web stats
Print this page  Bookmark and Share  NTS Bulletin March 2010 (Issue 2)   |   Read:   |   Email: NTS Alert NTS Bulletin NTS Insight
Email not displaying correctly? Click here to view it in your browser.
NTS Bulletin

NTS Bulletin March 2010 (Issue 2)
Issues:
Note: Please click on the respective titles or headers for the full report.

Disclaimer: All links and news reports are correct at the time of publication.

MAIN HIGHLIGHT

An Urgent Call to Address Gender Inequality

The Asia-Pacific region has witnessed remarkable economic progress and rapid development in recent decades, yet gender inequality remains entrenched even through this era of change. This is the observation of a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report Power, Voices and Rights: A Turning Point for Gender Equality in Asia and the Pacific. According to the report, discrimination and neglect are threatening women’s very survival in the Asia-Pacific region, where women suffer from some of the world’s lowest rates of political representation, employment and property ownership. Their lack of participation is also depressing economic growth. Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum in its report The Corporate Gender Gap Report 2010 shed light on economic participation and the opportunity gap between men and women. India, according to the report, has the lowest percentage of female employees (23%), followed by Japan (24%), Turkey (26%) and Austria (29%). On the other hand, the United States (52%), Spain (48%), Canada (46%), and Finland (44%) display the highest percentage of total female employees.

These and other reports (see additional information) conclude that the existing gender gap hinders socio-economic progress. The World Food Programme, for example, argues that women are the most effective solution to combating and preventing hunger. In many countries around the world, women are the foundation of agricultural sectors and food systems, making up the bulk of agricultural labourers. They also play a key role in guaranteeing food security for the entire household. This argument is also put forward by the 2009 Global Hunger Index which recognises the reduction of gender inequality as an important part of the solution to global hunger. Thus the key to addressing food insecurities and other problems is to narrow the gender gap.

Additional Information:

^ To the top

MIGRATION

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

This report analyses the phenomenon of outbound labour migration from the Philippines and its socio-economic costs for Philippine society. The labour export programme was launched in the 1970s as a measure for dealing with unemployment caused by the 1973 oil crisis, but has evolved to become a permanent option of employment for many Filipinos. While this benefits Filipinos who would otherwise have been unemployed, the authors caution against a permanent reliance on labour migration and recommend the strengthening of the domestic agricultural and industrial sectors.

This report details the experiences of migrants from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar who work and live in Thailand and the human rights abuses committed against them, including killings, torture in detention, extortion, sexual abuse; and labour rights abuses such as trafficking, forced labour, and restrictions on organising. Human Rights Watch recommends that the Thai government act swiftly to end police abuse and discriminatory laws and policies against migrant workers and their families.

In this report, Human Rights Watch investigates the operations of the asylum system and how women asylum seekers with complex claims are being routed into a system designed for much simpler claims, effectively reducing the amount of time women asylum-seekers are given to prepare a case. This reduces the likelihood that they will be granted asylum, and increases the chances of them experiencing human rights abuses such as sexual violence, female genital mutilation, trafficking, and domestic abuse should they return home.

Events & Announcements

Latest Publications

In this book, the history of dispossession and forced migration in the Middle East are examined from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the present. The effects of this dislocation on groups such as the Armenians, Circassians, Kurds and Palestinians are examined from an ethnographic approach that analyses the everyday experiences of refugees and migrants against the backdrop of the broad sweep of Mediterranean history.

On 29 September 2008, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights (the Commissioner) issued a viewpoint expressing his concern regarding the trend to criminalise the irregular entry and presence of migrants in Europe presented as part of a policy of migration management. He stated that ‘such a method of controlling international movement corrodes established international law principles; it also causes many human tragedies without achieving its purpose of genuine control.’ This Issue Paper builds on the concern of the Commissioner by examining, systematically, the human rights issues which arise from the phenomenon in Council of Europe member states of the criminalisation of border crossing by people and of their presence on the territory of a state.

Globally, urbanisation – the movement of people into cities and towns – continues to increase, and growing numbers of displaced people, whether refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs), now reside in urban areas rather than camps. Relatively little is known about their precise numbers, demographics, basic needs or protection problems. This issue of Forced Migration Review includes 26 articles by a wide range of authors – practitioners, policymakers and researchers – on the subject of urban displacement, plus 13 articles on other aspects of forced migration, including a ‘spotlight’ on Haiti after the earthquake.

