如未经登记,不得对抗善意的登记权利人。在特殊动产的物权变动中,尤其是在特殊动产一物数卖的情况下,登记应当优先于交付。     

食品安全治理的国外研究述评

作为困扰各国的世界性难题,食品安全问题引起了各国学界的重视,纷纷对这一问题开展深入研究。将从食品安全的概念及必要性、食品安全影响因素、食品安全各利益相关方、食品安全治理对策这四个维度对国外研究进行综合评述。     

Hungry for Information: Public Attitudes Toward Food Nanotechnology and Labeling

What people think about food nanotechnology (nanofood) is under‐explored in the United States, especially outside of quantitative surveys. As such, we set out to examine public attitudes toward food nanotechnology in conversational, focus group settings in order to identify policy options for nanofood governance, and in particular, options for labeling. Through analysis of focus groups in six U.S. locations, we found that the vast majority of the participants wanted nanotechnology labels for all types of food products, and most were willing to pay a premium for labeling. Participants cited abilities to choose and avoid potential risk as the main purposes of nanofood labels. However, they recognized that labels alone do not provide much meaning and that information concerning food nanotechnology products needs to be sought and supplied beyond the label to enable informed choices. Additionally, willingness‐to‐use and risk–benefit perceptions varied according to the position and intended functions of the nanomaterials in food products.