Ghana's foreign policy and transnational security challenges in West Africa

This article focuses on Ghana's security culture as reflected in its foreign policy, and how it has influenced the way the country addresses transnational security challenges in the Economic Community of West African State subregion. In this sense, the article explores some of the linkages between national and subregional security cultures in West Africa and how effectively they have complemented each other in providing a holistic response to the transnational security challenges facing Ghana. The article argues that despite the existence of different subregional conventions and protocols made possible by an emerging subregional security culture, Ghana's strategies for addressing transnational security threats have not gone much beyond the rhetoric of addressing the problems. In reality, transnational criminal activities have not only intensified but have become more challenging. Several factors contribute to this including corrupt leadership and institutional practices, security lapses and lack of interagency coordination, and inadequate resources for addressing the problem. The article calls for adequately equipping the law enforcement agencies and the implementation of relevant laws to facilitate effective responses to transnational security challenges for Ghana and other countries in West Africa.     

Security culture,transnational challenges and the Economic Community of West African States

This special issue explores how one particular regional organisation, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has defined certain transnational issues as security threats and how it has addressed them. In this introductory article, we begin by providing an overview and analysis of some of the most important transnational security challenges facing West Africa. Specifically, we discuss some of the problems raised by cross-border insurgencies, health challenges, organised criminal activities, terrorism and environmental degradation. We then examine the different levels at which actors have responded to these challenges. The section ‘Security culture: shaping the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) response?’ sets out our approach to thinking about the concept of security culture and asks whether it might be relevant to understanding how and why ECOWAS has focused on responding to certain transnational security challenges and not to others. The final section provides an overview of the other articles in this issue.     

Virtual regionalism,regional structures and regime security in Central Asia

The failures of regionalism and regional structures for cooperation between the five CIS Central Asian states are well studied. However, explanations so far do not convincingly account for the apparent enthusiasm of these states for the macro-regional frameworks of the Eurasian Economic Community, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This article argues that, as with previous efforts at Central Asian regional self-organization, these broader organizations still largely represent a form of ‘virtual regionalism’. But for the Central Asian states they offer a new and increasingly important function, that of ‘protective integration’. This takes the form of collective political solidarity or ‘bandwagoning’ with Russia (and China in the SCO) against processes and pressures that are perceived as challenging incumbent leaders and their political entourage. A primary motivation for Central Asian leaders' engagement in the EAEC, CSTO and SCO, therefore, is the reinforcement of domestic regime security and the resistance of ‘external’ agendas of good governance or democracy promotion. These goals are concealed behind a discourse that denigrates the imposition of external ‘values’ and continues to give pride of place to national sovereignty. This offers little to overcome the underlying fractures between states in Central Asia.     

晋商传统文化的法律理念探析

法律文化是支配人类法律实践活动的价值基础。晋商传统文化是直接在传统法律文化的框架下形成和运作的。晋商形成和发展过程中，逐渐形成了诚实信用、严格管理、任人唯贤、官商结合等体现中国传统法律文化特征的原则。从晋商传统法律文化的特点中，我们可以总结出其所体现的法律文化精神和法律理念，对于我国当前法治社会的构建有着重要的学习和借鉴意义。     

民族落后地区化解社会不和谐现象的对策探讨——以广西为例

在民族落后地区社会经济发展过程中,城乡差距与贫富差距仍在扩大、社会分配不公之矛盾比较突出、医疗卫生事业薄弱、扶贫开发任务艰巨、就业岗位供给不足和就业结构性矛盾突出、人民群众的内部矛盾日渐突出、社会稳定与公共安全形势依然严峻等方面问题仍在相当程度上不利于和谐社会的构建。鉴此,现阶段也就有必要加快经济发展和新农村建设步伐,不断夯实化解社会不和谐现象的物质基础;努力完善社会保障体系,积极构建起和谐社会建设所需要的社会安全网;畅通利益诉求渠道,广泛开展平安建设,以便形成化解不和谐现象的社会基础。     

论民族民间传统文化的法律保护

民族民间传统文化保护立法中存在争论的法律名称、立法目的、法律方法和司法救济等问题,不能以非物质文化遗产保护法代替民族民间传统文化保护法,应当简化立法目的,创新法律方法,建立符合传统文化保护规律的特别制度,并在具体法律缺位的情况下,鼓励司法救济。     

试论治安秩序的特性

维护治安秩序的关键是要了解治安秩序的特性。治安秩序具有主观性和客观性、稳定性和协调性、目的性和持续性、变化性、具体性和抽象性等特性。认识和掌握这些特性对治安学学科发展和具体治安实践具有重要的理论意义和实际意义。     

加强领导干部作风建设推动公安教育健康发展——关于公安院校领导干部作风建设的几点思考

公安院校作为培养公安事业接班人的摇篮,领导干部的作风如何,直接关系到人才培养质量和公安事业的兴衰成败。认真学习领会中纪委第七次会议精神,充分认识新的历史条件下加强领导干部作风建设的重大现实意义和深远历史意义,以思想作风和学风建设为前提,以工作作风和领导作风建设为核心,以生活作风建设为重要内容,从教育、监督、制度三个关键环节入手,建立健全领导干部作风建设的长效机制,全面加强和改进领导干部作风建设,引领公安教育事业持续协调健康发展,既是一个重大的理论课题,更是一项严肃的政治任务。     

关于公安教材建设的回顾与展望

本文总结了“九五”期间公安教材建设取得的主要成就及存在的主要问题,阐述了“十五”期间公安教材建设的方向及任务,并对进一步提高分安教材建设的质量和效益提出了切实可行的措施。     

紧急状态下的公安行政决策

紧急状态下的公安行政决策不具备常规决策的基本条件。在这类决策中 ,决策者应着重考虑“解决问题的可能性”及“事态的急迫性”两个因素。由于决策者面临的决策要素的“初始”状态不同 ,可能选择的决策策略也不同。在公安紧急决策中 ,决策者要根据决策要素的变化随时更改自己的策略选择以求得理性地实现决策目标。