Unintended consequences of anti-money laundering policies for poor countries

Money laundering, terrorism financing and sanctions violations by individuals, banks and other financial entities are serious offenses with significant negative consequences for rich and poor countries alike. Governments have taken important steps to address these offenses. Efforts by international organizations, the US, UK and others to combat money laundering and curb illicit financial flows are a necessary step to increase the safety of the financial system and improve security, both domestically and around the world. But the policies that have been put in place to counter financial crimes may also have unintentional and costly consequences, in particular for people in poor countries. [1] Those most affected are likely to include the families of migrant workers, small businesses that need to access working capital or trade finance, and recipients of life-saving aid in active-conflict, post-conflict or post-disaster situations. And sometimes, current policies may be self-defeating to the extent that they reduce the transparency of financial flows

The Earls of Derby and the Opposition to their Estate Bills in Parliament, 1660–92: Some New Manuscript Sources

The bills introduced in 1660–2 by Charles Stanley, 8th earl of Derby, to reclaim property legally conveyed during the interregnum are well known to students of the Restoration, as their ultimate defeat is seen as evidence of the government's wish to enforce ‘indemnity and oblivion’ after the civil war. The leading members of the house of lords opposed to the bill of 1661–2 can be gauged by the protest against its passage on 6 February 1662, which has been readily available to students to consult since the 18th-century publication of the Lords journals. A number of manuscript lists of the protesters against the bill's passage reveal that the opposition to the bill was even more extensive and politically varied than the protest in the journal suggests, which raises questions of why the printed protest is so incomplete. A voting forecast drawn up by William Stanley, 9th earl of Derby, in 1691, further reminds us of the often-neglected point that the Stanleys continued to submit bills for the resumption of their hereditary lands well after the disappointment of 1662. Derby's manuscript calculations, though ultimately highly inaccurate, reveal much about how this particular peer envisaged the forces ranged for and against the claims of an old civil war royalist family, a good 40 years after the loss of their land

Did aid promote democracy in Africa?: the role of technical assistance in Africa’s transitions

Did foreign aid impede or catalyze democratization in Africa in the 1990s? We argue that after the Cold War, donors increased their use of technical assistance in aid packages, improving their monitoring capacity and thus reducing autocrats’ ability to use aid for patronage. To remain in power, autocrats responded by conceding political rights to their opponents—from legalizing opposition parties to staging elections. We test our theory with panel data for all sub-Saharan African countries. While other factors played pivotal roles in Africa’s political liberalization, we find technical assistance helps to explain the timing and extent of Africa’s democratization

Effects of impact noise on the hearing of military personnel

Shooting is an activity that exposes military personnel to noise impact, which may cause irreversible effects on hearing. Objective: To evaluate impact noise on the hearing of military personnel that practice shooting. Study design: A case-control retrospective study. Methods: 115 military personnel were enrolled; 65 had been exposed to impact noise and 50 were non-exposed. Firearm noise levels were evaluated, subjects answered a questionnaire and underwent threshold tonal audiometry and otoacoustic emissions testing. Results: The average noise level was 125dB(C). Most subjects (78%) believe that noise may cause hearing loss; nearly all (92.3%) used ear noise protectors while shooting, but most (32.3%) had never received guidance for using this equipment. There were significant differences between the two groups in relation to changes suggesting impact noise-induced hearing loss. Conclusion: The differences between groups show that noise-exposed military personnel are more likely to develop hearing loss. The goal of a hearing conservation program for this population should be to preserve hearing and educate these individuals about the importance of using hearing protection correctly.77674775

Sustaining the future of HIV counselling to reach 90-90-90 : a regional country analysis

Introduction: Counselling services are recommended by the World Health Organization and have been partially adopted by national HIV guidelines. In settings with a high HIV burden, patient education and counselling is often performed by lay workers, mainly supported with international funding. There are few examples where ministries of health have been able to absorb lay counsellors into their health systems or otherwise sustain their work. We document the role of lay cadres involved in HIV testing and counselling and adherence support and discuss approaches to sustainability. Methods: We focused on a purposive sample of eight sub-Saharan African countries where Medecins Sans Frontieres supports HIV programmes: Guinea, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We reviewed both published and grey literature, including national policies and donor proposals, and interviewed key informants, including relevant government staff, donors and non-governmental organizations. Results and discussion: Lay counsellors play a critical role in scaling up HIV services and addressing gaps in the HIV testing and treatment cascade by providing HIV testing and counselling and adherence support at both the facility and community levels. Countries have taken various steps in recognizing lay counsellors, including harmonizing training, job descriptions and support structures. However, formal integration of this cadre into national health systems is limited, as lay counsellors are usually not included in national strategies or budgeting. Conclusions: The current trend of reduced donor support for lay counsellors, combined with lack of national prioritization, threatens the sustainability of this cadre and thereby quality HIV service delivery

Unintended consequences of anti-money laundering policies for poor countries

Money laundering, terrorism financing and sanctions violations by individuals, banks and other financial entities are serious offenses with significant negative consequences for rich and poor countries alike. Governments have taken important steps to address these offenses. Efforts by international organizations, the US, UK and others to combat money laundering and curb illicit financial flows are a necessary step to increase the safety of the financial system and improve security, both domestically and around the world. But the policies that have been put in place to counter financial crimes may also have unintentional and costly consequences, in particular for people in poor countries. [1] Those most affected are likely to include the families of migrant workers, small businesses that need to access working capital or trade finance, and recipients of life-saving aid in active-conflict, post-conflict or post-disaster situations. And sometimes, current policies may be self-defeating to the extent that they reduce the transparency of financial flows