Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'International trade – Corrupt practices'

Despite being mentioned in most international anti-corruption instruments, trading in influence appears only rarely in the spotlight of legal practice and literature. This paper aims to shed some light on the issue. The main objective is to highlight the different forms of trading in influence stipulated in various international agreements and national laws in order to draw a comprehensive picture of this offence. Furthermore, by identifying and critically appraising the core issues connected with trading in influence, this paper aims to provide recommendations which may be of use to states obliged to implement or to consider implementing this offence.

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There is now an apparent worldwide trend to fight corruption through the adoption of the new generation of anticorruption laws, that is, domestic laws with extraterritorial reach that provide for legal responsibility to corporations for corrupt practices. In 2013, Brazil joined this movement with the adoption of the Clean Company Act. The entry into force of this legislation provoked criticism and concern, especially with regard to the tension between the underlying interests of the measure and its impacts. Considering that the new generation of anti-corruption laws focuses on corporate conduct abroad, it is clear the ability to impact international trade activities. This thesis addresses the possible impacts of the Clean Company Act to Brazilian international trade from the point of view of growth or fall in imports and exports flows, as well as the formulation of public policies and changes in the behavior of the private sector. Because it is a fairly recent regulation and due to the lack of convictions due to the practice of corruption abroad, the verification of the aforementioned impacts was done based on the study of the United States’ experience with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In light of the results regarding the adoption of the law and the imposition of FCPA enforcement actions, this thesis discusses the possible impacts of the Clean Company Act to Brazilian international trade. In summary, the thesis presents considerations regarding the future of Brazilian import and export flows in view of the new generation of anti-corruption laws, the challenges and the alternatives for the Brazilian government to achieve the objectives pursued with the aforementioned legislation, as well as the changes that will be promoted in the private sector conducts due to the new culture of compliance in international trade
Observa-se na atualidade uma aparente tendência mundial de combate à corrupção por meio da adoção da nova geração de leis anticorrupção, isto é, leis domésticas com alcance extraterritorial que atribuem responsabilidade às pessoas jurídicas pela prática da corrupção. Em 2013, o Brasil aderiu a esse movimento com a implementação da Lei da Empresa Limpa. A entrada em vigor dessa normativa atraiu críticas e preocupações, sobretudo no que diz respeito à tensão entre os interesses subjacentes à medida e os seus impactos. Tendo em vista que a nova geração de leis anticorrupção tem como escopo a atuação corporativa no exterior, é evidente o seu poder de impactar as atividades de comércio internacional. A presente tese aborda os possíveis impactos da Lei da Empresa Limpa para o comércio internacional brasileiro, tanto do ponto de vista de crescimento ou queda nas importações e exportações, quanto de formulação de políticas públicas e mudanças no comportamento do setor privado. Por se tratar de uma normativa bastante recente e devido à inexistência de condenações pela prática da corrupção no exterior, a verificação dos mencionados impactos foi feita a partir do estudo da experiência dos Estados Unidos com o Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Com base nos resultados obtidos acerca da implementação do marco jurídico e da aplicação de medidas corretivas fundamentadas na referida lei, esta tese discute os possíveis impactos da Lei da Empresa Limpa para o comércio internacional brasileiro. Em suma, a tese traz considerações acerca do futuro dos fluxos de importação e exportação brasileiros em vista da nova geração de leis anticorrupção, dos desafios e das alternativas para o governo brasileiro alcançar os objetivos almejados com a referida normativa, bem como das mudanças que serão promovidas na atuação do setor privado haja vista a nova cultura do compliance no comércio internacional

U.S. aerospace companies are estimated to lose more than $25 billion in international contracts per year due to bribery. These losses create Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance strategy challenges for U.S. aerospace companies' management. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that U.S. aerospace small business leaders use to comply with the FCPA. The conceptual framework for this study was the regulatory compliance conceptual model, which suggests that small business leaders must gain deeper insight into how corporate compliance policies address the FCPA requirements. The target population for this study was leaders of a small U.S. aerospace company in California. Data collection included semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 7 business managers and an archival exploration of internal company documents related to FCPA compliance. The data analysis process used thematic analysis, including methodological triangulation, to identify 4 themes: continuous FCPA compliance training, interactive management, compliance with cultural norms, and qualifying opportunities for FCPA compliance. These themes highlighted practical strategies for compliance with the FCPA, which are essential in achieving international business contracts. Small U.S. aerospace businesses must consider these 4 themes when developing corporate compliance directives with the FCPA. Better international business ethics through compliance with the FCPA will facilitate positive social change by reducing corporate operational costs and creating jobs, which improve the quality of life and well-being of people in the local communities.

The purpose of the paper is to identify relationships between international trade and air quality, and to identify principles and practices to mitigate the air quality impacts of trade growth. The focus is on container trade. The primary modes examined are trucking, rail, and marine. After a brief background on the magnitude of U.S. international container trade, the paper identifies trends in international and domestic container transportation. Freight contributions to national and regional emissions are described. Air quality at major gateways and hubs is examined. Current and proposed emission and fuel standards are discussed and compared across modes. Projections of future freight emissions and modal contributions are discussed. Principles are described to guide the evaluation of mitigation practices. A list of practices is compiled for each mode, including technology, operational, institutional, and infrastructure approaches. Recommendations are given for mitigation strategies and for further research.

