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39622. Protecting climate finance: An anti-corruption assessment of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility
- Publication Date:
- 07-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Transparency International
- Abstract:
- Protecting Climate Finance: An Anti-Corruption Assessment of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility is the last in a series of reports by Transparency International aimed at analysing the policies and practices that seven multilateral climate funds have in place to prevent corruption and enable accountability. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the positive development and strengthening of the FCPF's Readiness Fund to support the effective achievement of its objectives. Established in 2008, the FCPF aims to assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) by providing value to standing forests. It aims to do this through two funds: the Readiness Fund and the Carbon Fund. As of December 2013, the Readiness Fund has approved grants of over US$45 million1, whereas the Carbon Fund has not yet disbursed any funds. Although both Funds are described in this document, only the former is assessed. Transparency International's assessment of the Readiness Fund reviewed both its governance arrangements and its transparency, accountability, and integrity policies and practices against a set of 12 indicators. The study involved preliminary desk research and a subsequent interview with the Facility Management Team. Peer reviews were further engaged to validate or question the findings.2 As a result, Transparency International has identified both best practices and some areas where the Fund's policies should be strengthened. Overall, the Fund has made a commitment to operate with transparency and to provide open access to the information produced through its work. It has put in place guidance clearly listing the information to be made available, together with responsible parties and timelines. In practice, it further ensures the regular publication of information on its executive functions and activities. However, there is still much room for improvement. It should ensure that information regarding the anti-corruption rules and safeguards of downstream actors, such as Delivery Partners and REDD+ Country Participants, is disclosed and made easily accessible on its website. In addition, the transparency of the FCPF's Participants Committee can be bolstered by making provision for webcasting of meetings. Finally, it could further improve its performance by making its financial information available according to International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) standards. In terms of accountability at the Fund level, clear and comprehensive processes defined by World Bank policies are in place to ensure the investigation and sanctioning of the Facility Management Team (the Fund's Secretariat) and its Trustee. However, further rules and procedures regarding the Participants Committee are required to ensure full accountability at the Fund's executive level. This means gaining sufficient assurances that honest, independent and impartial processes are in place to investigate, review and sanction the behaviour of the Committee and its individual Members. Accountability at the national level is delegated to the Fund's Delivery Partners. The effectiveness of this arrangement is important but difficult to assess given the scant availability of easily accessible information regarding which specific anti-corruption rules are applied by Delivery Partners. For example, clarity is lacking regarding which whistleblowing procedures and complaints mechanisms are in place. Therefore, downstream accountability needs to be demonstrated in much clearer and more consistent ways. Citizens have a key role to play in advancing the anti-corruption agenda. As watchdogs and/or independent consultants, they can help to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of decision-making processes. Fund policies and processes are in place regarding civil society participation, both as Observers at Participants Committee meetings and as consulted stakeholders in-country. However, putting these into practice at the national level has been challenging and the Fund faced criticism for its failures in ensuring consultation in its early years. Its recent improvements have however also been 4 recognised. The Fund must continue to strengthen its performance in this area to ensure more open, meaningful engagement and better uptake of citizens' concerns. Finally, the Fund cannot be said to have a comprehensive corruption prevention approach in place for all of the actors falling within its remit. The FCPF can draw on the anti-corruption policies and procedures of the World Bank for many of its actors such as the Facilty Management Team, Trustee and World Bank as Delivery Partner, and through its Common Approach has put in place minimum standards expected of its newer Delivery Partners. However gaps remain, including the absence of a Fund-wide zero-tolerance of corruption policy. Furthermore, standards of conduct required from Fund actors and sanctions for falling short of those standards are not clearly set out at the Fund level. As an international mechanism entrusted with public money, the FCPF will need to take on a Facility-wide zero-tolerance of corruption policy and improve access to information on key anti-corruption assurances. This information is essential to ensure both downstream and upstream accountability for the prevention and deterrence of corruption. As set out above, the Fund has already made some important advances in this direction. Transparency International welcomes and supports the Fund's ongoing efforts to strengthen and evolve a clear, comprehensive and consistent set of policies to demonstrate its overall global accountability.
39623. Limits of Control — Challenges to Spatiotemporal Analysis of Sub-State War
- Author:
- Christian Ickler
- Publication Date:
- 11-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 700
- Abstract:
- Territorial control by violent (non-)state actors (VNSA) in sub-state war features prominently in many fundamental concepts in conflict studies. Though there have been attempts to measure this phenomenon or at least delimit it from a spatiotemporal perspective, these have so far been based either primarily on qualitative expert assessments or rely on dyadic event data to determine contested areas. In this methodological research paper, I present three approaches that can be used to estimate actor presence on basis of spatiotemporal approximation. In doing so, I focus on challenges and obstacles that can be encountered when measuring territorial control via the proxy of territorial contestation. Spatiotemporally disaggregated violent incidence data is used to analyze a small subsample of countries in sub- Saharan Africa in order to determine various ways of visualizing territorial contest. Further points of discussion include the impact of data aggregation, the availability of context data and analytical methods used for these evaluations.
