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18502. Worldwide Cost of Living 2011 Which city is the most expensive to live in? Which city is the cheapest?
- Publication Date:
- 07-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- Tokyo holds the dubious honour of once again being the world's most expensive city. Until 2006, Tokyo had been at the top of the global cost-of-living ranking for 14 uninterrupted years before low inflation, weak consumer confidence and a declining Japanese yen reduced the cost of living. Between 2006 and 2009 Oslo and then Paris were the costliest cities in the survey, with Tokyo pushed down to fifth place in the ranking.
- Topic:
- Economics, Human Welfare, and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Paris, Tokyo, and Oslo
18503. State of the union Can the euro zone survive its debt crisis?
- Publication Date:
- 04-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- In the run-up to the global financial crisis, the euro area looked very much like a microcosm of the world economy. The region as a whole grew in line with its long-term trend, and its trade position with the outside world was broadly in balance. However, the euro area's aggregate position masked large variations across the member states. In some parts of the region (notably countries on the geographical periphery), demand grew consistently faster than output; in others (like Germany), the reverse was the case. Profligacy in the periphery was funded by thrift in the "core". This arrangement suited both sides.for a time at least. While countries in the periphery enjoyed debt-fuelled booms, countries such as Germany, where domestic demand was weak, could rely on exports to keep growing.
- Topic:
- Debt, International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Financial Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany
18504. Honduras: Zelaya's return may spark instability
- Publication Date:
- 07-2011
- Content Type:
- Video
- Abstract:
- José Manuel Zelaya, former president of Honduras, returned to his country in May after the coup that ousted him in 2009. Since coming back, he has reentered politics and this has raised concerns that he may once again try and change the constitution. This could have severe implications for the operating environment in Honduras.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Development, International Trade and Finance, Markets, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Latin America
18505. Indonesia and the 2011 ASEAN Chairmanship: Priorities and Prospects
- Publication Date:
- 07-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- As of 1 January 2011, Indonesia assumed the chairmanship of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). With the growing importance of Southeast Asia in the global arena, hopes are high that Indonesia will seize the opportunity to push for concrete improvements toward the establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015, as well as to promote democratic values and respect for human rights in the region. At the start of its chairmanship, Indonesia has proposed three main agendas, namely: to ensure progress in the implementation of ASEAN Community Blueprints; to enhance ASEAN's roles in regional architecture; and to develop an ASEAN community vision in a global community of nations.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Human Rights, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Indonesia and Southeast Asia
18506. Aid and Conflict in Afghanistan
- Publication Date:
- 08-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- International Crisis Group
- Abstract:
- After a decade of major security, development and humanitarian assistance, the international community has failed to achieve a politically stable and economically viable Afghanistan. Despite billions of dollars in aid, state institutions remain fragile and unable to provide good governance, deliver basic services to the majority of the population or guarantee human security. As the insurgency spreads to areas regarded as relatively safe till now, and policymakers in Washington and other Western capitals seek a way out of an unpopular war, the international community still lacks a coherent policy to strengthen the state ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign forces by December 2014. The impact of international assistance will remain limited unless donors, particularly the largest, the U.S., stop subordinating programming to counter-insurgency objectives, devise better mechanisms to monitor implementation, adequately address corruption and wastage of aid funds, and ensure that recipient communities identify needs and shape assistance policies.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, War, Foreign Aid, and Counterinsurgency
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan and United States
18507. Media and the Law: An Overview of Legal Issues and Challenges
- Author:
- Peter Noorlander
- Publication Date:
- 07-2011
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- National Endowment for Democracy
- Abstract:
- The legal environment in which a media outlet operates is a crucial factor in its success. Rules and regulations can hinder or enable the growth of media and restrict or promote particular kinds of content. A liberal and empowering legal regime will allow media to publish hard-hitting investigative reports and fulfill their function as watchdog of democratic society without fear of legal sanction, thus helping to make governments more accountable. This is a public good lost to citizens of countries with restrictive legal regimes.
