This thesis explores the location and nature of the power that is deepening and broadening the revolution in modern biotechnologies, and which is inherent in the global governance of one type of genetic resource — plant genetic resources. Plant genetic resources are of increasing importance within the global political economy and ecology because of the power/knowledge networks contributing to, and responding to developments in the biotechnology sector, and concerned with the rampant erosion of biological diversity. The thesis argues that transnational norms, values and knowledge are important aspects of power. Discursive power, and particularly the power inherent in discourses of sustainable development, security and human rights, are a central focus of the thesis. The thesis challenges realist, neo-realist and other structural analyses of power which focus on relative distributions of power at the level of individual states or at the global level.

This thesis explores the location and nature of the power that is deepening and broadening the revolution in modern biotechnologies, and which is inherent in the global governance of one type of genetic resource — plant genetic resources. Plant genetic resources are of increasing importance within the global political economy and ecology because of the power/knowledge networks contributing to, and responding to developments in the biotechnology sector, and concerned with the rampant erosion of biological diversity. The thesis argues that transnational norms, values and knowledge are important aspects of power. Discursive power, and particularly the power inherent in discourses of sustainable development, security and human rights, are a central focus of the thesis. The thesis challenges realist, neo-realist and other structural analyses of power which focus on relative distributions of power at the level of individual states or at the global level.

Revision of Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1976. / "The Convention of Peking, 1898": p. [191]-193. Includes bibliographical references (p. [242]-256) and index.

Orientador: Lilia Pasquariello Mariano Karina / Banca: Regiane Nitsch Bressan / Banca: Roberto Goulart Menezes / Resumo: A formulação e a condução da política externa brasileira são atribuições comumente associadas ao Presidente da República e ao Ministério das Relações Exteriores. Ao Poder Legislativo caberia, de modo geral, apenas a ratificação dos acordos negociados pelo Executivo, ou, no máximo, a escolha do Chefe de Missão Diplomática Permanente, por meio de sabatina do Senado Federal. Para além da ratificação dos acordos internacionais, esta dissertação objetivou demonstrar que o papel do Legislativo, em matéria de relações exteriores, não se restringiu a confirmar os atos do governo nas relações internacionais do Brasil. E que a atuação do Parlamento, desde a constituinte (1987-1988) até o segundo governo Dilma Rousseff (2015-2016), tem sido expressiva e, em alguns episódios, e em certa medida, determinante das escolhas internacionais que o Brasil fez, como é o caso da opção pelo Mercosul, durante a inserção internacional brasileira da década de 1990. Nesse sentido, elegemos três mecanismos de atuação do Legislativo na política externa, que são a Comissão de Relações Exteriores e de Defesa Nacional da Câmara dos Deputados (CREDN), a Representação Brasileira no Parlamento do Mercosul (CPCMS), e o caso da denúncia pelo Executivo, sem consulta prévia ao Legislativo, da convenção 158 da Organização Internacional do Trabalho (OIT), que ensejou Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade (ADI 1.625), proposta por duas associações de classe, a Confederação dos Trabalhadores da Agricultura (Contag) e a... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The formulation and conduct of Brazilian foreign policy are attributions commonly associated with the President of the Republic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Legislative branch would generally only have to ratify the agreements negotiated by the Executive, or at most, the choice of the Permanent Diplomatic Head of Mission, by inquiries of the Federal Senate. In addition to the ratification of international agreements, this dissertation aimed to demonstrate that the role of the Legislature in foreign relations was not limited to confirm the acts of the government in the international relations of Brazil. And the performance of Parliament from the constituency (1987-1988) to the second Dilma Rousseff government (2015-2016) has been expressive and, in some episodes, and to a certain extent, determinant of the international choices that Brazil has made, as in the case of the Mercosur option, during the Brazilian international insertion of the 1990s. In this way, we elected three mechanisms of the Legislative action in foreign policy, which are the Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense of the Chamber of Deputies, the Brazilian Representation in the Mercosur Parliament, and the case of denunciation by the Executive, without previous consultation of the Legislative, of convention 158 of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which led to Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (1.625), Proposed by two class associations, the Confederation of Agricultural W... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

