Search

Begin New Search Topic Cooperation

51. Asia, Europe and Global Democracy: Beyond the Summit for Democracy

Author:
Richard Youngs
Publication Date:
12-2021
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
East Asia Institute (EAI)
Abstract:
After much build-up during 2021, the U.S. administration held its Summit for Democracy on 9-10 December. President Biden succeeded in attracting 100 leaders to the online event and convinced states to make commitments to deepen democracy. After the success of the summit, details are now awaited on the follow-up. Governments will submit their reform commitments by mid-January, and decisions will then be needed on how progress on these will be monitored.[1] Work is also due on broader international initiatives of democracy support beyond the national-level commitments. A ‘year of action’ will now lead up to a second in-person summit in December 2022. The intention is for a more permanent process and set of initiatives to flow out of the two summits. Rolled together this set of developments can be referred to as an incipient ‘summit process’.
Topic:
Diplomacy, Democracy, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
China, Asia, North America, and United States of America

52. Is Serbia Still a Troublemaker in the Balkans?

Author:
Faruk Ajeti
Publication Date:
09-2021
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP)
Abstract:
As one of the largest countries of the Balkans, Serbia’s troubled past also poses big dilemmas for the future. Its latest political and military cooperation with Russia and China appears to be an effort to build a strategic neutrality with “Serbian characteristics.” But at what cost?
Topic:
International Relations, Foreign Policy, Neutrality, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Serbia, and Balkans

53. The Preserving Effect of Social Protection on Social Cohesion in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author:
Christoph Strupat
Publication Date:
01-2021
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Abstract:
This paper examines empirically whether social protection in the form of adapted social assistance programmes are affecting social cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using unique primary data from nationally representative, in-person surveys from Kenya allows for the exploration of the effect of social protection on attributes of social cohesion (trust, cooperation and identity). The analysis employs a difference-in-differences approach that compares households with and without social assistance coverage before and after the first wave of the pandemic. The findings suggest that social assistance can have a positive effect on attributes of social cohesion, but only in regions that faced larger restrictions due to lockdown policies. Turning to the analysis without focusing on lockdown regions, social assistance does not affect attributes of social cohesion. Overall, the results suggest that only under specific circumstances existing national social assistance programmes and their adaptation in times of large covariate shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can be beneficial for social cohesion.
Topic:
Social Cohesion, COVID-19, Trust, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Kenya and Africa

54. The Rise of the Team Europe Approach in EU Development Cooperation: Assessing a Moving Target

Author:
Niels Keijzer, Aline Burni, Benedikt Erforth, and Ina Friesen
Publication Date:
01-2021
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
Abstract:
This paper analyses the European Union’s (EU) evolving motivations, priorities and current approaches to development cooperation under the label of “Team Europe”, following its introduction in April 2020 as the European Union’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It assesses what Team Europe is, to what extent and how the Team Europe approach has changed the EU’s development cooperation, which effects it has on EU initiatives to support partner countries, and discusses the implications of Team Europe on the EU’s development policy in the medium and long term. The paper analyses the Team Europe approach along four dimensions, which are traditionally emphasised in the EU’s development policy: (i) visibility, (ii) effectiveness, (iii) ownership and (iv) integration. It concludes that Team Europe primarily seeks to increase the visibility of EU’s actions in support of partner countries and prioritises European ownership of cooperation priorities over developing country ownership. Although ‘effectiveness’ efforts focus on improving efficacy of the intra-EU-MS coordinated processes, it remains unclear whether Team Europe promotes more programmatic collective action among member states.
Topic:
Development, European Union, COVID-19, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Europe

55. Nordic cooperation amid pandemic travel restrictions

Author:
Katja Creutz, Sofie Berglund, Telli Betül Karacan, Alberto Giacometti, and Kristin M. Haugevik
Publication Date:
11-2021
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)
Abstract:
Since 2020, the Nordic countries have been confronted with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been a multi-level stress test for the region. The strong basis of open borders and free movement in Nordic cooperation has been questioned by national pandemic measures, including wide travel restrictions. The Nordic dimension to pandemic responses has largely been missing, the trust between the countries has arguably been put to test and cross-border commuters have been subjected to differential treatment. Especially cross-border regions have suffered the consequences of travel restrictions, causing disruptions to work and private life. The report draws attention to the preparedness of the Nordic Region to jointly confront global crises. It explores the different strategies and travel restrictions adopted by four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. It also studies how Nordic cooperation functioned in a time of crisis. At the local level, it examines the economic, labour market and social implications for three cross-border regions, that is, Tornedalen, Svinesund and Öresund. The report finds that while there is room for improvement in handling a crisis like the pandemic, there are diverging views on the desirability to have all-Nordic approaches to situations affecting national security. The consequences are, however, serious for free movement and the aim to become the most integrated region in the world.
Topic:
Crisis Management, Public Health, COVID-19, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden

56. DIPLOMATIC NARRATIVES ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION: POWER, COOPERATION AND PERSPECTIVES FROM BRAZIL AS A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

