South Korea’s security discourse on the nuclear threat posed by North Korea has been dichotomised by its position within the political spectrum between the progressives and conservatives. By drawing upon Securitisation Theory (ST), this study challenges the current security discourse in South Korea, which has divided and misled the public as well as securitising actors. This study examines the security discourses of the Roh Moo-hyun (2003–2008) and Lee Myung-bak (2008–2013) administrations, since they represent the archetypes of the progressives and conservatives respectively. The results of the analysis suggest that the current security discourses that have been prevalent in South Korea do not correspond with reality and, subsequently, the discourses were not able to deal with real challenges that the nuclear threat posed. This research also explains the root cause of the distorted security discourses by applying a ‘discursive chasm’ as a preliminary concept, which indicates a discursive structure that fundamentally impedes the performance of securitising actors’ articulation, and that distorts the discursive formation (securitisation processes). The chasms consist of three elusive discourses: first, a discourse on threats that cannot simply be said to be either imminent or not imminent (nuclear weapons as materiality and discourse); second, a discourse on the other that cannot easily be defined (the difficulty of representation of North Korea); and third, a discourse on measures that cannot easily be realised (intangible extraordinary measures).

The humanitarian space in the European Union is shrinking, causing unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths, or is it? Humanitarian organisations are calling on the respect of principled humanitarian aid, protection of humanitarian workers and unhindered access to the affected population namely, undocumented asylum seekers.They are blaming the prioritisation of national security interests over humanitarian concerns as well as the politicisation of aid for the shrinking humanitarian space. In doing so, humanitarian organisations are becoming the primary obstacle in their appeal for a greater humanitarian space by misinterpreting it as a borderless, apolitical arena governed by supra-national laws. Through a single case study of the humanitarian border in the EU, this study seeks to analyse to what extent the humanitarian space in the EU is really shrinking. The three-fold enclosed humanitarian pyramid theoretically guides the critical analysis of the qualities and virtues that make up the humanitarian space as constructed in the humanitarian arena. Furthermore, acts of humanity are clearly defined as either belonging to the humanitarian or civic space, thereby further enforcing the borders of the humanitarian space. This study finds that the humanitarian space as the humanitarian pyramid is unable to shrink, it is built to overcome obstacles and external pressures. As it cannot shrink, so it cannot grow; it is either complete orabsent. Originally, the humanitarian space debate was employed to promote safe and accessible humanitarian assistance and protection for affected populations. Today, the discourse is employed by humanitarian organisations to promote the agency space while the needs of rights-based individuals seeking assistance and protection has become secondary. The affected population is rendered invisible through a crisis narrative, only to be made visible through a greater humanitarian space. Humanitarian organisations need to abandon false narratives of apolitical and borderless ideals,especially when working within violent borders, and train on political literacy to improve cooperation with states.

This thesis examines the migration policy changes that were adopted by the European Union during the so called ‘refugee crisis’ 2014-2016 and problematises the discourses that were deployed by EU policy makers. It builds the method and theoretical framework around Vivien Schmidt’s discursive institutionalism, and complements it with constructivist conceptual theories around discourses that are identified through the researched empirical material. The primary material is to a large extent based upon official documents from the EU such as regulations and communications, but also includes speeches from officials such as Jean Claude Juncker (President of the Commission), Donald Tusk (President of the Council) and Martin Schulz (President of the European Parliament). The findings are comprised of discourses that can all be connected to the EU imaginary. The thesis also concludes that there has been a continuation of the securitisation of migration during the ‘refugee crisis’ as well as a normalisation of this discourse. In regards to the communicative and coordinative skills of the EU actors, it becomes clear that the former still is problematic, whilst the coordinative discourses have increased the cooperation within the EU institutions during the time period studied.