Farmers' decisions to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technologies depend on the profitability of IPM systems relative to the traditional production methods. Government policies may affect the profitability of the IPM technologies. A linear programming model was developed and used to evaluate the economic incentives for adoption of Integrated Pest Mangement (IPM) practices by Jamaican farmers in Ebony Park, Clarendon. Further analysis was completed to determine the affect of policy changes on the profitability of the IPM systems. The objective function of the model was to maximize net returns above variable costs for the farm and included: ten cropping systems, resource constraints, relative prices, and government policies facing the farm. Resource constraints included risk constraints limiting the maximum acreage planted for each crop. Potential crops grown by the farm included: IPM and conventional hot pepper, IPM and conventional sweet potato, IPM and conventional callaloo, corn, pumpkin, cassava, and sugar cane. The trade and domestic policies incorporated into the model were: preclearance (farm level inspections of exportable harvest), elimination of the concessionary water rates to farmers, lowering the duty concession rate to farmers, lowering the Common External Tariff, appreciation of the real exchange rate, elimination of the credit subsidy and a fall in the real interest rate. The results of the model showed four major conclusions. First, the IPM systems for hot pepper, sweet potato and callaloo were more profitable than the conventional systems. Second, within the framework of risk constraints and preclearance, the IPM systems continued to be more profitable than the conventional practices. Third, the elimination of either the water or credit subsidies currently available to the farmers did not greatly affect the profitability of the IPM systems compared with the profitability of conventional production. Fourth, with a lower real interest rate, the elimination of the duty concession, a lowering of the Common External Tariff (CET) or an appreciation of the real exchange rate, the IPM systems were more profitable than the conventional technologies. Four implications arose from the conclusions. First, extension efforts towards farmers should emphasize the increase in profits from the IPM technologies. Second, policy steps designed to liberalize the domestic economy will not require offsetting policies supporting the adoption of IPM by farmers in Clarendon. Further research is needed on the effects of water availability on IPM adoption and the potential barriers to IPM adoption by female-headed households. Finally, further research is on the economic returns of incorporating preclearance education with IPM.
Master of Science

Les États ont depuis de nombreuses années incriminé la corruption des agents publics nationaux. La crise de l'énergie de 1973 et la fin de la guerre froide de 1989 ont néanmoins stimulé l'apparition d’une forme spécifique de corruption jusqu’alors passé sous silence par les textes juridiques : la corruption d’un agent public étranger. La lutte contre la corruption des agents publics étrangers a récemment connu un essor international normatif considérable notamment avec l’entrée en vigueur de plusieurs conventions internationales à visée régionale et universelle. La genèse de cette réaction internationale est avant tout d’inspiration étatsunienne. Promulgué aux États-Unis en 1977 dans le sillage de l’affaire du Watergate, le Foreign Corrupt Practices Act fut la première loi nationale incriminant la corruption d’un agent public étranger. Cette loi est progressivement devenue la matrice des textes internationaux ultérieurs. La lutte contre la corruption internationale doit faire face aux difficultés de mise en œuvre qui sont inhérentes à l’application des conventions internationales. Il est parfois estimé que ce dispositif juridique international n’est pas toujours d’une efficacité parfaite. Un premier niveau de recherche qui consiste à opérer une analyse des textes juridiques, conduira à étudier la dimension opératoire des dispositifs en vigueur. A la lumière des avis des praticiens contemporains de lutte contre la corruption, un second niveau d’analyse complétant le premier aura pour objectif final de formuler des propositions d’amélioration des mécanismes juridiques existants en droit international positif
States have criminalised the corruption of their national public officials for many years. The 1973 energy crisis and the end of the Cold War catalyzed however the increase of a specific form of corruption which had been until that point largely ignored by the legislators: the corruption of a foreign public official. The combat against the corruption of foreign public officials has recently witnessed major international normative developments notably with the entry into force of several international conventions at regional and global levels. The genesis of this international reaction can largely be attributed to the United States. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was signed into law by President Carter in 1977 becoming the first national legislation criminalising the corruption of foreign public officials. This law progressively became the template of the future international texts. The fight against this form of corruption faces many of the enforcement difficulties which are inherent to the application of international conventions. The efficacy of the international legal framework can logically be questioned. A primary analysis of the pertinent legal instruments will therefore attempt to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this framework. In the light of the opinion of various experts in the combat against corruption, a second level of analysis which completes the first shall formulate proposals to improve the existing legal mechanisms in current international law

Relying upon two common trends in modern castle studies, this exploratory study works to combine the landscape context and the spatial interaction of the main building to create an assessment of the spatial and social interaction between the main residential structure of a noble’s estate and the landscape features attached to surrounding property features. To explore questions about this kind of interaction this project has taken the sheriffdom of Angus, Scotland, between the year 1450 and 1542, to examine non-royal residences in an area that offered a diverse topography. This project aims to gain a better understanding of the surroundings of late fifteenth and early sixteenth century noble residences in Angus while contributing to the growing discussion of castles and their landscapes, and testing methods for addressing the spatial and social interaction between the main structure and the landscape features. Section A discusses the three source types used for compiling the dataset for this project within the context of three key categories needed to create a GIS dataset: location, object, and attributes. From the landscape features the mills and fishings were the most commonly mentioned and further details regarding the contents of the lordly landscapes were rare. Section B explores three methods of examining the relationships between the main residence and the landscape features: a modified RA and RRA values assessment, which measured levels of segregation within the noble residence site as a whole; a version of the gravity model, which helped identify the draw for interaction within the arrangement of the noble’s landscape; and network analysis questions, which facilitated a clear assessment of any connections between the use of structural terms and landscape features mentioned over both temporal and social contexts. This exploration of spatial and social interaction opens up a discussion about Scottish noble landscape creation and new methods for studying the relationship between the main structure and the wider complex of a noble residence.