On September 29th, 2014, an extensive tax reform was enacted in Chile. The main changes will be applied gradually from October 1, 2014. One of the main changes is the creation of two alternatives income tax regimes that will replace the current integrated regime from year 2017 onwards: (i) the attributed income regime and (ii) the partially integrated regime. The first one will collect the taxes at the foreign-shareholders level on the year the companies generate profits, regardless if they are distributed or not. The second one will raise the overall tax burden for the foreign-shareholders from 35% to 44.45%, unless they are resident of countries that have treaties to avoid the double taxation with Chile. / El 29 de septiembre de 2014 fue promulgada una significativa reforma tributaria en Chile cuyas normas irán gradualmente entrando en vigencia desde el día 1 de octubre de 2014. Entre las modificaciones más importantes, está la creación de dos regímenes alternativos de tributación que remplazarán al actual régimen de tributación integrado a partir del año 2017: (i) el régimen de renta atribuida y (ii) el régimen parcialmente integrado. El primero de ellos hará tributar a los dueños de las empresas en el mismo ejercicio que las utilidades se generen (sean éstas distribuidas o no). El segundo, aumentará la carga impositiva total respecto a los inversionistas extranjeros residentes en países con los que Chile no ha suscrito convenios para evitar la doble tributación de un 35% a un 44,45%.

Tax systems in Latin America have played a very important role as the main, and in some cases the only, means of obtaining revenue to finance the major public expenditure that is necessary for the work of the states through time. Below is a short review of the main aspects of tax systems in the región, with emphasis on the impact of taxes on income in force in the majorLatin American countries, as well as a brief explanation of the network of agreements to avoid double taxation that are in force in each of them. / Los sistemas tributarios en América Latina han jugado un rol muy importante como los principales, y en algunos casos los únicos, medios de obtención de ingresos públicos para financiar los ingentes gastos públicos necesarios para el quehacer de los estados a través de los tiempos. A continuación se presenta una pequeña reseña de los principales aspectos delos sistemas tributarios en la región, con énfasis en el impacto de los impuestos a la renta vigentes en los principales países de América Latina. Asimismo, se incluye una breve explicación de la red de convenios para evitar la doble imposición, vigentes en cada uno de dichos países.

The object of this thesis is to investigate the application of international law in municipal law, and more specifically to focus on international human rights law. A determination of the sources of international human rights law constitutes the point of departure. Treaties are the primary source of international human rights law, followed by customary law. Recent authority indicates that the formation of customary human rights law differs from that of customary international law in general. There are, however, also international documents on human rights not falling within the scope of the traditional sources as embodied in section 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice. Non-binding sources of law, or soft law - most notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - are shown to play an important role in the formation of both treaties and custom and directly influence state practice. Theoretical explanations expounding the application of international law in the domestic law of states are examined, assessing their suitability for effective implementation of international human rights instruments. Since the application of international law in municipal law depends on, and is regulated by rules of domestic law, the relevant rules of legal systems which may, due to historical factors or regional proximity, impact on South Africa, are examined. State practice points to two primary methods of dealing with international law obligations in domestic law, namely transformation (associated with the dualist theory) or direct application (associated with the monist theory). The specific method of incorporation adopted by a state is often closely related to that state's constitutional system. The advantages and disadvantages associated with each particular method are related to the intricacies of individual legal systems. From an internationalist perspective the often misunderstood doctrine of direct application, has the advantage of making the intended protection afforded by human rights treaties to individuals directly enforceable by domestic courts with a minimum of state intervention. The position of international law in South Africa is assessed against this background. South Africa's constitutional history under British rule followed British law requiring legislative transformation of treaty obligations, but permitting customary law to be directly incorporated into common law. The position of international law became constitutionally regulated in South Africa with the introduction of a constitutional democracy. Drafting errors and practical difficulties experienced with the 1993 Constitution, were largely ironed out by the 1996 Constitution. The post-apartheid Constitutions introduced changes and new dimensions compared to the pre-1993 position of international law, including: the consideration of international law when interpreting the constitutionally protected human rights; the involvement of the legislature in the treaty-making process; and provisions for both transformation and direct application of treaties subject to the provisions of the Constitution. Customary international law is confirmed as forming part of South African law, and courts are obliged to interpret legislation in accordance with international law. An analysis of court decisions after 1993 reveals the following broad trends: (i) The impact of international law as part of South African law is still largely overlooked. (ii) The majority of references to international law by the courts are to international human rights agreements and decisions by international tribunals under section 39 of the Bill of Rights. (iii) The distinction between international law and comparable foreign case law, as directed by section 39, is often blurred. (iv) No distinction is made between international hard and soft law when deciding on human rights matters. (v) Courts have refrained from applying international human rights obligations which form part of South African law because they are self-executing or form part of customary international law. (vi) Binding international human rights obligations are only referred to for comparative purposes. (vii) The term "treaty" is interpreted in accordance with the definition of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. The intention to create legally binding obligations is therefore implicit. It has been the policy of the post-apartheid South African government to ratify or accede to the major international human rights agreements as swiftly as possible. The execution of this policy has, however, met with numerous problems. As a result, South Africa has to date not become party to the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights. Many treaties to which South Africa is a party have not yet been incorporated into South African law and compulsory reports on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are overdue. Despite the post-apartheid euphoria about the creation of a human rights culture in South Africa and the formal commitment by government to give effect to international human rights instruments, much remains to be done before South Africa can be regarded as formally complying with international human rights standards. / Law / LL. D. (Law)

