Mapping the policy process in Nigeria

How research contributes to the policy process in developing countries in general, and in Nigeria more specifically, is not well understood. Yet such understanding is a critical part of doing effective policy research. This has become especially critical for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which has set up a country office for policy research in Nigeria. A key challenge for IFPRI, and other research organizations in the country, is how to better integrate research results into policy and communicate research results to Nigerian policymakers. To gain some useful insights into how research does, or does not, influence policy in Nigeria, we examined a case involving the process leading up to the adoption in 2006 of Nigeria’s National Fertilizer Policy. Rather than focusing on how research influences policy in general, examining a particular policy allowed us to trace the actual policy process that took place, the actors involved, and the types of links and interactions between them. A diverse group of stakeholders (government, donors, the research community, farmer organizations, and the private sector) undoubtedly debated the content of the fertilizer policy. Thus, its successful formulation and adoption offered a useful opportunity to examine how it came about in spite of competing vested interests (both for and against it) and what role, if any, research-based information played in developing it. The policy covered some highly contentious political issues, most prominently the issue of privatization of the fertilizer sector in place of the large-scale and long-standing subsidy program. How the actors engaged and appeased people with vested interests who would normally oppose the policy, and the degree to which research-based information played a role in policy development, is of interest to IFPRI and others engaged in policy research. To study the policy process that led to the formulation and adoption of the National Fertilizer Policy, we used a network-mapping tool, Net-Map. Drawing on social network approaches, the tool is particularly suitable since it can help highlight the actors and formal and informal interactions involved in the policy process, as well as examine the flows of information from researchers to help determine the pathways of research-based information. In support of the Net-Map method, we also undertook a content analysis of published and grey literature on fertilizer policies in Nigeria in the years prior to the passing of the fertilizer bill. This provided a context for the knowledge-based and policy discussions, who was involved in them, and who funded or drove them.Development strategies, Fertilizer, Net-Map, policy processes, Social network analysis,

ASEAN-SEAFDEC directives related to species of international concern

To achieve sustainable fisheries for food security in the ASEAN region, the Resolution (RES) and Plan of Action (POA) urge the Member Countries to rectify their fisheries practices through improvement of existing fisheries management policy, framework and practices as well as implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), RES and POA. Improvement of fisheries management includes the gradual introduction of decentralized rights-based fisheries and co-management systems, regulation/control of fishing activities, protection/rehabilitation of important aquatic resource habitats, resource/stock enhancement, and so on. In addition, the RES and POA also highlight the need to enhance partnership among Member Countries in the region through the formulation of common positions as well as to increase their participation and involvement in international fora (FAO, CITES, etc.) to safeguard and promote ASEAN interests particularly on issues of international concern. In line with the above general directives, especially in relation to stock enhancement of species under international concern, senior fisheries officials of ASEAN and SEAFDEC have urged proactive approaches in tackling the issues and gave the following directives: 1) To increase support to national initiatives and to facilitate regional cooperation on stock enhancement including identification of concerned species and their status, interaction between concerned species and fishing, and integrated approach and community involvement in management and conservation of aquatic resources; 2) To identify issues/species of international concern and conduct review on status of the issues/species as basis for formulation of fisheries policy as well as common positions among the Member Countries in international fora; 3) To compile information on status and initiatives related to management and conservation of aquatic resources and to disseminate them in appropriate international fora to enhance awareness of the regional situation and seriousness of the issues; 4) To promote appropriate inter-agency coordination on the issues at national and regional levels, and 5) To promote involvement of national fisheries agencies in national/regional/international fora/mechanisms related to utilization and management of aquatic resources

