Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Ottawa, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 283-306).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 15, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Recent years have seen a growing scholarly interest in the conditions of emergence of regional trade agreements in Africa. These analyses have advanced our knowledge on a range of technical issues, from specific institutional transformation of regional economic communities such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to broad legal issues relating to the provisions of the regional trade agreements. Most literature on ECOWAS is, however, informed by legal formalism that interprets the text of the treaties strictly and without context, leading to a dominant interpretation of failure. By contrast, this thesis adopts a socio-legal approach and argues that the dominant narrative’s conceptualization of ECOWAS is narrow and under-representative of the broader contexts of the social relations in which ECOWAS Treaties and their implementation are embedded. The failure narratives do not adequately account for the complex social, historical, and political factors that shape the implementation of the ECOWAS Treaties. By combining socio-legal approach with insights from International Relations on new regionalism, the thesis reconceptualizes regionalism in ECOWAS as a social phenomenon. It approaches the ECOWAS Treaties as embedded in the socio-political relations, power struggles, and social structures of the Community. To differentiate the thesis from existing research on ECOWAS, it incorporates national, regional, and international factors in illuminating the complex and multifaceted confluence of circumstances that shape the implementation of the ECOWAS Treaties. Simultaneously, the thesis enriches our understanding of the theories of new regionalism by deepening the analysis in relation to ECOWAS. Seen from this perspective, the thesis concludes that ECOWAS cannot be regarded as a straightforward failure and that its achievements are not to be found primarily in economic integration but in other socio-political factors that it enabled. Finally, the analysis opens new opportunities for future normative analyses that interrogate the effectiveness of ECOWAS by taking into account the socio-political contexts in which it is embedded.

A topic sino-african relations is in a Czech literature overlook. An idea that there are only few reasons for which China and Africa should maintain some important relations is misconception. The sino-african relations have a sixty years long history from a help during the national wars for independence, ideological belongings to a current economic cooperation which reflects a chinese industrial need for raw materials. The economic cooperation lays on a political agreement, an investment activity and a vast aid provided. Chinese demand for african raw materials increses revenue of african countries which are abundant in demanded raw materials and accelarate their development. Through all chinese statements it uses its stronger position against disunited african states which still look for a way how to gain from the sino-african cooperation in the future. China turns a blind eye and ignore critical situations in some african states and misuse non-democratical groups there for its own benefit. At the same time it is clear that it cannot long forever. China will have to participate in solving african problems to protects its own matters there.

Credit cooperatives make a significant economic and social contribution to development in Kenya. They are unique financial institutions that are jointly owned and democratically controlled by their members. This study explores how members of Kenyan credit cooperatives achieve economic cooperation. A sociological basis of cooperation exists because cooperatives are voluntary associations. Economic cooperation was thus conceptualised as collective economic action that enables individual actors to secure economic benefits through associational membership. An economic sociology perspective provided the theoretical basis for combining the analysis of economic interests and social relations. The study employed a qualitative case study research design involving a rural and an urban credit cooperative. Social capital was used to explore the role of associational features in facilitating collective action while the concept of institutions was used to examine how institutions organize and shape collective action. Each cooperative was conceptualised as a microstructure to enable an analysis of group relations. An analysis of the economic and socio-political context provided the contextual basis for economic cooperation. The findings suggest that shared values and solidarity bonds are important in creating collective economic resources while maintenance of the collective resources depends on regular reciprocity exchanges, effective enforcement and transparent representation. A new regulatory framework that emphasizes prudential standards and economic efficiency has redefined the incentive structure for Kenyan credit cooperatives. It is likely to favour a business rather than a social welfare mentality in the cooperatives. The socio-political context reveals persistent vertical linkages that have resulted in low political and economic power for rural smallholder farmers compared to urban public sector employees. The study concludes that although credit cooperatives have acted as financial catalysts by enabling the participation of disadvantaged groups in the economic sphere, they are also societal mirrors that reflect the broader income and gender inequalities existing in society. The recognition of cooperatives as economic and social organizations therefore contributes to a better understanding of how cooperatives work.

