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NTS Bulletin

NTS Bulletin October 2010 (Issue 1)

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UN Launches Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health

The United Nations (UN) Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) took place in New York on 20–22 September 2010. The Summit brought together UN member states, representatives of the private sector, foundations, international organisations, and civil society and research organisations to take stock of the progress on women and children’s health.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon noted that there while there has been progress – with some countries registering impressive gains – it was important to further catalyse these efforts to avoid ‘inequality eating away at social cohesion’. In this regard, he emphasised the importance of channelling efforts and resources into addressing the health needs of women and children. Secretary-General Ban took this opportunity to launch the UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.

More than US$40 billion has been pledged towards the UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health over the next five years in a concerted attempt to save the lives of women and children, through preventing unwanted pregnancies, protecting children from diseases, and ensuring access for women and children to quality healthcare facilities and skilled health workers. Commenting on the Global Strategy, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid noted: ‘The health of women is not the focus of the health sector alone. The health of women depends on planning and investments across many sectors – in education, health, nutrition, gender equality, and infrastructure.’

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HEALTH AND HUMAN SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

This article assesses the potential of the United Nations General Assembly’s recently passed Resolution 265, ‘Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases’, to make chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) a global priority among international leaders. It argues that the effectiveness of this resolution depends on the ability of the international community to take advantage of the political opportunity to institutionalise NCD prevention and control into policies and programmes within the broader development agenda.

This bulletin offers an overview of surveillance data on dengue collected in Cambodia from 1980 to the present. It concludes that dengue occurrences remain highest among young children in Cambodia, with infants under the age of 1 and children aged 4 to 6 years being the most susceptible to infection. It also states that the lack of a comprehensive screening, testing and case reporting system hinders accurate estimations of the true disease burden posed by dengue in the country.

This article addresses the rise of health as a foreign policy issue, the emergence of global health and global health diplomacy, and the advancement of international cooperation in health. In this paper, the arguments for global health diplomacy, specifically, the rationales that have been, or could be, used to position global health better within foreign policy, are reviewed. The article addresses health within the themes of security, development, global public goods, trade, human rights and ethical/moral reasoning and raises the question of which arguments prevail in actual state decision-making.

This article examines the affordability of medicines in low- to middle-income countries, where medicines are often highly priced in relation to income levels. It concludes that medicines purchased by individuals in the countries studied could lead to the impoverishment of many. Finally, it argues that strong action is needed to improve medicinal affordability through the establishment of health insurance systems and the promotion of low-cost, high quality generic medicines.

Events & Announcements

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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

This paper suggests that climate change impacts and adaptation be considered within Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) modalities. It reviews the potential entry points, and examples of countries and institutions which have implemented EIA in existing projects. The analysis points to several challenges, such as the importance of data to developing a systematic assessment, the level of uncertainties in climate projection, considerations of flexible implementation and the significance of establishing effective communication between the scientific community and practitioners.

This paper covers different approaches to climate change adaptation mechanisms. To complement the engineering approach of the disaster preparedness mechanism, it argues that socioeconomic development has a significant role in building community resilience in dealing with climate change especially in developing countries. It concludes that educating and empowering women will improve the effectiveness of disaster preparedness programmes.

This report examines the politics of climate change in Asia, the region’s response to natural disasters and the implications for the future geometry of Asia’s institutions and US policy in the region. The assessment looks broadly at two areas of non-traditional security (NTS) cooperation in Asia: (1) climate change, including the domestic political factors in Asia and the regional strategies for securing low-carbon pathways; and (2) regional approaches to disaster management. The volume draws on case studies to assess the utility of existing and emerging institutions – the promises as well as the problems – as the US and the region seek greater cooperation on both traditional and non-traditional security challenges. The authors discuss the problems related to the lack of coordination at different levels, the uncertain role of the military and continuing gaps in resources and expertise in key organisations.

This fact sheet reviews notable steps taken by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) on climate change, through stimulus funding, international finance commitments, regional cap-and-trade programmes and state energy policies. It also identifies political and economic developments that could impact federal climate legislation and additional regulatory action to reduce emissions by federal agencies. While these efforts are important, it is clear that much further action, including a binding cap on carbon, is necessary in the US.

