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42. Corruption at the level of local and central government in view of the country’s resilience system
- Author:
- Maciej Pietrusiński
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Nowa Polityka Wschodnia
- Institution:
- Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
- Abstract:
- Corruption regardless of its form and the stage at which it occurs has a pathological character. It has a destructive impact on the functioning mechanisms of public at state level, at local level and private institutions, as well as causing dysfunctions in economic systems. In addition, corruption causes security threats on a national, regional and global scale. There is no country in the world that has managed to fully solve the problem of corruption. The mechanisms and guidelines being put in place for offices and organisations countering this issue only limit the scale and narrow the area of impact. Even institutions concerned with ensuring security inside the state and protecting its interests beyond its borders are not free from this practice. This article will describe the impact of bribery on the functioning of key areas affecting the entire state and international security system.
- Topic:
- Defense Policy, Corruption, Resilience, Military, Local Government, and Public Administration
- Political Geography:
- Poland and Global Focus
43. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth Implementation: A review of the Indonesian case 2018-2022
- Author:
- Arie Kusuma Paksi, Chalila Raihan Nabilazka, and Krisna Silawa
- Publication Date:
- 05-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
- Institution:
- Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
- Abstract:
- From 2018 to 2021, the global landscape was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia, which faced the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Asia, demonstrated remarkable resilience in maintaining the Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) trajectory amidst these challenging times. This study aims to scrutinise Indonesia's sustained commitment to sustainable development during the global economic downturn. Using a qualitative methodology and a comprehensive literature review, this study uses the Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports as its primary source. It assesses the achievement of SDG 8 based on the process step indicators established by Allen et al. (2017). Despite experiencing a recession for four consecutive quarters, the study finds that Indonesia has successfully met all the established indicators, although there are challenges and areas that require further attention.
- Topic:
- Economics, Sustainable Development Goals, Resilience, COVID-19, and Implementation
- Political Geography:
- Indonesia and Southeast Asia
44. Urban Green Areas in Baku: Crafting a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient City Agenda
- Author:
- Tural Aliyev, Mauel Fischer, Janine Bollinger, and Alexandre Hedjazi
- Publication Date:
- 10-2024
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- Baku Dialogues
- Institution:
- ADA University
- Abstract:
- In the face of ongoing global environmental dynamics such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and natural resource depletion, one of the most significant challenges of the twenty‑first century is mitigating the negative externalities due to urbanization while adapting to the consequences of urban development. Beyond the increasing, ecological footprint of urban areas and the escalating demands for a diverse array of resources, land‑use practices significantly diminish the availability of areas essential for sustaining ecosystem services. This reduction not only impacts biodiversity but also limits nature’s capability to provide crucial services like clean air, water, and climate regulation—paradoxically, precisely in cities where their demand would be greatest. Many of these ecosystem services are directly linked to the natural environment in cities, such as green urban areas. Indeed, urban green areas (UGAs) are of high importance as they significantly contribute to vital ecosystem services (e.g., pollination through increased biodiversity), response options and thus resilience to environmental (climate) change (e.g., sponge cities), and human wellbeing, including direct impacts on our physical and mental health (e.g., nearby recreation).
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Urban, Cities, Sustainability, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Eurasia, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, and Baku
45. The Impacts of Earned Wage Access on Low-Income Women Workers
- Author:
- Achyuta Adhvaryu, Sowmya Dhanaraj, Anant Nyshadham, Smit Gade, and Apoorv Somanchi
- Publication Date:
- 12-2024
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University
- Abstract:
- This study examines the effects of employer-provided Earned Wage Access (EWA) on financial resilience, workplace retention, and productivity among low-income women workers in a South Indian garment factory. Through a 12-month randomized controlled trial, researchers found that access to EWA reduced reliance on informal loans by 30%, improved liquidity, and enhanced worker retention by 4.2%. Women in the intervention group also experienced an 8% increase in daily productivity, particularly those facing high financial stress. While the intervention improved financial confidence, it did not significantly impact savings behavior or intra-household bargaining power. The findings highlight the potential of workplace-based digital financial solutions in promoting financial well-being and economic empowerment for women in developing countries.