The cultivation of a culture of constitutionalism remains the greatest challenge to Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. Militarism affected in a very substantial way Africa’s efforts to develop a culture of constitutionalism in the continent. Nigeria typifies the failed African effort in trying to establish an enduring democracy and constitutionalism. After ten years of transition from militarism to constitutional democracy and the euphoria of the country’s return to democracy, the country is still on a slow march in the entrenchment of the practice of constitutionalism. This work primarily sets out to investigate the state of constitutionalism in Nigeria. Human rights and judiciary as constituents of constitutionalism are the main focus of that investigation. A crucial question that encapsulates the main objective of the study is how can Nigeria entrench a culture of constitutionalism? The study, therefore, investigates the question whether constitutional formalism or textualism without more can guarantee constitutionalism. It advocates that constitutionality does not necessarily lead to constitutionalism. The work further probes into the nature, extent and reasons for the past failure of constitutionalism in the country and its current state. The study also embarks on an exploration into the mechanisms for the protection of human rights, the problems and challenges in Nigeria. The challenges include the introduction of the “new Sharia” by some States in Nigeria; the failure to accord socio-economic rights due consideration in Nigerian jurisprudence and the poor pace of the domestication of human rights norms. The work demonstrates the relationship and linkage between human rights, democracy and judicialism in the study of constitutionalism. / Public Constitutional and International Law / LL.D.

This study examines the role of bilateral investment treaties in securing foreign investment in Ethiopia. Using books, journal articles, and legislation, the study has found that those bilateral investment treaties have a role in securing international investments for Ethiopia. It has also found that BITs do not only safeguard foreign investors but can also attract more investment. The study concludes by providing a list of recommendations, highlighting the benefits of BITs for Ethiopia. / Public, Constitutional, and International Law / LL. M. (International Economic Law)

