#trans continental trade networks

[auressea]

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211024-the-little-known-hiking-trail-that-built-canada

[enberryapp]

What is Belt and Road Initiative? China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (一带一路) is an ambitious programme to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks along six corridors with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth. The name was coined in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping, who drew inspiration from the concept of the Silk Road established during the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago – an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean via Eurasia for centuries. The BRI has also been referred to in the past as 'One Belt One Road'. The BRI comprises a Silk Road Economic Belt – a trans-continental passage that links China with south east Asia, south Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land – and a 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting China’s coastal regions with south east and south Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Africa, all the way to Europe.

[nmsc-market-pulse]

The Flat Steel Market: Emerging Markets and Their Rising Influence

In the intricate web of the global steel industry, flat steel market stands out for its critical role in various sectors, including automotive, construction, and machinery. This versatility stems from its manufacturing process—steel is rolled into sheets or plates, producing products that are integral to our daily lives, from cars to skyscrapers.

As the world's economies evolve, the demand for flat steel is significantly influenced by emerging markets. These regions, through rapid urbanization, industrialization, and extensive infrastructure projects, are becoming pivotal in shaping the global flat steel landscape.

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The Rising Tide of Emerging Markets

Emerging markets, with their dynamic economies, are at the forefront of boosting global flat steel demand. Countries such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia are not just large consumers of flat steel but also key players in its production. The demand in these economies is propelled by several factors, all of which interlink to create a robust appetite for flat steel.

Urbanization: A Catalyst for Change

Urbanization is a primary driver of flat steel demand in emerging markets. As populations migrate to cities in search of better opportunities, the need for urban infrastructure—from residential buildings to commercial spaces—witnesses a significant upswing. This urban expansion necessitates vast quantities of flat steel for construction purposes, not just for the buildings themselves but also for the infrastructure that supports urban life, including bridges, public transport networks, and utilities.

Industrialization: Fueling Demand

Parallel to urbanization, industrialization plays a crucial role in escalating the demand for flat steel. Emerging markets are rapidly transforming their economies, shifting from agriculture-based to industrial powerhouses. This transition involves the establishment and expansion of industries ranging from automotive to consumer goods, all of which rely heavily on flat steel. The automotive sector, in particular, is a significant consumer of flat steel, used in everything from chassis to body panels.

Infrastructure Development: The Backbone of Growth

Infrastructure development projects are pivotal in emerging markets, serving as the backbone for economic growth. These projects, which include transportation networks, energy plants, and water systems, require substantial amounts of flat steel. The Belt and Road Initiative by China is a prime example, aiming to enhance regional connectivity and embrace economic development on a trans-continental scale, thereby elevating the demand for flat steel to new heights.

Challenges and Opportunities

While the trajectory for flat steel demand in emerging markets appears promising, it is not without its challenges. Volatility in raw material prices, environmental concerns, and the need for sustainable production methods are pressing issues. Moreover, the global trade environment, influenced by tariffs and trade agreements, can impact the flow of flat steel between nations, affecting availability and prices.

However, these challenges also present opportunities for innovation and growth. The push towards sustainability is driving advancements in steel production technologies, making processes more efficient and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, recycling of steel, a key aspect of the industry, contributes to sustainable development goals, offering a pathway to a more circular economy.

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The Future of Flat Steel in Emerging Markets

Looking ahead, the demand for flat steel in emerging markets is set to continue its upward trajectory. Urbanization and industrialization trends show no signs of slowing down, underpinning the sustained need for flat steel. Moreover, as these economies grow, their capacity to innovate and adopt more sustainable practices will likely improve, ensuring that the demand for flat steel is met in more environmentally friendly ways.

The influence of emerging markets on the global flat steel industry is profound and multifaceted. As these regions continue to develop, their impact on the demand, production, and innovation in the flat steel sector will undoubtedly grow stronger. Stakeholders across the value chain, from producers to end-users, need to closely monitor these trends and adapt to the evolving landscape. The future of flat steel is not just about meeting demand but doing so in a way that is sustainable, efficient, and aligned with global economic and environmental goals.

In conclusion, the flat steel market is at a critical juncture, with emerging markets playing a pivotal role in shaping its future. The interplay of urbanization, industrialization, and infrastructure development in these regions creates a robust demand for flat steel, offering both challenges and opportunities. As the industry navigates this landscape, the focus will increasingly be on not just how much flat steel we produce, but how we produce it, ensuring that the growth in demand is matched with advancements in sustainability and efficiency. The journey ahead for the flat steel market is as promising as it is challenging, with emerging markets at its heart, steering the course towards a more integrated and sustainable future.

[fnmibeadingmakers]

(Margeurite Metivier, Minnesota, Dakota Beaded Bag, wool/glass, 10″x11″, 1860).

Though we don't know much about the artist behind the bag, we know that in 1860, a Dakota woman named Marguerite Metivier created a red beaded purse. On a red background, the bag features blue and black glass beads in floral designs. According to her baptismal records, she was "the daughter of a white man and a Sioux woman." The bag is lined with newspaper, and bits of what appears to be Hindustani text are visible due to loss in some areas of the red cloth. What were the materials used back then? Dakota and other Native Americans crafted beads out of rocks, stones, bones, and teeth before European trade brought glass beads to North America around 1500. Hairpipe was a long-bone bead used by artists to adorn garments such as breastplates. They crafted jewellery and dresses out of beads made from teeth and shells gathered via trans-continental Native trading networks. They started with hand-blown beads, then streamlined "pony" beads, and eventually smaller, factory-made "seed" beads, which are used today. Surprisingly, virtually no Dakota artwork survived the decade after the United States–Dakota War. Many people just made it out alive. Staying alive from season to season in new environments, often without food, shelter, or medication, took precedence over creating art. "To appeal to tourists, they applied European motifs, such as representations of animals and people, to Euro-American items like fitted jackets and vests. European decorative items such as pincushions, fobs, and wall pockets became popular." Dakota bags and other novelty objects inspired the Arts and Crafts movement, which flourished between 1880 and 1920. "The major innovation seen on bags (as on clothing and other art forms) was, however, the introduction of an entirely new type of floral imagery borrowed from the art of the European and North American immigrants. Evidence of the attraction floral designs had for Great Lakes Anishinaabek is found in the memoir of an early Southern Ontario pioneer, Catherine Parr Traill, who wrote of the visits paid to her in the 1830s Ojibwa women from the neighbouring Rice Lake community" (Berlo, Phillps 118). From this period, we can see where the start of European-based florals started to emerge. When looking at the piece, we see the same reflective work as we would see today in more modern traction works. We can infer that there was little colour used since glass beads were not yet accessible then. Artists still found a way to draw that balance between contrast through the various resources that would've created the blue, black, grey, and light blue hues in the beadwork. As seen in more recent works, the bag follows the same centre focus with its emblem and still has the reflect pattern we see today on both sides of the piece. "Although it has often been stated that the Quebec convents were the source of the floral designs spread across North America during the nineteenth century, there were, in fact, many possible separate introductions of floral imagery" (Berlo, Philps 118).

[bigyack-com]

Tracing Japan’s engagement with modern India - columns

This column is being written on Christmas Day, and will appear in print shortly before the New Year. This week, I thought, I should write on something other than “a burning topic of the day”. So here goes. There is a stock, stereotypical, image of the Japanese tourist, who rushes to and through a monument or shrine in a foreign country, clicking away. As one website has it, “The Japanese tourist has become a ubiquitous figure throughout the world. Typically, he or she is part of a travel group with a guide waving a small flag, moving the group at a rapid pace through the day’s schedule. The tourist is heavily slung with cameras, video recorders, and perhaps a tape recorder to catch a bird call. The clothes appear to be nearly a uniform with small variations between members of the group. Tour groups follow the same itinerary and the same tour buses follow each other in the same lock-step that the members of each group follow.”In the 21st century, travel between countries has become easier than it ever was before. You come and go from a foreign land very quickly; and you breeze through the sites you wish to see quickly too. Hence the sort of Japanese tourist we Indians see rushing through the Taj Mahal, Ajanta and Ellora, the Victoria Memorial, Humayun’s Tomb, and a hundred other places. Things were once different, as I discovered while reading a fascinating account of Japanese visitors to India in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Notably, these were seekers and pilgrims, rather than pleasure-seekers. Their stories have been rehabilitated in Richard Jaffe’s recent book, Seeking Sakyamuni, South Asia in the Formation of Modern Japanese Buddhism.Among the first Japanese travellers to India was a certain Nanjo Bun’yu (1849-1927) who had studied Sanskrit with Max Müller at Oxford, sparking his curiosity in the land of the Buddha. Nanjo came to India in 1887. He was followed soon after by a slew of Japanese scholars, who came to India, or Ceylon, or both, visiting Buddhist sites. As Jaffe writes, “These ventures into South Asian hinterlands by early Japanese Buddhist travellers were not just opportunistic tourist junkets undertaken at convenient entrepots en route to Japan from Europe. … That the Japanese would bother with these perilous South Asian pilgrimages to Buddhist sites — a number of Japanese Buddhists subsequently died making the journey — underscores the importance that South Asia would play in Japanese Buddhist sites in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.” Some visitors made a tour of the sites and returned. Others came to learn languages and study ancient texts with pandits, hoping thereby to arrive at a better understanding of “the true practices and precept lineage of the Buddha”. These scholars took back books, relics, and artefacts associated with Buddhism in South Asia, furthering the connection between their land and ours. They helped reshape Japanese Buddhist religious practices and architectural styles on the basis of what they had seen and studied in India and Sri Lanka.As Jaffe demonstrates, travels back and forth between Japan and India were enabled by two of the great new technologies of the 19th century — the steamship and the railway. The first aided movement between Japan and South Asia; the latter, movement within South Asia itself. By the early 20th century, there was also a thriving trade between India and Japan, particularly in cotton and cotton products, furthering closer interactions between these two great and ancient cultures that had hitherto been largely unconnected from one another. Also facilitating this process of cultural exchange was the phenomenon known as “pan-Asianism”, whereby activists and ideologues sought to built a network of trans-continental solidarity aimed at ending the European domination of Asia. Pan-Asianism came in two forms; one which “emphasized the importance of spiritual values among all Asians, counterposing them to the materially oriented Europeans and Americans”, and a second, more politically charged variety, “in which Japan was seen as the rightful, indispensable leader of an alliance of Asian nations in a struggle against European and American colonial powers”. In this latter type of pan-Asianism, writes Jaffe, “Japan, because of her successful modernization, military might, and cultural sophistication, was the only nation capable of leading other Asians in their struggle with Europe and the United States”. A central figure in Seeking Sakyamuni is Kawaguchi Ekai (1866-1945), a Japanese scholar who spent almost two decades in India and Tibet, including a full seven years in Benares. This is how Jaffe describes his daily regimen with his teachers in the holy city of the Hindus: “Rising each day at 5:30 am, Kawaguchi would practice zazen and bathe. Following a thirty-minute teatime, Kawaguchi would then read an English translation of the Dhammasangani until 9:30 am, when he would turn his attention to practicing Sanskrit reading and grammar for two hours. Following another thirty-minute meal and a break, from 2-5:00 pm, he would practice orally translating Sanskrit, then review Sanskrit grammar until 6:30 pm, Kawaguchi would attend class from an hour from 7:30-8:30 pm, then continue practicing oral translation until 10:00 pm, followed by another hour of review!”.Here was a Japanese “tourist” altogether different from the Japanese tourists we know of today.In the political imagination of modern India, Japan is the land that gave succour to Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA). In the technological imagination of modern India, Japan is the land that will quickly and efficiently connect the trading centres of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Seeking Sakyamuni takes us back to a time before the INA and the bullet train, when the two countries were brought together by the interest of spiritually inclined Japanese in the greatest of all Indians. This column will return in 2020, when I suspect that — the way things are going — it will have to focus once more on the contentious issues of the present, rather than provide charming sidelights from the past. Ramachandra Guha is the author of Gandhi: The Years That Changed The WorldThe views expressed are personal Read the full article

[cdsgroupltd]

What Is Freight Shipping?