Partendo da un’estesa analisi empirica della corruzione attiva di pubblici agenti stranieri, che rivela le dinamiche individuali, organizzative e ambientali che ne caratterizzano la realizzazione, la tesi si propone di condurre un esame critico sia della fattispecie criminosa di cui all’art. 322-bis, co. 2, n. 2, che della relativa responsabilità ex d. lgs. 231/2001 a carico degli enti metaindividuali, onde esaminarne i profili di efficacia nella prospettiva preventiva. Lo studio normativo si serve, oltre che della ancora esigua giurisprudenza italiana sinora intervenuta in materia, anche di sei ipotetici casi di corruzione internazionale da parte di imprese multinazionali con sede in Italia, basate su altrettanti casi reali ricostruiti grazie all’attività di enforcement del Foreign Corrupt Practices Act statunitense. Il lavoro di analisi evidenzia diverse esigenze di adeguamento normativo o di mutamento degli indirizzi interpretativi, che interessano la sfera penalistica (toccando in particolare l’oggetto giuridico della fattispecie, la definizione delle qualifiche pubblicistiche, l’estensione applicative della figura del traffico di influenze, la definizione degli obblighi impeditivi delle diverse cariche societarie, in particolare nei gruppi di società), quella processualistica (specialmente in tema di bis in idem internazionale) e quella della responsabilità da reato degli enti (in particolare in punto di responsabilità del cessionario d’azienda per gli illeciti di corruzione internazionale commessi nell’ambito dell’azienda ceduta, e dunque in materia di obblighi di pre-acquistion due diligence). La necessità di un cambio sostanziale si palesa altresì in relazione alla metodologia e ai contenuti dei modelli di organizzazione, gestione e controllo delle imprese multinazionali per la prevenzione del reato di corruzione internazionale, e di conseguenza nei criteri di valutazione dell’adeguatezza del modello in sede giudiziale.
Moving from an exhaustive empirical analysis of the active bribery of foreign public officials, which reveals its individual, organizational and environmental issues/dynamics, the thesis conducts a critical review of the criminal offence set forth in the Art. 322-bis, par. 2, n. 2 of the criminal code, and the consequent liability of legal entities, aimed at testing their real efficiency in terms of crime prevention. The legal analysis is conducted not only on the basis of the still limited Italian jurisprudence, but also by examining six hypothetical cases of international bribery perpetrated by Italian MNEs, which follow the structure of six real U.S. F.C.P.A. violation cases. The study illustrates the need for a series of normative adjustments or an interpretative adaptation of the legislation currently in force, which concern the sphere of criminal law (especially the individuation of the protected interest, the concept of foreign public official, the extent of trading in influence offence, the definition of the company’s officials duties to prevent other’s commission of bribery in particular among the corporate groups), criminal procedure law (specifically, the risk of an international double jeopardy) and the legal person’s liability regime (above all in the field of successor’s liability and pre-acquistion due diligence duties). The demand for a substantial change is revealed as well in relation with the methodology and the contents of the multi-national enterprises anti-bribery compliance programs, and thereof in the criteria for their judicial assessment.

