Public–Private Partnerships in International Agricultural Research: An Analysis of Constraints

Public–private partnerships are a potentially important means of conducting pro-poor agricultural research in many developing countries. Yet within the international agricultural research sector, there are few examples of successful collaboration that have contributed to food security, poverty reduction or agricultural development. This study hypothesizes that partnerships between public research agencies and private, multinational firms are constrained by fundamentally different incentive structures; prohibitive costs, both direct and indirect; mutually negative perceptions between the sectors; and high levels of competition and risk associated with valuable assets and resources. Based on a survey of key stakeholders and a review of the literature, findings suggest that the primary impediments to partnership are perceptions, competition and risk, while issues of costs and conflicting incentives are secondary. These findings suggest that investment in innovative organizational mechanisms and supportive public policies could facilitate more, and more successful, public–private partnerships in pro-poor agricultural research.     

YES PM: Years of Experience in Strategies for Peace Making

From the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords in September 2000 to the eruption of Al Aqsa intifada in September 2000, the international community allocated an estimated $20–25 million for people-to-people (P2P) projects. Since September 2000, almost all P2P projects came to a halt. Many people have asked why this had to happen? Why did the P2P projects cease to work when they were needed the most? Why did the P2P projects fail to produce the desired goals? How could P2P projects have greater impact? Why are some activities continuing, while others have ceased? This article will attempt to deal with these questions. It is based on a research project that involved Israeli and Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society institutions; Israeli, Palestinian, and international academics; and other expert conflict resolution and conflict prevention practitioners. A joint team of Israeli and Palestinian researchers was appointed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the P2P process; two workshops were held to conduct subjective analyses of the P2P process from its start until today. An interactive web site was also produced, and some 40 interviews were conducted with initiators and implementers of P2P projects. We present here the findings of this study.     

公司作为普通合伙人投资合伙企业引发的法律思考

相较于1997年《合伙企业法》,修订后的《合伙企业法》在制度上有许多调整,公司可以参与合伙并可以成为普通合伙人即是其中较为重要的创新之一。但是,公司作为法人成为普通合伙人参与合伙企业经营和管理,毕竟与自然人以普通合伙人的身份参与到合伙企业之中有着很大的区别,可能对公司、公司股东特别是小股东、公司债权人等造成不利影响。在实践中,公司作为普通合伙人所带来的诸多问题并没有引起实务界和理论界的关注。而这些问题的解决,有助于公司在利用合伙企业的投资优势的同时,能够建立适中的风险防范机能。     

新形势下对加强中俄经贸合作的几点思考

进入21世纪后,世界政治经济形势的重大变化为加强中俄经贸合作提供了新的契机。加强中俄经贸合作,妥善解决中俄经贸面临的问题,对巩固中俄战略协作伙伴关系、推动双方经济的发展意义重大。     

完善我国合伙法律体系的思考

我国的合伙法律制度还很不完善,其最大的弊端在于缺乏体系性。应借鉴世界各国关于合伙的先进立法先例,建构具有我国特色的合伙法律体系。     

Slovene commercial diplomacy in the Western Balkan countries

The aim of the article is to present activities of Slovene commercial diplomacy in the Western Balkan markets. The result of the analysis proves that Slovene commercial diplomacy in the Western Balkan markets followed enterprise preferences. Thus, in the first decade of transition (1991–2000) commercial diplomacy focused only on ex-Yugoslav markets, while non-ex-YU (Western Balkan) markets became interesting only after the year 2000. The article argues that this can be explained by the reactiveness (instead of proactiveness) of Slovene enterprises, which stems from the Slovene national character.     

商事主体终止的制度检视及其结构优化

商事制度之完善不能偏囿于入口端的登记,还应关注出口端的终止。终止制度对市场风险出清、债权债务处置、要素资源优化具有重要作用。终止的面向大于破产,还有庭外解散和停止经营的进路,终止流程包括去除营业资格的清算和剥离主体资格的注销。现有商事主体终止制度面临双线困局:外线解散过罚不当、清算概念混用、注销虚化空转;内线破产类型狭窄、终端注销衔接不畅。近年来,作为改革突破口的简易注销和强制注销渐次推出,但面临法律正当性阙如之虞。破解困局当有结构化方案,以主体分类、繁简分流为主线,辅以歇业登记、注销回转的补充,通过公司法、破产法、登记法的联动修改,可助益于商事主体终止的理念更新和制度优化。     

《鹿特丹规则》之控制权的中国司法实践和立法反思

《鹿特丹规则》中最为创新也最有争议的法律概念是控制方的权利,即货物的控制权。这个存在于非海运的运输公约以及某些国内法中的权利概念,给海上货物运输规则带来新的挑战。该概念没有实现新规则的现代化和和谐化目标,在司法实践中也备受争议,并由此引发对《鹿特丹规则》中控制权立法的反思。在立法条件尚未成熟的情况下,美国《统一商法典》中的控制权概念,可以成为值得借鉴的立法模式。     

美国合伙制企业法比较评析及对中国法的借鉴

文章基于对美国的普通合伙、有限责任合伙、有限合伙、有限责任有限合伙、有限责任企业等几种合伙制企业组织形式的比较分析,从责任形式、税务负担、企业管理权及相关程序性规定几个角度分析了投资者在不同条件下选择不同的合伙制商事法律主体的利弊与取舍。文章作于《中华人民共和国合伙企业法》酝酿出台之际,以比较法的研究视角,以期从美国的合伙企业法律制度的立法和实践中有所学习借鉴,在中国承认更多种类的灵活的合伙制企业组织形式,为投资者与企业家提供更广阔的经济舞台。     

民营化释义

学界对"民营化"一词尚未形成统一的定义。在学理上,"民营化"这一术语的使用纷繁复杂,其涵盖范围从公共产品释股到私人参与履行行政任务、从国家任务私人化到解除管制、从公私合伙到公办民营等等,均被视为民营化的课题。基于对"民营化"广义的理解,民营化主要有四个方面的特征。"民营化"与其他相关概念之间既有交叉涵盖之处,也有彼此的不同。