Resources

FIU Library

Susanne Zwingel, Associate Professor, Dept. of Politics and International Relations, INR Graduate Program Director of the Florida International University would like to share an online resource that she has put together with the help of her students: a collection of domestic use of CEDAW, available here: http://libguides.fiu.edu/cedaw_impact

All of these sources document how diverse actors, including governments and civil society organizations, have used CEDAW at home. As you will see, sometimes this use is direct, sometimes more an "ingredient" in broader strategies. The organization of the collection is alphabetically per country, and within each country, the newest sources come first. Some (but not all) of the sources can be accessed directly online. 

perspective 47

The article discusses the following points:

1) The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a new force shaping the global economic order, serving as China’s grand strategy to project its global influence and leadership role through economic and cultural diplomacy.

2) Cambodia enthusiastically supports the initiative, mainly for economic reasons, especially its infrastructure development and production-capacity cooperation elements.

3) BRI is complementary to Cambodia’s national development strategy as it can strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness by diversifying the sources of growth and expanding its economic horizon.

4) However, Cambodia needs to strengthen its governance to maximize opportunities, and the participation of the private sector in infrastructure projects remains limited. Another challenge is the lack of transparency and local community participation.

perspective 48

This article discusses the following:

1) Simplifying and streamlining trade processes reduces trade costs and increases the potential for trade especially in developing countries.

2) The WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and ASEAN’s trade facilitation measures both seek to improve trade processes among member states. While the TFA focuses on customs processes, ASEAN’s measures are broader in coverage.

3) The ASEAN Trade Repository, ASEAN Single Window and ASEAN Customs Transit System will benefit from a commitment by ASEAN member states to implement similar measures in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.  ASEAN member states can utilize the assistance and support of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in the implementation of their ASEAN commitments.

To read the full article on the ISEAS website, click here.

analysis of corruption risk

This study looks at the risk of corruption in Vietnam, particularly in the private sector where the gifting of gifts, entertainment and other such exchanges have proven to be a difficult grey area to navigate given the competitive disadvantages companies often encounter when attempting to follow ethical guidelines that conflict with local cultural expectations.

This report was done primarily through high profile bi-annual Forums between the business community and Vietnamese leadership and through specialized Working Groups cutting across sectors.

Click here to access the report.

tackling integrity risks

This Guidebook is designed as a practical methodology to help countries diagnose integrity risks in the public procurement system and processes, as well as to indicate proper actions to mitigate them. In addition, the Guidebook is designed to help governments in the region upgrade their procurement systems during the Second Review Cycle of the UN Convention against Corruption (2017-2021).

Click here to get the full report.

REGO large This article aims to inform the long-standing and unresolved debate between voluntary corporate social responsibility and initiatives to impose binding legal obligations on multinational enterprises. 

BHR Baseline Study This baseline study sheds light on the current legal situation with regard to business and human rights in ASEAN. The analysis is based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations "Protect, Respect and Remedy" Framework as they have been unanimously adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011. It is hoped that the study will assist governments in first identifying potential gaps with the UN Framework and - second- based on this analysis support the development of an action plan to bring the national legal framework into line with the UN Guiding Principles. To read the full report, click here.

building food security This report explores effective policy solutions to the current and future challenges related to food security in the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). While robust GDP growth, rising agricultural productivity and output, and strong growth in agricultural incomes have all contributed to vast improvements in the food security of the region, 60 million people remain undernourished. ASEAN governments have therefore justifiably kept food security as a policy priority. The regional policy architecture set out in ASEAN frameworks provides sound guidance, yet some of the current policies adopted by members are not helping to address food insecurity and its causes, including the formidable challenges related to climate change and the need for continued growth in sustainable food production to feed growing populations. This report puts forward a number of policy recommendations to ensure that the ASEAN agricultural and fisheries sectors contribute effectively and efficiently to ensuring regional food security. Read the report online here.

comprehensive food sceurity The Comprehensive Food Security & Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) is a unique tool designed to understand and describe the profiles of food-insecure and vulnerable households, identify the root causes of hunger, and analyze the risks and emerging vulnerabilities among populations in crisis-prone countries. It also makes recommendations on the best response options (food or non-food) to reduce hunger, target the neediest and informing preparedness. The Guidelines provide the CFSVA team with currently recommended procedures and protocols to conduct a desk review, implement a large household survey, analyse quantitative and qualitative data, conduct a risk analysis and a response analysis. The user should already possess basic knowledge of food security and social research techniques. Get the whole publication here.