- Topic:
- Development, Women, Income Inequality, Resilience, Productivity, Wages, and Garment Industry
- Political Geography:
- South Asia and India
46. Digitising the social safety net: Lessons from Indonesia
- Author:
- Hilman Palaon
- Publication Date:
- 07-2024
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- The digitisation of social safety nets can help drive inclusion and reduce poverty while fostering more resilient social and economic development. Indonesia’s experience offers important lessons for other countries in how to do so. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Indonesia learned from international examples while developing specific solutions tailored to its needs. Experimentation, sustained political will, and keeping pace with fast-changing technology have been key to its success. A well-executed digitised social safety net offers direct operational gains, including by combatting inefficiency, fraud, and corruption in the provision of social welfare, many spin-off benefits such as expanding digital and financial literacy in society, and contributes to macro-level stability by managing economic shocks and enhancing public trust in government. The next steps in Indonesia’s journey should focus on incorporating digital ID and data analytics to improve the performance and integrity of an expanded social safety net system. Strengthening cybersecurity and data protection will also be critical. A key political test will be the recertification and eligibility agenda, to graduate citizens from social assistance programs once they are no longer in need of them.
- Topic:
- Cybersecurity, Resilience, Digitization, Inclusion, and Social Assistance
- Political Geography:
- Indonesia and Southeast Asia
47. Building Resilience? The Cybersecurity, Economic & Trade Impacts of Cloud Immunity Requirements
- Author:
- Matthias Bauer
- Publication Date:
- 03-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)
- Abstract:
- EU Member States should call on the EU’s Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) and the European Commission to abandon immunity requirements in the proposed EU Cloud Certification Scheme (EUCS). With immunity requirements in the EUCS, the EU risks opening a Pandora’s box, paving the way for data localisation, foreign ownership restrictions, and local establishment requirements in digital industries globally leading to rising trade tensions. ENISA’s current proposal could increase policymakers’ appetite for data localisation in the EU. It would empower the European Commission and Member State authorities to exclude foreign businesses from domestic cloud services markets and set a dangerous precedent for any data-intensive sector. The list of “sectors of high criticality” could be logically extended to both existing services (e.g., financial services) and to new technologies and business models, such as IoT in the energy and healthcare sectors, and autonomous driving in the transport sector. Non-EU jurisdictions would be pressured to respond in kind. EUCS immunity requirements would increase cloud adopters’ exposure to cybersecurity risks. Data localisation often creates obstacles to an integrated management approach towards cybersecurity risks. Country of headquarter and foreign ownership restrictions in the proposed EUCS risk removing global frontier cybersecurity technologies from Member State markets. Excluding these and other EU and non-EU companies from EU Member States could result in a long-lasting security deficit of EU cloud adopters vis-à-vis organisations that are still able to use reliable and often best-practice cloud services offered by providers from outside EU Member States. Immunity requirements in the EUCS are discriminatory by design. They could provoke retaliatory measures by EU trading partners, either unilaterally or through WTO or bilateral FTA (e.g., UK-EU) Dispute Settlement. Local establishment requirements and foreign ownership restrictions would by design discriminate against foreign cloud providers. US-headquartered companies, which currently serve more than 75% of the EU market, would be most affected by EU immunity requirements.[1] Depending on US preferences and the scope of the proposed EUCS, the EU could be subject to retaliatory tariffs of up to USD 12 billion worth of EU goods exports or equivalent restrictions for EU services exports to the US. Other governments could lodge complaints via the WTO as well (e.g., Singapore, Japan, Canada and others, where cloud development is advancing rapidly). EU suppliers are currently in no position to manage a broad-based transition to cloud, and thus such requirements would delay significant efficiency and security gains that current foreign suppliers could offer. A blanket exclusion of non-EU cloud vendors would also likely undermine Europe’s objective to achieve a 75% cloud adoption rate for EU enterprises. Sensitive European businesses and public sector organisations would have to delay migration and make do with legacy systems for a very long time. Contrary to large countries, these negative impacts would be much more pronounced for smaller EU Member States, which lack the presence of large domestic incumbents and generally rely much more on an open international trading regime for digital services. ENISA’s cloud certification scheme should be limited to technical and transparency requirements. Immunity requirements for non-personal data should be addressed in bilateral initiatives such as the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) or agreements requiring a company that sought to offer services of the highest level of sensitivity to be headquartered in a country granted adequacy with EU data protection rules, or a country that is an adherent to the OECD’s Trusted Government Access principles, or (concerning the US) a participant in the upcoming Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework. Excluding foreign companies from operating in the EU would have far-reaching consequences. If that is the intent, it should require a sound legal analysis and the decision should be taken through a formal legislative procedure at the EU level.
