坚持运用辩证唯物主义,深度参与会费比额谈判

习近平总书记在《求是》杂志2019年第1期发表重要文章《辩证唯物主义是中国共产党人的世界观和方法论》,强调要"更加自觉地坚持和运用辩证唯物主义世界观和方法论,增强辩证思维、战略思维能力,把各项工作做得更好",这为我们运用辩证唯物主义基本原理参与联合国会费比额谈判提供了科学指引.本文拟结合工作实践,探索坚持和运用辩证唯物主义这一中国共产党人的世界观和方法论,更好发扬斗争精神和增强斗争本领,推动深度参与联合国会费比额谈判,为国家争取更大利益,为积极参与全球治理体系改革和建设贡献力量.     

New markets and new commons : Opportunities in the global casino

The United Nations is well positioned for the global changes of the information age now engulfing nation-states. The UN role and tasks—as global norm setter, broker, networker, convenor, and peacekeeper—are ideally suited to today's world of linked ‘infostructures’ and distributed power, influence and knowledge typified by the emerging global civil society. The UN can serve all these emerging infostructures—and be compensated by fostering debates and convening parties to design the needed agreements for operating the emerging ‘electronic commons’, including today's global financial casino. Technological, social and economic contexts for this new global agenda are described together with some market opportunities in new public/private partnerships to serve the global commons.     

How Do Central Bank Governors Matter? Regulation and the Financial Sector

Do past employment characteristics of central bank governors affect financial regulation? To answer this question, we construct a new data set based on curriculum vitae of all central bank governors around the world in 1970–2011. We interpret work experiences as indicators of preferences toward deregulation. Over the average duration in office (5.6 years), a governor with financial sector experience is associated with three times more deregulation than a governor without experience in finance. Similar results hold for past experience at the IMF; in contrast, past experience at the BIS and the UN are associated with less deregulation.     

Reforming the UN: the view of the American people

It may come as a surprise that surveys of the US people on the subject of the UN and global issues show that the US government policy of ignoring major UN reform is at odds with strong preferences by the American people for many major UN reforms. Illustrating both ignorance and some surprising discretion, it is also true that the US public opposes few of the many reforms tested. The Americans Talk Issues Foundation (ATI) has conducted six opinion surveys of US people on the UN and global issues in the past three years, the highlights of the latest of which are reported here.     

Financing the United Nations : Some possible solutions

This article suggests four basic propositions. First, financing is not an issue of UN policies or of UN management. Every member-state accepts an outright treaty obligation to pay its share of the organization's costs. The Charter gives no licence whatever to pay or not to pay one's dues according to whether one likes or dislikes some facet of UN work. Second, discussion of the financing of the UN should proceed from the Charter's principles of democratic revenue raising and governance, which plainly need reinforcement. Third, we should certainly explore additional sources, beyond the present triplicate framework of continuous dues assessment for regular budgets, ad hoc assessments for peacekeeping, and voluntary funding of development and humanitarian activities. But they should be additional sources—not devices to compensate for any state not paying its assessments. Fourth, UN financing is extremely vulnerable to disinformation and lack of information.     

Urbanization: the challenge for the next century

This article summarizes a new 1996-97 report from the World Resources Institute, the UN Environmental Program, the UN Development Program, and the World Bank, which describes a future with increased levels of urbanization that were reshaping the physical and social environment. Urbanization increased economic growth and environmental degradation. By the year 2000, 50% of the world population will live in urban areas. Cities are the center of economic activity. Consumption is the highest in cities. Cities produce the most pollution and waste. Three issues are particularly crucial to survival: the water supply, sanitation, and water resource management. Neglect of these and other environmental issues is likely to have important consequences in both developing and developed countries. The greatest growth in urban areas is occurring in developing countries. Cities in developing countries have huge populations living in poverty. The poor in either rural or urban areas are confronted with lack of access to clean water, to sanitation, and to housing. There is overcrowding and exposure to industrial wastes and air pollution. There is a need for policy reform, stronger institutions, and enlightened political leadership. Cities need to improve their environment and to strengthen local government and implement poverty reduction programs. Reform of urban policies must be accompanied by effective urban governance. Community-based approaches are essential. Broad-based support is needed for changes in strategies and practices and for attainment of a more sustainable environment.     

