Suchergebnisse

Although the Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRtWS) has been recognised by the United Nations and several countries have reformed their constitutions and/or national legislation to reflect this decision, several others, namely developed countries, have not reacted domestically to this recognition. The argument usually lies with the high level of institutionalisation of economic, social and cultural rights in these countries. However, reports of water disconnections due to payment default, especially in times of economic crisis and austerity policies, raise the issue of what does the implementation of the HRtW imply in countries where physical accessibility is almost fully guaranteed. The discussion seems to then focus on issues of affordability. This article focuses solely on the dynamics of implementing the Human Right to Water, because once the physical accessibility to sanitation is guaranteed, even if the service is deemed unaffordable and payment default ensues, disconnection of sewage collection per se does not occur. This does not imply that there are no issues associated with sanitation services in Portugal, but that those issues are of a different nature and beyond the scope of this article. Portugal does not have an explicit recognition of the HRtWS in its legal framework, but voted in its favor in the United Nations General Assembly and it is also a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Thus, in Portugal, a country with 96% of the population connected to drinking water services, the HRtW is considered a non-issue. The article, however, argues that the HRtW in Portugal is not fully implemented and that issues of affordability hinder its respect, protection and fulfillment. The discussion builds on research conducted after the economic crisis period (2010–2014), since during those challenging years, the country faced a high number of households being deprived of access to water due to payment default. The dynamics of this period show that the core issue underlying the recognition of a HRtW still remains in Portugal.

Abstract
Although it is currently recognized that peacebuilding and development aid constitute interlinked dynamics, it is still open to debate if they should be addressed sequentially or simultaneously. This article discusses this relation in terms of UN (United Nations) peace missions. The UN has adopted an inclusive narrative regarding development and peace; however, UN peace missions still reveal an exclusive approach. Timor-Leste demonstrates how this discrepancy between discourse and practice has the potential to undermine both efforts.

Countries which have implemented for the first time or reformulated their domestic water management policies after the 1970s-1980s have had the opportunity to choose from a series of water management models around the world. In 1997, the Brazilian Federal State defined (Law 9,433) the new water management model to be implemented throughout the country. However, since the 1988 Federal Constitution, several Brazilian States had already approved state legislation (re)organizing their water management systems. The result is a mosaic of water management institutions, which, in some river basins, arguably hold overlapping functions and responsibilities. Why have these overlapping water management models persisted? Why have they not been consolidated in one or just replaced one by another? The answers to these questions may shed some light over governments' choices of water management models and the paths which the implementation of these models have followed (and are following). This discussion will be illustrated by the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí River Basin case.

Peace studies are currently at a crossroad, being criticized for their overwhelming research agenda, for their uncritical stance towards terminology and for their disconnection between research and action. This paper proposes a consolidation of the theoretical and conceptual peace studies core, by recovering the value of peace and framing research and action in cultures of peace. This sets out from a critique of the conventional conflict narrative terminology, which has evolved after Boutros-Ghali An Agenda for Peace to reflect a peace narrative terminology. This change has been more formal than operational. Even if a new political peace agenda was adopted, practical results have not reflected this transformation. We argue that peace and violence are not excludable, by adopting the concept of a continuum of peaces and violences and proposing a peace web to overcome the shortcomings revealed essentially at the level of policy implementation.

Intro -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Notes on Contributors -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- 1 EU Global Actorness in a World of Contested Leadership: Policies, Instruments and Perceptions -- Introduction -- References -- 2 Unpacking the EU's International Actorness: Debates, Theories and Concepts -- Introduction -- Defining Actorness: Between the Specificities of the EU and the Need for Generalisation -- Anchoring Actorness on Purpose, Legitimacy and Recognition -- Beyond Capabilities, the Challenges of Imagining EU Global Actorness -- Conclusion -- References -- Part I Actorness across EU Policy Areas -- 3 The Added Value of European Diplomacy for EU Regional and International Actorness -- Introduction -- A Conceptual Discussion: How Does Diplomacy Matter for Actorness -- Since 2009: A Structure of EU Diplomatic Representation More Conducive to EU Actorness -- European Diplomacy as a Network of EU and Member States Activities in Third Countries -- Conclusion: How Does European Diplomacy Contribute to EU Regional and International Actorness -- References -- 4 Global Player Status? EU Actorness and Democracy Promotion -- Introduction -- Operationalizing Actorness in the Context of Democracy Promotion -- Analyzing EU Democracy Promotion in Terms of Internal and External Actorness -- No Lesser Than States: EU Actorness in Comparative Perspective -- Conclusion -- References -- 5 Securing Peace Through Humanitarian Action: The EU Response to Complex Emergencies -- Introduction -- Humanitarian Action Within the EU: An Overview -- EU Humanitarian Actorness -- Haiti as an Illustration -- Conclusion -- References -- 6 Taking Its Rightful Place? Legitimising Discourse and EU Actorness in the Nexus of Trade and Regulation -- Introduction -- EU Actorness in Trade and Regulation -- Definition of Purpose in Trade.