Partendo da un’estesa analisi empirica della corruzione attiva di pubblici agenti stranieri, che rivela le dinamiche individuali, organizzative e ambientali che ne caratterizzano la realizzazione, la tesi si propone di condurre un esame critico sia della fattispecie criminosa di cui all’art. 322-bis, co. 2, n. 2, che della relativa responsabilità ex d. lgs. 231/2001 a carico degli enti metaindividuali, onde esaminarne i profili di efficacia nella prospettiva preventiva. Lo studio normativo si serve, oltre che della ancora esigua giurisprudenza italiana sinora intervenuta in materia, anche di sei ipotetici casi di corruzione internazionale da parte di imprese multinazionali con sede in Italia, basate su altrettanti casi reali ricostruiti grazie all’attività di enforcement del Foreign Corrupt Practices Act statunitense. Il lavoro di analisi evidenzia diverse esigenze di adeguamento normativo o di mutamento degli indirizzi interpretativi, che interessano la sfera penalistica (toccando in particolare l’oggetto giuridico della fattispecie, la definizione delle qualifiche pubblicistiche, l’estensione applicative della figura del traffico di influenze, la definizione degli obblighi impeditivi delle diverse cariche societarie, in particolare nei gruppi di società), quella processualistica (specialmente in tema di bis in idem internazionale) e quella della responsabilità da reato degli enti (in particolare in punto di responsabilità del cessionario d’azienda per gli illeciti di corruzione internazionale commessi nell’ambito dell’azienda ceduta, e dunque in materia di obblighi di pre-acquistion due diligence). La necessità di un cambio sostanziale si palesa altresì in relazione alla metodologia e ai contenuti dei modelli di organizzazione, gestione e controllo delle imprese multinazionali per la prevenzione del reato di corruzione internazionale, e di conseguenza nei criteri di valutazione dell’adeguatezza del modello in sede giudiziale.
Moving from an exhaustive empirical analysis of the active bribery of foreign public officials, which reveals its individual, organizational and environmental issues/dynamics, the thesis conducts a critical review of the criminal offence set forth in the Art. 322-bis, par. 2, n. 2 of the criminal code, and the consequent liability of legal entities, aimed at testing their real efficiency in terms of crime prevention. The legal analysis is conducted not only on the basis of the still limited Italian jurisprudence, but also by examining six hypothetical cases of international bribery perpetrated by Italian MNEs, which follow the structure of six real U.S. F.C.P.A. violation cases. The study illustrates the need for a series of normative adjustments or an interpretative adaptation of the legislation currently in force, which concern the sphere of criminal law (especially the individuation of the protected interest, the concept of foreign public official, the extent of trading in influence offence, the definition of the company’s officials duties to prevent other’s commission of bribery in particular among the corporate groups), criminal procedure law (specifically, the risk of an international double jeopardy) and the legal person’s liability regime (above all in the field of successor’s liability and pre-acquistion due diligence duties). The demand for a substantial change is revealed as well in relation with the methodology and the contents of the multi-national enterprises anti-bribery compliance programs, and thereof in the criteria for their judicial assessment.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central research question of this study concerns how corruption as a political risk factor should be measured in order to provide an accurate assessment of the risk factor within the oil and gas industry. The aim is to answer this question with the aid and support of two sub-questions that have been identified as crucial in pursuing this research. The first sub-question conceptualizes corruption as a political risk factor specifically within the oil and gas industry. The second sub-question addresses the oil and gas industry-specific indicators of corruption as a political risk factor. The research embarks upon seven industry-specific indicators, by isolating the relevant national political structural and institutional framework, which has proved essential in identifying the level of corruption as a risk to the oil and gas investor. The indicators are regarded as the most salient variables that can measure the level of corruption as a political risk in a realistic and practical approach. The indicators are subsequently systemised into a matrix that is constructed with the aim of using it as a general measurement tool for oil and gas investors. The study argues that this measurement tool can be of use to the oil and gas investor as it contributes to businesses recognition and anticipation of corruption. The matrix is furthermore applied to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, in an attempt to test the matrix, and in order to establish how and to what level corruption constitutes as a political risk factor for the oil and gas industry in this country. The result of the indicators demonstrates that the political risk of encountering corruption for the oil and gas investor in Nigeria is of a high level. This study provides a valid basis of constituting how corruption manifests as a risk for the oil and gas investor. Furthermore, the applicability of the matrix provides a practical utility and constructive assessment. This thesis provides a firm foundation for future research in this field.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die sentrale navorsingsvraag van hierdie studie handel oor hoe korrupsie as 'n politieke risiko faktor gemeet moet word om 'n akkurate bepaling van die risiko faktor binne die oilie- en gas industrie te maak. Die doel is om hierdie vraag te beantwoord met die hulp van twee sub-navorsingsvrae wat geïdentifiseer is essensieël on hierdie navorsing te voltooi. Die eerste sub-navorsingvraag konseptualiseer korrupsie as 'n politieke risiko faktor, spesifiek binne die olie en gas industrie. Die tweede sub-navorsingsvraag handel oor die industrie-spesifieke indikatore van korrupsie as 'n politieke risiko faktor. Die navorsing is gevestig op sewe industrie-spesifieke indikatore, wat geïsoleer word vanaf relevante nasionale politieke strukture en institusionele raamwerke, wat essensieël is in die identifikasie van die vlak van korrupsie as 'n risiko vir die olie en gas belegger. Die indikatore word beskou as die mees prominente veranderlikes wat die vlak van korrupsie as n politieke risiko kan meet, as 'n realistiese en praktiese benadering. Die indikatore word gevolglik geplaas binne 'n raamwerk wat gebou is met die doel om dit te bebruik as 'n algemene maatstaf vir die belegger in die olie-en gas industrie. Hierdie studie argumenteer dat die maatstaf gebruik kan word in die olie-en gas industrie, siende dat dit bydrae tot besighede se erkenning en antisipasie van korrupsie. Die maatstaf word verder toegepas op die geval van die olie-en gas industrie in Nigerië, met die doel om dit te toets en ook om vas te stel tot watter vlak korrupsie as 'n politieke risiko faktor vir die olie-en gas industrie teenwoordig is in hierdie land. Die resultaat van die indikatore dui daarop dat daar 'n hoë vlak van politieke risiko vir die olie-en gas industrie in Nigerië bestaan. Die studie verskaf 'n geldige basis om vas te stel hoe korrupsie in die olie-en gas industrie manifesteer. Verder, die toepaslikheid van die maatstaf verskaf praktiese bruikbaarheid en konstruktiewe meeting. Die tesis verskaf 'n stewige basis vir toekomstige navrsing in die veld.