- Topic:
- Economics, Markets, European Union, Cybersecurity, Digital Economy, Trade, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Europe
48. Enhancing Resilience in a Chaotic World: The Role of Infrastructure
- Author:
- Carlo Secchi and Alessandro Gili
- Publication Date:
- 06-2023
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
- Abstract:
- Global infrastructure is at a crossroads. Sustainability and climate-resilience imperatives, new geopolitical headwinds, technology and connectivity issues, as well as the ongoing reconfiguration of global value chains, all call for a rethink in how infrastructure is designed, built and maintained. Leading world economic powers are envisaging new infrastructure plans that could fit in new trade and industrial strategies, with the ultimate goal to increase sustainability, economic competitiveness and resilience. Meanwhile, the use of digital technologies entails new risks for the security of critical infrastructure. How are global value chains changing, and how does this affect infrastructure? How could more resilient infrastructure transform economies? How to enhance the quality and sustainability of new and existing infrastructure? And how to safeguard security in critical infrastructure?
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Infrastructure, Economy, Sustainability, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
49. Formula for a Crisis: Protectionism and Supply Chain Resiliency—the Infant Formula Case Study
- Author:
- Scott Lincicome, Gabriella Beaumont-Smith, and Alfredo Carrillo Obregon
- Publication Date:
- 01-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- It has become accepted wisdom in Washington that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed how openness to international trade and investment increases U.S. vulnerability to economic shocks and contributes to widespread shortages of food, medicine, and other essential goods. This official narrative, however, ignores ample economic research showing that, while disruptions are inevitable in a modern economy, the alternative to free trade—a protectionism‐driven onshoring of global supply chains—carries its own risks and can even heighten vulnerability by inhibiting natural market adjustments to economic shocks. The infant formula crisis, which lasted for most of 2022 and was unique to the United States, provided an unfortunate real‐world lesson in this regard.
- Topic:
- International Trade and Finance, Free Trade, Resilience, COVID-19, and Supply Chains
- Political Geography:
- North America and United States of America
50. Strengthening Regional Supply Chain Resiliency Through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
- Author:
- Han-Koo Yeo and Wendy Cutler
- Publication Date:
- 05-2023
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Asia Society
- Abstract:
- In recent years, supply chain disruptions have become commonplace, resulting in governments and businesses rethinking long-held strategies, such as “cost and efficiency,” “just-in-time,” and “offshoring.” Facing shortages of products ranging from personal protective equipment (PPE) to automotive semiconductors, governments have had to mobilize quickly to deal with crises, often cobbling together a series of temporary and ad hoc measures. However, it has become clear that no country can prevent or cope with these disruptions alone. A collective approach, especially among like-minded countries, can greatly enhance supply chain resiliency and security. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)1 is one of the most promising international economic negotiations for addressing supply chain issues. Launched by the Biden administration in May 2022, IPEF is a blueprint for U.S. economic engagement in the region with 14 partners representing 40% of global GDP. Of its four pillars, the Supply Chain Pillar has attracted considerable attention. In many ways, this area is a clean slate, paving the way for creative thinking on rules and cooperation mechanisms to minimize disruptions. IPEF negotiators are making meaningful progress on their supply chain work, with early harvest agreements possibly being announced in late May this year, around the time of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Detroit, Michigan. With this in mind, we recommend a series of proposals to strengthen and expand the work of IPEF, both on a sector-wide basis and on critical minerals and materials, which could serve as a pilot for work in other sectors. We recommend important elements that should be included in an “early warning system” and “crisis response mechanism” to make these tools as robust and impactful as possible. We also suggest that IPEF members agree to World Trade Organization plus rules to deter the imposition of export restrictions and facilitate customs processing and essential cross-border movement of products and people during times of supply chain shortage. Finally, we underscore the benefits of supply chain connectivity and co-investment opportunities that can be generated through work in this pillar, especially for the developing country members of IPEF. Regarding critical minerals and materials, we offer several recommendations to cooperate on supply chain mapping, as well as streamlining and harmonizing regulations and standards. Furthermore, we suggest developing a “swap system” to be drawn from the financial “currency swap” mechanisms as a collective response that encourages countries to share their stockpiles during times of severe supply crises. Finally, we propose that Washington negotiate critical minerals and materials agreements similar to the one recently signed with Japan to make other IPEF members eligible for electric vehicle tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Our recommended policy proposals will take time to implement and could be taken up in phases. For 2023, we propose focusing on sector-wide outcomes and starting work on critical minerals and materials, which could continue into 2024. Next year would also be an opportune time to build on the cooperation mechanisms to make them more beneficial and relevant. It may also be worthwhile to consider a market access component to this effort. The IPEF Supply Chain Pillar provides a promising opportunity for the United States and its regional partners to set a new course in reshaping more resilient and secure supply chain networks.
- Topic:
- Economy, Resilience, COVID-19, and Supply Chains
- Political Geography:
- Indo-Pacific