Mind the gap between the budget lines and the programs of the National strategy for poverty reduction

The objective of this study is to investigate the weak links in the processes for poverty reduction in Macedonia. We investigate the weak links between the budget lines and the poverty-reduction programs, involvement of vulnerable categories of people and researchers in the processes for poverty reduction. 27.1% of the Macedonian population lived below the poverty line in 2011. In order to reduce poverty, the National Strategy for Poverty Reduction and Social Exclusion has been introduced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. The budget lines for passive measures account around 45% of the total Budget spending in contrast to active measures which took only 0.13% of all spending in 2013. We have used three different approaches: an analysis of the current strategic documents for poverty reduction, an interview with the people at social risk and a survey among the civil society and academic researchers in the country. The main result is that vulnerable categories of people face with lack of information about measures for poverty reduction, especially those with at most primary education. The citizens are not involved in the process of identifying potential problems of the vulnerable group and the process of construction measures for addressing the problems. Also, the Macedonian social system faces with absent process of monitoring of the spending of the funds and the effects of the used measure. Only 24% of the respondents were monitored regularly. At the same time, only 18% of the researchers were involved in the process of creating some strategic document for poverty reduction and only 9% made a social change or their recommendations have potential to be accepted by the policymakers and cause change

Globalization processes, security and security perspectives in the region

Usually, the main issues being discussed today refer to different political, economic, security, cultural, confessional and other situations in the world, which are making the world civilization more global on a daily basis, tightly related, transparent and accessible for the most of the citizens. Globalization is more present into the political, economic, social and security segment and it is only a matter of dynamics and volume according to which it will be carried out. Reforms and globalizations have enormously influenced the security processes in the world, Europe, Balkans and the Republic of Macedonia.This kind of processes in some parts of the world have contributed to assure peace. The issues of economic integration of Europe and enlargement of European Union, present one of the most successful peace projects in the world history, which help the human kind to construct a foundation for resources and intellectual potential for providing higher level of regional and international security. State interdependence helps in generating the political approaches aimed towards a creation of democratic multilateral mechanism for governing the international system and an alternative for the security problems. Collective influence of the world community is needed to expand the old security problems which will provoke new risks and threats

Преглед на политики и акции за справување со климатските промени- КОП 26 - дали е тоа последната можност?

The world is facing the visible and potential consequences of climate change. No place on the Earth is immune to these changes. Current policy applied worldwide anticipates global warming of about 2.7oC compared to pre-industrial level by the end of the century. By implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), warming will be kept to 2.4oC. If long-term commitment targets or net-zero targets are included, then warming would be kept to about 2.1oC above the pre-industrial levels. The warming projections dropped by 0.3oC after the made pledges and established targets by the USA and Peoples’ Republic of China. According to the “optimistic” scenario, if the 140 analysed countries reach the zero emission targets, then the average warming will be 1.8oC, or below 2oC. There is a significant gap between the pledges made by the governments and the total level of actions they have undertaken so far.With the new economic challenges, it is clear that we are at a crossroads. The impact of COVID-19 crisis will be crucial for the future of the climate policy. Climate changes will not wait. Their threat is over our heads and each and every day we face them. Every individual has a role to play in dealing with global climate change and we all can contribute to this threat if we all work together in a synchronous way. A greater political involvement is needed along with collective actions taken by all social actors. Over the last two years, the World Health Organization has advocated for greater inclusion of health authorities and services in Nationally determined contributions through activities to reduce the implications on health by climate change. Светот се соочува со видливи и потенцијалнипоследици од климатскитепромени. Нема место на Земјатакое не езафатеноодовиепромени. Сегашната политика што се применуваширумсветотпредвидуваглобалнозатоплување од околу 2,7oC во споредба со прединдустрискотониво до крајот на векот. Со имплементација на националнитеодреденипридонеси (NDCs), затоплувањетоќе се одржи на 2,4oC. Доколку се вклучатдолгорочни цели или целите на ”net-zero”, тогашзатоплувањето би се задржало на околу 2,1oC над прединдустрискитенивоа. Проекциите за затоплување се намалија за 0,3oC по даденитеветувања и воспоставените цели од страна на САД и Народна РепубликаКина. Според „оптимистичкото“ сценарио, доколку 140-те анализираниземјигидостигнат целите за нултаемисија на штетнигасови, тогашпросечнотозатоплувањеќе биде 1,8oC или под 2oC. Постои значителен јаз помеѓуветувањатададени од страна на владите и вкупнотониво на активности штотиегипрезеледосега. Со новитеекономскипредизвици, јасно е дека сме на крстопат. Влијанието на КОВИД-19 пандемијата ќе биде клучно за иднината на политиката поврзана со климатските промени. Климатскитепромени нема да чекаат. Нивнатазакана е над нашитеглави и секојден се соочуваме со нив. Секојпоединецимаулога во справувањето со глобалнитеклиматскипромени и сите ниеможеме да придонесеме за отстранување на оваазаканаако сите работиме заедно на синхронизиран начин. Потребно е поголемо политичко вклучување како и колективни активности преземени од сите општествени чинители. Во текот на последните две години, Светската здравствена организација се залагаше за поголемо вклучување на здравствените власти и услуги во Национално одредени придонеси преку активности за намалување на импликациите врз здравјето од климатските промени.