Consensos doutrinários acerca da novidade da proteção do ser humano por declarações de direito internas e internacionais e por constituições especificamente pela constituição Brasileira de 1988 - conformaram o ponto de partida desta pesquisa. Estabeleceu-se, inicialmente, um problema teórico que buscava sistematizar no direito internacional privado o impacto da suposta revolução teórica vivenciada pelo direito nos últimos séculos entendendo-se que a doutrina conflitual brasileira não havia desenvolvido parâmetros claros aos contornos da proteção do homem em sua esfera. Cumpridos os requisitos metodológicos relacionados à apresentação de hipótese a problema específico, o aprofundamento das pesquisas mostrou-se surpreendente: a hipótese mostrava-se inconsistente. Adotou-se, assim, o prisma de sua negação. Percebeu-se que, de fato, o ser humano se encontra hoje no centro do direito, mas que no direito internacional privado a novidade anunciada não se mostrava recente e que o deslumbramento com a dignidade humana falseava na técnica conflitual sua razão de ser originária. O trabalho foi realizado levando-se em conta o método dedutivo-indutivo de pesquisa a partir da utilização das doutrinas do direito internacional privado, do discurso da proteção do homem e das teorias constitucionais como instrumento de verificação da hipótese proposta ao problema inicialmente apresentado. A inovação do estudo realizado não se encontra, assim, necessariamente em seu conteúdo, mas na sistematização teórica da relação existente entre a doutrina da proteção do indivíduo, incorporada definitivamente ao direito constitucional brasileiro atual, e o direito internacional privado. Buscou-se demonstrar que o impacto da proteção do homem na disciplina deve ser entendido como um diálogo e que a técnica conflitual não seria meramente induzida pelos direitos humanos fundamentais, mas também indutora de seu reconhecimento e consagração. O trabalho foi dividido em três partes distintas, mas interdependentes. Na primeira delas, apresentaram-se as bases teóricas da pesquisa. Foram organizadas, nesse ponto, as premissas consideradas essenciais ao avanço da investigação. A segunda seção adota a classificação predominante na doutrina brasileira para o objeto do direito internacional privado para sistematizar a análise do tema em seu viés prático. Na terceira seção, demonstra-se de que forma os resultados parciais obtidos acabaram por negar paulatinamente a hipótese inicial fixada. Observou-se que, caso se admitisse que o discurso dos direitos humanos se estabeleceu como axioma informador do direito como um todo há poucas centenas de anos e que a ordem jurídica brasileira apenas protegeu o indivíduo a partir de 1988, o direito internacional privado deveria ser entendido como predecessor, como técnica que antecipou toda essa dinâmica. Mais que isso, concluiu-se que o sobredireito internacional tem sua origem e finalidade maior na proteção dos seres humanos e que não foi apenas induzido pelo discurso da defesa do homem. Conclui-se, por fim, que tratar a proteção do ser humano pelo direito internacional privado como dado contemporâneo ou moderno constituiria, de todo o investigado, grave equívoco que desconsideraria as origens, os fundamentos e as funções da técnica conflitual. / The academic consensus on the protection of human beingsby -domestic and international- declarations of rightsand stateconstitutions-specificallythe1988 Brazilian Constitution as a recent achievement of law settled the starting pointof this research. A problem which aimedto understand the impactof the aforementioned supposed theoretical revolution related to human rights in recentcenturiesininternational private law was initially established perceiving thatthe Brazilian doctrine had not developedclear parameters for theprotectionof men on the conflict of laws. Fulfilling the methodological requirementsrelatedto the formulation of a hypothesis to a specific problem, the development of the researchdisclosed a surprising result:the hypothesis seemed absolutely inconsistent. The perspective of denying was than adopted. Thehuman being is today, in fact, the center of law. In private international law, however, the announced innovation of that centrality showsthat thisfascination withhuman dignitydistortedthe original reasons which oriented the technique of conflicts. Based on those circumstances, the research was carried out using theinductive-deductive method applying private international law production, the discourse ofprotectionof human beings and constitutional theoriesas a tool to verify thehypothesis proposedto the problemoriginally established. The innovation of thisstudyis not, therefore,necessarily drawn from its content, but from thetheoretical systematizationof the relationship betweenthe doctrine ofprotectionof the individual, definitely embodied by thecurrentBrazilian constitutional andprivate international law. It was intended to demonstrate thatthe impact of the human being discourse in private international lawshouldbe understoodas adialogue andthat the technique is not merelyinducedbyhuman rights-fundamental, but alsoinducetheir recognition.The research wasdivided intothree distinctbut interdependent parts. In the first one, the theoretical underpinningsof private international law are presented. At this point, the theoretical premisesconsidered essentialto the advancementof the results imagined are studied. The second sectionadopts thepredominant classification used by theBrazilian doctrinefor the objectof private international law to build a systematicanalysisof the subjectin itspracticalbias. In the third section, it is shown how thepartial results obtainedgraduallyended updenyingthe initial hypothesisset. It was observedthat ifit were accepted thatthehuman rights discoursehas established itself as an obligatory axiomof law justa few hundredyears ago and that theBrazilian legal systemonlyprotected theindividual from1988 onwards, private international lawshould beunderstood as a precursor,as a system of law that anticipatedthis wholedynamic. It was concluded, in fact,that private international lawhas its originand purpose direct related to the protection of human beingsandthat the system was notonlyinducedby the human rights discourse. It is finally concluded thatthe protectionof human beingsbyprivate international lawas a contemporary or modern achievement denotes a seriousmisconception thatdisregardsthe origins, the foundationsand functions of the discipline.