Suchergebnisse

В умовах переходу до ринкових відносин важливу роль повинна відігравати соціальна політика держави. Соціальна безпека визначається наявністю такого стану розвитку суспільних відносин, який би надав можливість громадянам задовольнити свої потреби на достатньому рівні. Досягнення оптимальної ситуації в даній сфері можливе лише в результаті цілеспрямованих дій стосовно основних складових соціальної політики, політичних завдань і можливостей вітчизняної економіки. ; В условиях перехода к рыночным отношениям важную роль должна играть социальная политика государства. Социальная безопасность определяется наличием такого состояния развития общественных отношений, которое бы предоставило возможность гражданам удовлетворить свои потребности на достаточном уровне. Достижение оптимальной ситуации в данной сфере возможно только в результате целенаправленных действий по основным составляющих социальной политики, политических заданийч и возможностей отечественной экономики. ; In the context of transition to market relations in order to ensure social stability and social coherence, the social policy of the state should play an important role. At the present stage of development of our country there is an increase in social tensions in society, a decrease in the well-being of the population and an accumulation of social problems. The increase in social problems poses a threat to national security, which can cause disruption to the equilibrium and stability of Ukraine's economy.In our opinion, social security is determined by the existence of such a state of development of social relations (material-everyday, housing-communal, socio-cultural), which would enable citizens to satisfy their current and future needs in them at a sufficient level, to offset the impact of threats. Achieving an optimal situation in this field is possible only as a result of deliberate action on the main components of social policy, political objectives and opportunities of the domestic economy. The main components of social policy that determine the level of social security include: the level of income of the population, wages, employment, demographic situation, socio-class differentiation.Despite the steady rise in nominal wages, real wages did not have a steady rise. Despite the relatively high employment rate in Ukraine, its indicators tend to decline. During 2010 - 2018, there was a negative population growth. On the basis of comparison of actual and threshold values of social security of the state and regions, as well as tendencies of its development, a situational analysis of the state of social security of Ukraine in the regional dimension was conducted. This made it possible to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and security threats. In order to improve the situation regarding the provision of social security of the state and the regions, the following provisions should be implemented: increase of state funding of social development programs; creation of new and improvement of existing working conditions of the population; improving the social process management system at the regional level; development of effective programs for providing housing, education, culture, medicine to the population.

In 2005, following the recommendations of the Mental Health Policy of 2005 - 2015, a cadre of Counseling Assistants (CAs) were introduced to the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Social Welfare. The Ministry portfolio has been revised many times since then, an important change being the breaking of the Ministry into two, and designated as "Social Services" and "Women's and Child Affairs". The two Ministries have a counseling cadre of over four hundred spanning an island wide reach, based in divisional or district secretariats. Counselors attached to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and the Ministry of Social Services were introduced with a pilot model of "practice supervision" in 2019. It was The Asia Foundation's mapping studies (TAF 2018) that led to the pilot project, with its aim of building on the existing peer support mechanisms available for the counselors. Two locations were selected for the pilot project, one from the North Western Province and the second from the Eastern Province. As this paper discusses, this piloted model of practice supervision has evolved significantly from its initial conceptualization: from one on one clinical supervision to a group exercise.

Der Machtkampf in Venezuela zwischen der amtierenden Regierung und der Opposition ist sowohl eine innervenezolanische als auch diplomatische Herausforderung. Die Autoren blicken aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven auf Hintergründe und mögliche Lösungen. (APuZ)

Demands for mechanisms to pay for adaptation to climate risks have multiplied rapidly as concern has shifted from greenhouse gas mitigation alone to also coping with the now-inevitable impacts. A number of viable approaches to how to pay for those adjustments to roads, drainage systems, lifeline utilities and other basic infrastructure are emerging, though untested at the scale required across the nation, which already has a trillion-dollar deferred maintenance and replacement problem. There are growing efforts to find new ways to harness private financial resources via new market arrangements to meet needs that clearly outstrip public resources alone, as well as to utilize and combine public resources more effectively. To date, mechanisms are often seen through a specific lens of scale, time, and method, for example national versus local and public versus market-based means. The purpose here is to integrate a number of those perspectives and also to highlight the following in particular. Current experience with seemingly more pedestrian needs like stormwater management funding is in fact a learning step towards new approaches for broader adaptation needs, using re-purposed but existing fiscal tools. The resources raised from new large-scale market approaches for using catastrophe- and resiliency-bond-derived funds will have their use embodied and operationalized in many separate local and state projects. The invention and packaging of innovative projects—the pre-development phase—will be pivotal to better using fiscal resources of many types. Those efforts can be greatly aided or hindered by larger national and especially state government policy, regulatory and capital market arrangements. Understanding the path to integration of effort across these scales deserves much more attention. Examples are given of how federal, state and local roles are each dimensions of that frontier, how existing tools can apply in new ways and how smart project creation plays a role.