- Topic:
- War
- Political Geography:
- Africa
39624. Governance Transfer by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). A B2 Case Study Report
- Author:
- Anna van der Vleuten
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 700
- Abstract:
- As early as 1992, the Treaty of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) already included a commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law as governance standards in its member states, but it was in 2001 that SADC significantly broadened its efforts at governance transfer. SADC focuses in particular on standards related to gender, (socioeconomic) human rights, and (electoral) democracy, which are promoted and protected through various instruments including military interventions and sanctions in the framework of security cooperation. While the rule of law and good governance have also gained a more prominent place on the agenda since 2001, standards and instruments are less developed. Overall, there is a significant gap between the prescription of standards and policies on the one hand and the implementation of measures on the other. The suspension of the SADC Tribunal in 2010 following its rulings on human rights issues clearly shows the limits of SADC as an active promoter vis-à-vis its member states.
- Topic:
- Security, Development, and Governance
- Political Geography:
- Africa
39625. Governance Transfer by the Organization of American States (OAS). A B2 Case Study Report
- Author:
- Mathis Lohaus
- Publication Date:
- 03-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 700
- Abstract:
- This case study examines to which extent the Organization of American States (OAS) engages in governance transfer to its member states. Both the standards and policies prescribed in regional documents as well as their application are analyzed. Historically, the organization has emphasized two areas. Human rights are protected through multiple treaties and a strong regional legal regime. Democracy is protected by strong incentives to avoid coups and supported via different types of assistance, including a long-standing system of election observation. The OAS addresses good governance since the 1990s, particularly with regard to combating corruption and modernizing public management. Provisions concerning the rule of law are addressed in connection with the other standards. After analyzing the framework and measures of governance transfer, this report explores how the observed patterns can be explained and briefly discusses the future prospects for the OAS.
- Topic:
- Human Rights and Governance
- Political Geography:
- America
39626. Governance Transfer in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A B2 Case Study Report
- Author:
- Mathis Lohaus
- Publication Date:
- 02-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 700
- Abstract:
- This case study examines to which extent the Organization of American States (OAS) engages in governance transfer to its member states. Both the standards and policies prescribed in regional documents as well as their application are analyzed. Historically, the organization has emphasized two areas. Human rights are protected through multiple treaties and a strong regional legal regime. Democracy is protected by strong incentives to avoid coups and supported via different types of assistance, including a long-standing system of election observation. The OAS addresses good governance since the 1990s, particularly with regard to combating corruption and modernizing public management. Provisions concerning the rule of law are addressed in connection with the other standards. After analyzing the framework and measures of governance transfer, this report explores how the observed patterns can be explained and briefly discusses the future prospects for the OAS.
- Topic:
- Human Rights and Law
- Political Geography:
- America
39627. European leverage and a new Israel-Palestine approach
- Author:
- Lara Friedman
- Publication Date:
- 12-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- With their own interests challenged and growing domestic constituencies pressing for action, European leaders are asking what Europe can do to reaccredit its policies in the Israeli-Palestinian arena, notwithstanding U.S. opposition. In this context the time has come for Europe to adopt a new Middle East policy paradigm in which European leverage is identified and employed as part of a coherent effort aimed not at altering the behavior of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but at altering the political environment in which Netanyahu and his challengers on the right operate.
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Middle East, and Israel
39628. The United Nations and a peace process strategy for Syria
- Author:
- Leila Hilal
- Publication Date:
- 12-2014
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution
- Abstract:
- The counterterrorism effort launched by the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition has sidetracked international attention away from a political resolution to the Syrian civil war. Officials, analysts and peace practitioners alike are latching on to quick fixes aimed at mitigating violence at the local level. Although stakeholders are mindful of the need to match bottom-up de-escalation efforts with top-down interventions, a comprehensive approach is as elusive as ever. The United Nations (UN) secretary-general's appointment of a new special envoy for Syria presents an opportunity for building an inclusive peacemaking strategy for the country. This policy brief provides a series of recommendations for the development of a strategy led by the UN with support from key countries.
- Political Geography:
- Syria
39629. Identifying Binding Constraints in Pacific Island Economies
- Author:
- Ron Duncan, Hilarian Codippily, Emele Duituturaga, and Raijieli Bulatale
- Publication Date:
- 11-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- The emergence of a large number of small states over the past four decades or so (there are presently around 50 states with populations with less than 1.5 million) has led to considerable interest amongst researchers, member governments, and international agencies in their economic and environmental viability. The literature generated in the process has focused on the special problems and development challenges faced by such states, including their prospects for integration with the changing global environment. The study presented here builds upon this literature in examining the binding constraints to development. It is our hope that this study will benefit policy makers, researchers, and the donor community.
- Topic:
- Economics
- Political Geography:
- Island
39630. The Ontological (In)security of Similarity: Wahhabism versus Islamism in Saudi Foreign Policy
- Author:
- May Darwich
- Publication Date:
- 12-2014
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Global and Area Studies
- Abstract:
- It has long been argued that identity matters in international relations. Yet, how identity impacts enmity and conflict among states remains the subject of debate. The existing literature asserts that differences in identity can be a source of conflict, whereas convergence and similarity lead to cooperation. Nevertheless, empirical evidence from the Middle East has long defied this hypothesis. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which prides itself on being an Islamic model and claims Islamic leadership, has opposed the rise to power of Islamist movements in the Middle East. To address this paradox, this article builds on the growing literature on ontological security to propose a theoretical framework explaining how similarity can generate anxiety and identity risks. This framework, I argue, moves beyond traditional regime‐security approaches to reveal that security is not only physical but also ontological. I then illustrate the argument through a comparison of Saudi identity risks in the wake of the Iranian revolution (1979) and the ascendance of the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt (2012). Ultimately, these cases provide intriguing insights into foreign policy behaviour during critical situations.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Foreign Policy, and Islam
- Political Geography:
- Saudi Arabia