O boom do consumo e da produção de quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) é um fenômeno recente que representa a transição de um cultivo andino negligenciado e subutilizado durante séculos para um supercultivo moderno do século XXI, dado o seu aporte nutricional. Nesse sentido, a presente tese apresenta e discute questões que o boom da quinoa suscita acerca das tendências das mudanças no uso da terra no Peru ― país que se tornou o maior produtor e exportador mundial do produto a partir de 2014. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa realizaram-se dois estudos. O primeiro deles objetivou analisar a dinâmica da expansão do cultivo de quinoa e identificar as mudanças no uso da terra resultantes do boom da quinoa, assim como determinar se tais mudanças ameaçam a agrobiodiversidade na principal região produtora de quinoa: Puno. O segundo estudo buscou calcular o impacto do boom da quinoa na expansão do seu cultivo, em termos de área ocupada, além de discutir os mecanismos pelos quais a expansão da demanda internacional por este produto ocasiona mudanças no uso da terra no Peru. Ambos os estudos se basearam em dados disponibilizados por entidades e órgãos oficiais do Peru, os quais foram coletados separadamente para as 18 regiões produtoras de quinoa, no período de 1995-2014. Para a análise dos dados, construíram-se mapas temáticos com as variáveis: área cultivada e variação porcentual anual de área cultivada. Também foram utilizadas as seguintes técnicas estatísticas: estatística descritiva, Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA) e exponential smoothing. Os resultados evidenciaram que o boom da quinoa no Peru começou em 2009, sendo que, a partir desse ano, a configuração da área cultivada com quinoa foi alterada drasticamente. Já no ano de 2014, inicia-se um período de expansão sem precedentes na história de sua produção. Cabe destacar, nesse sentido, que se o boom da quinoa não tivesse ocorrido, no ano de 2014 teria sido cultivada uma área 43% menor de quinoa do que foi efetivamente observado. A partir disso, foram constatados três fenômenos: (i) a evolução de uma nova geografia da produção de quinoa; (ii) a redução do uso de práticas agrícolas tradicionais (p.ex.: rotação de cultivos, descanso do solo) decorrente da intensificação da produção de quinoa; e (iii) a tendência de competição pelo uso da terra para produção de cultivos Andinos na região Puno (cañigua, mashua, oca e tarhui). Dessa forma, a expansão do mercado internacional de quinoa a partir de 2008 já começa a revelar suas consequências sobre as mudanças no uso da terra no Peru: (i) efeito de deslocamento (migração de atividades de um lugar para outro de uma maneira a ocasionar mudanças no uso da terra em novas localidades), (ii) efeito rebote (mudanças no uso da terra com as medidas adotadas para incrementar a eficiência da produção e aumento do número de empresas atuando no setor), e (iii) efeito cascata (perturbações que afetam o sistema terrestre em decorrência da substituição de áreas destinadas à produção de outros cultivos em condições agroecológicas específicas). Ao trazer uma perspectiva sobre a relação entre a intensificação do comércio internacional da quinoa e a expansão de terra cultivada no Peru, este trabalho contribui para a literatura, ainda em construção, sobre consequências das mudanças no uso da terra na sustentabilidade dos sistemas agrobiológicos.
The boom in consumption and production of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a recent phenomenon that represents the transition from a neglected and underutilized Andean crop for centuries to a modern supercrop of the 21st century due to its exceptional nutritional value. In this context, the present thesis presents and discusses issues raised as a resut of the quinoa boom regarding trends in land-use change in Peru, which, as from 2014, has become the world’s largest producer of quinoa. Therefore, two studies were carried out. The first study aimed to analyze the dynamics of the expansion of quinoa cultivation and to identify land use changes resulting from the quinoa boom, as well as to determine whether such changes threaten agrobiodiversity in the major quinoa producing region: Puno. The second study aimed to calculate the impact of the quinoa boom on the expansion of quinoa production in terms of cultivated area, and to discuss the mechanisms by which the growing international demand for this product causes land use changes in Peru. Both studies are based on data available from official sources. Data were collected separately for the quinoa producing regions, 18 in total. It covers the period from 1995 to 2014. Data were analyzed using thematic maps with the following variables: harvested area and annual variation in the percentage of harvested area. There were also used the following statistical techniques: descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and exponential smoothing. The findings showed that the quinoa boom in Peru began in 2009. From this year, the configuration of the area cultivated with quinoa has changed drastically, but the year 2014 marked the beginning of an unprecedented period in the history of the production of this crop. In this regard, it should be noted that if it had not occurred the quinoa boom, the area cultivated with quinoa in 2014 would have been 43% less than the observed quantity. From this, it was found three phenomena: (i) the evolution of the new geography of quinoa production in Peru; (ii) the diminished use of traditional farming practices (eg.: crop rotation with rest for the soil) due to the intensification of quinoa production; and (iii) the trend towards increased land use competition for Andean crop production in the Puno region (cañigua, mashua, oca e tarhui). Thus, the growing international quinoa trade since 2008 has started to reveal the consequences of land use changes in Peru: (i) displacement effect (migration of activities from one place to another, causing land use changes in new locations); (ii) rebound effect (land use changes in response to the measures introduced to improve production efficiency and the increase in the number of companies operating in the sector); and (iii) cascade effect (disorders that affect the land system as a result of the substitution of land area used to produce other crops in specific agro-ecological conditions). With the perspective on the link between the intensification of international trade of quinoa and the expansion of cultivated land in Peru, this study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the consequences of land use changes on the sustainability of agrobiological systems.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Equatorial Guinea has, since the mid-1990s, been an oil-rich state. With the highest GDP per capita it should be a continental leader in terms of development. Instead, it ranks in one of the worst positions on the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI). This study employs the theory of neopatrimonialism to explain why such a discrepancy in these development indicators is evident. As a result of examining the post-independence regimes in Equatorial Guinea through the theoretical lens of neo-patrimonialism it is possible to conclude that the country is afflicted by a governance curse, rather than the more narrowly defined ‘resource curse’ that has become the central explanation of the situation in the country since the discovery of oil favoured by the existing literature on the subject. Instead, this study highlights the fact that the neo-patrimonial nature of the regime in Equatorial Guinea has developed steadily over the years since independence was granted by Spain in 1968, and indeed, the seeds of this system were in fact evident during Spanish colonial control. Whilst the existing literature has focused on the role of oil in explaining the dire state that Equatorial Guinea finds itself in, this study argues that there are other central factors that need to be examined. These include: the Spanish colonial legacy that led the way for such a system to take root; the role of the first post-independence president, Macías Nguema (1968-1979) and; the regime of Obiang Nguema (1979- present). By looking at these factors in addition to the role of oil it is possible to conclude that the neo-patrimonial system in place in Equatorial Guinea has much deeper roots than the existing literature acknowledges. It is vital to examine these deeper roots in order to discover an understanding of and effective solution to the current situation. Moreover, through examining the central features and operations of the ‘predatory’ neo-patrimonial regime in Equatorial Guinea, most notably the profligate spending and evident capital flight, it is possible to acknowledge the international nature of the problem: a factor that has heretofore been neglected in the literature. A greater focus on this issue is necessary in order to understand why the regime is sustained and what prospects there can be for future regime change. The outcomes of the study suggest that a ‘predatory’ neo-patrimonial regime is the central explanation for how the political sphere operates in Equatorial Guinea. This means that there can be no distinction made between the central features of the state and the personal property of those that rule it. It is a classic, modern-day example of ‘L’État c’est moi’. As such, the Nguema family have since independence treated the state resources as their own private property to do with as they wish. This means that there has been no attention paid to the development of Equatorial Guinea as it is not in the interests of the ruling elites to do so. Instead, they utilise state resources for their own self-enrichment. Such behaviour accounts for why despite having the highest GDP per capita on the African continent, Equatorial Guinea has such a low rank in the UNDP Human Development Index. It can therefore be concluded that Equatorial Guinea is affected by a governance curse that has decimated the state since independence, rather than the popularised theory of a ‘resource curse’ which has been used in explanations since the discovery of oil in the mid-1990s. iii
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ekwatoriaal-Guinee is reeds sedert die middel negentigerjare ’n olieryke staat. Met die hoogste BBP per capita behoort dit die leier op die vasteland te wees wat ontwikkeling betref. Dit beklee egter een van die laagste plekke op die menslike ontwikkelingsindeks (HDI) van die Verenigde Nasies se Ontwikkelingsprogram (UNDP). In hierdie studie is die teorie van neopatrimonialisme gebruik in ’n poging om die teenstrydigheid in hierdie ontwikkelingsaanwysers te verklaar. Op grond van ’n ondersoek van die regimes na onafhanklikheid in Ekwatoriaal- Guinee deur die teoretiese lens van neopatrimonialisme kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat die land onder ’n regeringsvloek gebuk gaan, eerder as die eng gedefinieerde ‘hulpbronvloek’ wat die vernaamste verklaring geword het vir die situasie in die land sedert die ontdekking van olie, soos in die huidige literatuur oor die onderwerp aangevoer word. Hierdie studie beklemtoon hierteenoor die feit dat die neopatrimoniale aard van die regime in Ekwatoriaal-Guinee met verloop van tyd ontwikkel het sedert Spanje die land in 1968 onafhanklik verklaar het. Die sade van hierdie stelsel was inderwaarheid reeds sigbaar tydens Spaanse koloniale beheer. Waar die bestaande literatuur fokus op die rol van olie in die verklaring van die nypende toestand waarin Ekwatoriaal-Guinee verkeer, word in hierdie studie aangevoer dat ander kernfaktore ook ondersoek moet word. Dit sluit in die Spaanse koloniale erfenis wat die weg gebaan het vir die groei van so ’n stelsel; die rol van die eerste president na onafhanklikwording, Macias Nguema (1968–1979); en die regime van Obiang Nguema (1979 – tans). Deur hierdie faktore tesame met die rol van olie in oorweging te bring, kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat die neopatrimoniale stelsel in Ekwatoriaal-Guinee veel dieper wortels het as wat in die bestaande literatuur erken word. Die ondersoek van hierdie dieper wortels is noodsaaklik ten einde begrip van en doeltreffende oplossings vir die huidige situasie te verkry. Deur die ondersoek van die kernfaktore en -bedrywighede van die ‘roofsugtige’ neopatrimoniale regime in Ekwatoriaal-Guinee, vernaamlik die roekelose verkwistinge en sigbare kapitaaluitvloei, is dit moontlik om die internasionale aard van die probleem te identifiseer – ’n faktor wat tot op hede in die literatuur nagelaat is. Groter fokus op hierdie kwessie is nodig ten einde te begryp waarom die regime volgehou word en watter vooruitsigte daar is vir toekomstige regimeverandering. Die uitkomste van hierdie studie doen aan die hand dat ’n ‘roofsugtige’ neopatrimoniale regime inderwaarheid die vernaamste verklaring is vir die werking van die politieke sfeer in Ekwatoriaal-Guinee. Dit beteken dat geen onderskeid getref kan word tussen die kerneienskappe van die staat en die persoonlike eiendom van diegene in bewind nie. Dit is ’n klassieke, hedendaagse voorbeeld van ‘L’Etat c’est moi’. As sodanig hanteer die Nguema-familie sedert onafhanklikwording die staat se hulpbronne as hul eie private eiendom wat hulle na willekeur aanwend. Dit beteken dat geen aandag gegee word aan die ontwikkeling van Ekwatoriaal-Guinee nie, aangesien dit nie in die belange van die heersende elite is om dit te doen nie, en hulle staatshulpbronne vir selfverryking gebruik. Sodanige gedrag verklaar die land se lae posisie op die UNDP se HDI. Die gevolgtrekking kan dus gemaak word dat Ekwatoriaal-Guinee onder ’n staatsvloek ly, wat die staat sedert onafhanklikwording afmaai, eerder as die gewilde teorie van ’n ‘hulpbronvloek’.