The word “freight” refers to the bulk of goods and commodities. When put alongside with the term “shipping", it transmutes into the terminology of “freight shipping” which chiefly relates to the transportation of the goods and merchandise commonly over long passages.

The commodities being transported from one place to the other are generally colossal in nature. The origins of freight shipping lie in the Victorian age in the cities of old Britain. Those days, the ships were the only means of accomplishing the trans-continental trade, and the development of freight shipping boosted it immensely.  

 Freight Shipping In Modern World  

 In the modern era, freight shipping has full-grown to include a number of distinguished activities. The transportation of cargo/other merchandise is carried out by not just the ocean or the inland waterways but is rather also facilitated by a huge network of roads, railways and air transport which work in unison to get the goods delivered at the desired destination. All these modes of freight shipping are briefly discussed below:

 1.      Roads:

 Freight shipping is much easier to handle in a case where the cargo is to be delivered from a landlocked region to another in its vicinity. The conveyance in such a case is the fastest and the most hassle-free. However, not being the safest mode of transportation, there still persists a risk of damages to fragile goods. This transportation today has become a part of the delivery chain of larger shipments that is mainly accredited to the flourishing inland industries.

 2.      Railways:

 Freight shipping has extremely benefited from the well-connected rail routes in many countries. This form of shipping happens mostly within the frontiers and is utilised the most to carry the heavy cargo like the iron ore and coal as in the case of our country.

 In this circumstance, the risk of potential damages is average, and the time consumption in delivering freight is also typical. However, it is not the most favourable mode of shipment for delicate and precious goods.

 3.      Waterways:

 Oceans and navigable inland waterways were the first to support the journey of goods to far-off places, and even till date, these remain the busiest route. The charge of shipping through the sea routes depends considerably upon the customs duties and other charges attributed to overseas travelling.  

 Most of the industries were set up near the rivers to facilitate the consignment of the heavy goods, and this is a pertinent reason which still makes the literal "freight Shipping" the most convenient. The long time taken by the ships to deliver the goods is the main hindrance here.

 4.      Air:

 The newest and the most efficient mode of shipment- airways is the perfect choice for transporting goods at high speed. The cargo aeroplanes exclusively serve the purpose to deliver precious commodities with supreme safety. The only concerning factor here is the high cost of shipment that airways acquire.

Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that in this interconnected, globalised world, freight shipping is emerging as a field of new business interest and has been a vital part of the demand-supply chain.

It is very important for a person wishing to indulge in freight shipping as a businessman and a person pondering to explore the idea of exports & imports to gain precise knowledge of the field and we hope that this article helped you to some extent in your venture.

 CDS Group of Companies (Author)

CDS Group of Companies is one of the best warehousing and logistics companies in Canada. We are offering services such as warehousing, transportation, transload, custom clearance, and supply chain management services in Canada. Enquire now https://www.cdsltd.ca/

[hudsonespie]

Ocean Governance and Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea

[By Bem Ibrahim Garba]

The world’s oceans occupy over 70 percent of the earth’s surface, playing a significant role in the support of the socio-economic growth and development of nations. These oceans provide a source of livelihood for many people through fishing, shipping and logistics, exploration of hydrocarbons and petroleum resources, exploitation of mineral resources, as well as leisure.

For some time now, these repositories of valuable natural resources have endured great degradation due to man’s activities.  In order to continuously utilize and benefit from them now and in the future, the oceans need to be efficiently managed and sustained with guidelines and policies for effective governance. This implies that ocean governance is not only obligatory but also compulsory on nations that are contiguous to the oceans and other major water bodies around the world. 

Ocean Governance

Ocean governance refers to actionable policies, strategies and activities embarked upon by governments and non-governmental agencies for influencing and managing the affairs of the world’s oceans. The world’s ocean systems are complex, as such matters concerning ocean governance are multi-pronged and multi-faceted. The challenges associated with climate change, green-house pollution, biodiversity loss, offshore extraction, and overfishing also continue to be a burden, posing various kinds of threat to marine life and humankind as well.  

These challenges are too complex to be tackled by a single group, region, or nation-state, hence keeping the world’s oceans healthy and safe requires a broad coalition of actors coming together under international guidelines and protocols. This becomes even more imperative as the global population is estimated to hit 10 billion by 2050 and 11 billion by the year 2100.

Governance in general involves interactions between formal institutions, civil society groups and organizations within areas of interest (sometimes geographic) aimed at exercising authority and influence, which leads to the enactment of policies and decisions, in the management of the economic and social resources of an area.

Ocean governance involves making sure that those who operate and trade on the oceans do so with safe and reasonable caution. They need to be guided by the requisite laws and order. As an example, in line with its Global Strategy and specific regional policies for the Gulf of Guinea, the European Union plays a key role as a global maritime security provider. It has mobilized resources to protect the region against maritime threats like piracy and human trafficking, reduced maritime accidents, and prevented environmental disasters. Satellite data from its Copernicus programme have been used by the European Maritime Safety Agency for international search-and-rescue operations at the request of the UN.

Since the inception of seaborne trade, ocean coastlines have been valuable gateways for global trade, however today, with ongoing pollution, human degradation, piracy, armed banditry, kidnapping of seafarers and illegal bunkering on the seas on the rise, there is a noteworthy decline in the economic value derived from seaborne trade within areas that border oceans notorious for criminality at sea.

Some of the threats to life and assets at sea include terrorism, vandalization, robberies, piracy, gun running, bunkering, and other acts of economic sabotage, stealing, pollution (from oil spillage), war and civil unrest, etc. These acts of criminality are especially common on the African coastline known as the Gulf of Guinea. 

The Gulf of Guinea (GOG)

The Gulf of Guinea (GOG) represents the continental coastline that borders the Atlantic Ocean and is more than 6,000 kilometers in length. This coastline spans the border of Africa from Central and West Africa, and borders more than a dozen countries.

The Gulf of Guinea (GOG) provides an economic theater to both coastal and landlocked African countries and is of strategic importance to the global business community and international shipping. The safe passage of goods and services to ports in this region, plus the required security within its waters is a critical factor to global energy production and transportation. This is more so as Nigeria and Angola, two countries within this zone, are amongst the world’s top ten crude oil exporters.

The Gulf of Guinea is also important to West Africa’s fishing industry, as it provides employment and a means of sustenance for a large percentage of the indigenous population. It offers vast mineral resources and commercially valuable marine life, as well as providing strategic maritime transport routes for international shipping. Its natural resources are integral to global trade networks. This justifies the need for maritime security and safety at all times.

The socio-economic and political environment within this area has changed over the years. Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea has taken a different dimension. Piracy and other criminal activities have been on the rise, and constitutes a serious threat to life and commercial activity within the area.

Within Nigeria’s Niger Delta, there has been a spike in maritime piracy, armed robbery, and youth militancy. In 2007, over 100 attacks against shipping vessels were recorded. A study by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in 2013 identified the threats in the Gulf as acts of violence at sea, organized transnational crime, trafficking in drugs and illegal substances, illegal and unrecorded fishing, and other ecological risks. The report of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) records the Gulf of Guinea as the most dangerous sea in 2016.

The IMB also reported that in 2017 the Gulf of Guinea had the highest number of reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the world. It was noted in the same report that 102 crew members were kidnapped in 2018, compared to 63 kidnap incidents in 2017.

However, it is worthy to note that piracy is not the only cause of maritime instability and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. Other challenges related to weak governance include organized crime such as illegal fishing, drug smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. The region is known as a major transit corridor for drug trafficking from South America to Europe and other parts of the world.

Close analysis suggests that weak ocean governance is the major factor enabling insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. Other factors would include poverty within coastal communities, corruption of government officials, growing unemployment, youth militancy, terrorism, and the lure of quick money provided by criminal enterprise.

Healthy global trade demands a concerted global effort to combat criminal activities and the racketeering that have become synonymous with this region. To create a safer more secure economic region, there must be adequate information, human capacity development, the development and transfer of technical knowledge, sound and practical institutional policies and technological resources to manage the adverse human impact and natural hazards inherent within this marine environment and its ecosystem. This is impossible without integrated governance and a trans-regional ocean policy that will balance the use of this coastline with the sustainable development of its abundant resources.

Rising up to this challenge, many maritime organizations, especially the International Maritime Organization (IMO), have followed the security issues in the Gulf of Guinea for many years with a strong commitment to understanding and resolving the underlying challenges. This started after an appeal was made to the United Nations by the then-President of Benin Republic Thomas Boni Yayi for assistance in combating crimes in the region. In response to this, amongst many other pleas from other stakeholders, the UN Security Council in February 2012 came up with Resolution 2039 which urged states within the region to develop counter-piracy policies at regional and national levels.

Bodies such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) also convened joint meetings and strategic sessions to draft regional strategies. Documents drafted at the above meetings were endorsed at a summit of heads of states and governments of Central and West Africa in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in June 2013.