- Topic:
- Development, Terrorism, Third World, Mass Media, and Law
- Political Geography:
- United States and United Kingdom
18508. Optimism and Obstacles in India-Pakistan Peace Talks
- Author:
- Stephanie Flamenbaum and Megan Neville
- Publication Date:
- 08-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- Following March 2011's “cricket diplomacy,” there is reason to be optimistic about progress on South Asian normalization as India and Pakistan have resumed bilateral dialogues. Improved relations are critical to U.S. interests in South Asia with respect to the stabilization of Afghanistan, reduction in Pakistan-based militant threats, and alleviation of regional nuclear tensions. Terrorism and the Kashmir issue remain the most toxic points of divergence which could derail progress as in past bilateral talks. Bilateral economic agreements should be pursued in order to enable commercial progress to facilitate political reconciliation. With the looming drawdown of international forces from Afghanistan in 2014, and the subsequent shift in the regional power balance, it is imperative that the international community utilize its leverage to ensure that Pakistan-India talks progress.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Bilateral Relations
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, South Asia, and India
18509. The Kabul Courts and Conciliators: Mediating Cases in Urban Afghanistan
- Author:
- Zuhal Nesari and Karima Tawfik
- Publication Date:
- 08-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- USIP observation in the Kabul court system shows that a significant number of legal disputes are being resolved through a combination of formal and informal justice mechanisms, contrary to the assumption that resorting to traditional dispute resolution bodies occurs only in rural areas where legal awareness and access to courts is low. Specifically, the Kabul courts frequently refer cases to conciliators who are not part of the formal judiciary. This yields benefits for both the courts and litigants: Conciliators reduce the courts'; caseload and litigants receive a cost-effective and expeditious alternative to trials. The Afghan civil and commercial procedural codes specifically allow decisions made between litigants and a conciliator to be formally registered with the court, which may provide a legal model for recognition of decisions by traditional shuras or jirgas. In practice, however, litigants are not uniformly provided with the option of settling their cases through conciliators. Therefore, increased public awareness of the legal option to refer cases to conciliators would provide litigants with the relevant knowledge they need to make an informed decision about the best way to resolve their disputes, and reduce the demand for the already overburdened formal justice sector.
- Topic:
- Crime and Law
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan
18510. Pakistan, the United States and the End Game in Afghanistan: Perceptions of Pakistan's Foreign Policy Elite
- Author:
- Moeed Yusuf, Huma Yusuf, and Salman Zaidi
- Publication Date:
- 07-2011
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- United States Institute of Peace
- Abstract:
- This brief summarizes the perceptions of Pakistani foreign policy elite about Pakistan's strategy and interests in Afghanistan, its view of the impending “end game”, and the implications of its policies towards Afghanistan for the U.S.-Pakistan relationship. These perceptions were captured as part of a project, co-convened by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) and Jinnah Institute (JI) in Pakistan, aimed at better understanding Pakistan's outlook towards the evolving situation in Afghanistan. A full report carrying detailed findings will be launched in August 2011 in Pakistan. Pakistani foreign policy elite perceive their country to be seeking: (i) a degree of stability in Afghanistan; (ii) an inclusive government in Kabul; and (iii) to limit Indian presence in Afghanistan to development activities. They perceive America's Afghanistan strategy to date to be largely inconsistent with Pakistan's interests. Pakistan insists on an immediate, yet patient effort at inclusive reconciliation involving all major Afghan stakeholders, including the main Afghan Taliban factions. Other issues that Pakistan's policy elite view as impediments to a peaceful Afghanistan settlement include: questionable viability of a regional framework; lack of clarity on Taliban's willingness to negotiate; the unstable political and economic situation in Afghanistan; and concerns about Afghan National Security Forces adding to instability in the future. Project participants felt that greater clarity in U.S. and Pakistani policies is critical to avoid failure in Afghanistan, to convince the Taliban of the validity of a power-sharing agreement, and to urge regional actors to play a more constructive role.
- Topic:
- International Relations
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, Afghanistan, United States, and Taliban