Suchergebnisse

Due to the substantial rise in the importance of international & national NGOs, an open working group of the UN is discussing "General Review of Arrangements for Consultations with Nongovernmental Organizations" that includes not only the member states, but also accredited international NGOs (INGOs). Current interaction between the UN & NGOs is limited to consultation agreements with almost exclusively INGOs, & are conducted through the ECOSOC rather than other main UN organizations, although the existing consultations relationships in fact go far beyond the scope of the ECOSOC regulations. Restructuring of the formal relationship, however, generates political pressure on UN member states at the international & national levels, as various groups have different expectations with disputes between NGOs & national governments, between northern & southern NGOs, & between NGOs & INGOs. A compromise is necessary that requires organizationally technical issues to be addressed on the part of the UN, while the NGOs must work toward better democratization, independence, & coordination of their interests. 9 References. L. Kehl

The cost explosion of international corruption in recent years cannot be long tolerated by developing or industrial nations. This article explores suggestions regarding national strategies in the fight against corruption, made by Transparency International (TI), an NGO focused on investigating international dimensions of corruption & promoting reform. The ultimate aim of TI is to generate coalitions of reform-minded governments, private sectors, & civil societies to overturn the high-profit/low-risk relationship of corruption. Corruption can be divided into large, primarily military or investment oriented corruption, & small, need-oriented corruption supported by the weak economies of southern nations in particular. Reduction of the opportunities for bribery & minimization of the profit of such activities are key to anti-corruption reforms, & are aided by greater simplicity of transactions, additional transparency, & a free press, as well as a strong desire for change. While primarily oriented toward government administrations, citizens & business people must also be engaged. L. Kehl

Sports, in particular the Olympics, have been internationalized or globalized much as other social systems, & can therefore be analyzed as a segment of international relationships that consists of interaction between specialized, primarily transnationally composed & operating participants. Sport is characterized as a relatively independent social system, as can be seen by the generally nationally accepted autonomy of the internal policies. Theoretical & empirical analysis illuminates the changing relationship between the system of sports & international politics. Additionally, the hierarchical structure of the Olympic political system, with the IOC at the top but distinguishable executive, legislative, & judicial elements demonstrates the patrimonial & oligarchic character of the IOC as a global government. L. Kehl

The damage wrought on civilian nonparticipants by landmine weapon systems in crisis regions throughout the world inspired the 1995 Vienna Revision Conference aimed at reforming the ineffective 1980 UN Mine Convention. Yet this conference, as well as additional proceedings in Jan 1996 did not yield any results. Debate focused on definition & differentiation of older, cheaper land mines & more modern "smart" mines with security mechanisms whose dependability is controversial, enabling some participants to claim that the Western industrial nations were seeking to limit competition from the low-cost mines from Third World countries. Although a series of nations instituted an export moratorium for antipersonnel mines prior to the Geneva proceedings, the majority of mines were not included; in fact, redefinition of antipersonnel mines generated a broad loophole. The indiscriminate nature of mines cannot be altered, & only a comprehensive ban on all landmine development, production, export, & application can alleviate the human costs. In spite of further proceedings planned for April 1996, such a ban remains an illusion so long as the military & economic claims outweigh humanitarian arguments. 2 Tables, 9 References. L. Kehl