Defense Date: 20 December 2010 Examining Board: Professor Pascal Courty, University of Victoria (External Supervisor) Professor Luigi Guiso, European University Institute Professor Eliana La Ferrara, IGIER - Bocconi University Professor Michele Ruta, World Trade Organization
The first chapter aims at assessing the importance of political connections for the profitability of privately owned firms. The value of connections is estimated using a unique quasi-natural experiment: The September 2006 Thai coup d’état. Connections are found to be potentially very valuable, accounting for as much as 20% of market capitalization for the best connected firms. Benefits from connections include lower taxation and better access to debt financing. Firms operating in domestically dependent industries and industries with high external financing needs appear to benefit the most from being politically connected. The second chapter incorporates a model of endogenous corruption into an intra industry trade model. The purpose is to study how trade liberalization impacts bureaucratic corruption. We find that trade opening leads to tougher competition and thereby reduces the officials ability to extract rents from firms. We also analyze the incentive for governments to fight corruption and find that incentives are stronger when trade costs are lower. Finally, we empirically test the main prediction of the model, and find that more remote and less easily accessible countries also suffer from higher levels of corruption. The third chapter aims at estimating trade creation and trade diversion under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). Previous studies - mainly conducted prior to the implementation of the treaty - have put into question SAFTA’s potential for trade creation. However, according to our estimates, conducted on post treaty data, SAFTA has increased intra regional trade by as much as 40% for eligible products. This figure is higher than estimates for most other trade blocks. Further, trade diversion appears to have been limited, though this is due mainly to the treaty being accompanied by significant reductions in external tariffs.