Livestock farming and the environmentally friendly management of Alpine pastures represent a traditional form of mountain farming. Grazing and the maintenance of pastures and alps are publically subsidised in recognition of the ecological importance of the activities and because production costs are higher than usual due to the mountainous topography. In the complex of numerous support measures, payments made in the context of agri-environmental measures and compensatory allowances for disadvantaged areas prove to be the most effective arrangements for an ongoing management of Alpine pastures. The paper analyses international and regional differences and similarities in objectives, procedures, definitions/specifications and financial resources of these agricultural policy regulations for the preservation of this mountain landscape. Since the contribution system is not the only influence on the development of alpine farming, the relationship between the development of farms and tourism and regional economic conditions is analysed by way of an example. Based on the results and on findings from expert interviews, the authors deduce recommendations for action for sustainable policies in mountain areas.

This open access handbook examines the phenomenon of South-South migration and its relationship to inequality in the Global South, where at least a third of all international migration takes place. Drawing on contributions from nearly 70 leading migration scholars, mainly from the Global South, the handbook challenges dominant conceptualisations of migration, offering new perspectives and insights that can inform theoretical and policy understandings and unlock migration's development potential. The handbook is divided into four parts, each highlighting often overlooked mobility patterns within and between regions of the Global South, as well as the inequalities faced by those who move. Key cross-cutting themes include gender, race, poverty and income inequality, migration decision making, intermediaries, remittances, technology, climate change, food security and migration governance. The handbook is an indispensable resource on South-South migration and inequality for academics, researchers, postgraduates and development practitioners.

At the time of issuing this bulletin the Government has been able to secure some support to augment the depleting foreign exchange reserves and avert a balance of payments crisis. There are reports that Saudi Arabia will support Pakistan to the tune of USD 6 billion out of which USD 3 billion will be foreign currency support for 12 months and deferred payments for oil imports worth USD 3 billion. Saudi Arabia will also continue to explore investment interests in Pakistan particularly in the mining sectors and oil refinery project at Gwadar. Pakistan was also able to persuade China to look into its immediate financial needs and help with the current and future balance of payments difficulties. The Prime Minister during his maiden visit to Beijing stressed the need for both countries to remain engaged for the sustainability of CPEC projects, negotiating a relatively balanced free trade agreement (FTA) and development of priority Special Economic Zones (SEZs). China has now set up a taskforce to assess Pakistan's financial needs and also decided to initiate work on important areas mentioned under the CPEC long term plan i.e. improving output in industries which are able to export to China, agriculture and livestock uplift and trade integration. From Pakistan's side Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Governor, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) led the delegation for the first meeting of this taskforce in Beijing.

