This thesis seeks to explore the potential role of cooperation over water resources between Israel, Jordan and Palestine in facilitating the peacemaking process in the region. This was done by conducting an analysis of the Good Water Neighbors (GWN) project, an initiative launched by Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) in 2001 to raise awareness of the shared water problems that exist between the three conflicting parties. The primary data for this research was obtained through interviews with three FoEME’s employees, who are involved in the GWN initiative in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. It was concluded that while water cooperation at the NGO level can serve as a starting point for dialogue, it does not generate enough spillover into a wider political peace process in the Middle East at the moment. However, water cooperation at the NGO level has a bigger chance to contribute to peacemaking in the long term by gradually replacing politically defined and historically distrustful identities with a concept of a common environmental community, provided that development of shared perceptions and experiences through the means of the GWN project continues to be fostered. By significantly reducing the animosity and hostility, which have been mutually reinforced by the conflicting parties, the formation of the common identity through water cooperation would give stable ground to the traditional diplomacy, engaged in the region, to be able to continue the peacemaking efforts through conventional means of dialogue, mediation and negotiations in a more efficient and effective way. The success of the transition of the joint water management from simple cooperation at the NGO level to the peacemaking tool largely depends on whether the people in the region choose to harness the positive effects from water cooperation for the peace process in the Middle East.

Thesis (LL.M.). / Written for the Faculty of Law, [Institute of Comparative Law]. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2008/07/24). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (L.L.M.)--Dalhousie University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-208).

The South China Sea is known as an area where the Chinese government stands against its Southeast Asian neighbors in unresolved sovereignty conflicts over the disputed islands and the exploration for natural resources. Therefore, the South China Sea presents challenges for multilateral environmental cooperation. China was not an active participant in the multilateral environmental cooperation in the South China Sea before the 1990s. However, the approval of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)/Global Environmental Facility (GEF) South China Sea Project in 1999 marked a dramatic attitude change by the Chinese government towards the South China Sea environmental protection. It is the first multilateral inter-governmental initiative signed by China on any issues related to the South China Sea. Before signing its approval of the UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project, the Chinese government strongly opposed any multilateral cooperation concerning the South China Sea, since most of the islands in the South China Sea are territorially disputed islands between China and other coastal countries. This thesis tries to find the reasons why China changed its attitudes on the multilateral environmental cooperation in the South China Sea. Based on an analysis what happened for China from 1995 when the UNEP/GEF South China Sea project was initiated, to 1999, when China approved this project, this thesis found that the motivations for China to participate in the multilateral environmental cooperation in the South China Sea are collective of national interests, rather than a pure environmental interest. / Master of Arts

This study attempts to systematically analyze the determinants of state participation in International Environmental Agreements (IEAs). The study focuses on two core elements: (i) IEA characteristics; and (ii) state characteristics. Hypotheses for state participation in IEAs are formulated based on the two main International Relations theories dealing with cooperation – Realism and Liberalism. The study presents five different models for state participation in IEAs. The first model analyzes the influence of treaty variables, while the remaining four focus on state variables. The second and third models analyze the influence of Realist and Liberal variables respectively. The fourth model specifically focuses on variables which reflect the various socio-economic, political and logistical constraints of developing countries. The fifth model presents an integrated analysis of participation based on the previous models. Results of the study show that participation can be understood in terms of both the Realist and Liberal variables, and that there can be no rarefied partitioning of those factors on participation. More specifically, the study empirically demonstrates that state participation in IEAs is influenced by the following four main factors: (i) the impact of domestic and international institutions (ii) human development; (iii) power motivations; and (iv) IEA design. Policies proposed to increase participation in IEAs therefore have to enhance any positive influence exerted by these parameters, and mitigate their negative influences, if any.

This study attempts to systematically analyze the determinants of state participation in International Environmental Agreements (IEAs). The study focuses on two core elements: (i) IEA characteristics; and (ii) state characteristics. Hypotheses for state participation in IEAs are formulated based on the two main International Relations theories dealing with cooperation – Realism and Liberalism. The study presents five different models for state participation in IEAs. The first model analyzes the influence of treaty variables, while the remaining four focus on state variables. The second and third models analyze the influence of Realist and Liberal variables respectively. The fourth model specifically focuses on variables which reflect the various socio-economic, political and logistical constraints of developing countries. The fifth model presents an integrated analysis of participation based on the previous models. Results of the study show that participation can be understood in terms of both the Realist and Liberal variables, and that there can be no rarefied partitioning of those factors on participation. More specifically, the study empirically demonstrates that state participation in IEAs is influenced by the following four main factors: (i) the impact of domestic and international institutions (ii) human development; (iii) power motivations; and (iv) IEA design. Policies proposed to increase participation in IEAs therefore have to enhance any positive influence exerted by these parameters, and mitigate their negative influences, if any.