2015 saw the creation of the Inter-regional Coordination Center (ICC) under the auspices of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC). Many other bodies have also been created to deal with the issue of insecurity and facilitate development in the area. These bodies include CRESMAO in 2014 and CRESMAC in 2015, under ECOWAS.

On the global scene, the UN Security Council Resolution 2039 invited international partners to provide support for regional efforts and bilateral relations and partnerships in the Gulf of Guinea. Developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Spain are to be part of the bilateral partnerships. The EU has also released its strategy for the Gulf of Guinea, and INTERPOL and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have included Gulf of Guinea piracy in their analyses and reports concerning organized crime in West and Central Africa.

This international attention acknowledges that maritime insecurity in West Africa, like Somali piracy, exists as a component of transnational crime and can have an impact far beyond the immediate region.

The IMO Council, in its Resolution 1069 of 2003, resolved to monitor the situation in relation to acts and attempted acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships, illicit maritime activity, and threats to ships sailing in the Gulf of Guinea. The council resolved to initiate any actions which it may deem necessary, including coordinating the work of competent committees of the organization to ensure the protection of seafarers and ships sailing in those waters and to ensure appropriate cooperation with other organizations and entities tasked with relevant activities.

Notwithstanding the efforts listed above, piracy and armed banditry still remain a critical challenge in the Gulf of Guinea, and this challenge continues to rise. Many factors have been adduced for the inability of these regional bodies to eliminate the incessant insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. One of the key factors listed include the structure of the regional bodies responsible for this work. Most of them have duplicated functions and are poorly coordinated.

Another factor is the competition for scarce resources (mostly financial) by regional heads, organizations, committees, and donor bodies. This implies that most of these organizations are unable to operate efficiently, making them ineffective in tackling and combating criminal activity within the region.

There is no verifiable record of any criminal prosecutions for maritime crimes committed within this region, hence the absence of any legal deterrents. This has, in turn, further led to an international outcry among the littoral states and maritime operators for increased surveillance, better restructuring, and greater funding for the management of the Gulf of Guinea.

To develop a workable blueprint for the sustainable development of renewable and non-renewable resources within the region, the conservation and protection of this marine domain, and to address the interrelated problems of the ocean space as a whole, there are key questions and challenges that are likely to confront the policymakers responsible for ocean governance.

When viewed holistically, there are four major areas or perspectives that ocean governance needs to be addressed from. They include environmental problems and population pressures; institutional responses to these problems and pressures; modern technology; and the adoption of the principles of responsible governance. A combination of these environmental, institutional, technological, and societal perspectives will have a significant bearing on ocean governance and, by extension, on the security and development of the Gulf of Guinea. 

Institutional Arrangements and Principles

In order to achieve the far-reaching security for people and cargo within the Gulf of Guinea and along its coasts, the governments of stakeholder states need to develop and adopt a grand security architecture in their approach to ocean governance. This will require inter-sectoral cooperation amongst the governing bodies.

Modern management principles and an integrated governance framework will be needed to improve enforcement and compliance in this ecological belt. Responsible ocean governance goes beyond legal and institutional arrangements and policies, even though these remain fundamental and key determinants. Other key factors worthy of consideration would include ethics and shared values; the use of the best scientific knowledge, shared information from indigenous knowledge systems; human capacity development; enhanced public awareness systems; technological advancements and innovation. All these are essential to enhancing cooperation amongst the stakeholders in order to strengthen institutional arrangements for ocean governance and to broaden participation amongst governing institutions at all levels in the Gulf region. 

Technological Challenges and Opportunities

The use of science and technology is increasing within many maritime domains. Some of the areas that have seen these developments include improved internet connectivity, marine information forecasts, transport efficiency, navigation, ocean floor profiling, and marine resource exploitation capabilities.

These developments in technology offer great opportunities for capacity development and wealth creation in the sector. In the future, access to cost-effective, timely data will be critical to enhancing ocean governance within the Gulf of Guinea. Information gathering and sharing via geospatial data systems and infrastructures will be essential for maritime domain awareness, observation, reporting, and more detailed exploration of the ocean’s floor. This will ensure the safety and security of marine operators while at the same time improving the management of commercial fishing practices.

Institutional Framework for Ocean Governance and Maritime Safety in the Gulf of Guinea

To achieve the above, institutional frameworks built on a multi-layered approach are required.

African nations within the littoral and landlocked zones of the Gulf of Guinea need to be more committed to formulating strategic maritime policies that engage with key ocean players to build bilateral partnerships. There is a need for an integrated fisheries management policy at the regional level through Regional Conventions and Fisheries Management Boards (RFMBs). This will improve regional ocean fishery regulation.

Finally, there is a need to build the capacity of partner states and organizations to monitor the oceans, conserve marine biodiversity and eliminate illegal, underreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Gulf of Guinea. 

National governments can, through determined political will, take up the mantle of leadership needed to formulate national policies and regulations for their respective states. The regional bodies, on their part, can integrate the policies developed by individual states and fashion them into actionable goals to be achieved within specific time periods. At the global level, international agreements and protocols can be strengthened and implemented with support and advocacy from the diverse coastal communities.

All the above, if well-coordinated, will draw support from the coastal communities. Through social networking, capacity-building, and effective communication, coastal communities will lead the effort and support participatory governance. This will promote shared values and enhance the rule of law.

The Future of the Gulf of Guinea 

Looking into the future, the European Commission, in 2019, established the International Ocean Governance Stakeholders Forum which brought together maritime experts, civil society representatives, academics, and policymakers dedicated to ocean and maritime issues worldwide.

Their terms of reference were to establish new protocols, discuss current challenges that hinder international ocean governance, and recommend future actions to resolve them. African nations dotting the Gulf of Guinea need to borrow from this effort. They need to become more proactive, transcending from being ordinary policy formulators, to implementors of agreed-upon goals for the development of oceans and coastlines in Africa.

Addressing the Gulf of Guinea’s challenges is a significant task, while ocean governance is a daunting issue which demands an interdisciplinary approach and innovative solutions. It remains a known fact that this maritime domain has a community of likeminded peoples with the passion and commitment to tackle these challenges. Their reasons are very simple. The economic and historic importance of the area is beyond reproach.

Much can be achieved through the collective efforts of these coastal communities when they come together as progressive stakeholders for the governance of the Gulf of Guinea. Effective ocean governance within the Gulf of Guinea will require their collective identification of common goals and the implementation of collectively agreed upon effective strategies for managing the region. These must all be built on enduring institutional structures.

It is by doing this, and by carrying out the shared recommendations, that the laudable objective of ocean governance and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea will be achieved.

Bem is the Chief Executive Officer of GOG Marine Limited, a shipowner and management company established to provide high quality product shipping services to end users doing business within the West African sub-region.

This article appears courtesy of CIMSEC and is reproduced here in an abbreviated form. It may be found in its original form here.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/ocean-governance-and-maritime-security-in-the-gulf-of-guinea via http://www.rssmix.com/

[englishchinesetranslations]

America Must Join the Silk Road

A. China-Mongolia-Russia Corridor — June 2016 the three presidents signed a trilateral economic partnership agreement at the 11th SCO meeting, consisting of 32 proposed projects and finding harmony between Russia’s Trans-Eurasian Belt Development plan, Mongolia’s Prairie Road program, and China’s BRI.

B. China-Pakistan Corridor — Highway, railway, oil and natural gas pipelines, and fiber optic projects will equal the value of all foreign investment into Pakistan since 1970, creating 700,000 direct jobs, 10.4 gigawatts of power, and transportation routes that will cut the trade distance between China and Europe, Africa, and the Americas by 2,000 miles.

C. New Eurasian Land-Bridge — Goods from central China are reaching Western Europe in 2 to 3 weeks, rather than 5 weeks by ocean. By mid-2016 over 2,000 rail shipments carried $17 billion in goods between China and Europe. Additional developments include the China-Belarus industrial park and a new connection between Central and Southern Europe with the Hungary-Serbia railroad will connect.

D. China-Indochina Corridor — Plans for transportation systems to connect ten of the largest cities in the region and additional infrastructure projects, including Cambodia’s Sihanoukville Economic Zone, nine cross-national highways, the Nanning to Hanoi rail line, the China-Laos railway project, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, and the Singapore-Kunming rail link.

E. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar — December 2013, the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor Joint Working Group convened its first meeting in Kunming, China. The multi-modal corridor will be the first expressway between India and China. Passing through Bangladesh and Myanmar, the corridor covers 1.65 million km2 and encompasses 440 million people.

F. The Maritime Silk Road — Connects China with the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Eastern Africa, Southwest Asia, and Europe, bringing a network of deep sea ports, industrial zones, oil and gas facilities, railway lines and critical projects in Africa. Ethiopia and Djibouti — The new Chinese-built Ethiopia-Djibouti railway marks a milestone in cooperation between China, Ethiopia and Djibouti, employing 25,000 Ethiopians and Djiboutians in the construction of the 470-mile Addis Ababa–Djibouti line, with more being trained to run the rail systems. Kenya — The Standard Gauge Railway will replace Kenya's existing railway (built in 1899 for the purpose of colonial extraction) and transform Kenya's Mombasa port, taking cargo and passengers to the Ugandian border in one-tenth the time it takes by road transport.

G. China-Central & West Asia — In June 2015 China and the five Central Asian countries agreed to ‘jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt,’ and additional routes will go into Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey. In Uzbekistan, China Railway Tunnel Group has completed the longest tunnel in Central Asia. In Afghanistan a new rail connection with China will shorten three-to-six month cargo transport times to only two weeks. The travel time from Eastern China to Iran will be cut in half.

Lyndon and Helga LaRouche have been at the forefront of a global campaign for this new international economic order since their proposal for an International Development Bank (IDB) in the 1970s, and more recently the vision of a New Silk Road beginning in the 1990s. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the LaRouche movement proposed a New Silk Road development corridor, to unite the industrial heartland of Europe to the rapidly developing nations of Asia, bringing Russia and Central Asia into mutual cooperation and development, and thereby creating the conditions to end the threat of global war once and for all.

This “peace through development” concept was rejected by the U.S. and its NATO allies, who chose instead to continue treating Russia as an enemy power, moving NATO military forces up to its borders. Russia was looted throughout the 1990s by rapacious western financial interests and by a new Russian oligarchy trained in so-called “free market” ideology by western think tanks and universities.