^ To the top

INTERNAL AND CROSS-BORDER CONFLICT

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

This paper investigates Chinese-Bumiputera partnerships in small and medium enterprises (SME), particularly in the manufacturing sector, during the economic liberalisation of post-National Economic Policy (NEP) Malaysia. The research also considers how and why Chinese-Bumiputera partnerships in the construction sector have succeeded. It focuses especially on the development of Chinese-Bumiputera SME joint ventures from a sociological perspective, considering five major questions: (1) Is there mutual nurturance in a business partnership between the Chinese and Bumiputeras? (2) What is the nature of this mutual nurturing process? (3) To what extent does this process help them advance their business development? (4) To what extent does this process help to bridge the divide between these two ethnic groups? (5) To what extent is this kind of partnership sustainable?

This paper considers the similarities between Political Islam’s relationship to secular, national regimes in Indonesia, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as its role as a populist response to the tensions and contradictions of today’s global capitalism. It looks at the genesis of Indonesian Political Islam, and investigates how today’s ‘radical’ Islamic groups and their leaders are connected to earlier Muslim organisations involved in the struggles against colonial rule and Suharto’s ‘New Order’. It puts forward the idea that this radical stream was in fact the product of authoritarian New Order rule. The paper focuses on the city of Surakarta (Solo) as a case study and highlights the importance of Cold War politics in using and shaping Political Islam in Indonesia and elsewhere.

This paper explores the implementation of the prevention pillar of the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) doctrine, and assesses its relevance to the protection of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). A political analysis of the recent RtoP debates show that the doctrine is at a critical juncture, and that there are costs and benefits to the overall goal of refugee and IDP protection when aligning with the RtoP campaign. This paper challenges the proposition that stronger international acceptance of the RtoP doctrine leads inevitably to stronger refugee and IDP protection. The RtoP doctrine as set out in the United Nations’ General Assembly resolution 60/1 (2005) subscribes to the conception of ‘sovereignty as responsibility’ (Deng et al, 1996), and therefore advocates an enhanced role for the international community when faced with states that are unwilling or unable to protect their citizens from the most egregious crimes under international law; specifically, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, as well as ethnic cleansing.

According to the new issue of the International Crisis Group’s monthly bulletin, four actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated and two improved in February 2010.

Latest Publications

On January 12, Freedom House released its findings from the latest edition of Freedom in the World; the annual survey of global political rights and civil liberties. According to the survey’s findings, 2009 marked the fourth consecutive year in which global freedom suffered a decline — the longest consecutive period of setbacks for freedom in the nearly 40-year history of the report. These declines were most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa, although they also occurred in most other regions of the world. Freedom in the World 2010 reflects developments that took place in the calendar year 2009. The full survey, including the individual country reports, will be available in late spring 2010.

This book examines the under-explored role of international military missions in post-conflict law enforcement, with a focus on serious crime. Focusing on post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and Kosovo, the book argues that the pros of military involvement in law enforcement outweigh the cons, given the continuing lack of strong police forces, the criminalised nature of contemporary wars and the negative influence of spoilers on stabilisation and peacebuilding efforts. Military support of the fight against serious crime is not sufficient for these efforts to succeed, but it is necessary.

^ To the top

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where child soldier recruitment and use is an entrenched feature of ongoing armed conflict, Mai Mai – a collective term referring to a range of local militias – are among the most prolific recruiters and users of children. Their patterns of child soldier recruitment and use have neither been significantly impacted by successive peace agreements, nor been affected by attempts to disarm or neutralise them through integration into the armed forces. Given this context, this report argues that the current strategy which focuses exclusively or primarily on securing the release of children from Mai Mai and returning them to their communities is at best a short-term solution to a larger, more complex problem. At the heart of this problem lies the government’s ambiguous relationship with the Mai Mai, its lack of commitment to accountability and its failure to deliver on policies and programmes to protect the rights and well-being of children.

This Strategy Note provides a framework of action to address statelessness issues. Effective responses to statelessness require a partnership approach. The document is therefore being published in the belief that it may also prove helpful for governmental, UN and civil society partners, as well as regional organisations. It highlights the major issues to be addressed at the field level but is not exhaustive and will be complemented by further guidance on specific doctrinal and policy questions. One area in which additional guidance is required is de facto statelessness. Questions relating to how de facto statelessness is defined and addressed will therefore be dealt with in subsequent guidance. The present Strategy Note is focused principally on de jure statelessness, i.e. statelessness as defined in the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and customary international law.

Events & Announcements

Latest Publications

This unique volume clearly sets out the role, functions and organisation of labour administration, highlighting the relationship between social policy and economic policy, and identifying the vast array of services to which most people have access during their working lives. It gives a comprehensive overview of the main principles of labour administration, covering labour legislation, industrial relations, working conditions and employment; and describes ways in which current challenges can be met through policy, organisation, coordination and management. This book will be an invaluable resource for labour administrators, labour inspectors, conciliators, employment service officials, governments, workers, employers, researchers and professionals.

