Strengthening rules-based order in the Asia-Pacific

This paper explores the opportunities for both Australia and Japan jointly to promote their shared interest in strengthening the rule of law in the Asia–Pacific. Overview The rule of law is an essential condition if cooperation and orderly behaviour are to be advanced in the Asia–Pacific. We need norms and rules that guide—and govern—relations among regional states. Australia and Japan share an interest in minimising the role that coercion plays in the Asia–Pacific and maximising cooperation across the region. We’re both liberal democracies, with a strong bilateral security relationship, an alliance with the United States and a genuine commitment to the rule of law. All Asia–Pacific states would profit by following Australia and Japan’s example in promoting and abiding by the rule of law in their external policies. Indeed, our region would be a much safer place if they did. ASPI has this year worked on a project to explore the opportunities for both Australia and Japan jointly to promote our shared interest in strengthening the rule of law in the Asia–Pacific. This report sets out the project’s key findings and outlines policy proposals to enhance Australia–Japan cooperation to bolster the rule of law in the region

Shared political responsibiilty

This chapter explores the nature of political responsibilty in relation to climate change. It argues that rather than identify specific agents responsible for climate change - an approach that dominates legal and moral theory - a political responsibility framework provides ways of thinking about global dilemmas in terms of political actions that we may undertake together. It draws on the theoretical notion of 'shared responsibility' to develop this concept.Publisher PD

Regulation and regeneration :how do development plans affect urban regeneration? a case study analysis of two Urban Development Corporations and the emerging Unitary Development Plans of their component local authorities

PhD ThesisUrban Development Corporations (UDCs) are perhaps the most outstanding examples of government action in the field of urban regeneration in the last twenty years. In order to promote regeneration UDCs were given development control powers over Urban Development Areas (UDAs). These powers were taken from local government and this caused well-documented resentment in many cases. However, local government retained all development plan-making powers. Following two town planning acts (in 1990 and 1991) central government gave the development plan more power in the development control process (through Section 54A). This created a situation in an UDA where, in relation to development control, the UDC had to have regard to a development plan that had been written by a local authority; often a local authority with which it had not seen eye to eye in planning matters. Thus there was a potential for conflict between an UDC and a local authority in both strategic and specific planning issues. There was possible tension between regulation (the development plan) and regeneration (the strategy and aims of the UDC). Most local authorities in urban areas were replacing old style development plans with new Unitary Development Plans which further complicated the issue. It became vitally important for UDCs to have an input to these emerging plans that the local authorities were preparing, in order to ensure that their aims and objectives for the UDAs would not be hindered by the new UDPs, which were to play a greater role in the development control process. This research firstly examines the concept of both the development plan and urban regeneration. It then presents the important links between the two in relation to the experience of UDCs. A series of questions are generated through the literature review which are answered in the final part of the work. Using these theoretical and practical standpoints as a basis, a conceptual framework for the study of the UDP preparation process, content and relationship between the local authorities and the UDCs with regard to the emerging plans is produced. It is formulated through theoretical study of literature concerning policy analysis and organisational relationships. In order to examine what occurred in the real world, this framework is then applied two case study areas - Tyne / Wear and London Docklands. Each area had a designated UDC over parts of composite unitary local authorities. The respective UDAs spread across a total of seven local authorities. The conceptual framework for this study was applied to the situation between the UDC and each of the seven local authorities in order to examine differences in working practices, differences in policy process and content, and differences in the relationships between the two organisations. UDCs were finally wound up in April 1998, and in the current climate it is unlikely that urban regeneration will ever be promoted in such a way again. However there are many important lessons to be learnt from the experience of UDCs and the development planning system. These are particularly pertinent to existing urban regeneration authorities such as English Partnerships and also to any possible citywide or regional development agencies. This study presents the range of practices that were evident in the case studies and examines what structured them. It concludes by outlining the most appropriate and relevant methods that were employed and making suggestions for better working practices in the future

Thomas Hobbes and a chastened 'global' constitution the contested boundaries of the law