But China gladly embraced the Silk Road concept. A conference in Beijing in 1996, sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and titled “International Symposium on Economic Development of the New Euro-Asia Continental Bridge,” featured Mrs. Helga Zepp-LaRouche together with leading Chinese officials. Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche delivered a speech called "Building the Silk Road Land-Bridge: The Basis for the Mutual Security Interests of Asia and Europe." Reflecting an understanding of her historical role in building this initiative, Mrs. Zepp-LaRouche is still known today as the “Silk Road Lady” in China. The process of building this new Eurasian Land-Bridge was slow, in part due to the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s, but also because China had not yet developed the economic power and financial resources to move rapidly ahead.

That had changed by the time Xi Jinping became President in 2013, and he quickly launched the the Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路 / BRI). Lyndon LaRouche’s intelligence service, Executive Intelligence Review (EIR), immediately endorsed and supported the BRI, and began work on a 370-page Special Report titled The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge, extending the Silk Road concept to the entire world, including Europe and the U.S., which is suffering a massive infrastructure deficit.

This Special Report was followed up by a pamphlet produced by the LaRouche Political Action Committee (LPAC) in December 2015, titled The United States Joins the New Silk Road – A Hamiltonian Vision for an Economic Renaissance. It presented the huge potential for development in the United States: high speed rail (currently non-existent in the U.S.); massive water projects to meet the drought crisis across the Southwest; Hamiltonian credit mechanisms based on FDR’s Glass-Steagall legislation to replace the bankrupt monetarist system; a restoration of the space program which Obama had destroyed; crash development of fusion power; and classical education and classical culture for our citizens. Approximately 20,000 copies of the 32-page pamphlet have circulated in the U.S. over the past year.

But now we are in a new era. This pamphlet is more than an updating of that earlier version, both because the demands of the moment are so vast, but also because the potential for an historic victory is so much greater. The precise steps that must be taken for the United States to return to future-oriented growth and join with China and other nations in win-win global development are presented in Lyndon LaRouche’s policy document “The Four New Laws to Save The United States Now.” In this report, each of these four principles is elaborated to provide an in-depth basis according which these actions must be taken.

This program will ensure a great and prosperous future for America: productive and meaningful employment for everyone who wants a job, cheap and abundant electricity for all residential and industrial needs with fission and fusion power, the elimination of all droughts and water crises, high speed rail and magnetic levitation transportation between every major city, new world-class cities, a robust interplanetary manned space program, and a new classical cultural renaissance. This isn't asking too much to ask for, this isn't "pie-in-the-sky." This is what is possible, now, if you following the guidelines of this report, and make it happen.

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Introduction: A New Paradigm for Humanity

In 2014, China’s President Xi Jinping invited the United States to join the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by mankind, China’s great Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the New Silk Road. President Obama refused, opting instead for military encirclement of China, and economic warfare through the exclusion of China from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, just as he had launched similar geopolitical attacks against Russia.1 Obama’s policy, produced by the British and supported by the Western elites, was born from the fear that China’s Belt and Road Initiative—aimed at securing prosperity for the developing world, and providing modern infrastructure for all—threatened Anglo-American dominance of the world. This is a false and possibly fatal delusion, as presented by Helga Zepp LaRouche below.

Following the defeat of Obama’s political heir, Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump has sought to overthrow this geopolitical onslaught against Russia and China. He has pursued a better relationship with Vladimir Putin based on the common interest of fighting terrorism and developing the world, and he has developed a friendship with China’s President Xi Jinping. Domestically, President Trump has repeatedly referenced the critical economic framework needed to rebuild the United States: the American System of political economy, founded by Alexander Hamilton and carried forward in the physical economic development of our own country by Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt. If you are searching for the reason behind the crazed and insane attacks on the President, look no further than to these three things. Every resource known to Wall Street, our Hollywood culture, our Washington D.C. intelligence community mandarins, and our contrived news media has been leveled at attempting to drive President Trump away from mutually beneficial relations with Russia and China, and a revival of the American System of economy.

In this pamphlet, we introduce you to China’s great Belt and Road Initiative and lay out, in that context, Lyndon LaRouche’s Four Laws for Economic Recovery of the United States. What might seem like two distinct ideas are, in fact, one. Lyndon LaRouche and his wife Helga Zepp-LaRouche have campaigned for more than 40 years to develop the world, promoting scientific breakthroughs, grand designs for economic development, and a renaissance of classical culture. LaRouche has used his groundbreaking discoveries in economics to fundamentally advance the American System of political economy, as proposed and practiced by Hamilton, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. This is the program encompassed in LaRouche’s Four Laws for Economic Recovery of the United States. Helga Zepp-LaRouche’s decades-long campaign in China and other nations for a New Silk Road of modern infrastructure development and a revival of classical cultures, both East and West, has earned her the name “the New Silk Road Lady” in China. The Belt and Road initiative reflects the vision of both Lyndon and Helga LaRouche and encompasses the fundamental economic ideas animating the American System, ideas which have been largely abandoned in the United States.

There is no better guide to China’s grand project, and the historical significance of the United States itself adopting a new paradigm of economics and international relations, than Helga Zepp-LaRouche herself. And, so, we will introduce this pamphlet through a speech she recently gave at a Schiller Institute Conference “Fulfilling the Dream of Mankind” held in Bad Soden, Germany on November 25, 2017. We have edited her remarks for purposes of space in this pamphlet, but encourage you to view the video in full.

Read this speech with the sense of adventure, optimism, and big thinking which accompanies acts of discovery, rather than the small-minded pessimism which we are fed daily in our country.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche: Let me begin with an idea developed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. He said that we are actually living in the best of all possible worlds. This is a very fundamental ontological conception. It is the idea that we are living in a developing universe, that what makes the universe the best of all those possible is its tremendous potential for development. And it is created in such a way, that every great evil challenges an even greater good to come into being.

I think when we are talking about the New Silk Road and the tremendous changes which have occurred in the world, especially in the last four years, it is actually exactly that principle which is working. Because it was the absolute, manifest lack of development under the old world order, which caused the impulse of China and the spirit of the New Silk Road to catch on, so that now many nations of the world are absolutely determined to have development to give a better life to all of their people.

Now, I think that the New Silk Road is a typical example of an idea whose time has come; and once an idea becomes a material reality in that way, it becomes a physical force in the universe. I personally have had the chance to see the evolution of this idea, which in many senses really started with this great gentleman—my husband, Lyndon LaRouche, who many decades ago—almost half a century ago—had the idea of a just new world economic order. This then became more manifest in the 1970s, then in the 1980s, but especially in 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated and this idea of creating a just new world economic order became very prominent.

I personally had the chance to see how it spread, after President Xi Jinping announced the New Silk Road in 2013 in Kazakhstan. I visited China in 2014, and at that point there were still only a very few officials discussing it. But then it spread very rapidly. There were industrial fairs in all the cities of China; there were hundreds of international symposia; the BRICS countries started to join in the same spirit, as did the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO); altogether, more than 100 large nations and international organizations joined in support. This was evident in the Belt and Road Forum this past May, where twenty-nine heads of state spoke and 110 nations participated. Then I think the determination of the Chinese people to effect a new world economic order was consolidated in a completely new way at the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

On November 29, 2017, Helga Zepp-LaRouche was one of the featured speakers at the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Forum in Zhuhai, Guangdong. She presented a speech titled “The Belt & Road and a Dialogue of Cultures Based on Their Higher Expressions.”

This has generated a completely optimistic perspective. Xi Jinping announced that China will be a country in which poverty is completely eradicated by the year 2020. I think that is wonderful! And it is absolutely to be believed, because China has had an incredible economic miracle, in which it lifted 700 million people out of poverty. China now has only 42 million poor people left, so why should it not succeed in totally eliminating poverty by the year 2020? By 2035, China is to be a great modern country of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which in my view means predominantly Confucian characteristics. And by 2050, China will be—according to Xi Jinping—“a great modern country of socialism with Chinese characteristics, prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful.”

Now the Chinese media announce very proudly that this is a grand vision for the future. A new era has dawned. Xinhua wrote that “China will make a new and greater contribution to the noble cause of peace and development for all of humanity.” Well, it is very easy for the Chinese people to understand that, because the whole country is already united around this mission. The spirit of the New Silk Road has also caught on in the 70-plus countries that are cooperating. There are many people in the West who have also understood that, either because they have investments in China, or because they know that the New Silk Road is the largest infrastructure program in history. It is already now twelve or maybe even twenty times larger than the Marshall Plan was in the postwar period, but without its military connotation. It is creating total enthusiasm among all those who understand this project.

The Blindness of Western Elites

But of course, there are also those in the West who are completely opposed. Right now, a fight is going on between the old paradigm of geopolitics and the New Paradigm of the one humanity. The representatives of the old paradigm say, “Oh, what Xi Jinping is saying is just empty propaganda. The real intention of the Chinese is to replace the United States as the hegemon. Xi Jinping is a dictator. He just wants a system that is a threat to the Western model of market-oriented democracy, and therefore, it is bad.”

Der Spiegel magazine of last week had a big cover story with Chinese on the cover—“Xǐng lái!” which means “Wake Up!”— and an article about the awakening giant, writing that when Trump went to China just two weeks ago, he kowtowed; that this was his farewell speech, handing over the leadership of the world! That the West must urgently wake up and unite against a rising China, that the Chinese achievements are a threat to the values and the system of the West.

Now, isn’t this funny? One day the headlines say that the collapse of the Chinese banks and the Chinese economy will trigger a world financial collapse—but the next day, the same papers write that China is about to take over the world.

Obviously, some of these critics are completely freaked out about the fact that the old order is very clearly not working—the idea that you can have a unipolar world and geopolitical control based on the Anglo-American special relationship in the tradition of Churchill and Truman in the postwar period, and what the neo-cons started to build after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

So, there is no comprehension among these parties of the rapidly changing strategic alignment going on in the world. The common denominator of all of these phenomena is that the Western, neo-liberal, left-liberal establishment is completely unable, and unwilling, to reflect on the causes of the demise of this Western system, which are: The absolutely ridiculous income gap, where eight individuals have as much wealth as half of the rest of humanity, while the gap between rich and poor is increasing in every country; the policy of regime change, of color revolution; and the abysmal situation of the refugee crisis. Also, people have seen that what we have been fighting for, for literally centuries, in terms of civil rights, has almost vanished without discussion. There is total surveillance by the NSA and the GCHQ—the British secret service.

Western values of democracy are in shambles. If the Democratic Party leadership decides one year before the party convention who the candidate will be, and then manipulates the election against Bernie Sanders for a year—that is not a happy picture of democracy. There is the collusion of the Democratic Party in the United States with British intelligence and MI6 to invent Russia-gate against Trump. There is the collusion of Obama’s heads of intelligence against the elected President of the United States.