This thesis analyzes the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation and Turkey&#039 / s role in this international organization. This thesis argues that contrary to scholars who view institutional weaknesses of BSEC as the main reason of its failure in achieving sufficient level of cooperation among its members, political problems emanating from member states constitute the main reason of BSEC&#039 / s ineffectiveness as an international organization. There are six chapters of this thesis. Following the introductory first chapter, the second chapter of this thesis examines the factors behind establishment of BSEC and its formation process. In the following three chapters BSEC&#039 / s institutional structure, its issue areas and problems are discussed in detail. The last chapter is conclusion.

A Convenção das Nações Unidas sobre os Contratos de Compra e Venda Internacional de Mercadorias de 1980 (CVIM ou CISG) atingiu sua caducidade em virtude: 1) das profundas modificações ocorridas no comércio internacional desde sua adoção; 2) de seu diálogo insatisfatório com outras fontes do direito do comércio internacional; 3) da necessidade de incorporação de objetivos fundamentais da comunidade internacional; 4) da necessidade de uma nova configuração institucional a fim de promover sua adequada aplicação mundialmente. Por tais razões, sugere-se que futuros trabalhos na Comissão das Nações Unidas para o Direito Mercantil Internacional (CNUDMI ou UNCITRAL) levem a uma renovação da CISG com o propósito de adaptá-la às características do comércio mundial no século 21, em particular com respeito: 1) à considerável dificuldade em se separar o comércio de bens do comércio de serviços; 2) à maior importância dada à autonomia da vontade e a regras privadas aplicadas por árbitros internacionais sem a direta participação do Estado; 3) à necessidade de promover o desenvolvimento sustentável em conexão com a responsabilidade social corporativa; 4) à necessidade de melhorar a aplicação uniforme (ou adequada) do direito da compra e venda internacional em virtude do surgimento de instrumentos regionais e da tendência domesticista dos tribunais nacionais. De acordo com as conclusões da presente tese, os futuros trabalhos a serem conduzidos na UNCITRAL devem ser levados adiante segundo as seguintes premissas: 1) os trabalhos já realizados pela UNCITRAL na área do direito do comércio internacional devem ser preservados e levados adiante; 2) futuros trabalhos na área do direito da compra e venda internacional devem assumir a forma de uma nova convenção internacional que contenha princípios gerais do direito dos contratos assim como regras para a compra e venda de mercadorias e serviços; 3) tal nova convenção deve promover a arbitragem como método de resolução de controvérsias, tendo em vista que a arbitragem apresenta maiores chances de produzir uniformidade de aplicação do que os tribunais nacionais. Propõe-se que a nova convenção seja denominada de Convenção sobre os Contratos de Compra e Venda de Mercadorias e Serviços (CISGS). Também se propõe que seu texto seja redigido conjuntamente pela UNCITRAL e pelo Instituto Internacional para a Unificação do Direito Privado (UNIDROIT). A CISGS deverá futuramente substituir a CISG. Porém, até que a CISGS entre em vigor e seja adotada por um número relevante de Estados, a CISG continuará a fornecer regras padrão para a compra e venda internacional de mercadorias. / The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods of 1980 (CISG) has become old to the extent that: 1) fundamental changes have affected international trade since its inception; 2) it has proved to poorly interact with other sources of international trade law; 3) it needs to incorporate fundamental objectives of the international community and 4) it deserves a new institutional framework to ensure its proper application on a global basis. On such grounds, it is suggested further work at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) ought to be carried out for the purpose of renovating the CISG and adapting it to the requirements of world trade in the 21st century, due in particular to: 1) considerably increasing difficulty in severing sales of goods from sales of services; 2) greater importance given to party autonomy and to privatized rules applied by international arbitrators without direct participation of the state; 3) the need to promote sustainable development in connection with corporate social responsibility; 4) the need to further the uniform (or proper) application of international sales law in the light of the emergence of regional instruments and the homeward trend of national courts. According to the findings of the present thesis, further work at UNCITRAL must be carried out according to the following premises: 1) the work already done by UNCITRAL in the field of international sales law must be preserved and carried forward; 2) further work in the field of international sales law must be envisaged in the form of a new convention that encompasses principles of contract law as well as rules on contracts for the sale of goods and services; 3) such new convention must promote arbitration as a dispute resolution method, on the ground that arbitration is more likely to provide uniformity of application than national courts. It is proposed the new convention be named as the Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and Services (CISGS). It is also proposed its text be jointly drafted by UNCITRAL and by the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). The CISGS is intended to replace the CISG in due course. However, until the CISGS enters into force and is adopted by relevant membership, the CISG will continue to provide default rules for the international sale of goods.