The globalization of the rule of law and human rights

The third millenium will be a defining period for the future of human rights worldwide. In the second millenium, rudimentary concepts of human rights emerged, evolved, expanded and ultimately were woven into an intricate and detailed web of rights that has been globally enunciated, but not yet universally recognized and enforced. Since World War II, developments have occurred at an escalating pace. The UN and the World Court have been established. Criminal tribunals have been created, and regional courts and regional security organizations have been installed. There is growing recognition that rulers of nations must be subject to civil and criminal jurisdiction of international law. At the close of the second millenium we are witnessing the first ever indictment of a sitting ruler for violations of international criminal law. Despite important progress, many obstacles must be overcome before the rule of law will prevail globally.     

Contending voices: futures, culture and development

This essay discusses some aspects of the World Commission on Culture and Development (WCCD), a major UN initiative. It describes, in particular, the fate of a proposal to establish a General Agreement on Culture and Development (GACD) similar to other international agreements, but which takes a ‘bottom-up’ rather than a ‘top-down’ approach to negotiation. The proposed GACD would contribute to the resolution of culture-related crises and promote new directions for development based on cultural diversity and shared global values. The aim of the essay is: to indicate the aims and progress of the Commission; to consider how cultural futures-oriented thinking might assist in the conceptualization of a GACD; and to reflect on how different voices within the world community affect the progress of such initiatives and proposals.     

Simulation of strategies for long-term international development

Until the technology needed to surmount global physical limits is discovered and widely used, raising standards of living in much of the third world is a luxury. Three ways of creating the wealth required to support such a massive technological and investment programme are reviewed: letting present trends continue, going for increased regional autonomy, or greatly increasing prices of third world primary exports. A simple model with five sectors and three regions is used; it confirms aspects of The Limits to Growth models, and raises further qualms concerning social and political constraints.     

Short- and Long-Term Effects of United Nations Peace Operations

In an earlier study Doyle and Sambanis (2000) [Doyle, MichaelW., and Nicholas Sambanis. 2000. "International Peacebuilding:A Theoretical and Quantitative Analysis." American PoliticalScience Review 94(4):779–801.] showed that United Nations(UN) peace operations have made positive contributions to peacebuildingin the short term, helping parties implement peace agreements.But are the effects of UN peace operations lasting? Becausethe UN cannot fight wars, such operations should not be usedto enforce a peace. Peacekeeping operations contribute moreto the quality of the peace—that is, to securing morethan the mere absence of war—than to its duration, becausethe effects of such operations dissipate over time. For peaceto be self-sustaining, countries must develop institutions andpolicies that generate economic growth. UN peacebuilding lacksa strategy for fostering self-sustaining economic growth thatcould connect increased participation with sustainable peace.The international community would benefit from an evolutionthat uses economic reforms to plug the gap between peacekeepingand humanitarian assistance on the one hand and developmenton the other.     

Dangerous knowledge: Can nuclear weapons be abolished?

The end of the Cold War spurred significant and encouraging steps towards the abolition and eradication of nuclear weapons. After the breakthrough discussions between Gorbachev and Reagan at Reykjavik in 1986, the substantial cut-backs in Russian and American nuclear warheads agreed to under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) negotiations, successive initiatives at the United Nations (UN) and the review conferences of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Canberra Commission's report in 1995, the 1996 advisory opinion of the World Court, the New Agenda Coalition, Middle Powers Initiative and other efforts by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) raised hope that the world may soon be rid of this menace. After 1997 the momentum of progress slowed and then turned from optimism to increasing frustration, pessimism and despair. The possession of nuclear weapons serves not only military and political but economic and social functions, elevating the prestige of the select nuclear group to a special status in world affairs that none will be anxious to relinquish voluntarily. Yet in spite of the setbacks and the obstacles, there is ample scope for constructive action. Most promising is a renewed effort to establish international law prohibiting the use, threat of use or possession of nuclear weapons, along the lines of the Chemical Weapons Convention that has very effectively stopped the use of these weapons in all but one instance since 1925. At the root of the nuclear problem, a Cartesian dualism in our thinking about ourselves and the world fosters a sense of detachment, complacency and inactivity regarding an issue that holds our very lives in the balance. The finite zero-sum game of competitive international security needs to be replaced by an infinite win-win game of global cooperative security like that now unfolding on a model scale in Europe.     