This paper raises questions about the accessibility of the Articles 14 & 15 submissions mechanism, a public complaint process that attempts to use the eyes of ordinary persons in Canada, Mexico and the US to monitor an important environmental treaty obligation: NAFTA signatories' commitment to effectively enforce their environmental laws. In order to consider whether the Articles 14 & 15 review tool is accessible, we assemble a set of indicators that nourish four hypotheses, which may reveal if the review tool is sufficiently well installed to attain its long term objectives in a significant measure. The hypotheses are: 1) that the CEC receives an insufficient amount of submissions; 2) that it takes considerable or random times to process them; 3) that it consistently takes longer, or has more troubles, to process Mexican and disadvantaged-group cases; 4) that few complainants harvest any benefits from complaining, being more likely that they do if they are rich environmental NGOs than if they are ordinary individuals. The information we present is based on primary research and statistical information on the processing of NAAEC Articles 14 and 15 submissions. Our chief objective is not to conclusively prove or disprove these hypotheses, but to provide a framework to respond these questions. By consistently focusing their efforts on evaluating the attainment of the ultimate objectives of this review tool, all authors who have critiqued the Articles 14 & 15 submissions process have failed to consider whether the complaint mechanism is effectively positioned to capture environmental law enforcement information from all of its target population. Instead, this paper explores the implementation of Articles 14 & 15 by generating information on the attainment of its midcourse objectives. This paper may be of interest to persons working on issues concerning the implementation and further elaboration of NAAEC Articles 14 and 15 and to those pondering whether and how the proposed FTAA and the Canada-Chile Free Trade Accord should be structured to deal with the environmental consequences of further economic integration.

No description available.

The presented diploma thesis deals with environmental issues in China and focuses on the analysis of environmental policy in China and its approach to sustainable development. There is also addressed international environmental cooperation and China's role within. The aim of this thesis is to present the current condition of the environment in China and its causes, to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental policy in China using the concept of environmental governance and eventually introduce the attitude of China to international environmental cooperation.

Magistro darbo problema yra susijusi su situacija, kuomet nedidelė valstybių tarpusavio priklausomybė ir nenoras riboti savo suverenitetą lemia globalių aplinkosauginių režimų neefektyvumą. Tuo tarpu regioninis bendradarbiavimas, sąlygojamas valstybių tarpusavio priklausomybės, leidžia efektyviau spręsti kylančias problemas. Regionai, siejami iniciatyvų įveikti specifines ekologines grėsmes, gali būti ypatingai suinteresuoti bendradarbiauti ir kurti ekologinio saugumo kompleksus. Todėl bendradarbiavimas ekologinėje srityje gali skatinti tolesnę regiono integraciją. Tyrimo objektu darbe laikomas dėl ekologinių grėsmių vykstantis regioninis bendradarbiavimas bei institucionalizuotos jo formos. Darbe keliamas klausimas, kokiomis sąlygomis ekologinės grėsmės skatina regioninį bendradarbiavimą? Taip pat keliamas šalutinis klausimas, kokie faktoriai riboja ekologinio bendradarbiavimo procesus? Tiesioginio ryšio tarp ekologinių grėsmių ir regioninio bendradarbiavimo nėra užfiksuota, o tai leidžia teigti, jog ekologinės grėsmės gali skatinti regioninį bendradarbiavimą tik egzistuojant tam tikroms sąlygoms, kurių identifikavimas ir analizė yra pagrindinis darbo tikslas. Darbe keliama prielaida, kad ekologinės grėsmės skatina regioninį bendradarbiavimą, egzistuojant trims būtinoms sąlygoms: - ekologinės grėsmės regiono valstybių yra suvokiamos kaip gyvybinės; - bendradarbiavimas ekologinėje srityje sukuria potencialą regiono ekonominei plėtrai; - regionas patiria išorės jėgų įtaką... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Relatively weak interdependence of the states and unwillingness to limit one’s sovereignty determines inefficiency of global environmental regimes. This fact forms the main problem of the MA thesis. The MA thesis is based on the presumption that regional cooperation which is determined by the interdependence of the states allows to resolve current issues easier. Certain regions which have intentions to cope with common environmental threats may be especially interested in cooperation and establishment of environmental security complexes. Therefore, cooperation may encourage the further integration. The key question of the MA thesis is when and in what circumstances the environmental threats encourage regional integration? The additional question is what factors restrict the processes of regional cooperation on the basis of the environmental threats? The analytical parts encompass the analysis of cases of Nile and Mekong regions. The object of the research is the regional cooperation and its institutionalized forms, as a consequence of the environmental threats. The aim of the analytical parts of the thesis is to examine whether the environmental threats encourage the regional cooperation on three main conditions: - the environmental threats are regarded as existential issues by the states of the certain region; - cooperation in the environmental field creates an opportunity for the economic development of states; - the regions are influenced by the external actors, which... [to full text]