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aims to understand the processes and factors that explain the framing of HIV and AIDS policy in Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland. Africa remains the global epicentre of the HIV and AIDS epidemic with Southern Africa remaining the most affected region in the world. The investigation centres on the HIV and AIDS policymaking discourses and dynamics leading to the securitisation of the epidemic in the three countries. The central focus of the study covers the timeframe of the leadership of President Mogae in Botswana, President Mbeki in South Africa and King Mswati III in Swaziland. This period is important as it characterises the HIV and AIDS epidemic being elevated onto the political agenda of the respective countries. This dissertation relies on two strands of theoretical literature namely, public policy theory and securitisation theory to help explain the framing of policy decision-making that leads to the process of securitisation of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the three countries. This study is a multiple case study within the qualitative research paradigm. This research is based on three case studies: Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland. As far as data collection is concerned, this study drew on primary sources of data, which consisted of documents obtained during the fieldwork from various stakeholders such as such as official government documents, as well as official documents from international and domestic HIV and AIDS organisations. Twenty semi-structured interviews were also conducted between 2007 and 2008 with various stakeholders including government officials, representatives of domestic and international HIV and AIDS organisations operating in the respective countries, researchers from think tanks and academics. In addition, eleven exploratory interviews were also conducted as part of the fieldwork process. Furthermore this study also relied on various secondary sources of data such as scholarly articles and books, official documents and legislation and newspaper articles. The preliminary results collected and analysed in this study suggest that Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland have all demonstrated a degree of formal commitment to adopting international guidelines to combat the epidemic. The thesis shows that while all three countries may share the burden of the epidemic, each presents a different political, social and cultural identity with different institutional architects (both foreign and domestic) that determined the nature of the response policy to the epidemic. The study shows that each of the three case studies presents an example of differing degrees of securitisation attempts: i) Botswana - successful securitisation; ii) South Africa - unsuccessful securitisation; and iii) Swaziland - partial securitisation because different actors and audiences are positioned at varying points along a spectrum of securitisation. This degree of securitisation can be linked to the acceptance of international ideas and the prevailing global discourse regarding the HIV and AIDS epidemic and the openness to forming collaborative agreements between state and non-state actors in each of the three countries. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie poog om ’n begrip te ontwikkel van die prosesse en faktore wat verklaar hoe beleid rondom MIV en VIGS in Botswana, Suid-Afrika en Swaziland geraam word. Die Afrikavasteland is nog steeds die wêreld se MIV en VIGS-episentrum en die Suider-Afrika-streek loop die mees gebuk onder die epidemie. Die ontleding sentreer op die MIV en VIGS beleidsdiskoerse en die dinamieke wat aanleiding gee tot die beveiliging van die epidemie in die drie lande. Die kollig val op die tyd toe President Mogae van Botswana, President Mbeki van Suid-Afrika en Koning Mswati III van Swaziland aan bewind was. Hierdie periode is van belang omdat dit die tyd was toe MIV en VIGS op die drie lande se politieke agendas geplaas is. Die proefskrif gebruik literatuur uit twee teoretiese velde, naamlik openbare beleidsteorie en sekuriteitsteorie, om te verklaar hoe daar op bepaalde beleide besluit word, hoe dit geraam word, en die proses waarvolgens MIV en VIGS gevolglik in die drie lande beveilig word. Die studie is ’n meervuldige gevallestudie binne die kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma. Die navorsing is op drie gevallestudies gebaseer, te wete Botswana, Suid-Afrika en Swaziland. Ten opsigte van data-insameling, het die studie van primêre databronne gebruik gemaak bestaande uit bewysstukke wat van verskeie belangegroepe verkry is. Hierdie stukke beslaan amptelike regeringsdokumente en amptelike dokumentasie van internasionale sowel as nasionale MIV en VIGS-organisasies. Daar is ook met verskeie belangegroepe onderhoude gevoer. Die belangegroepe het bestaan uit regeringsamptenare, die verteenwoordigers van nasionale en internasionale MIV en VIGS-organisasies betrokke in die drie lande, akademici, en kundiges by navorsingsinstansies. Twintig semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is in 2007 en 2008 gevoer. Boonop is daar as deel van die empiriese navorsing 11 verkenningsonderhoude gevoer. Die studie het ook van verskeie sekondêre databronne soos vakwetenskaplike artikels en boeke, amptelike dokumentasie, wetaktes en koerantartikels gebruik gemaak. Die voorlopige bevindinge dui dat Botswana, Suid-Afrika en Swaziland elkeen hulself tot ’n mate formeel tot internasionale riglyne verbind het om die epidemie te beveg. Die proefskrif bewys dat ofskoon al drie lande swaar aan die las van die epidemie dra, daar by elkeen verskillende politieke, maatskaplike en kulturele identiteite, asook institusionele argitekte (plaaslik sowel as buitelands) bestaan wat die aard van die beleidsrespons bepaal het. Die studie dui verskillende grade van beveiliging by elkeen van die gevallestudies: i) Botswana – suksesvolle beveiliging; ii) Suid-Afrika – onsuksesvolle beveiliging; en iii) Swaziland – gedeeltelike beveiliging. Hierdie grade van beveiliging kan verklaar word aan die hand van die mate waartoe daar by elkeen van die lande aanvaarding was van internasionale denke en diskoers oor die MIV en VIGS-epidemie en of samewerking tussen staats- en nie-staatsakteurs bewerkstellig is.