National Security as a Means to a Commercial End: Call for a New Approach

While corporations do not enjoy unfettered freedom—they are constrained by legal, political, and social requirements and expectations—governments must have legitimate grounds when they compel corporations to act. After investigating the nationwide semiconductor shortage, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce warned that the government might invoke national security to compel semiconductor producers to disclose sensitive business information. The government has also invoked national security to justify extensive tariffs imposed on imported steel and aluminum products, leading to a major trade dispute. Years of neoliberal policy have created a perceived (though not necessarily functional) separation between government and industry. This separation encourages and, to some extent, necessitates the government to invoke the most compelling reasons, such as national security grounds, to justify its interventions with private industry. This article explains the inherent risks of such national security invocations to corporate freedom and international trade. It presents an alternative approach, under which corporate interests and government industrial policy can be better aligned. The role of government in the economy and private industry must be reconsidered. Adopting a new approach will facilitate a mutually beneficial partnership between government and industry, helping to avoid inappropriate recourse to national security obligations for commercial purposes in domestic and international contexts. This proposed partnership will not be inconsistent with the preservation of corporate autonomy and freedom but will actually help to preserve these interests when government interventions are inevitable to address national economic issues such as the semiconductor shortage

Translating One Health knowledge across different institutional and political contexts in Europe

BACKGROUND: Implementing a One Health approach is complex. It demands engaging different sectors and actors in the promotion and protection of human, animal and environmental health. A key challenge for successfully implementing the One Health approach are knowledge translation processes among scientists and policy-makers. METHODS: An online survey reached 104 experts from 23 European countries, working at national agencies or institutes, universities, ministries, non-governmental organisations (World Health Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health), and European Union (EU) agencies. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to describe experts’ perceptions. RESULTS: This study indicated a lack of networks among scientists and between scientists and policy-makers. Relations of scientists and policy-makers were perceived as challenging due to different interests and priorities, leading to difficulties in reaching political attention for One Health topics. It also highlighted a favoured attention to some One Health topics (e.g. antimicrobial resistance) as opposed to others (e.g. environmental issues). Important international actors to push One Health policies forward were the Quadripartite organisations and EU agencies. National actors (government agencies, national research institutes, universities) were on average perceived to be more important than international actors due to their roles and influences. Factors influencing the knowledge translation process were the different languages spoken by scientists as well as politicians, and an equivocal understanding of the One Health approach. CONCLUSION: The study shows the importance of leadership to establish interdisciplinary networks and to problematise One Health issues with clear scope and targets. This will help to link knowledge to needs and capabilities of policy-makers. Establishing strong relationships among national and international actors can encourage networks and raise awareness of the One Health approach to policy-makers. Lastly, promoting research communication skills of scientists can provide a valuable tool to reach policy-makers to enhance attention to One Health topics. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42522-022-00074-x

Applying Universal Principles of ‘Best Interest’: Practice Challenges across Transnational Jurisdictions, Cultural Norms, and Values

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).This article sets out key issues in determining and upholding the best interests of children, in need of social service support, who have family networks that span outside of the UK. These issues are then analysed against whether and how child protection professionals take these into account along with an overall consideration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child’s (UNCRC) ‘best interests of the child’, when assessing and planning for those needs in kinship care cases. Building on these themes, the findings of an exploratory study on international kinship care cases carried out by Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB), the UK branch of the non-governmental organisation, International Social Service, as well as CFAB’s associated Freedom of Information Requests to the UK government, are examined. These are then analysed in relation to legal and policy documents in England. Agency case records are analysed to identify a range of factors for children placed with ‘kinship’ carers across national borders, relating to the cultural relativity of the ‘best interest’ principle, the availability of family support in different social service structures, the understanding and application of legislation and policy in transnational contexts, and the availability of markers to track and analyse the scale of children crossing borders to join family.Peer reviewe

A scoping assessment for a national research centre addressing land use and food security issues