[only abstract in English; full article, abstract in Lithuanian] The infrastructural dependency of the Baltic States on Russia, even a quarter of a century after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has lead to technological dependence and the maintenance of relations between scientists, business groups and political decision-makers. All this has further strengthened Moscow's tools in the area of energy geopolitics in the Baltic region. On the other hand, use of the so-called "punishment" instruments, intended to force other states to review their policies toward a Moscow-leaning direction, has actually failed. Looking back, one may even say that the result was opposite: an aggressive Russian policy encouraged smaller countries to seek alternative supply routes, other partners and directions for integration. In this context, Lithuania may only appreciate that Moscow was not active enough in applying the positive instruments – offering preferential loans for the development of energy infrastructure, providing discounts for purchased resources etc. Namely these tactics would, in the long run, only increase the damage for Lithuania as an importer of energy resources.Thus, Russia's pressure (primarily in the field of natural gas supply and pricing) did not force the Baltic States to act in accordance with its guidelines, for example, to refrain from criticizing the Nord Stream or postpone their integration into the network of Continental Europe. On the contrary – due to the lack of active application of negative measures and the absence of any positive instruments, Lithuania has invested in the LNG terminal, electricity interconnections, a synchronization project, and it took certain political measures by taking part in the creation of the EU Energy Union. Of course, some elements of the "punishment" policy have been successful for Russia: in 2009, the Ostrovets NPP project reduced the attractiveness of the joint Baltic States' and Poland nuclear power plant project to the extent that it was abandoned. Extensive damage was caused not only to the economy of the country (Lithuania had definitely lost a potentially very important engine for its economy), but also to the image of the state, since Lithuania was eventually forced to freeze the Visaginas NPP project, which had been initiated and regionally promoted by Lithuania for more than a decade.Not everything may be considered as part of a strategy that is logical and "irresistible" for the states that strive to drop their dependency on the dominant supplier. For instance, this can be said of the EU-wide disagreements on NS2, which cause uncertainty about the EU's unity and both its ability and willingness to fulfill its earlier commitments. Without agreeing to either stopping the construction of the Ostrovets NPP or selecting another site, Lithuania attempts to send a message to Minsk saying that such a construction is unacceptable, yet it does not receive adequate support even from its closest neighbors. The membership of the Baltic States in the IPS/UPS system could easily be used for political purposes in Russia quite soon, but the Baltic States are not very keen on speeding up any political agreement on the most favorable direction of the synchronization. There is no common long-term solution for alternative gas imports into the Baltic countries, too. Nevertheless, the latest trends are of optimistic nature: the current combination of political will and economic opportunities in the Baltic States and the EU should be a sufficient boon for reaching the set goal of the Baltic States' integration into the Western European energy systems until 2025. ; [straipsnis, santrauka lietuvių kalba; santrauka anglų kalba] Praėjus 27-eriems nepriklausomybės metams ir 13-ai narystės Europos Sąjungoje metų, elektros energijos srityje Baltijos šalys vis dar veikia iš Maskvos valdomoje sinchroninėje IPS/UPS zonoje, o iki 2014 m. pabaigos buvo visiškai priklausomos ir nuo Rusijoje priimamų sprendimų dėl gamtinių dujų tiekimo ir jų kainos. Vis dėlto priklausymas tai pačiai elektros energetikos sistemai ir Kaliningrado aprūpinimo per Lietuvą veiksnys teisinio abipusiškumo ir pasitikėjimo tarp Baltijos šalių ir Rusijos nesukūrė. Atvirkščiai, Rusijos politika sąlygojo konkrečius neigiamus padarinius Baltijos valstybėms: didesnes didmenines gamtinių dujų kainas, politinių, techninių bei kitų priežasčių sąlygotus energijos tiekimo sutrikimus, politinį šantažą ir pan. Kita vertus, pastarojo meto Lietuvos, Latvijos ir Estijos pažanga, siekiant energetinės nepriklausomybės, nuteikia optimistiškai – Baltijos šalys, regis, atrado Rusijos spaudimui pasipriešinti tinkamas priemones.