百年大变局下的国际法与国际法治

当今世界正经历百年未有之大变局，对现行国际法与国际法治提出了前所未有的挑战。二战后逐渐建立和发展起来的现代国际法与国际法治从总体上讲是进步的，对战后世界和平及安全、国际合作与发展、人权尊重和保障，发挥了不可替代的作用。但现代国际法与国际法治并不完善，无论是国际法规则制度本身还是国际法治的运行，都存在深层次的问题，还有许多不公正、不合理、不符合国际格局演变大势的国际规则、国际机制需要改进。当代中国已深度融入全球治理与国际法治体系，从学习者、追随者、受益者发展成为维护者、建设者、贡献者，坚定维护以联合国为核心的国际体系、以国际法为基础的国际秩序、以联合国宪章宗旨和原则为基础的国际关系基本准则，并在理念、原则、规则、制度等方面对现代国际法与国际法治贡献了中国智慧和中国方案。面对百年未有之大变局，中国要立足中国、胸怀天下，与时俱进、守正创新，加强国际法研究和运用，善于运用国际法治思维和法治方式有效应对挑战、防范风险，坚持统筹推进国内法治和涉外法治、协调推进国内法治和国际法治，积极参与全球治理体系改革和建设，积极参与国际规则的制定，推动构建人类命运共同体。 一     

Regions and French society: Three scenarios of the future

This paper is a translated version of the résumé, “Territoires et société”, of the report presented to the Budapest UN ECE seminar on long-term perspectives for human settlements development.     

丹麦按揭系统稳健运作的经验

丹麦房贷市场是世界第三大抵押债券市场，其独特的按揭系统有着200多年的历史，是世界上最古老的、运行最稳定的房屋抵押贷款系统之一。丹麦模式以高透明度、低信贷风险和低借贷成本而闻名于世，在历次金融危机中稳如磐石，对社会经济的稳定发展发挥了重要作用。文章介绍了丹麦按揭系统稳健运作的成功经验，以期为我国房地产市场的长期稳定发展提供借鉴。     

Traditional energy resources : Present state and future development

In the United Kingdom, in particular, the difficulty of reconciling short-term economic and commercial objectives with long-term technical and supply problems has been complicated by new elements: the nuclear energy programme, the discoveries of natural gas and the extension of off-shore oil exploration. The situation is further complicated when the energy problems of the third world are considered, for world consumption will reach astronomical proportions if it were to approach the current North American level. The most hopeful feature of the energy situation is that its seriousness is now being realised.     

Advancing Sustainability Reporting in Canada: 2019 Report on Progress

This study examines the progress Canada's largest companies are making in their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures. Given the introduction of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as well as the issuance of the Task Force on Climate‐Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, our research reflects the uptake of these guidance documents by both mature and new reporters. Our analysis suggests that challenges persist—processes and progress often fail to reach investors as they are “lost in translation” when issued through third‐party ESG information providers, and reporters are also pressured to respond to a myriad of requests for information from rating and reporting agencies. Nevertheless, we note that Canada has new reporting sectors that must mature to survive the scrutiny of the markets and also hope that stock markets will respond to the recent announcement by the 181 CEOs of the U.S. Business Roundtable, who committed to lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders—customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and shareholders. Overall, we believe that our research will provide food for thought for companies interested in continuous improvement.     

