A ‘Yes’ vote in the Scottish referendum may well be a step closer to a Brexit

The likelihood of a British exit from the EU seems to be increasing, fundamentally altering the importance of the independence referendum in Scotland, which happens to be the most pro-European area of the UK. Peter Sutherland comments on David Cameron’s repeated missteps regarding the EU, writing that continued membership is going to be one of the major issues at stake in the 2015 general election

Threats to the world Trading System: Income Distribution and the selfish Hegemon

"The Uruguay Round is closing this week after a marathon of negotiations stretching well over seven years; so the timing of this Panel is exquisite from my viewpoint. The ceremony, besides, is in Marrakesh, an exotic place that sets our minds racing with thoughts of Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Indeed, one can imagine a movie being made of this historic occasion with Peter Ustinov cast as Peter Sutherland, the brilliant and portly new Director General of the GATT who finally brought the Round to successful conclusion, Dustin Hoffman playing our own inimitable Mickey Kantor, and perhaps Al Pacino as the elegant and suave Sir Leon Brittan of the European Union: the three principal players in the closing days of the Round.

The World Trading System

The Uruguay Round is closing this week after a marathon of negotiations stretching well over seven years; so the timing of this panel is exquisite, from my viewpoint. The ceremony, besides, is in Marrakech, an exotic place that sets our minds racing with thoughts of Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Indeed, one can imagine a movie being made of this historic occasion that will transform the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GAIT) into the World Trade Organization (WTO), with Peter Ustinov cast as Peter Sutherland, the brilliant and portly new director general of the GAIT who finally brought the round to successful conclusion, Dustin Hoffman playing our own inimitable Mickey Kantor, and perhaps Al Pacino as the elegant and suave Sir Leon Brittan of the European Union (E.U.): the three principal players in the closing days of the round

Reviews

Web‐Teaching ‐ A Guide to Interactive Teaching for the World‐Wide Web by David W. Brooks, New York: Plenum, 1997. ISBN: 0–306–45552–8. Paperback, 214 pages. $30

Responsibility Sharing and the Global Compact on Refugees

Strengthening the Refugee Regime calls for enhancing responsibility sharing. Responsibility sharing was a central commitment in the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. It also is a key commitment in the preamble to the landmark 1951 Refugee Convention. Countries of first refuge are promised that their providing refuge will be met by “international cooperation,” though without specifying its content. Yet, just as the 1951 Refugee Convention failed to define what international cooperation meant; so too the New York Declaration is – as was the Humanitarian Summit before it - long on principles; and short on specific commitments. Today, therefore, responsibility sharing, as Peter Sutherland has so aptly characterized it, amounts to “Responsibility by Proximity.” Neighboring countries such as Syria’s neighbors, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan overwhelmingly serve as the refuge for Syrians who have managed to flee its devastating civil war. This means that globally the developing world, both relatively poor and home to so many of the world’s armed conflicts, also serves as the refuge for 86% of the world’s refugees … and it does so without adequate international funding (only 40% of the UNHCR appeal for the region was met in 2016)

Transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy should be considered in prostate cancer patients with pelvic kidneys

This abstract was presented at the Congress of the Société Internationale D'Urologie in October 2015 in Melbourne, Australia, as an unmoderated ePoster.We highlight two cases of transperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in patients with pelvic kidneys because of congenital development and renal transplant. These uncommon cases present a challenge to the surgeon contemplating surgery because of access and anomalous vascular and ureteral anatomy. We describe the technical considerations that are paramount in effectively completing transperitoneal RARP, and believe it should be considered as a treatment option in men with pelvic kidneys.Sophie Plagakis, Darren Foreman, Peter Sutherland and Andrew Fulle

Religion and cognitive development: implications for the developing world

Nothing shapes the morals, values, and folkways in the Global South as much as religion. It is the primary mark of identity and adhered to in an extraordinarily passionate manner. Hence, religion matters deeply and permeates directly or indirectly almost every vestige of life not least on growth and socio-economic development of societies. This article explores how religious thinking affects the cognitive development of people, especially children, which may, in turn, impact upon the variables of a country’s economic growth and development. The working assumption is that a weakness in the former deleteriously affects the latter. This article concludes by arguing that the influence of religion is least in the most advanced countries

Conflicts Between Dispute Settlement Mechanisms in Regional Trade Agreements and the WTO — What Should WTO Do?

It was a tremendous pleasure to participate in a symposium that honored one of the giants of the World Trade Organization\u27s (WTO) Appellate Body—Professor Yasuhei Taniguchi. Professor Taniguchi served as a distinguished member of the Appellate Body from 2000 to 2007, during which time he served on the division for twenty-one appeals, many of them addressing landmark issues. In tribute to him, this article focuses on an issue that was a key element in the last dispute on which Professor Taniguchi served as member of the Appellate Body. This dispute concerned Brazil\u27s restrictions on imports of retreaded tires and raised important questions about the relationship between regional trade agreements and commitments to the WTO. The subject of this article—the relationship between the dispute settlement mechanisms of various free trade agreements, customs unions or regional trade agreements (RTAs) and the WTO\u27s Dispute Settlement Understanding—is one that has already seen considerable debate among scholars. This debate is poised to become more relevant and more intense with the proliferation of free trade agreements and RTAs. This article outlines the most common types of dispute settlement mechanisms contained in RTAs and the problems that can arise from the overlap or conflict between these RTA dispute settlement provisions and the Dispute Settlement Understanding of the WTO. This article also discusses the most recent case in which such a conflict arose—the Appellate Body\u27s report in Brazil Tyres. In Brazil Tyres, the Appellate Body examined Brazil\u27s ban on the importation of used and retreaded tires and the exemption from that ban that Brazil adopted to implement an adverse ruling from a decision of an RTA dispute settlement tribunal. Brazil contended that the WTO panel was correct in finding that Brazil\u27s exemption from the ban for certain retreaded tires was permissible because it was mandated by a Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR) tribunal. The Appellate Body reversed the panel, finding that taking action to comply with a MERCOSUR dispute settlement panel did not necessarily provide sufficient justification for Brazil\u27s action. Brazil was still required to meet the requirements of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and WTO covered agreements, particularly, in this case, the chapeau of Article XX. This article concludes that there are a number of problems that can arise—or have already arisen—due to the overlap in dispute settlement processes between the WTO and RTAs, and WTO members should take immediate action under the Doha Round mandate to address these conflicts and clarify the legal relationship between RTA and WTO dispute settlement provisions