Somalia has been without effective state institutions since 1991. Over the past two decades, moderately effective state-like institutions have been rebuilt in Somaliland and Puntland in northern Somalia, but they do not enjoy international recognition and are limited in power and scope. This...

Local capacity for standards conformity assessment is an important component in accessing export markets. In theory, it will lead to lowered compliance costs on the part of local exporters. Moreover, it may provide local exporters with the ability to contest unfavourable foreign test results and...

It is commonplace to argue speed as the deflning element in modern day warfare. Whether one looks to the manuals and concepts of the US military or to critical thinkers like Virilio the analvsis is the same. Speed and time, not mass and space, are the essentials of warfare. This is the case in...

Against the background of growing concern about climate change, some European private organic standard-setting bodies led by the Soil Association are considering whether to refuse certification of organic produce imported by air. Their right to determine the rules to which they certify produce,...

The Paris declaration of 2005 on aid effectiveness is now part of the international consensus. It holds that increased use of budget support combined with decentralised aid administration will lead to transaction costs reductions (through better donor harmonisation of aid) and to enhanced local...

The effects of development aid have been extensively discussed, and the extent to which aid has been effective in achieving its goals is widely disputed. At the same time, several studies and theorists point towards the unintended and potentially negative effects of aid. This working paper gives...

A global shortage of health professionals makes it relatively easy for doctors and nurses from poor countries to emigrate to rich countries. This has raised fears of a medical brain drain from poor to rich countries and has been the subject of much - impassioned - debate. This paper questions...

Water issues impact on security at the various levels, albeit most directly on ‘human security’. Hence, it is a potential source of conflict. Following a prelude of water and ‘the human condition’, the paper presents an analytical survey of the various aspects of the...