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Based on the idea of international community's residual responsibility for protection against mass violations of human rights, the concept of a responsibility to protect could mark a new step in the process of opening-up sovereign statehood. This essay sketches the concept in its development and basic elements, and discusses open questions from the perspective of international law. Eventually, it is doubtful whether the responsibility to protect can already be regarded as an emerging norm of international law. For this end, further internal differentiation of criteria and means is necessary. Perhaps the future of the concept lies not so much with the creation of concrete legal obligations, but in carving a possible new constitutional principle for the international community. After further development, it could thus serve as a conceptual framework for different elements of contemporary international law. Adapted from the source document.

Aus japanischer Sicht

The UN Secretary General in 1992 proposed an "Agenda for Peace" strategy of preventative diplomacy aimed at minimizing tension before it escalates into conflict, & timely handling of conflict to stem violence & address the underlying causes. This article examines the experiences with this program obtained during application in the Baltic states, especially in the conflict regarding citizenship in Estonia & Latvia. The international engagement in these nations is examined to determine the definition of success in this context, to identify prerequisites of success, & to discuss the limits of this concept & its relationship to constructive problem solving. The example of Estonia & Latvia indicates that this concept can function, although it is likely more effective at preventing spread of the conflict than in hindering internal escalation, & is least effective at resolving the underlying issue. Association of containment of the destructive potential of the conflict with the promotion of creative potential is most likely to succeed, but requires that the existence & developmental capacity of creative elements must be identified in concrete situations. L. Kehl

Humanitarian nonprofit nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) today exhibit signs of "marketization" and behave like firms, according to a frequently uttered claim in the scholarly literature. However, it is not precisely clear what marketization and behaving like a firm mean. Drawing on the literature concerning nonprofit organizations and public administration, we offer a more sophisticated and multifaceted understanding of a consequential development for NGOs. Rather than merely equating "firm-like" with the adoption of corporate practices, we conceive of it as a mind-set. We suggest that "firm-like" involves not only marketization, but also corporatization and organizational rationalization. Based on a content analysis of the websites of a heterogeneous sample of nine humanitarian NGOs, we illustrate the potential of this conceptualization to shed light on a discourse among these organizations that appears to be self-referential and self-aggrandizing with respect to their capacities.

Proposes creation of new international financial institutions or reform of existing ones; 5 articles.

The analysis of Russian energy policies after the political crisis in and around Ukraine offers important insights with respect to the economic and geopolitical repercussions. The structural changes made in the Russian energy sector have been significant and include both internal and external dimensions. The Russian energy sector is under stress and has to adapt to low oil and gas prices, economic sanctions and increasing competition on international energy markets. Against the background of this turbulence on the energy markets, Russian energy companies are pursuing various strategies: a shift to Asia and asset swaps with Chinese and Indian companies, stronger integration within the Eurasian Union and changing strategies on the European energy markets. The structural changes have been reinforced by recent geopolitical developments, which have led to the deterioration of EU-Russia energy relations and the securitisation of energy questions. However, despite immediate intentions to diversify away from one another, the EU and Russia will remain dependent on each other in the gas and oil sectors at least for the next 10 years. The current study provides insights into current changes in the Russian gas, oil and electricity sectors, highlights potential implications for the European energy market, considers the current status of EU-Russia energy relations and presents some recommendations for further bilateral cooperation and energy dialogue." (author's abstract)