Este trabalho tem como objetivos analisar os acordos ajuda externa assinados pelo Brasil entre 2005 e 2010 e estudá-los à luz das diretrizes diplomáticas brasileiras no período, identificando suas determinantes conjunturais e estruturais. Em oposição às modalidades tradicionais de cooperação internacional, que são acordadas entre países com diferentes níveis de desenvolvimento econômico e diferentes interesses estratégicos, a cooperação Sul-Sul se caracteriza por envolver países em desenvolvimento, com maior potencial de identificação mútua e de convergência de interesses. Não surpreende, portanto, que essa modalidade tenha ganhado força ultimamente, na medida em que países emergentes alcançam projeção internacional e se encontram em condições mais favoráveis para fortalecer laços diplomáticos, promover o desenvolvimento econômico de parceiros comerciais (efetivos ou potenciais) e aumentar, quantitativa e qualitativamente, sua influência no âmbito internacional. No Brasil, o órgão responsável pela articulação dos acordos de cooperação internacional é a Agência Brasileira de Cooperação, vinculado ao Ministério das Relações Exteriores. Sua criação, em 1987, acompanhou o processo de abertura democrática do país e sua atuação já atravessa sete mandatos presidenciais tão variados em suas orientações políticas quanto nos contextos externos que eles enfrentaram. A compreensão de sua relevância estratégica na política externa brasileira não acompanhou, entretanto, a atenção que a Agência Brasileira de Cooperação tem ganhado por parte do governo federal. Este trabalho pretende analisar, a partir de um conjunto de dados coletados junto à Agência Brasileira de Cooperação, a política externa brasileira e a relevância estratégica que os projetos de cooperação Sul-Sul ganharam nos últimos governos. / This dissertation has two main objectives: analyze the aid donation agreements signed by Brazil between 2005 and 2010 and study their relation to the main ideas informing Brazilian diplomatic relations in the period. As opposed to traditional models of international cooperation, which are agreed between countries with different economic capacities and different strategic interests, South-South cooperation distinguishes itself by involving only underdeveloped countries, which have greater potential of mutual identification and of converging interests. Thus it does not come as a surprise that this practice has been increasingly gaining importance lately, as emergent countries have been experiencing greater international projection and meeting more favorable conditions to strengthen diplomatic ties, to promote trade partners (effective or potential) economic development and to increase, quantitatively and qualitatively, their influence on the international realm. In Brazil, the bureaucratic body responsible for the articulation of cooperation agreements is the Brazilian Cooperation Agency, under the Ministry of Foreign Relations. Its creation in 1987 followed the Brazilian democratization process, and within its lifetime it has gone under the command of seven presidential administrations as diverse on their political orientations as on the international challenges they had to face. However, the comprehension of the Brazilian Cooperation Agencys strategic role in Brazils foreign policy did not follow the increasing relevance attributed to it by the federal government in recent years. This paper intends to study Brazilian foreign policy and the strategic relevance of South-South cooperation in the last presidential administrations, based on data collected at the Brazilian Cooperation Agency.