When these people criticize China, what you can see is that they are projecting their own intentions and viewpoints onto China and the New Silk Road. These people in the West who are attacking China, cannot imagine the existence of a government which is truly devoted to the common good and a harmonious development of all people, because they think that the world is a zero-sum game—that if one wins, the other has to lose, and that they have to control the rules in order to be able to rig the game in their favor. They believe that if you can’t do that, you are a loser.

This all leads to very absurd conclusions. For example, in 1995, Lester Brown, who was the President of the Earth Policy Institute, had a big scare story, “Who Will Feed China?” saying that the growing number of people in China will mean a growing demand for food, which will overstretch demand on the food supply in the world. This is nothing but the old Malthusian idea that the number of people will grow more quickly than the amount of food. Now if you look at China today, they can perfectly well feed 1.4 billion people—and I can assure you, with excellent food. Many countries would be envious to have such good food—like the British, for example. Right now China is producing 30% of the world’s economic growth. So, the reality is quite different from what the Western media portray.

In 2014, we published a study called, The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge. That is exactly what is happening. What started with just the old Silk Road line between China and Europe, is now very quickly developing into six major land development corridors.

Freight trains already run from China to different European locations over 40 rail lines every week. The 16+1 countries—that is, the Eastern and Central European countries and China—are having a conference right now in Budapest. They are completely on-board the collaboration with the New Silk Road. There is a new Balkans Silk Road. The President of Panama was just in China after Panama switched its diplomatic relations from Taiwan; now they are allied with the mainland. The President of Panama said that all of Latin America will join the New Silk Road, and that this is not directed against the United States, because the United States is also invited to join.

But the most important shift, of course, is that of the United States, and of the relationship between China and the United States. The result of the recent trip of President Trump and his two-day state visit to China, is obviously the most consequential. Because if the two largest economies of the world have a good relationship, then prospects for world peace are moving in a very positive direction. Remember that the policy of Obama was the so-called “Pivot to Asia” and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—which was the idea of the encirclement of China and exclusion of China. There is still an element of geopolitics, so we have to watch whenever the term “Indo-Pacific” is used, which is the idea of making Japan, Australia, and India a counterweight to China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump are greeted by a cheering crowd of children during Trump’s “state visit plus” to China on November 8, 2017.

But a major breakthrough occurred when Trump visited China, where Xi Jinping gave him the most unbelievable reception—what Xi called ”state visit-plus-plus.” Remarkably, he closed down the Forbidden City for the day. The Forbidden City is the world’s largest complex of palaces, where the Chinese emperors had lived since the 15th Century. It’s incredibly beautiful; it’s majestic, it’s really breathtaking. So, Xi Jinping used an entire day to give Trump and the First Lady a course in Chinese history. They had a beautiful gala dinner; they had three Beijing operas.

Trump, commenting the next day on his reception, said:

“Yesterday, we visited the Forbidden City, which stands as a proud symbol of China’s rich culture and majestic spirit. Your nation is a testament to thousands of years of vibrant, living history.

“And today, it was a tremendous honor to be greeted by the Chinese delegation right here at the Great Hall of the People. This moment in history presents both our nations with an incredible opportunity to advance peace and prosperity alongside other nations all around the world. In the words of a Chinese proverb, ‘We must carry forward the cause and forge ahead into the future.’ I am confident that we can realize this wonderful vision, a vision that will be so good and, in fact, so great for both China and the United States.

“Though we come from different places and faraway lands, there is much that binds the East and West. Both of our countries were built by people of great courage, strong culture, and a desire to trek across the unknown into great danger. But they overcame.”

The Chinese Ambassador to Washington, Cui Tiankai, recently made the point that there were sixteen times in world history when a rising country surpassed the country that had been dominant up to that point. In twelve cases it led to a war, while in four cases the rising country took over peacefully. He said that China wants neither of those outcomes; instead, China wants to have a completely different system of a win-win relationship of equality and respect for one another.

I stuck my neck out in the United States in February of this year, by saying that if President Trump manages to get a good relationship between the United States and China, and the United States and Russia, then he will go down in history as one of the greatest Presidents of the United States. Of course everybody was completely freaked out, because that is not the picture people are supposed to have about Trump. But I think if you look at what is happening, you will see that Trump is well on the way to accomplishing exactly that.

Trump came back from this Asia trip with $253 billion worth of deals with China. I watched the Nov. 13 press conference of the Governor of West Virginia, Jim Justice, who said that now, because of China, there is hope in West Virginia. West Virginia is a totally depressed state; it has high unemployment and a drug epidemic. But he said that now we can have value-added production, and we will have a bright future. So the spirit of the New Silk Road has caught on in West Virginia.

Obviously, the United States has an enormous demand for infrastructure, especially now, after the destruction wrought by the hurricanes. Just to restore what has been destroyed will require $200 billion, without even talking about disaster prevention. So, this is all on a good path for China to invest in the infrastructure of the United States, and vice versa, for U.S. firms to cooperate in projects of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Finally, Real Development for Africa

Besides the change in the relations between the United States and China—and that in Southwest Asia—the biggest change for the better as a result of the New Silk Road, is in Africa. China has invested in Africa:

In railways, it has built a railway from Djibouti to Addis Ababa; it is building other railways from Kenya, and they are supposed to go to Rwanda. They are building hydropower dams and industrial parks. Especially in the last four years, the outlook of most Africans has completely changed, because they see, for the first time, that after suppression by colonialism and the denial of development through the IMF conditionalities, there is a possibility to truly develop the continent. They do not want to be lectured any longer about good governance, human rights, and democracy, with no development—which is what the Europeans normally offer, but they want to treated as equal partners.

Let me give tribute to the person who had that vision for African development more than 40 years ago—again, my sweet husband. [applause] He wrote in 1980, as a supplement to the Organization of African Unity’s Lagos Plan of Action, a book-length paper with the title “Stop Club of Rome Genocide in Africa! Critical Comments Appended to the Lagos Plan of Action.”

In 1981, Lyndon LaRouche published a 180-page special report on the perspective for the economic development of the nations of the African continent, titled “Stop Club of Rome Genocide in Africa! Critical Comments Apended to the Lagos Plan of Action.”

There he laid out a beautiful vision, a grand design for the development of Africa, based on the LaRouche scientific method of physical economy, which in turn is based on Leibniz and Alexander Hamilton’s credit policy, but LaRouche of course has added very much to that. He said,“The competent conception of economic processes flows originally from a moral principle, which is immediately accessible to any sane adult or adolescent in any part of the world, however literate or illiterate. To make my mortal individual existence of some value, how do I develop and inform my practice to produce something of benefit for the development of generations to come?”

Lyn [larouche] defines economic science as an inseparable facet of science, usefully called “statecraft,” which includes the development of law and the cultural advancement of the people—the development of the individual to master the lawful principles of the composition of the universe. He presented a total counterposition to that of the Club of Rome, with its “appropriate technologies” and its “sustainable development”—which is just another word for no development. He proposed to upgrade the labor force continuously to higher modes of production, by changing the proportions of employment from rural to urban productive occupations, using continuously higher energy-flux densities in the mode of production.

He took as a reference point for the development of Africa, the development of the United States, and showed how, for example, in the United States at the end of the 18th Century, 98% of the people worked in agriculture. Today it is less than 4%, obviously producing much more food than at the time. This exemplifies the way for Africa to go, including the development of roads, canals, and railroads; the specialization of farmers; the increase of productivity and income in agriculture and industry; a shift away from labor-intensive to capital-intensive modes of production; and better education—all amounting to the development of the power of the population to produce material alterations of nature with an increasing potential relative population-density and at higher energy-flux densities.

Helga and Lyndon LaRouche, September 2017.

He said,“The development of Africa must be directed to what nations of Africa are to become by the year 2000 and 2020.”This was written in 1980, namely, two generations ago. He said,“The conception needed is one of the development of the productive powers of the entire population, over the development period spanning two generations.”Apart from basic infrastructure—meaning a continental system of rail, waterways, and highways—he proposed a string of new cities of 250,000 to a maximum of 2 million inhabitants, where at the core of each new city would be an educational complex of pedagogical museums, libraries, cultural centers, parks, and teaching and research institutions, including medical science and research institutions.

He proposed a connected system of rapid transport for persons and freight, and low-cost transition from one mode of transport to another. He envisioned inner-city distribution of freight from warehouses in the city to stores, with daily deliveries of perishable goods such as foodstuffs. And around the core of the educational complex, then residential, industrial, and commercial areas would be developed.

The cities were not only supposed to be functionally well designed, but beautiful, using the principles of Platonic ratios in architecture. Utilizing, for example, those methods used in Gothic cathedrals, or in the architecture of the Golden Renaissance of Italy. It included the idea of having many trees and flora, so that people would be happy and the climate would be moderated.

He said,“The essential thing which the citizens of such a city must experience over the course of the city’s gradual completion, is a sense of ongoing progress of perfection.”To aid this process, there should be technology transfer from the developed countries, financed by grants. He made the correct point that technology transfer from Europe and the United States to Africa would stimulate the economy in the exporting nations and increase their tax income, and that the developing countries receiving grants would become the next generation’s customers for purchasing on a credit basis. The exporting nations would develop prosperous customers for tomorrow, and have an accelerated turnover of capital stocks, and thus those exporting countries would increase their productivity, and therefore their national and per-capita wealth.

Now, Lyn, on the other side, said that,“The technology-exporting nations must seek those portions of the labor force in the developing nations, which can be upgraded immediately to productive employment, using the most advanced technologies embodied in the capital stock to be exported from the industrialized nations. That labor force is able to assimilate the advanced technologies, and that must be expanded. It requires methods of promoting the development potentials of the population on a large scale, so the investment in infrastructure and the development of the population has to occur at the same time. Every infant born in any part of the world, has the potential for the development of his or her mental powers to the level sufficient for a direct, competent use of modern technology. It is that potential development which is the only source of wealth. That development is a creditworthy asset in the eyes of a truly prudent lender.”

So what occurs at the point where economic development will have absorbed most of the population of the world? By that time, we must have an increase in the rate of development of technology, such that we no longer depend on the expansion of the economy in scale. When that transition to a new world economic order has been completed, we will have more and more members of society living and working as artists; as “golden souls,” as Plato describes them; as “beautiful souls” as Schiller terms it; as junzi, the Confucian idea of the noble man; or the people living on the level of Paradise in Dante’s Commedia; or, as Vladimir Vernadsky says, that the noösphere—that part of the physical universe which is dominated by creative activity of man—will take over more and more of the biosphere.