Postconflict Transitions: An Overview

In the two to five years immediately following end of conflicts,UN peacekeeping operations have succeeded in maintaining peace,while income and consumption growth rates have been higher thannormal and recovery on key education and health indicators hasbeen possible. Aid also has been super-effective in promotingrecovery, not only by financing physical infrastructure butalso by helping in the monetary reconstruction of postconflicteconomies. However, sustaining these short-term gains was metwith two difficult challenges. First, long-term sustainabilityof peace and growth hinges primarily on the ability of postconflictsocieties to develop institutions for the delivery of publicgoods, which, in turn, depends on the capacity of post-conflictelites to overcome an entrenched culture of political fragmentationand form stable national coalitions, beyond their immediateethnic or regional power bases. Second, after catch-up growthruns its course, high levels of aid could lead to overvaluedreal currencies, at a time when growth requires a competitiveexchange rate and economic diversification. Successful peace-buildingwould, therefore, require that these political and economicimperatives of postconflict transitions be accounted for inthe design of UN peacekeeping operations as well as the aidregime.     

Multiple Credit Ratings, Cost of Debt and Self-Selection

Abstract:  In a world where firms pay for credit ratings and (because of regulatory requirements) where some investors must pay attention to the ratings of some specified set of raters, it may well be in the interests of a firm to seek a third 'optional' rating, beyond the standard 'mandatory' two ratings from Moody's and Standard and Poor's. The firm may get a better rating from the third major rater Fitch, which could save substantially on future debt issuance costs. In this paper I specify and estimate a structural self-selection model of the demand for optional credit ratings derived from their expected reduction effect on borrowing cost compared with the optional ratings' cost. Attention is focused on specifying the role of expected cost of debt savings in the derived demand for optional ratings; these are found to be empirically important determinants of the decision to request Fitch ratings.     

Future cities in a warming world

More than half the global population are already urban, and the UN and other organisations expect this share to rise in future. However, some researchers argue that the future of cities is far from assured. Cities are not only responsible for 70% or more of the world's CO₂ emissions, but because of their dense concentration of physical assets and populations, are also more vulnerable than other areas to climate change. This paper attempts to resolve this controversy by first looking at how cities would fare in a world with average global surface temperatures 4 °C above pre-industrial levels. It then looks at possible responses, either by mitigation or adaptation, to the threat such increases would entail. Regardless of the mix of adaptation and mitigation cities adopt in response to climate change, the paper argues that peak urbanism will occur over the next few decades. This fall in the urban share of global population will be driven by the rise in biophysical hazards in cities if the response is mainly adaptation, and by the declining attraction of cities (and possibly the rising attraction of rural areas) if serious mitigation is implemented.     

Protecting the ozone layer

Stratospheric ozone layer depletion has been recognized as a problem by the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the 1987 Montreal Protocol (MP). The ozone layer shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV-B), which is more pronounced at the poles and around the equator. Industrialized countries have contributed significantly to the problem by releasing chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons into the atmosphere. The effect of these chemicals, which were known for their inertness, nonflammability, and nontoxicity, was discovered in 1874. Action to deal with the effects of CFCs and halons was initiated in 1985 in a 49-nation UN meeting. 21 nations signed a protocol limiting ozone depleting substances (ODS): CFCs and halons. Schedules were set based on each country's use in 1986; the target phaseout was set for the year 2000. The MP restricts trade in ODSs and weights the impact of substances to reflect the extent of damage; i.e., halons are 10 times more damaging than CFCs. ODS requirements for developing countries were eased to accommodate scarce resources and the small fraction of ODS emissions. An Interim Multilateral Fund under the Montreal Protocol (IMFMP) was established to provide loans to finance the costs to developing countries in meeting global environmental requirements. The IMFMP is administered by the World Bank, the UN Environmental Program, and the UN Development Program. Financing is available to eligible countries who use .3 kg of ODS/person/year. Rapid phaseout in developed countries has occurred due to strong support from industry and a lower than expected cost. Although there are clear advantages to rapid phaseout, there were no incentives included in the MP for rapid phaseout. Some of the difficulties occur because the schedules set minimum targets at the lowest possible cost. Also, costs cannot be minimized by a country-specific and ODS-specific process. The ways to improve implementation in scheduling and incremental costs are indicated.