Hobbes’ account of politics, law and obligation has long been read, especially by realists in international affairs, as leaving no space for international law or institutions. This paper argues that a more nuanced reading of Hobbes’ ideas about law and politics provides support for not only a defence of international law but a defence of a (chastened) global constitution. Hobbes’ constitutionalism does not derive from a separation or balance of powers but on two other elements of constitutionalism: the importance of the individual and the centrality of law. The paper proceeds as follows: The first section locates Hobbes theory of law in relation to his theory of authority, drawing on David Dyzenhaus’s emphasis on the rule of law in Hobbes. The second section draws on theorists such as Larry May to find a defence of international law and institutions, what I call international constitutionalism. The third section turns to Richard Flathman’s interpretation of Hobbes as a theorist of liberal self-making, suggesting how his insights can be applied globally. The conclusion brings these thoughts to bear on the relevance of Hobbes for global law and politics.PostprintPeer reviewe

A deeper order? A roundtable on William Bain, Political Theology of International Order

A brief introduction to the roundtable on William Bain, Political Theology of International Order.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Remaking the world in America's image : surprise, strategic culture, and the American ways of intervention

Why does the United States seek to export its own political and economic system as part of an intervention? We argue that the U.S. has an ideologically-inflected strategic culture which has yielded two ‘ways’ of intervention over time. The limited model is cost conscious and cedes control over the future of the state to local actors provided that they guarantee open markets and good government. The vindicationist model involves the U.S. paying costs to remake another society in its own image. We argue that the vindicationist way of intervention is activated at moments of strategic surprise, which cause policymakers to react by gambling on large interventions to remake another society. To empirically demonstrate the validity of this explanation, we examine the record of America of limited and vindicationist major interventions from 1946-2005 and present two contrasting case studies of Cold War interventions in Lebanon and the Dominican Republic.PostprintPeer reviewe

Comparative Ecological Based Life Cycle Assessment of Multi- Crystalline PV Technology and Coal Electric Power

Multicrystalline (multi-Si) photovoltaic (PV) technology is increasingly common throughout Australia and the developed world, as renewable energy technologies become viable electrical generation alternatives to coal and nuclear power. We have examined the cradle-to-grave life cycle of a 3kWp multi-Si PV system within Australia. The highest contribution of environmental impacts results from the usage of fossil fuel energy resources and their emissions at the pre-production and manufacturing stages. We analyze the impacts of multi-Si technology on ecosystem goods and services (EGS) and compared it with impacts resulting from coal power electricity. For 3kWp multi-Si system, coal, crude oil and iron ore were the critical resources consumed from the lithosphere while the public supply of water was consumed from the hydrosphere. For coal power electricity, coal and water were the resources most consumed from both the lithosphere and hydrosphere. However the resource consumption from coal power electricity is significantly larger than that of multi-Si PV. Coal power electricity is also responsible for much greater energy and exergy consumption compared to multi-Si PV. The main ecosystem disturbances resulting from the lifecycle of a 3kWp multi-Si unit affect supporting and regulating services though these disturbances are considerably lower than the services impacted from coal power electricity. The study concludes that similar analysis performed on another PV technology would provide a greater understanding to the Eco-LCA results for multi-Si PV technology, particularly with relation to exergy analysis

Global constitutionalism : a practical universal

This article argues that this special section reveals a practical global constitutionalism, or one that integrates a liberal constitutional set of ideas with the histories and practices of Asian states.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Introduction: The Politics of International Political Theory

The introductory chapter situates Chris Brown’s work in relation to wider themes in International Political Theory (IPT). It provides some context to Brown’s development as a scholar, looking to the ways in which his ideas emerged in relation to different debates and ideas in both political theory and international relations. It first provides a brief intellectual biography and then explores the idea of IPT through an engagement with three books through which Brown has defined the field. The following sections of the introduction look at Brown’s engagement with the predominant liberal international order and the theme of political judgement.Postprin