Actually, what is happening right now goes in this direction. What Xi Jinping has defined as a goal for 2050 for China and the rest of the world, is to lead better and happier lives, with poverty having been eradicated and people being able to devote their lives to meaningful purposes. This actually goes very much in this direction.

Is this realistic? I can practically can hear the howls of protest of the neo-liberals and neo-cons alike, in the West. “What about Western values? What about our freedom? What about democracy?”—or better, “market-conformed democracy,” as German Chancellor Mrs. Merkel likes to put it.

We had better reflect where these values have gotten us. Europe is completely disunited. We are faced with a financial crisis, worse than that of 2008, about to erupt. The EU has just completed guidelines eliminating the possibility for the separation of the banks, a Glass-Steagall type of separation which China has just reconfirmed. The right-wing movements are rising, and the refugee crisis has caused the reputation of Europe to go down the drain completely in the world. There is a very dangerous anti-immigration sentiment.

The entire social and political fabric of Europe is disintegrating. Because Europe, in its present form of the European Union, is like a giant Tower of Babel, attempting an amalgamation of cultures, languages, and histories that leads to ever more frictions between supranational integration and the self-interest of these nations of Europe.

Leibniz’s Proposals Were Analogous

This is not the first time that Europe has been in bad shape. This was addressed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in a policy memorandum of 1670, in which he named the challenges of his time—“in badly established trade and manufacturing; in an entirely debased currency; in the uncertainty of law and the delay of all legal actions; in worthless education … in an increase in atheism, in our morals, which are, as it were, infected by a foreign plague; in the bitter strife of religions; all of which … weaken us, and, … may in the end completely ruin us.” So, that was the situation Leibniz saw.

This was still in the aftermath of 150 years of religious war in Europe, when he came up with the idea that the solution was a merger of the Chinese ancient natural theology and European culture. He called it a beautiful coincidence that the two most developed cultures in the world, are like two poles reaching hands across between Europe and China. By creating a common exchange between them, civilization could reach the next, superior stage in human history.

The title page of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s book Novissima Sinica (1697). In the preface, Leibniz states: “I consider it a singular plan of the fates that human cultivation and refi nement should today be concentrated, as it were, in the two extremes of our continent, in Europe and in China, which adorns the Orient as Europe does the opposite edge of the earth. Perhaps Supreme Providence has ordained such an arrangement, so that as the most cultivated and distant peoples stretch out their arms to each other, those in between may gradually be brought to a better way of life.”

In the preface of his Novissima Sinica (The Latest from China), he expressed this intention. Leibniz very closely followed all the news from China. He engaged in a very lively dialogue with many of the Jesuit missionaries, who informed him on all of the developments in science and the famous “Rites Controversy,” in which he sided with people of Matteo Ricci’s view, saying that there was a strong affinity between Confucianism and Christianity.

He said that Confucianism has much more to offer than any other known belief system of his time. He said,“We need the Chinese to send missionaries to Europe, so that we can learn from them the natural religion that we have almost lost.”He proposed an exchange of cultural ambassadors, which for his time was a very modern conception. He said,“There is in China a public morality, admirable in certain regards, conjoined to a philosophical doctrine, or rather a natural theology venerable by its antiquity, established and authorized for about 3,000 years, long before the philosophy of the Greeks.”

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716)

For Leibniz, the affinity of Confucius and Christianity, despite all differences in culture, proved that humanity has the universal characteristic of reason. The fact that the Kangxi Emperor and he—Leibniz—studied the same mathematical solutions, proved for him the universal character of human reason and the human species. In Chinese philosophy, he emphasized that the notion of the li refers to the supreme order of the universe, in which harmony exists if each being exercises its lawful function in its proper place. And together with the notion of ren, which approximates the Christian notion of agapē—love—the Chinese Confucians use different terminologies and different conceptions, but they have analogy with, and affinity to what Leibniz describes in his Monadology.

According to Leibniz,“God has created the universe by the way of a pre-stabilized harmony, where the realm of the spiritual and the material world, the soul and the body are in total correspondence. This is so, because God—in His divine anticipation—has created the material and spiritual substance in such an ordered way and with such a precision, that even if they follow their own lawfulness embedded in their nature, nevertheless there is such a cohesion as if there existed between them, a reciprocal inference. And as if God, apart from His general contribution, were to act concretely in each single instant. Each monad, each uniform substance, reflects in germ the entire universe at large. But they only relate to each other because they take part in the absolute being of God.”

Once one understands this inner cohesion between Chinese ancient philosophy, especially in the Confucian expression, and the idea of Leibniz, it is no surprise that he not only recognized the affinity, but concretely thought a reciprocal exchange of the two cultures would merge into a superior, more advanced level of civilization. Among Leibniz’s plans for this project were the creation of a world language, for which he thought the Chinese language and script were most appropriate; the creation of a world academy of sciences, where Chinese and Western scientists would work together; and the creation of a world citizenship, which would allow every human being to absorb all cultures of the world.

He envisioned the future role of Russia in mediating between China and the West, and the development of Siberia in relation to the development of Northern Africa. And Peter the Great, with whom he was in contact, in 1712 ordered the expedition of Vitus Jonassen Bering, for whom the Bering Strait has been named.

Further, he advocated the comparative study of languages to find the common origin of human language, which was later pursued by philologists such as Humboldt and others. He proposed a chronology of the history of the West and China—and the only museum where I have seen that, is the museum in Taipei, where you have a beautiful exhibition where you see above the history of China, and below what happened parallel in the Western culture—which gives you a completely different way of thinking about universal history.

He also pioneered the binary system, which became the basis for computers and the like, and found evidence of its prior use in China. He proposed the development of a key which would make it easier to learn the Chinese language—now I think everybody who has tried to learn Chinese would be very thankful for such a key. He advocated the development of a method to teach the difference between Western and Chinese culture. He called for defining principles of a new moral code for Western statesmen and politicians, but also to guide the behavior of the ordinary citizen—based on Confucianism. He wanted an analysis of Confucianism based on Western methods, intending to show its closeness to Western Christianity.

If you look at these plans by Leibniz, it is absolutely amazing how similar they are to what Xi Jinping is doing with the New Silk Road policy today, which has aspects of all of these plans.

We obviously need a completely new set of international relations. We must overcome geopolitics, and we must have a system of relations among us with total respect for sovereignty, non-interference, respect for the different social systems, win-win cooperation in the mutual interest of all of us, and the perspective of one single humanity.

Nicholas of Cusa, who developed the method of the Coincidentia oppositorum, the idea of the Coincidence of Opposites, argued that the One has a higher power, a higher order of magnitude than the Many. So the idea of harmony in the macrocosm is only possible when you have the best development of all microcosms. That development must not be static or linear, but it works like a contrapuntal fugue, where each development furthers the development of the next segment, becoming unified into a higher concept of the composition.

What we have to build is a completely new set of international relations in which each nation is allowed to celebrate statecraft, meaning making possible the realization of the creative potential of all of its citizens. This will be an interaction among nations in which each focuses on the best cultural tradition and potential of the other. China is reviving Confucianism and its philosophy of philosophical Classical culture in poetry, music, and painting.

In Europe, we must absolutely do the same. We must revive the ancient Greek Classical period, which is what Greece is actually doing: They recently had a conference in Athens of the ten oldest civilizations, and they revived exactly that spirit. In Italy, we have the Golden Renaissance; in Spain, the Andalusian renaissance and other great thinkers. In France, you have the traditions of Louis XI, Jeanne d’Arc, and the [ecole] Polytechnique. In Germany, we have a tremendous wealth of philosophers, composers, and poets—Schiller and Beethoven. In America, we have the American Constitution, the American System of economy. All these treasures are there, and only need to be revived.

So, it is very good to live at this moment in history, and contribute to make the world a better place. And it can be done, because the New Paradigm corresponds to the lawfulness of the physical universe in science, Classical art, and these principles. Neo-liberalism and left-liberalism are as outdated as Scholasticism, and will disappear, as did the scholastics debating how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. What will be asserted is the identity of the human species as the creative species in the universe.

[expomahal-blog]

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[hellofastestnewsfan]

The United States and Europe have had serious foreign-policy disputes before—notably during the Iraq War, when France and Germany split with the U.S. over the invasion. But since he took office in January 2017, President Trump’s decisions, including his withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and his imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on European countries, have initiated a series of severe disagreements. And the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran may be the gravest yet.

It was the combination of European and U.S. sanctions that helped bring Iran to the negotiating table over its nuclear program, ultimately resulting in the accord Iran, the U.S., the EU, and others struck in 2015. But that coalition has split with the U.S. withdrawal, and the Europeans are now openly flirting with ways to skirt the coming reimposition of the U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic that had been waived as part of the deal.

“Even mass media are talking about extraterritorial measures, sovereignty, and standing up to the U.S.,” Delhpine O, a French lawmaker with President Macron’s En Marche party, said at a panel discussion Wednesday at the Atlantic Council in Washington. She added: “And all of a sudden this becomes something of national pride, which I’ve not seen … for a number of years. We have to be careful with this because it will probably become a matter of public opinion … of sovereignty, or pride, of standing up to protect our own interests.”

In an attempt to protect European companies’ investments in Iran, the European Commission said it would enact regulations that would prevent those companies from complying with sanctions the U.S. will reimpose. It’s unclear how exactly this will work—European companies are already starting to withdraw investments from Iran for fear of U.S. reprisals. Iran stands to lose substantial European investment regardless, calling into question whether the Europeans can save the deal, which was premised on Iran’s getting economic benefit from accepting restrictions on its nuclear program. But ultimately the dispute says more about trans-Atlantic relations that it does about Europe’s ability to get its companies to invest in Iran.

The U.S. and Europe continue to cooperate closely on a wide range of issues, including counterterrorism and security, and a tough sanctions regime against Russia for its actions in Ukraine. They share common goals, the tariffs notwithstanding, on global trade. “Neither side wants this disagreement [over the Iran deal] to affect other parts of the relationship,” Axel Hellman, a policy fellow at the European Leadership Network, said Tuesday at a separate panel discussion at the Atlantic Council. “But … we might see foreign ministers start to question the very foundations of their relationship with Washington. Security has always been a cornerstone of that relationship, and from a security point of view this is really kicking the EU in the teeth.”

Or as Caroline Vicini, the deputy head of the EU delegation in Washington, said Wednesday at the Atlantic Council: “We’re unfortunately out of lockstep with the United States. We’re on two sides of this … very unfortunate affair.”