Diamonds have played a dual role in society since their discovery. On the one hand, they have brought smiles to the faces of many exhibiting love, beauty, wealth and brilliance. On the other hand, they have been at the heart of many conflicts. This juxtaposition has different impacts in usage. For those whom diamonds were a positively and morally accepted benefit, it did not present problems. Where diamonds spurned conflicts, it caused harm to lives and territories. Human rights abuses became the cause of international conflicts. Humanitarian interventions appeared on the United Nations Security Council agenda. The United Nations had to address the human rights abuses and had to confront the escalation of human rights abuses. Human rights abuses reached significant proportions forcing the application of humanitarian intervention mechanisms. Control of the diamond trade industry was fast becoming an item on many international peace keeping agendas. International organisations such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Criminal Court, the African Union, the European Union, the World Diamond Council and the United Nations have all tried to influence the diamond trade and its consequential impact upon human rights. These organisations are regulated by law, making them a preferred mechanism for establishing accountability for human rights abuse, arising from the illegal trade in rough diamonds and the maintenance of peace and security.Pressed by the United Nations and, De Beers; NGOs; the Partnership Africa Canada and Global Witness; the World Diamond Council; and many States initiated a formalised voluntary international certification scheme for the export and import of diamonds. Thisinternational certification scheme for the trade of rough diamonds became known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has been hailed as a milestone in the diamond trade industry. Simultaneously, the Certification Scheme has been criticised for its inefficacy in regulating the legitimate trade of rough diamonds. Whether the Certification Scheme in its present form is suitable to address the crisis in the trade of rough diamonds is central to this study. Thus, the characterisation, monitoring, implementation and evolution of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme will be examined.
Jurisprudence
LLD