Green Finance in Real Estate, Housing Price Volatility and Rental Swaps

This thesis consists of four papers that explore several aspects of the housing market in Sweden: financing of the housing construction sector, price volatility patterns of apartment and house segments and the role of the swap rental market in access to housing and household mobility. The first paper explores the effect of a firm’s reputation of being a green bond issuer on its financing costs. Results show that repeated green bond issuance reduces the real estate firm’s cost of capital and cost of equity and that past green bond issuance is positively related to present green bond issuance. The second paper empirically investigates the differences in idiosyncratic price volatility patterns between apartment and house segments at transaction level, using new spatial-temporal form of garch model. Results show that the segment of apartments shows stronger mean-reversion and auto-correlation, in contrast to houses. Volatility effects increase with wider geographical distances between observations. The third paper investigates the effect of rental swaps on the waiting time of households queuing for permanent tenancy in rental market. Numerical comparative statics from a calibrated search & match model show that active swap market, increases waiting times for less than one year, in average. The final paper in the thesis empirically investigates the household propensity to swap and the effects of the rental swap market on the horizontal and vertical mobility of households. The results show that the swap market increases mobility of locally bounded short-distance movers and helps to make a slight neighbourhood upgrade

Green Finance in Real Estate, Housing Price Volatility and Rental Swaps

This thesis consists of four papers that explore several aspects of the housing market in Sweden: financing of the housing construction sector, price volatility patterns of apartment and house segments and the role of the swap rental market in access to housing and household mobility. The first paper explores the effect of a firm’s reputation of being a green bond issuer on its financing costs. Results show that repeated green bond issuance reduces the real estate firm’s cost of capital and cost of equity and that past green bond issuance is positively related to present green bond issuance. The second paper empirically investigates the differences in idiosyncratic price volatility patterns between apartment and house segments at transaction level, using new spatial-temporal form of garch model. Results show that the segment of apartments shows stronger mean-reversion and auto-correlation, in contrast to houses. Volatility effects increase with wider geographical distances between observations. The third paper investigates the effect of rental swaps on the waiting time of households queuing for permanent tenancy in rental market. Numerical comparative statics from a calibrated search & match model show that active swap market, increases waiting times for less than one year, in average. The final paper in the thesis empirically investigates the household propensity to swap and the effects of the rental swap market on the horizontal and vertical mobility of households. The results show that the swap market increases mobility of locally bounded short-distance movers and helps to make a slight neighbourhood upgrade