Author:
Iara Costa Leite, Júlia Mascarello, and Nicole Aguilar Gayard
Publication Date:
04-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Conjuntura Austral: Journal of the Global South
Institution:
Conjuntura Austral: Journal of the Global South
Abstract:
This article adopts a different stance towards materials on science diplomacy produced by its practitioners, broadly understood here as those individuals or organizations involved in the practice of science diplomacy (including, for instance, scientists and diplomats): it sees such materials as composed by narratives, rather than scientific categories that describe and analyze social phenomena.6 Our focus is on frames and causal perceptions related to STI and international relations as elaborated by diplomats in Brazil, where the authors are based. Together with China, India, Russia and the United States, Brazil has become a central stage for competition between developed countries' science diplomacy initiatives (FLINK; SCHREITERER, 2010). Our aim is to map and systematize narratives on STI authored by Brazilian diplomats and their connections with international relations. We understand narratives broadly, related to how diplomats perceive STI and associate it with power, development, competition and cooperation in multiple geometries (bilateral, multilateral, North-South, South-South) and sectors (nuclear, economic, environmental etc.).
Topic:
Diplomacy, Science and Technology, Power, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Brazil and South America

57. Polish-Ukrainian military units in the years 1991-2018

Author:
Marek Żyła
Publication Date:
12-2018
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Security and Defence Quarterly
Institution:
War Studies University
Abstract:
The history and traditions of Polish-Ukrainian military contacts are as rich as the relations between the two nations. Intensive military cooperation dates back to the mid-16th century and is connected with the pursuit of the military capabilities of the Cossacks. The next chapter of Polish-Ukrainian military cooperation started just after the end of the First World War. The state authorities, analysing the political and military situation, noticed the importance of Ukraine for the future balance of power in Europe and its impact on Poland’s security in the east. The leader of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), ataman Symon Petlura, had a similar approach. The need for joint action in the face of growing threat led both parties to intensify negotiations and to sign a political and military agreement. The findings made on 14 January 1992 during the visit of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Colonel Konstantin Morozov, to Poland should be regarded as the beginning of contemporary military contacts with Ukraine. In formal terms, the legal basis for cooperation was the agreement on this matter, signed on 3 February 1993 in Kiev. In its framework, both parties agreed to develop, inter alia, training and training-operational cooperation. It was intended to be implemented through contacts between units stationed in the border regions, transferring the main effort to the lower levels of command.
Topic:
Bilateral Relations, Peacekeeping, Cooperation, Military, and Stabilization
Political Geography:
Europe, Ukraine, and Poland

58. Kosovo's Participation in Peacekeeping Missions: An effective tool in Foreign Policy

Author:
Donika Marku
Publication Date:
09-2018
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
Abstract:
Kosovo’s current isolation and the lack of country’s clear path to membership in key regional and international security organizations and mechanisms such as the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) has not only frustrated the country’s ability to become part of the global security infrastructure, but it has also held back its chances to participate and contribute to the various peacekeeping missions worldwide.
Topic:
Security, Foreign Policy, NATO, Peacekeeping, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe and Kosovo

59. Cooperative Connections: Connecting Female Artisan Home-Based Workers through Women’s Cooperatives in Jakarta, Indonesia

Author:
Andrew Walker
Publication Date:
09-2017
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)
Abstract:
This study provides new evidence about the ways in which cooperatives can support women’s economic empowerment. Cooperatives can expand women’s access to small-scale finance, markets, and training, and can provide connections to social services. Formal institutions in the government and private sector can build on the cooperatives’ local networks to enable better outreach and deliver services. Cooperative Connections examines the extent to which these possibilities are being realized in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the case of female artisan home-based workers. In Indonesia, women’s labor force participation lags behind that of men by more than 30 percentage points. Most women who participate in the economy do so informally, and many of these informal workers produce goods at home as artisans. As elsewhere in the world, many home-based workers lack legal and social protection, and face challenges such as limited access to capital, intensive competition in low-value sectors, and difficulties balancing paid work with household work and child care. Past studies suggest that organizing into groups like cooperatives can provide informal workers greater voice and visibility, and increase prospects for artisans to expand their businesses, improve the quality of their products, and enable them to compete in external markets. We examine whether this is the case in Jakarta. Indonesia has more than 150,000 active cooperatives, with more than 6,000 in Jakarta alone. Cooperatives in Indonesia are extensively regulated and supported by the government, particularly the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises. Development partners like the International Labor Organization and civil society organizations are also active in this space. We assessed how cooperative membership in Jakarta supports women’s economic empowerment.
Topic:
Women, Labor Market, Workforce, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Indonesia and Southeast Asia

60. No Way Out? Assesment of Police Cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia

Author:
Sofije Kryeziu
Publication Date:
11-2016
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS)
Abstract:
Countries aspiring for membership into the European Union (EU) are required to foster good neighbourly relations. Sound inter-state relations contribute towards the enhancement of regional security and cooperation. In the context of the Western Balkans, police cooperation is considered one of the most important aspects as it serves the purpose of peace and stability. Hence, membership into the EU is conditioned, among other factors, with the enhancement of multilateral and bilateral security cooperation. The progress is measured through different mechanisms set up by the EU and other international organisations. While there has been an advancement in bilateral cooperation and multilateral cooperation through regional initiatives in general, a large gap remains due to the limited security cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia. This state of play is driven by the political factors over Serbia’s refusal to recognise Kosovo, and the activities it undertakes to thwart its representation in the international system. This is despite contrary agreements and overshadows the potential of security cooperation. Furthermore, the ongoing refusal to formally recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state should not mark an obstacle to police cooperation, as this is for the benefit of both countries and people.
Topic:
Bilateral Relations, European Union, Police, and Cooperation
Political Geography:
Eastern Europe, Kosovo, and Serbia