This paper highlights the crucial relations between sound ecosystem services, climate resilience and the success of the MDGs. It argues that strengthening the rural economy and alleviating poverty rely upon activities that minimise ecosystem decline and promote community adaptation to climate change. Thus, it also suggests an action framework comprising five elements which emphasise long-term investments in local people and institutions as an effective development approach.

Events & Announcements

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FOOD SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

This policy brief supports the role of urban agriculture (UA) not only as an alternative food source but also as a source of income for urban dwellers especially the poor. It suggests that policymakers should acknowledge UA and provide relevant policy responses to minimise the negative consequences and maximise the opportunities.

This brief is a summary of a book published by the IFPRI which examines the food policies of South Asian countries, and how they change in response to various aspects such as international interventions. The brief highlights a few of the key findings, for example, the dilemma of trade liberalisation. It also draws some conclusions, one of which is that each country in the region needs to address different issues to improve agricultural production and to strengthen or maintain the market. It also suggests that there should be stronger policy coordination between countries to promote food security in the region.

The book explores the impact of climate change on food security. For instance, the problem of food insecurity could be worsened by projected climate change – water scarcity could result from the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers and increased frequency of extreme events. The book then addresses the possible methods of adapting to and mitigating climate disruptions by strengthening the resilience of the soil, ecosystem and society. It also deals with the social, community and political dimensions of the issue of food security.

This paper provides a framework for the State of the World 2011 (SOW11) report, Innovations that Nourish the Planet, published by the Worldwatch Institute. The SOW11 report argues that investing in agriculture is the most effective solution for hunger and poverty around the world. This paper is structured into sections that reviews the diverse perspectives on food security, evaluates existing agricultural innovations, examines policy responses, suggests climate change and ecosystem restoration considerations, and supports farmers and community empowerment. Finally, this paper suggests key questions which SOW11 contributors should address. It also recommends that the impacts of agricultural innovations on ecological and socioeconomic conditions be considered, and that the various policy paradigms that may scale up success and create significant impact on reducing hunger and alleviating poverty be explored.

Events & Announcements

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ENERGY AND HUMAN SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

This paper explores how the global institutional frameworks influence the national processes of innovation diffusion. It focuses on the role of the Kyoto mechanisms in the diffusion of renewable energy technologies in Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa. Presently, these countries have comparatively low levels of renewable energy technology and capability, and thus do not have any strong desire to diffuse renewable energy technologies. Preliminary research shows that the Kyoto mechanisms can help in the diffusion of some technologies but not new renewable energy technologies. Based on this, the paper then investigates the degree to which the mechanisms can create incentives for the diffusion of new renewable energy technologies in these countries.

This collection of papers on energy and international politics, commissioned for the 2010 Energy Security Conference, primarily contributes to the discussions on links between energy supply and geopolitics. It offers an overview of major oil and gas pipeline routes in Asia, analyses the existing problems and prospects in Asian energy markets, and explores the implications of the pipeline routes for geopolitics in Asia.

This paper examines the problem of energy poverty in rural Pakistan by studying the characteristics and consequences of the different energy mixes used by rural Pakistani households. Based on data from a survey on different combinations of energy sources for rural households, an index to measure the degree of ‘energy poverty’ among rural households was developed. The study concludes that 23.1 per cent of rural households experience high degrees of energy inconveniences, spending a substantial amount of time and effort in collecting or buying different energy sources; and 96.6 per cent of rural households experience severe energy shortfalls. The results also reveal that 91.7 per cent of all rural households in the Punjab province of Pakistan suffer severe energy poverty.

This paper studies renewable energy markets and policies in Southeast Asia and is part of the IEA project on global renewable energy. Six countries in this region are selected as case studies: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The paper provides an analysis of the factors that facilitate or hinder the expansion of renewable energy in the electricity, heating and transport sectors in the six countries. It also offers policy recommendations to boost the growth of renewable energy in Southeast Asia.

Events & Announcements

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Use of this article:

You are free to publish this article in its entirety or only in part in your newspapers, wire services, internet-based information networks and newsletters and you are also free to use the information in your radio-TV discussions or as a basis for discussion in different fora. We would, however, appreciate it if you could let us know when and where the article was used.

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


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