Climate change has become one of the most pressing problems for both nature and human lives. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are part of a “natural solution” to climate change. Most of existing MPAs are governed by government agencies rather than private stakeholders such as NGOs, local communities and for-profit enterprises. Nevertheless, with the global push to create MPAs, the number of privately governed MPAs is expected to increase. In this context, this paper aims to investigate the role of private stakeholders in enhancing the governance effectiveness of MPAs so as to improve their capability to counter any adverse impact brought by the changing climate. After analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of the practice of each category of private stakeholders are uncovered and specific recommendations are proposed to promote the future practice. With the increasing number of privately governed MPAs in the future, this paper serves as a starting point and contributes to the literature on the study of the private governance of MPAs in the context of the changing climate.
The Statute of the International Court of Justice stipulates that judges shall exercise their powers impartially. We question the practicability of this statement and examine whether the voting pattern of the judges are biased. In this light, empirical research is conducted on cases adjudicated from 2005 to 2016. We find strong evidence that (1) judges favour their home States or appointing States; and (2) judges favour States that speak same majority language with their home States.
As the last economic frontier in Northeast Asia, North Korea is a promising land but at the same time a risky land for foreign investment. The ‘dual-track’ policy of advancing both the political stability and economic development promoted by the present leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has prompted the outside world to speculate that he is determined to gradually open the doors to the economy of North Korea to attract foreign investment as initial capital to mobilise domestic economic growth. By conducting a systemic and comparative analysis of the existing bilateral investment treaties (BIT s) signed by North Korea in the Kim Jong-il era, this article has put forward eight tips that can better prepare those daredevils who are interested in seizing the future opportunity to invest in North Korea in the present Kim Jong-un era. It is predicted that denuclearisation will bring a new era for North Korean BIT s.
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