^ To the top

WATER SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

The first industry-specific estimates of annual water use in nearly 30 years in the US yielded some surprising findings. The author of this paper addresses water withdrawals by 428 industrial sectors. Their analysis accounts not just for direct uses — such as crop irrigation in agriculture — but also for indirect uses throughout a sector’s supply chain. It was found that agriculture and power generation account for an overwhelming majority of direct water withdrawals (90%). A majority of water use (60%) is indirect (‘embodied’ or ‘virtual’ water) with 96 per cent of the sectors using more water indirectly in their supply chains than directly. The food and beverage industry accounts for 30 per cent of indirect withdrawals. The authors conclude that better information on water use would be helpful for effective water management and that industrial sectors need to budget water uses correctly for effective planning.

Most people know that levees are structures built near rivers and lakes to reduce the risk of flooding. But what does it mean to live behind a levee? How much protection does a levee really provide? What does the public need to know to remain as safe as possible? This booklet was created to help answer questions about levees and their associated risk. Most importantly, it is intended to help the general public better prepare against future flood threats.

This report identifies, describes, and analyses successful examples of sustainable water policies and practices in the state of California. The authors reviewed dozens of case studies and, ultimately, chose seven as examples of diverse strategies for innovative water planning, use of technology, institutional management, economic incentives, and environmental protection and restoration. As examples of successful practices already in use, these cases demonstrate viable alternatives to traditional approaches to meeting today’s water management challenges.

Events & Announcements

Latest Publications

According to this report, groundwater use in India has steadily increased over the last four to five decades. With an estimated use of 230 cubic kilometers of groundwater every year – more than a quarter of the global total – India is now the largest user of groundwater in the world. Groundwater supports approximately 60 per cent of irrigated agriculture and more than 80 per cent of rural and urban water supplies. This has led to the depletion of groundwater at an alarming rate. By 2025, an estimated 60 per cent of groundwater blocks will be in a critical condition. The potential social and economic consequences of continued weak or non-existent groundwater management are serious, as aquifer depletion is concentrated in many of the most populated and economically productive areas. To prevent over-exploitation and promote the sustainable use of groundwater, the report calls for community management whereby the user community is the primary custodian of groundwater and is charged with implementing management measures.

^ To the top

TRANSNATIONAL CRIME

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Department of Homeland Security, and the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs co-hosted an international symposium from 9 to 12 November, 2009, in Honolulu, Hawaii. In attendance were participants from approximately 25 countries as well as senior representatives from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Organization of American States, the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering, INTERPOL, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Participants focused on east-west and north-south cross-border crimes, and agreed to target illicit routes and nodes across the Pacific to more aggressively dismantle illicit networks. Discussion included ways to enhance inter-regional law enforcement cooperation to combat transnational criminal activities such as arms, narcotics, and human smuggling/trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. Discussion also covered current and emerging threats, vulnerabilities and challenges, and opportunities for cooperation in investigations and intelligence sharing.

This report looks at the relationship between organised crime and instability: how illicit commodities usually originate in troubled spots, trafficked through vulnerable regions, to affluent markets. It focuses, in particular, on the impact of drug flows (cocaine and heroin), as well as piracy around the Horn of Africa, and the impact of minerals smuggling on Central Africa.

Events & Announcements

Latest Publications

This book was first published in 1996 and is considered to be far ahead of its time. It described how money launderers identify targets – people, organisations, products and services – and explained why the US dollar would fall in importance. It discusses how risk awareness and management are more important than simple compliance, why organisations fail to manage risk, why internet crime is easy to commit and is therefore projected to become a significant source of laundered funds, and much more.

^ To the top

About the Centre:

The Centre for NTS Studies of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, was inaugurated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan in May 2008. The Centre maintains research in the fields of Climate Change, Energy Security, Health Security, as well as Internal and Cross Border Conflict. It produces policy-relevant analyses aimed at furthering awareness and building capacity to address NTS issues and challenges in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The Centre also provides a platform for scholars and policymakers within and outside Asia to discuss and analyse NTS issues in the region.

In 2009, the Centre was chosen by the MacArthur Foundation as a lead institution for the MacArthur Asia Security Initiative, to develop policy research capacity and recommend policies on the critical security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific.

The Centre is also a founding member and the Secretariat for the Consortium of Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia). More information on the Centre can be found at www.rsis.edu.sg/nts


Copyright © 2010 NTS-Centre | Share this Bulletin