Submitted by Elesbão Santiago Neto (neto10uepb@cche.uepb.edu.br) on 2016-09-06T18:27:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Thamirys Ferreira Cavalcante.pdf: 1378085 bytes, checksum: 3f6a9ebf2593b00cc873e760dcf8ac66 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-06T18:27:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PDF - Thamirys Ferreira Cavalcante.pdf: 1378085 bytes, checksum: 3f6a9ebf2593b00cc873e760dcf8ac66 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-06-30 / CAPES / Beginning from the dynamics of interests that guide the relationship between Brazil and Japan, the aim of this work is to study the Japanese-Brazilian relations, emphasizing the cooperation maintained between the two countries. To carry out the work, it employed the literature on the subject and it was supported by studies carried out by agencies of both governments and by research institutions such as ABC, the MOFA and the IBGE. The text builds itself in an effort to show how cooperation is capable of acting in the design of favorable identifications among countries and draw closer relations through the perception of common interests. Historically, Japanese-Brazilian relations developed in bases defined as complementary interests. These interests associated with changes in the international scenario draw Japan and Brazil closer to each other over the years, turning the mutual perception between them and outlining the contours of interaction structures. Apart from a relationship based on human ties, from the 1950s, new variables were added to these structures, such as trade and technical cooperation. Despite the intermittent character, the Japanese-Brazilian relationship has evolved and surpassed the bilateral sphere, expanding the results of this cooperation to other countries through a fruitful triangular partnership. / Partindo da dinâmica dos interesses que orientam as relações entre Brasil e Japão, o objetivo do presente trabalho é estudar as relações nipo-brasileiras, dando ênfase à cooperação mantida entre os dois países. Para a realização do trabalho, lançou-se mão da pesquisa bibliográfica sobre o tema e do suporte de estudos feitos por órgãos dos dois governos e instituições de pesquisa como a ABC, o MOFA e o IBGE. O texto constrói-se no sentido de demonstrar como a cooperação é capaz de atuar na concepção de identificações favoráveis entre os países e de estreitar relações através da percepção de interesses comuns. Historicamente, as relações nipo-brasileiras têm se desenvolvido em bases definidas como interesses complementares. Estes interesses associados a mudanças na conjuntura internacional fundamentaram a aproximação entre os dois países ao longo dos anos, transformando a percepção mútua entre eles e delineando os contornos das estruturas de interação. Para além de uma relação baseada nos laços humanos, a partir da década de 1950, novas variáveis foram acrescentadas a essas estruturas, como o comércio e a cooperação técnica. Apesar do caráter intermitente, o relacionamento nipo-brasileiro tem se desenvolvido e ultrapassado a esfera bilateral, expandindo os frutos dessa cooperação para outros países através da uma profícua parceria triangular.

Economic globalization at post-Cold War era brings new opportunities and challenges for economic development in each country. Regionalism is the main feature of multipolar international systems and globalization and regionalization are two main powers to push current international politics and economy development forward. Since China reformed and opened the policy in 1978, fast economic growth has made China become the regional leader to obtain regional politics and economy advantages through good-neighborly diplomacy. Moreover, ASEAN consists of medium and small countries and has to build up the safety for the Nationals and regions as so to strengthen the integration of politics and economy. Due to the painful lessons of Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, the turning point contributes both parties to establish ¡§China-ASEAN FTA¡¨ in 2010. Taiwan is located at the center of west Pacific which is the major juncture of North East Asia and Southeast Asia and has the superiority of geographical conditions. Taiwan is a trade-oriented country and Taiwan, China and ASEAN have close economic and trade relations. Taiwan depends deeply on China¡¦s economy and trade and the establishment of ¡§China-ASEAN FTA¡¨ will cause crowding effect to Taiwan¡¦s economy and trade. Due to international blockaded by China¡¦s ¡§one China¡¨ policy, ASEAN maintains separation strategy of economy and trade to Taiwan. During the economic globalization, advancing Regional Trade Agreement or allying with bilateral trade has become the strategy for each country to boost global competitiveness through regional economic integration. Therefore, stable domestic political environment is one of the main elements to affect national diplomacy and security policy. Cross-Strait relations in politics are full of complex confrontation and contradiction. After Ma Ying-jeou exercised the power, both sides opened the negotiation way and economic issues have become the most important focus. Both sides started with theory of neofunctionalism and the precondition is to put the controversy about both sides¡¦ sovereignty aside but normalize the economic and trade relations. Both sides reopened the negotiation which is the foundation to build up mutual trust and reciprocity and mutual benefit is the ultimate goal. Opposite ideology shall be put aside and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement shall be signed to ensure the economic safety and cooperation between both sides in response to the impact of establishing ¡§China-ASEAN FTA¡¨ to settle a stable economic relation to both sides.