Diamonds have played a dual role in society since their discovery. On the one hand, they have brought smiles to the faces of many exhibiting love, beauty, wealth and brilliance. On the other hand, they have been at the heart of many conflicts. This juxtaposition has different impacts in usage. For those whom diamonds were a positively and morally accepted benefit, it did not present problems. Where diamonds spurned conflicts, it caused harm to lives and territories. Human rights abuses became the cause of international conflicts. Humanitarian interventions appeared on the United Nations Security Council agenda. The United Nations had to address the human rights abuses and had to confront the escalation of human rights abuses. Human rights abuses reached significant proportions forcing the application of humanitarian intervention mechanisms. Control of the diamond trade industry was fast becoming an item on many international peace keeping agendas. International organisations such as the World Trade Organisation, the International Criminal Court, the African Union, the European Union, the World Diamond Council and the United Nations have all tried to influence the diamond trade and its consequential impact upon human rights. These organisations are regulated by law, making them a preferred mechanism for establishing accountability for human rights abuse, arising from the illegal trade in rough diamonds and the maintenance of peace and security.Pressed by the United Nations and, De Beers; NGOs; the Partnership Africa Canada and Global Witness; the World Diamond Council; and many States initiated a formalised voluntary international certification scheme for the export and import of diamonds. Thisinternational certification scheme for the trade of rough diamonds became known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has been hailed as a milestone in the diamond trade industry. Simultaneously, the Certification Scheme has been criticised for its inefficacy in regulating the legitimate trade of rough diamonds. Whether the Certification Scheme in its present form is suitable to address the crisis in the trade of rough diamonds is central to this study. Thus, the characterisation, monitoring, implementation and evolution of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme will be examined.
Jurisprudence
LLD

Liberalization of the Indian economy in 199I increased the intensity of international competition and changed the internal information needs of Indian managers. This paper explores the evolution of a broad range of management accounting practices in 14 firms using a contingency theory framework. Differences in management accounting practices in 1996 are examined in relation to firms' experience and exposure to world markets prior to liberalization and as a function of contemporaneous differences in competitive strategy. We find evidence of changes associated with shifts in the external environment.
University of Michigan Business School

碩士
國立中興大學
行銷學系所
99
There are lots of hand tool manufacturers in the central part of Taiwan. The Manufacturers used to believe that if they could continuously develop new items and control products’ quality, customers would be attracted. However, as a result of advanced technology and transparent information, attending an international exhibition becomes easier than before. If these manufacturers can keep their advantages and know how to sell products overseas, it will help them to control the cost and increase their companies’ profits. Hence, these companies can create the win-win situation. However, it is not easy for hand tool manufacturers to extend international business department. They are inexperienced in it. But to run for this department, they should take the following processes into consideration: the quotation, formal order, making collection, production sheet placement, shipping schedule arrangement and attendance for the international exhibition. Therefore, they will need professionals to manage, to make the decision and continuously do the trial and errors to get the perfect orders and ship out the goods without difficulty. In this research, the A company is chosen to be the study object and the difficult parts of the international business process are derived from its own experience. The questionnaires adopting the Delphi Technique are composed of these problems and distributed to 6 professional hand tool manufacturers. From the top three difficult parts resulting from the surveys and the A company’s own problems, 11 tough questions are analyzed by TRIZ theory. These issues are as follows: price is too high for the target customers, NTD depreciates against USD, customers can not order the minimum quantities, the product fails to pass the inspection and etc. There are 42 methods generated from the TRIZ for solving these problems and aiming to help and solve the A company’s international business problems.

The archaeology of the region, referred to in scholarly lexicon as the Ancient Near East, is richly endowed with artefacts and monumental architecture of ancient cultures. Such artefacts, as a non-renewable resource are, therefore considered to be a scarce commodity. So also is the context and the provenance of these objects. Once an object’s provenance has been disturbed, it is of no further significant use for academic research, except for aesthetic value. Historically, as well as in the present, we see that humans have exploited this resource for various reasons, with very little regard given to provenance. The impact of forgery, illicit trade and looting are the greatest threat to the value of provenance. Contrary to some arguments, collectors, curators, buyers, looters and certain scholars play a significant role in its destruction. This research reveals to what extent unknown provenance has become a disturbing problem in the study of archaeological artefacts.
Biblical and Ancient Studies
M.Th. (Biblical Archaeology)

Bank demand guarantees have become an established part of international trade. Demand guarantees, standby letters of credit and commercial letters of credit are all treated as autonomous contracts whose operation will not be interfered with by courts on grounds immaterial to the guarantee or credit itself. The idea in the documentary credit transaction/demand guarantee transaction is that if the documents (where applicable) presented are in line with the terms of the credit/guarantee the bank has to pay, and if the documents do not correspond to the requirements, the bank must not pay. However, over the years a limited number of exceptions to the autonomy principle of demand guarantees and letters of credit have come to be acknowledged and accepted in practice. In certain circumstances, the autonomy of demand guarantees and letters of credit may be ignored by the bank and regard may be had to the terms and conditions of the underlying contract. The main exceptions concern fraud and illegality in the underlying contract. In this thesis a great deal of consideration has been given to fraud and illegality as possible grounds on which payment under demand guarantees and letters of credit have been attacked (and sometimes even prevented) in the English, American and South African courts. It will be shown that the prospect of success depends on the law applicable to the demand guarantee and letter of credit, and the approach a court in a specific jurisdiction takes. At present, South Africa has limited literature on demand guarantees, and the case law regarding the grounds upon which payment under a demand guarantee might be prevented is scarce and often non-existent. In South Africa one finds guidance by looking at similar South African case law dealing with commercial and standby letters of credit and applying these similar principles to demand guarantees. The courts, furthermore, find guidance by looking at how other jurisdictions, in particular the English courts, deal with these issues. Therefore, how the South African courts currently deal/should be dealing/probably will be dealing with the unfair and fraudulent calling of demand guarantees/letters of credit is discussed in this thesis.
Jurisprudence
LL.D