This report proposes a Centre for Land Use and Land Resources to conduct an Australian program of work on agricultural land use and food security analysis, linked to international efforts.SummaryInternationally, food security and the sustainability of productive land resources have been identified as key issues driving the need for improved information on land use change and land resources.This study reports on perspectives on land use and food security issues gained through consultations with international and Australian institutions and individuals, including the relationship between land use and food security. It also scopes Australia’s potential contribution to addressing global food security concerns, including the potential for an Australian-based Centre for Land Use and Food Security as a facility associated with the Global Land Project (GLP). The GLP is an international program aimed at analysing changes in land systems arising from human-induced global change.The review determined that land use and land use change impacts on a broad range of natural resource and ecosystem services sustainability issues – including water management, biodiversity protection, urban planning development, carbon management and responding to climate variability. Although the nexus between land use and food security is strong and is of particular interest, there are broader interests and needs regarding national capacity in land use research.It is argued that this broader range of needs, including food security, could be improved by focusing Australia’s capacity to analyse and track land use change particularly in relation to our productive land assets. This would address the Australian Farm Institute’s recent call for improved data and analysis to assess land use change and agricultural production potential.The study proposes the establishment of a Centre for Land Use and Land Resources. This centre could be a virtual organisation, operating on a collaborative basis and drawing on the expertise of Australian agencies and research institutions with allied interests and objectives. It could initiate an Australian program of work linked to international efforts on agricultural land use and food security analysis and make an important contribution to global activities linking food security, land use and land resources risk assessment, particularly the development of protocols for tracking and forecasting change and the development of tools to assist decision making.Within this network a Nodal Office of the GLP with a focus on land use and food security could be hosted out of a leading research or academic institution, linking the relevant researchers in government research agencies and universities with international collaborators. Research could be aimed at key gaps in the GLP research agenda, such as international trends in food, fibre and fuel, and the sustainability of land resources.It is suggested that the options for hosting a Centre for Land Use and Land Resources be explored with national institutions with interest and capacity in the land use and land resources sciences field. ABARES is well positioned to continue playing a leadership role for the Australian Government, building on established collaborative arrangements and with a continuing focus on promoting national consistency in land use data, information and analysis to support policy and programs.It is proposed that ABARES establish a working group comprising representatives from potential partners in a Centre for Land Use and Land Resources (including, CSIRO, TERN, key universities, NCLUMI and NCST) to further explore options for its establishment, including structure, partnership arrangements, research agenda work-plan and funding

Питання інформаційної безпеки України на сучасному етапі

Voytsihovskyi, A.V. (2015), “The matter of information security of Ukraine at the present stage” [“Pytannia informatsiinoi bezpeky Ukrainy na suchasnomu etapi”], Pravo i Bezpeka, No. 3, pp. 15–20.Войціховський, А. В. Питання інформаційної безпеки України на сучасному етапі // Право і безпека. - 2015. - № 3 (58). - С. 15–20.Досліджено сутність інформаційної безпеки України, засоби її реалізації, джерела загроз інформаційній безпеці України, шляхи забезпечення інформаційної безпеки України на сучасному етапі суспільного розвитку.Nowadays the spread of the facts concerning unlawful collection and use of information, unauthorized access to information resources and others is of serious concern. The issues of guaranteeing information security have become very important for Ukraine, which faced a hybrid information war. The objective of this research paper is to detect and analyze the main directions of state information policy aiming at protection of the national information space, as well as to reveal the sources of threats to information security of Ukraine and to find the ways to ensure information security of Ukraine at the present stage of social development. Information security of Ukraine as an important component of the national security system provides preventive activities of state authorities to provide guarantees of information security to individuals, social groups and society in the whole and is aimed at achieving sufficient level of spiritual and intellectual potential for the development of the state and social progress. Active cooperation between Ukraine and NATO in the field of information security is noted. It is reasonably determined that an important group of measures of guaranteeing information security are measures to protect the national information space from unauthorized interventions, as well as control over the formation of mass consciousness. As a result it is indicated that the formation and implementation of state policy for the protection of national interests against the threats in the information sphere, the adoption of relevant legislative acts, coordination of the activities of state authorities in the field of ensuring information security will consistently contribute to bringing Ukrainian national information security system in line with international standards in this area.Исследованы сущность информационной безопасности Украины, средства её реализации, источники угроз информационной безопасности Украины, пути обеспечения информационной безопасности Украины на современном этапе общественного развития

U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission: Emerging Factor in Western Pacific Strategic Policy Analysis