L’évolution des nouvelles pratiques de l’investissement socialement responsable ouvre la voie à des modes d’organisation innovants. Un grand marché est né entre l’offre et la demande, de nouvelles « architectures transactionnelles » proposant des émissions obligataires socialement responsables voient le jour. L’objectif étant de créer la liquidité et de contribuer au développement économique et social. L'étude des arrangements organisationnels qui ont abouti à émettre une obligation socialement responsable à destination de la société de gestion se nourrit de deux expériences pionnières. Le contexte organisationnel nous amène à nous interroger sur la place du gérant de fonds dans le financement de l’économie solidaire. La société de gestion de portefeuille, acteur majeur au coeur des modes d’organisations, se positionne entre les émetteurs d’obligations et les investisseurs souhaitant intégrer des critères extra-financiers dans leurs choix de sélection de portefeuille. La problématique de notre travail de recherche s'intéresse à l'étude de l’attractivité des gestionnaires d’actifs face à des mécanismes différenciés d' Economie Sociale et Solidaire. Ainsi, dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous proposons d'étudier la perception du point de vue du gérant de fonds de deux modes d'organisation différents, qui aboutissent à la construction d'un produit qualifié d’ISR dans le sens où il répond aux attentes des investisseurs souhaitant intégrer des dimensions extra-financières dans leurs choix de sélection de produits. Dans cette optique, le gérant de fonds ISR est amené à prendre des décisions quant au choix des produits dans son processus de construction du portefeuille. Il joue un double rôle de constructeur de performance ESG et d'intermédiaire financier et doit faire face à un ensemble de contraintes de gestion mais aussi vis-à-vis de ses partenaires. / The evolution of the new practices of the socially responsible investment opens the way for innovative modes of organization. A big market was born between supply and demand, new "transactional architectures" proposing socially responsible bond issues. The objective being to create the liquidity and to contribute to the economic and social development.The study of the organizational arrangements which succeeded to emit a socially responsible obligation aimed at the management company feeds on two experiences pioneers. The organizational context brings us to wonder about the place of the fund manager in the financing of the united economy. The asset management, at the heart of the organization modes, is positioned between the bond issuer and the investors wishing to integrate extra-financial dimension into their choices of selection of asset.The problem of our research work is interested in the study of the attractiveness of the asset managers in the face of mechanisms differentiated of Voluntary and united Sector.So, within the framework of this thesis, we suggest studying the perception from the point of view of the fund manager of two different modes of organization, which end in the construction of a product qualified as SRI in the sense where he meets the expectations of investors wishing to integrate extra-financial dimensions into their choices of selection of products.From this perspective, the fund manager SRI is brought to make decisions as for the choice of products in its process of construction of the portfolio. He plays double role of construction social performance and financial intermediary and has to face a set of constraints of management but also towards these partners.

Les trolls de brevets ont connu un développement économique et médiatique très important depuis le début des années 2000. Ce modèle économique consiste à acquérir et valoriser des brevets d'invention de manière agressive en exploitant les faiblesses du système de brevets. Les revenus des trolls proviennent exclusivement des accords de licences conclus avec les entreprises fabricantes ou des dommages et intérêts obtenus à l’issu d’actions en contrefaçon. L’étude des trolls implique une analyse juridique, statistique et économique de leurs pratiques afin de pouvoir déterminer la réalité de ces modèles économiques et envisager une réponse à ces comportements. De plus, une approche de droit comparé est nécessaire car les disparités entre les règles de droit américaines et européennes permettent sont à l'origine des différences de situations observées entre les deux continents.La première partie est consacrée à la cinématique des trolls de brevets, détaillant les différentes stratégies et diversifications des pratiques au cours des quinze dernières années. On constate alors la nécessité de dépasser l’opposition manichéenne classique entre trolls des brevets et entreprises fabricantes. La réalité est plus complexe, les entreprises fabricantes et certaines entités publiques étant désormais fortement impliquées dans des stratégies similaires.La seconde partie est consacrée à la dynamique des trolls avec l'étude des conditions de développement, qui permettent de comprendre pourquoi cette pratique n’est pas présente sur le territoire européen dans les mêmes proportions. L’analyse de ces comportements face aux fonctions du droit de brevet est ensuite nécessaire pour caractériser l’abus constitué par ces stratégies. Enfin, l’encadrement de ces pratiques est étudié à travers les défenses disponibles pour les entreprises victimes de ces stratégies, tant en droit positif qu’en droit prospectif. Ces défenses sont appelées à traiter les conséquences et non les causes des trolls de brevets, il est donc nécessaire d’envisager le développement du marché secondaire des brevets, car ses faiblesses sont en partie responsables de l’avènement des trolls. Ainsi, un meilleur encadrement de ce marché pourrait permettre de développer les échanges de brevets et réduire les possibilités d’abus autorisées par le système des brevets aujourd’hui. / The economic development and media coverage of patent trolls has tremendously increased