Recommendations for better crisis management system in the Republic of Macedonia

Normative, analytical and experiential crisis management system addresses all risks and dangers which threaten the security of the Republic of Macedonia, applying the legislatives from the European Union and through regional initiatives. With the use of organized and institutional planning system, the crisis management as an operational system, should provide conditions for the continuous implementation of appropriate preparation and maintenance of the required level of ability for the taking of all measures and activities aimed for early warning, prevention and dealing with the risks and hazards that are manifested through the threats to: environmental goods and health, life of humans, animals, plants, property and other material goods from a larger scale of stability and normal functioning of the state that is determined by the Constitution of the Republic Macedonia, for which there are no requirements for a declaration of war or emergency. The focus of our scientific research will be to explain and clarify the crisis management system in relation to prevention, early warning, addressing and remedying the consequences of the crisis, as well as proposing the new legal solution for making the Unification Center for Crisis Management and Protection in a new state administration body for emergency and crisis situations, which is the best way to make the most effective system for crisis management in the Republic of Macedonia and also for the region of South Eastern Europe

Damage assessment natural and other disasters – Floods

In the last period on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia particular in eastern part as a result of heavy rains flood occurred on a wider scale. All government institutions and Ministries timely participated in the procedures to deal with floods. The results of those floods are tremendous material damage and one causality. According to the Coordinating Body for dealing with floods (in which participate Steering Committee, Assessment Group, Headquarters and Regional Headquarters) all partner institutions were maximum mutually coordinated and in line with their responsibilities took all measures to deal with floods in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. After the occurrence of the elementary and other natural hazards/disasters (flooding) assessments are organized. The assessment is carried out according to the "single methodology for the assessment of damages caused by natural and other disasters". As a damage from natural and other disasters consider losses expressed in physical and value expression that occur assets and other mild due to the influence of natural and other disasters (floods). According to this methodology the Government of RM has an obligation to rehabilitate habitats that were partially or completely destroyed by the floods, has an obligation to assist in the repair of infrastructure and to give support to farmers who suffered damage. For this purpose, according to damage assessment methodology special teams are formed. Those teams have to prepare reports for the total damage and proposed measures for their rehabilitation under which will be determined and the amount of aid to municipalities that have such damages

The use of Multi-criteria analyses for the security needs of Republic of Macedonia

This paper aims to support transnational cooperation for integral spatial connection of RM with its environment. By the use of the multi-criteria analyses many alternatives could be examined in accordance with many objectives and neutral criteria, analysis of their usefulness and recommendations for selection of the most realistic alternative in the decision making process of the existing and planned road infrastructure from the aspect of the spatial security organization of the territory of RM. For the decision making process to carry out the projects for the needs of spatial organization of the RM for the security, should reduce the negative influence of the existing territorial conditions over the national and international security and improve the connections with the SEE countries. The methods of multi-criteria decision making identify the best compromised solution to overcome the modern security threats and risks, to elevate strategic security environment and to position the Republic of Macedonia closer to the Euro-Atlantic integrative processes

Компаративна анализа на безбедносната соработка во Европа и во Пацифик-Азија

Овој труд врши компаративна анализира на регионалната безбедносна соработка во Европа и во Пацифик-Азија, при што го застапува гледиштето дека најголемата разлика помеѓу двете безбедносни архитектури се состои во суштинската улога на мултилатералните елементи во Европа во однос на Пацифик-Азија. Безбедносната соработка во Европа еден период беше минимизирана со цел да се спречат конфликтите во Западна Европа, како и помеѓу Истокот и Западот на Европа, нешто што во голема мерка останува отсутно во Пацифик-Азија. Ова доведе до тоа европските земји повторно да го концептуализираат суверенитетот на начин што овозможува развој на ефективни форми на мултилатерализмот. Во трудот се врши анализа на успесите и неуспесите на регионалните институции и се заклучува дека безбедносна архитектура во Европа е поефикасна отколку во Пацифик-Азија од крајот на Студената војна, при што ова прави Европа да се смета за извозник на безбедност. Главната причина за ова се чини дека лежи во способноста на европскиот мултилатерализам да се изгради на својата „постмодерна“ концепција на суверенитет. Спротивно на тоа, Пацифик-Азија, со исклучок на Јапонија, останува надвор од модерниот концепт на суверенитетот. Од друга страна пак, „глобализацијата“, бара ефикасна мултилатерална безбедносна соработка, а со тоа и подготвеност да се прифатат ограничувањата на националниот суверенитет. Клучни зборови: мултилатерализмот, безбедносна соработка, суверенитет, безбедносна архитектур