Those studying and analyzing Western Pacific strategic trends and develop- ments have access to multiple unclassified analyses of security trends in this region covering these waters and adjacent countries. These information resources are produced by military and government agencies from multiple countries, multinational public policy research institutions, popular and scholarly journals, and Internet resources featuring text, data, webcasts, and imagery. One of these resources is the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission established in the 2001 National Defense Authorization Act. This article argues that this organization’s analyses should be considered essential reading by civilian and military policymakers and individuals and organizations interested in under- standing the continually developing and evolving factors making the Western Pacific an increasingly important factor in U.S. and international geopolitical interests. Contents of this work include scrutiny of commission annual reports, hearings, and studies produced by commission professional staff and contractors covering Western Pacific strategic issues. This bipartisan commission has achieved relative unanimity in its conclusions and its work should be consulted by all interested in Western Pacific strategic and economic issue

European Competition Policy in International Markets

International audienceChanges in the institutional, technological and economic environment raise new challenges to the European competition policy. In this context, it is timely for European authorities to appraise the external dimension of the European competition policy as well as its articulation with current internal reforms. Globalisation can increase the costs of monitoring and seriously reduce the ability of European authorities to tackle cross-border anti-competitive conducts. In addition, conflicts are exacerbated by industrial policy motivations. As it is unlikely that the sole application of the territoriality and extraterritoriality principles to competition rules could yield an optimal international competition system, globalisation calls for higher levels and types of cooperation. Given that bilateral cooperation and especially the implementation of comity principles could be of no value when laws or interests are sources of international conflicts, three main paths could be therefore encouraged: The continuous harmonization of rules through the joint action of OECD and ICN; the higher cooperation in the confidential information exchange; the establishment of global anti-trust institutions. Although WTO is legitimate in judging questions related market access and entry barriers, it is less equipped to assess international hard core cartels or M&A reviews. As a substitute for WTO, a multilevel system, like the EU system, could be promoted. For political and pragmatic reasons, it could be composed in a first step of a hard core of countries like the EU, Japan and the U.S. It could be associated with the creation of an international Court of Justice for competition. In addition to these external reforms, some internal reforms could be required. Competition authorities have to develop further competition advocacy to give a higher priority to competition issues in other EU policies and national regulation. A parallel and complementary reform could consist in making the European competition agency independent from State Members' interference

Perspectives for a National GI Policy (Including assessment of National Remote Sensing, Map and Data Sharing Policies)

Government of India is taking up the implementation of a National GIS – the core of which is a well-founded Geographic Information (GI) Asset that is seamlessly available for the whole nation, is continuously maintained/updated and would power many a GIS Decision Support applications for governance, enterprises and citizens. Space- and aerial-based Earth Observation (EO) data; survey and satellite-based positioning data; Geographical Information Systems or GIS databases/applications will be mainstay around which such a National GIS would be built. A Department of Science and Technology (DST) sponsored policy-research project was taken up by National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). As part of the project, the international scenario of EO and GIS and Image Policies has been studied and compared and emerging policies of some nations active in this field across the world have been analysed – which helped trend-definition of the EO and GI Policy scene in the international domain. Similarly, the national eco-system and environment of GI policy has been analysed – especially from the technology, user needs and national security considerations. In specific, a key assessment and analysis of the existing individual policies for satellite remote sensing and EO, in the form of Remote Sensing Data Policy (RSDP), Open Map Policy for topographic maps and the National Data Sharing Policy that spells out sharing principles of information generated using public funds have been detailed. Thirdly, 62 key parameters (14 parameters pertain to EO Imaging; 11 to satellite-based positioning; 9 to advanced surveying; 7 to mapping/cartography; 14 to GIS databases/applications and 7 to eco-system issues) of national importance for GI policy definition have been identified and analysed in GI Policy context for India. Finally, an integrating framework of a National GI Policy has been determined – integrating EO images, satellite-based positioning, advanced surveying, mapping and GIS geodatabases/ applications – ultimately outlining national guidelines for GI creation, usage, sharing and also creating a national regime for its protected interests and development. This is a first of the kind study on GI Policy – comprehensively covering EO imaging, mapping, surveying, GIS and positioning a holistic policy perspective for National GIS. The report (available at Report No: R11-2012. (www.nias.res.in/docs/R11-2012-GI-Policy.pdf) has built a foundation for a national debate on GI Policy. The paper will discuss the report and provide an over-arching perspective of what is the National GI Policy and its next implementation steps