since 2000. This business model consists in acquiring and aggressively monetizing patents through the exploitation of the patent system failures. Patent trolls generate revenues from licensing agreements with manufacturing entities and damages obtained by court decision. The conduct of a legal, economic and statistical study is necessary in order to determine the reality of these business models and to suggest a response to these behaviors. A comparative law approach is necessary as the differences between the american and european law is the source of factual disparities observed between these two continents.The first part is dedicated to the patent trolls kinematics through the study of the various business models and their diversification over the past 15 years. It reveals the need to overcome the classical opposition between trolls and manufacturing companies as these companies and even some public funded structures are now developing similar strategies.The second part study the mechanic of patent trolls through their conditions of development, which helps to understand why trolls are not operating in Europe through the same proportions. The assessment of an abuse of the patent system is then conducted with the study of these behaviors through the lens of the patent function. Furthermore, the actual and future legal responses offered to companies facing abusive infringement claims are studied. However these defenses are meant to treat the consequences of abusive behavior and not their causes, it is therefore necessary to study the development of the secondary patent market, since some of its weakness are partially responsible for the development of patent trolls. We suggest that the enhancement of some elements of the secondary patent market could help foster patent exchange and reduce the possibility of abusing the patent system.

The dissertation aims to explore the impact of rape on human security and hence to drawn conclusions about rape as a national security concern in South Africa. The dissertation puts forward six propositions to be explored and tested: · Forcible rape undermines human security. · The extent of rape in South Africa constitutes a widespread threat to the personal safety of especially women and children. · The constitutional commitment to gender equality, the empowerment of women, the rights of children and the right to security of the person are indicative of the severity with which South African society views rape. · These factors combine to render rape a national security concern in South Africa during the past decade, requiring direct measures to be undertaken. · This situation obliges a coordinated government strategic interpretation of the impact of rape on constitutional rights and stability, and evaluation of government policy in this regard. · An integrated government strategy that entails close cooperation with civil society is required to enable the countering and reduction of rape and the ultimate construction of a rape-safe culture in South Africa. The dissertation begins with a conceptual exploration of the concepts of rape, violence, gender violence, human and national security, and then provides an outline of how these concepts have been applied in the post-1994 South African context. Human security is identified as a core element of South African national security. Against the background of the conceptual definitions of terminology used in the dissertation, and the outline of the application of these concepts in South Africa, the extent and nature of rape is described and analysed. The dissertation avoids over-utilisation of statistics given that rape statistics are based to a large extent only on those cases that are reported to the police, and there is a range of factors that result in the under-reporting of rape. The dissertation then describes and comments on the government’s response to rape in the period 2000-2003, outlining the inter-departmental strategies that have been initiated by Cabinet. Through this analysis, the seriousness with which government and parliamentary representatives have viewed rape has been indicated, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the governmental response to rape. This has enabled an indication of certain key aspects of governmental response that must be addressed if the security risk of rape is to be contained. The dissertation concludes that the propositions are indeed supported by the both exploration of the South African policy on rape, human and national security, as well as the operational practice of the relevant government departments. The dissertation indicates a strong emphasis on the criminal justice prosecution of rape cases, and an imbalance in the social crime prevention dimension of government’s response to rape. It is argued that for a successful strategy to combat rape and to achieve a rape-safe culture in South Africa, an integrated governmental response, with a close social compact with civil society, balancing both improved efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice prosecution of rape cases, and social crime prevention that addresses the causes of rape, is required. / Dissertation (M (Security Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

The aim of my diploma thesis is not only theoretically describe the financial crisis as such, but it tries to handle a specific case study and tries to emphasize how these problems are solved in small firms in the Czech Republic. The work analyzes and at the same time solves the financial crisis in the global economy in general. These theoretical issues are then applied to the particular case of one of the many small businesses in the Czech Republic, which is engaged in foreign trade, sale and service of measuring techniques. My work tries to solve every impacts of current financial crisis to this company. It tries to outline possible steps and to propose solutions that may affect and reduce the impact of current financial crisis on small businesses in the Czech Republic.