The debate in the U.S. over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the nuclear deal with Iran is formally known, generally deals with the questions of whether the agreement was a good one and whether President Obama, who advocated for the accord, gave up too much to Iran in exchange for too little. But Europe sees the issue differently. European negotiators had worked toward the accord for 12 years—the U.S.’s subsequent participation starting in 2008 gave the process teeth—and saw it as the most effective way to achieve security for the continent in the face of Iran’s nuclear program.*

“There had been lots of discussions and controversies across the pond for the last decades, but this is the hardest one because we see our core national-security and continental-security interest being just ignored,” Omeed Nouripour, a German lawmaker with the Greens, told me. “This drives us into the hands of the Chinese and the Russians.”

Those two countries are also party to the JCPOA, and have signaled their intention to remain in it. But working with them presents its own challenges: Europe, like the U.S., views China as an unfair trade partner; and Russian actions in Ukraine and Syria, where it is involved on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, make Moscow an unlikely ally. Yet German Chancellor Angela Merkel has visited Russia twice in the past month—visits that prompted Russian media to ask whether a thaw in relations was imminent.

What this adds up to is that the fate of the Iran deal is bigger than Iran—it stands to fundamentally shift how EU foreign policymakers view the trans-Atlantic alliance. If the Paris climate accord, the steel and aluminum tariffs, and the digs about NATO spending weren’t enough, the Iran deal has reinforced the European perception that on certain issues they are on their own.

“It is no longer such that the United States simply protects us, but Europe must take its destiny in its own hands,” Merkel said after Trump withdrew from the deal. “That’s the task of the future.”

Similar comments echoed across the bloc in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal. Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign-policy chief, said that while the signatories to the JCPOA “regretted” the U.S. action, the bloc would look to maintain and deepen “economic relations with Iran.” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Europe-1 radio: “Do we want to be vassals who obey decisions taken by the United States while clinging to the hem of their trousers? Or do we want to say we have our economic interests, we consider we will continue to do trade with Iran?”

The most potentially significant response from Europe came Thursday when European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the commission would work to enact a never-used statute that blocks European companies from complying with U.S. sanctions. That statute—the so-called blocking regulation—would make it illegal for European companies to comply with U.S. sanctions laws that have extraterritorial reach. But European officials have acknowledged that the blocking regulations have limited impact, and the U.S. reportedly is considering ways to ensure European compliance.   

“There has not been a huge rush by European companies precisely because the chilling debate about whether this agreement would continue, whether sanctions might come back, has meant that there’s been a very limited amount of economic benefits for Iran,” David O’Sullivan, the EU ambassador to Washington, said this week.   

Now, Iran says it will remain in the agreement as long as the Europeans guarantee the economic benefits that were supposed to come with the JCPOA. Because this wasn’t realistic even when the U.S. was part of the agreement—when political uncertainty over its fate prevented promised investments from materializing—it will now be virtually impossible for Europe to create by itself the economic climate that will draw investors to the Islamic Republic under the possible threat of U.S. sanctions. For the largest European companies, the choice of doing business in the United States, a country with a $18 trillion economy, and Iran, one with a $400 billion economy, is simply no choice at all.

Indeed, Total, the French oil giant that has investments in Iran, has already said it will withdraw from the country if it can’t get waivers on the U.S. sanctions. And Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer that has signed an agreement to sell 100 passenger planes to Iran, will almost certainly back out without a waiver, as well.

Juncker’s pledge notwithstanding, European officials have acknowledged that they can do little to encourage the largest European companies to enter Iran, though they said they would work with smaller firms and financial institutions. Although that may bring some foreign investment into Iran, it won’t be anything close to what the Islamic Republic needs to kickstart economic growth.       

Mark Dubowitz, the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a critic of the JCPOA, told me the Trump administration is going to pursue a maximum-pressure campaign against the Iranian regime. “And, of course, that only works if you also use financial and economic coercion, and that only works if you deter European and other companies from returning to Iran because if Iran ends up with tens of billions of dollars from international companies, then your maximum pressure campaign is a failure,” he said.

* This article originally misstated the year the U.S. joined the talks with Iran. We regret the error.

from The Atlantic https://ift.tt/2kbFs85

[chinawire]

[White Paper] China’s Arctic Policy

The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China published a white paper titled “China’s Arctic Policy” on Jan 26.

China’s Arctic Policy

The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China

January 2018

First Edition 2018

Contents

Foreword

I. The Arctic Situation and Recent Changes

II. China and the Arctic

III. China’s Policy Goals and Basic Principles on the Arctic

IV. China’s Policies and Positions on Participating in Arctic Affairs

1. Deepening the exploration and understanding of the Arctic

2. Protecting the eco-environment of the Arctic and addressing climate change

3. Utilizing Arctic Resources in a Lawful and Rational Manner

4. Participating Actively in Arctic governance and international cooperation

5. Promoting peace and stability in the Arctic Conclusion

Conclusion

Foreword

Global warming in recent years has accelerated the melting of ice and snow in the Arctic region. As economic globalization and regional integration further develops and deepens, the Arctic is gaining global significance for its rising strategic, economic values and those relating to scientific research, environmental protection, sea passages, and natural resources. The Arctic situation now goes beyond its original inter-Arctic States or regional nature, having a vital bearing on the interests of States outside the region and the interests of the international community as a whole, as well as on the survival, the development, and the shared future for mankind. It is an issue with global implications and international impacts.

A champion for the development of a community with a shared future for mankind, China is an active participant, builder and contributor in Arctic affairs who has spared no efforts to contribute its wisdom to the development of the Arctic region. The Chinese government hereby issues this white paper, to expound its basic positions on Arctic affairs, to elaborate on its policy goals, basic principles and major policies and positions regarding its engagement in Arctic affairs, to guide relevant Chinese government departments and institutions in Arctic-related activities and cooperation, to encourage relevant parties to get better involved in Arctic governance, and to work with the international community to safeguard and promote peace and stability in, and the sustainable development of, the Arctic.

I. The Arctic Situation and Recent Changes

The Arctic is situated at a special geographical location. It commonly refers to the area of land and sea north of the Arctic Circle (approximately 66 degrees 34 minutes N), totaling about 21 million square kilometers. In the context of international law, the Arctic includes the northernmost landmasses of Europe, Asia and North America adjacent to the Arctic Ocean and the relevant islands, and a combination of sea areas within national jurisdiction, high seas, and the Area in the Arctic Ocean. There is no single comprehensive treaty for all Arctic affairs. The Charter of the United Nations, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Spitsbergen Treaty and other treaties and general international law govern Arctic affairs at present.

The continental and insular land territories in the Arctic cover an area of about 8 million square kilometers, with sovereignty over them belonging to Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, respectively. The Arctic Ocean covers an area of more than 12 million square kilometers, in which coastal States and other States share maritime rights and interests in accordance with international law. These coastal States have within their jurisdiction internal waters, territorial seas, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves in the Arctic Ocean. Certain areas of the Arctic Ocean form part of the high seas and the Area.

States from outside the Arctic region do not have territorial sovereignty in the Arctic, but they do have rights in respect of scientific research, navigation, overflight, fishing, laying of submarine cables and pipelines in the high seas and other relevant sea areas in the Arctic Ocean, and rights to resource exploration and exploitation in the Area, pursuant to treaties such as UNCLOS and general international law. In addition, Contracting Parties to the Spitsbergen Treaty enjoy the liberty of access and entry to certain areas of the Arctic, the right under conditions of equality and, in accordance with law, to the exercise and practice of scientific research, production and commercial activities such as hunting, fishing, and mining in these areas.

The Arctic boasts a unique natural environment and rich resources, with most of its sea area covered under thick ice for most of the year. The Arctic natural environment is now undergoing rapid changes. Over the past three decades, temperature has been rising continuously in the Arctic, resulting in diminishing sea ice in summer. Scientists predict that by the middle of this century or even earlier, there may be no ice in the Arctic Ocean for part of the year. On the one hand, melting ice in the Arctic has led to changes in the natural environment, or possibly can result in accelerated global warming, rising sea levels, increased extreme weather events, damaged biodiversity, and other global problems. On the other, with the ice melted, conditions for the development of the Arctic may be gradually changed, offering opportunities for the commercial use of sea routes and development of resources in the region. Commercial activities in the region will have considerable impact on global shipping, international trade and energy supply, bring about major social and economic changes, and exert important influence on the way of work and life of Arctic residents including the indigenous peoples. They may also pose a potential threat to the ecological environment of the Arctic. The international community faces the same threat and shares the same future in addressing global issues concerning the Arctic.

II. China and the Arctic

China is an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs. Geographically, China is a “Near-Arctic State”, one of the continental States that are closest to the Arctic Circle. The natural conditions of the Arctic and their changes have a direct impact on China’s climate system and ecological environment, and, in turn, on its economic interests in agriculture, forestry, fishery, marine industry and other sectors.

China is also closely involved in the trans-regional and global issues in the Arctic, especially in such areas as climate change, environment, scientific research, utilization of shipping routes, resource exploration and exploitation, security, and global governance. These issues are vital to the existence and development of all countries and humanity, and directly affect the interests of non-Arctic States including China. China enjoys the freedom or rights of scientific research, navigation, overflight, fishing, laying of submarine cables and pipelines, and resource exploration and exploitation in the high seas, the Area and other relevant sea areas, and certain special areas in the Arctic Ocean, as stipulated in treaties such as the UNCLOS and the Spitsbergen Treaty, and general international law. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China shoulders the important mission of jointly promoting peace and security in the Arctic. The utilization of sea routes and exploration and development of the resources in the Arctic may have a huge impact on the energy strategy and economic development of China, which is a major trading nation and energy consumer in the world. China’s capital, technology, market, knowledge and experience is expected to play a major role in expanding the network of shipping routes in the Arctic and facilitating the economic and social progress of the coastal States along the routes. China has shared interests with Arctic States and a shared future with the rest of the world in the Arctic.