Organic farming is a high potential strategic activity for the Portuguese agricultural sector. It generates differentiated value-added products increasingly demanded by consumers, based on environmentally friendly production techniques, thus sustainably managing rural development. Portugal enjoys a renewed interest in organic farming as result of the current economic crisis, the existence of young generations with strong environmental awareness and facing difficulties in finding employment in more traditional activities and the reformed EU agricultural policy backing-up organic farming. However, Portuguese organic farming is far from reaching its potential, showing up a modest weight to agricultural economy. This work aims to contribute to the growth of organic farming in Portugal. To this end it analyses the evolution (1994-2014) and main constraints of Portuguese organic farming, based on statistical data published by Direção Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural and other secondary sources, including academic and industry studies regarding this subject. Portuguese organic farming starts flourishing in the nineties, as the land and number of organic farmers had average annual growth rates above 20% and 40%, respectively. However, recent data show that it lost momentum, being highly dependent of the European Union - EU and national government financial support policy. In Portugal, organic production is concentrated mainly in the regions of Alentejo, Beira Interior and Trás-os-Montes. In 2014, more than 85.5% of livestock breeders and 66.5% of farmers were located in these regions, representing approximately 84% of the total organic farming land. In this year, there were 3,132 farmers dedicated to organic crops, occupying 228,841 hectares, particularly, grasslands and olive trees, and 1,003 livestock breeders, mainly cattle and sheep. In the last decade, the aromatic plants show up a high dynamism among crop production, while for livestock production the highlight is for beekeeping. Nowadays organic production is already present in the main grocery store chains and became widespread in speciality retailers, such as natural and healthy food stores, gourmet food stores and street markets. Nevertheless, the penetration rate in the market is low. In 2014, Portugal was responsible for 2.23% of the EU organic farming land. However, Portugal had a share of only 0.8% of the European organic market (FiBL, 2016). Also, the domestic market share of organic products was the lowest in Europe, accounting for only 0.2% of the national market, due to a low per capita consumption of organic products (€2). Overall Portuguese organic producers refer struggling with production and marketing difficulties as the major barriers their growth (Barrote, n/d; Cabo et al., 2013, 2014; FiBL, 2014; Ribeiro et al., 2014; Simões et al., 2008). Those producers relate having difficulty in buying production factors approved for organic farming and its high price. This is recurring problem. The market demand is undersized, due to the low number of organic producers, which makes unprofitable for commercial companies to develop therapeutic drug products suitable to organic farming. The scarce supply discourages the entry of new organic producers in the business. Furthermore, since organic farming is primarily based on prevention actions, it needs further monitoring by producers, thus rising labour costs. The farmer's marketing competences can define the success or failure of a farm business. This proves to be the main constraint to the expansion of organic production since the market of organic products is yet small and very fragile. Offer is sparse, scattered and does not guarantee regularity in supply, due to the small size of farms and the lack of organization in the production. The lack of specialized marketing channels for organic products and the distance to the main consumer centres withhold producers, particularly, in the case of perishable products. Finally, the high consumer prices are not reflected in the producer prices and also make organic products only accessible to a minority of population. This price barrier, combined with the economic recession, and the lack of information and knowledge by consumers about the advantages of organic products, holds back consumption growth. However, it is possible to highlight success stories able to break this cycle that traps organic production, by focusing on producers organizations to achieve scale, creating their own marketing channels and adopting differentiation strategies, either by developing their product range or by making use of both organic and geographical certification, such as the Montesinho Protected Designation of Origin and Organic Farming honey.

Energy poverty is an issue now widely recognised for its detrimental impacts and research in Europe has intensified over the last decade. Many different methodologies of examining the topic have surfaced, with a common one being based on regional-based practices. Open source data are extremely useful for such approaches, because they offer unlimited access to information. The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) is a framework for data collection on different geographic levels that provides different levels of statistical analysis for regions within a single country. It was set up in the 1970's by the European Union, and existing research work has already explored the valuable application of the NUTS system in certain areas. Nevertheless, the constraints of open source data (such as data based on NUTS regions), in reference to small scale member states, have not been exhaustively addressed.

In this study the shortcomings of open source data are explored, by examining energy poverty in an area where the efficacy of the NUTS system is restricted. Cyprus is a member state in the European Union and is represented by a single NUTS category, for all levels of classification, unlike the majority of the rest. Data therefore exists only at the national level - something which contradicts the purpose of the different NUTS levels. In effect, for the case of Cyprus, this results in lack of differentiation among distinct climatic regions and disregarding the urban-rural dichotomy. It essentially renders this classification system inapt for Cyprus, while research activities become limited to the extent of data obtained through other means. Therefore, the study highlights the challenges researchers have to face when approaching a topic for Cyprus from a regional lens. To this end, geographical information systems software is used to observe a simplistic composite indicator of energy poverty in a medium-scale country (where NUTS is applicable), in relation to Cyprus. The effectiveness and potential impact of the outcomes in relation to public awareness, decision-making for policy makers and initiatives of local agents are examined and discussed.

Ultimately, the study highlights that even when high quality indicators of energy poverty exist at the European Union level (Eurostat), under current circumstances they cannot be employed effectively to examine energy poverty regionally within Cyprus. Recommendations are proposed to overcome data access limitations in areas where popular open access databases are inadequate.