Den europeiska marknaden för värdepapperisering punkterades av den senaste finanskrisen och har fortfarande inte återhämtat sig trots att ett decennium har passerat. För att få igång marknaden igen har EU tagit fram den nya värdepapperiseringsförordningen som gäller sedan årsskiftet 2019/2020. Värdepapperiseringsförordningen har sin amerikanska motsvarighet i Dodd Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act. Sakinnehållet i de respektive regleringarna är mycket likt men den största skillnaden ligger i motivet till att regleringarna instiftades. Värdepapperiseringsförordningen instiftades med syftet att harmonisera reglerna kring värdepapperisering och på så sätt skapa bättre förutsättningar för de bolag som vill bidra till marknadens återuppbyggnad. Dodd-Frank instiftades redan 2010 som en helreformation av finansmarknaderna som under finanskrisen 2007-2008 visats vara i stort behov av återreglering. Finanskrisens påverkan på finansmarknaderna visade att den avreglering som löpande gjorts av marknaderna sedan 1980-talet hade skapat en ohållbar situation där finansmarknadsaktörerna kunde verka relativt ostört av myndigheter och lagstiftning.  En annan aspekt som finanskrisen synliggjorde var riskerna kopplade till det globala finansiella systemet. Finanskrisen innebar konkurser för europeiska banker och insolvens för europeiska stater, trots att krisen hade sin början i en amerikansk investmentbank. Den systemrisk som uppdagades har lagstiftare både i USA och EU försökt reglera. Delvis genom förbud mot vissa verksamheter, investeringar och avtal, men även genom krav på bland annat transparens och due diligence. Inom EU återfinns dessa förbud och regler främst i kapitaltäckningsförordningen och kapitaltäckningsdirektivet som båda syftar till att säkerställa att bankerna har kapitalbuffertar. I och med det nya Baselregelverket som också genomgick en omarbetning efter finanskrisen kan kapitaltyperna lätt identifieras.  Kapitaltäckningsregleringarna och värdepapperiseringsförordningen är de viktigaste verktygen för EU:s arbete med att återställa värdepapperiseringsmarknaden inom unionen. Uppsatsens komparativa analys av värdepapperiseringsförordningen och Dodd-Frank Act visar på att just motivet till värdepapperiseringsförordningen, att den ska möjliggöra för marknaden att växa men också reglera marknaden så att en finanskris kan undvikas, skulle kunna hindra tillämpningen från att bli sådan som lagstiftaren åsyftat.

The aim of this study is to analyse and critically assess the nature, scope and basis of South Africa‟s official external threat perception as it developed during the period from 1994 to 2012. Accordingly, the assessment allows for the identification of shortcomings in the current national security policy on external security threats, based on the alignment of external threat perceptions with the Government Programme of Action. Essentially what had to be determined is whether perceived official threats correspond with the actual situation. Accordingly, the main research question of the study is: What is the nature, scope and basis of the post-1994 official external threat perception of South Africa? The research problem generated four subsidiary questions: When does a security issue become a national threat? What types of threat are there? How does the South African government perceive these threats? And whose security is threatened? In responding to the main research questions, the study‟s findings note a change in perceptions during the post-Cold War era as to what constituted threats to security. The focus shifted from traditional to non-traditional threats to national security, because most current threats are non-military and transnational in nature. The analysis of South Africa‟s official external threat perception is informed by the changed views of Government towards what are considered the main threats to national security. The study concludes with key findings in response to the stated problem and with specific recommendations. The study confirmed that the nature of threats and security debates post-1994 have changed constantly with the expansion of the security agenda beyond state and military security. The official viewpoint is that South Africa at present is not faced with any military threats. Emphasis is currently placed on human beings as the main object of security. Most identified threats are transnational in nature and these relate to the illegal flow of immigrants, terrorism, organised crime, climate change (linked to food and water security), regional instability and other socio-economic threats. These threats are being perceived and articulated by Government through policy announcements and public speeches, also validated in the critical analysis of various scholars. The concept of non-traditional threats still lacks a commonly accepted definition; hence the study proposes the need for South Africa to define and outline non-military security threats in a comprehensive manner, preferably through the development of a South African External Threat Perception Framework. Developing such a framework will assist security agencies (such as analysts) and other stakeholders in providing advice and guidance to Government in identifying external security threats. This initiative could eliminate the abuse of power by various stakeholders in securitising any issue as a threat to national security, and instead divert those resources to other Government services. Provision should also be made in the form of policy initiatives on the role of military force and other agencies in addressing non-military security threats. Thus, the development of key elements of an integrated national security strategy in order to address external security issues and threats is essential. / Dissertation (MSecurity Studies)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2015 / Political Sciences / MSecurity Studies / Unrestricted