China has long been involved in Arctic affairs. In 1925, China joined the Spitsbergen Treaty and started to participate in addressing the Arctic affairs. Since then, China has exerted more efforts in the exploration of the Arctic, expanding the scope of activities, gaining more experience and deepening cooperation with other participants. China’s membership in the International Arctic Science Committee in 1996 marked its more active participation in scientific research in the Arctic. Since 1999, China has organized a number of scientific expeditions in the Arctic, with its research vessel Xue Long (Snow Dragon) as the platform. In 2004, China built the Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny Alesund in the Spitsbergen Archipelago. By the end of 2017, China has carried out eight scientific expeditions in the Arctic Ocean, and conducted research for 14 years with the Yellow River Station as the base. Using its research vessel and stations as platforms, China has gradually established a multi-discipline observation system covering the sea, ice and snow, atmosphere, biological, and geological system of the Arctic. The year 2005 saw China as the first Asian country to host the Arctic Science Summit Week, a high-level conference on Arctic affairs. In 2013, China became an accredited observer to the Arctic Council. In recent years, Chinese companies have begun to explore the commercial opportunities associated with Arctic shipping routes. China’s activities in the Arctic have gone beyond mere scientific research, and expanded into diverse areas of Arctic affairs including the platforms of global governance, regional cooperation, and bilateral and multilateral affairs, and such disciplines as scientific research, ecological environment, climate change, economic development, and cultural exchanges. As an important member of the international community, China has played a constructive role in the formulation of Arctic-related international rules and the development of its governance system. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road (Belt and Road Initiative), an important cooperation initiative of China, will bring opportunities for parties concerned to jointly build a “Polar Silk Road”, and facilitate connectivity and sustainable economic and social development of the Arctic.

III. China’s Policy Goals and Basic Principles on the Arctic

China’s policy goals on the Arctic are: to understand, protect, develop and participate in the governance of the Arctic, so as to safeguard the common interests of all countries and the international community in the Arctic, and promote sustainable development of the Arctic.

To understand the Arctic, China will improve the capacity and capability in scientific research on the Arctic, pursue a deeper understanding and knowledge of the Arctic science, and explore the natural laws behind its changes and development, so as to create favorable conditions for mankind to better protect, develop, and govern the Arctic.

To protect the Arctic, China will actively respond to climate change in the Arctic, protect its unique natural environment and ecological system, promote its own climatic, environmental and ecological resilience, and respect its diverse social culture and the historical traditions of the indigenous peoples.

To develop the Arctic, China will improve the capacity and capability in using applied Arctic technology, strengthen technological innovation, environmental protection, resource utilization, and development of shipping routes in the Arctic, and contribute to the economic and social development of the Arctic, improve the living conditions of the local people and strive for common development.

To participate in the governance of the Arctic, China will participate in regulating and managing the affairs and activities relating to the Arctic on the basis of rules and mechanisms. Internationally, China is committed to the existing framework of international law including the UN Charter, UNCLOS, treaties on climate change and the environment, and relevant rules of the International Maritime Organization, and to addressing various traditional and non-traditional security threats through global, regional, multilateral and bilateral mechanisms, and to building and maintaining a just, reasonable and well-organized Arctic governance system. Domestically, China will regulate and manage Arctic-related affairs and activities within its jurisdiction in accordance with the law, steadily enhance its ability to understand, protect and develop the Arctic, and actively participate in international cooperation in Arctic affairs.

Through all the above efforts to understand, protect, develop and participate in the governance of the Arctic, China will work with all other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind in the Arctic region. While pursuing its own interests, China will pay due regard to the interests of other countries and the broader international community, bear in mind the importance of the protection and development of the Arctic, and of keeping in proper balance its current and long-term interests, so as to promote the sustainable development of the Arctic.

In order to realize the above-mentioned policy goals, China will participate in Arctic affairs in accordance with the basic principles of “respect, cooperation, win-win result and sustainability”.

“Respect” is the key basis for China’s participation in Arctic affairs. Respect should be reciprocal. It means all States should abide by international treaties such as the UN Charter and the UNCLOS, as well as general international law. They should respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction enjoyed by the Arctic States in this region, respect the tradition and culture of the indigenous peoples, as well as respect the rights and freedom of non-Arctic States to carry out activities in this region in accordance with the law, and respect the overall interests of the international community in the Arctic.

“Cooperation” is an effective means for China’s participation in Arctic affairs. It means establishing a relationship of multi-level, omni-dimensional and wide-ranging cooperation in this area. Through global, regional, multilateral and bilateral channels, all stakeholders — including States from both inside and outside the Arctic, intergovernmental organizations, and nonstate entities — are encouraged to take part in cooperation on climate change, scientific research, environmental protection, shipping route development, resource utilization and cultural activities.

“Win-win result” is the value pursuit of China’s participation in Arctic affairs. It means all stakeholders in this area should pursue mutual benefit and common progress in all fields of activities. Such cooperation should ensure that the benefits are shared by both Arctic and non-Arctic States as well as by nonstate entities, and should accommodate the interests of local residents including the indigenous peoples. It should also help to promote coordinated development of activities in all fields to ensure the harmony between natural conservation and social development.

“Sustainability” is the fundamental goal of China’s participation in Arctic affairs. This means promoting the sustainable development of the Arctic by ensuring the sustainability of environmental protection, resource utilization and human activities in the area. It means realizing harmonious coexistence between man and nature, better coordination between ecological protection, economic growth and social progress, better balance between utilization, management and protection, and intergenerational equity.

IV. China’s Policies and Positions on Participating in Arctic Affairs

When participating in Arctic affairs, China prioritizes scientific research, underscores the importance of environmental protection, rational utilization, law-based governance and international cooperation, and commits itself to maintaining a peaceful, secure and stable Arctic order.

1. Deepening the exploration and understanding of the Arctic

The Arctic holds great value for scientific research. To explore and understand the Arctic serves as the priority and focus for China in its Arctic activities.

China actively promotes scientific expedition and research in the Arctic. China respects the Arctic States’ exclusive jurisdiction over research activities under their national jurisdiction, maintains that scientific research in areas under the jurisdiction of Arctic States should be carried out through cooperation in accordance with the law, and stresses that all States have the freedom of scientific research on the high seas of the Arctic Ocean. China is actively involved in multi-disciplinary research including Arctic geology, geography, ice and snow, hydrology, meteorology, sea ice, biology, ecology, geophysics and marine chemistry. It actively participates in monitoring and assessing local climatic and environmental changes, and carries out multi-level and multi-domain continuous observation of atmosphere, sea, sea ice, glaciers, soil, bio-ecological character and environmental quality through the establishment of multi-element Arctic observation system, construction of cooperative research (observation) stations, and development of and participation in the Arctic observation network. China is committed to improving its capacity in Arctic expedition and research, strengthening the construction, maintenance and functions of research stations, vessels and other supporting platforms in the Arctic, and promoting the building of icebreakers for scientific purposes.

China supports and encourages research activities in the Arctic by constantly increasing investment in scientific research, building modernized research platforms, and improving the capacity in, and level of, research on the Arctic. It is making a greater effort to advance research in the fields of natural science, climate change and ecological environment, accelerate the development of basic subjects such as physics, chemistry, life science and earth science, strengthen social science research including Arctic politics, economy, law, society, history, culture and management of Arctic activities, and promote innovation in both natural and social sciences. It is also working to strengthen personnel training and public awareness of the Arctic, support higher learning and research institutions to train professionals specialized in natural and social sciences on the Arctic, build science popularization and education centers, and publish cultural products on the Arctic to improve public knowledge. It actively promotes international cooperation on Arctic research, pushes for an open and inclusive international monitoring network of the Arctic environment, supports pragmatic cooperation through platforms such as the International Arctic Science Committee, encourages Chinese scientists to carry out international academic exchanges and cooperation on the Arctic, and encourages Chinese higher learning and research institutions to join the network of the University of the Arctic.

The availability of technical equipment is essential to understanding, utilizing and protecting the Arctic. China encourages the development of environment-friendly polar technical equipment, actively participates in the building of infrastructure for Arctic development, pushes for the upgrade of equipment in the fields of deep sea exploration, ice zone prospecting, and atmosphere and biology observation, and promotes technology innovation in Arctic oil and gas drilling and exploitation, renewable energy development, navigation and monitoring in ice zones, and construction of new-type icebreakers.

2. Protecting the eco-environment of the Arctic and addressing climate change

China follows international law in the protection of the natural environment and ecosystem of the Arctic and conservation of its biological resources, and takes an active part in addressing the challenges of environmental and climate change in the Arctic.

(1) Protecting the Environment

China always gives top priority to resolving global environmental issues, earnestly fulfills its obligations under relevant treaties, and discharges its responsibility of environmental protection. China is actively engaged in improving the Arctic environment by enhancing the environmental background investigation of Arctic activities and the assessment of their environmental impact. It respects the environmental protection laws and regulations of the Arctic States and calls for stronger environmental management and cooperation.

The marine environment is a key area for Arctic environmental protection. China supports the Arctic coastal States in their efforts to reduce pollutants in the Arctic waters from land-based sources, in accordance with the relevant treaties, and commits itself to raising the environmental responsibility awareness of its citizens and enterprises. In order to effectively protect the marine environment of the Arctic, China works with other States to enhance control of the sources of marine pollution such as ship discharge, offshore dumping, and air pollution.

(2) Protecting the Ecosystem

The Arctic is home to several endangered species of wild fauna and flora from around the globe. China attaches importance to the sustainable development and biodiversity protection of the Arctic. It conducts scientific evaluation of the impact on the Arctic ecological system caused by global climate change and human activities, strengthens protection of migratory birds and their habitats, organizes research on the migration patterns of Arctic migratory birds, improves the adaptability and resilience of the Arctic ecological system, and advances international cooperation in the protection of Arctic species of fauna and flora.

(3) Addressing climate change

Addressing climate change in the Arctic is an important part of global climate governance. China consistently takes the issue of climate change seriously. It has included measures to deal with climate change such as Nationally Determined Contributions in its overall national development agenda and planning, and has made significant contributions to the conclusion of the Paris Agreement. China’s emission reduction measures have a positive impact on the climatic and ecological environment of the Arctic. China is committed to studying the substance and energy exchange process and mechanisms of the Arctic, evaluating the interaction between the Arctic and global climate change, predicting potential risks posed by future climate change to the Arctic’s natural resources and ecological environment, and advancing Arctic cryospheric sciences. It strengthens publicity and education on addressing climate change to raise the public’s awareness of the issue, and promotes international cooperation in addressing climate change in the Arctic.

3. Utilizing Arctic Resources in a Lawful and Rational Manner

The Arctic has abundant resources, but a fragile ecosystem. China advocates protection and rational use of the region and encourages its enterprises to engage in international cooperation on the exploration for and utilization of Arctic resources by making the best use of their advantages in capital, technology and domestic market. China maintains that all activities to explore and utilize the Arctic should abide by treaties such as the UNCLOS and the Spitsbergen Treaty as well as general international law, respect the laws of the Arctic States, and proceed in a sustainable way on the condition of properly protecting the eco-environment of the Arctic and respecting the interests and concerns of the indigenous peoples in the region.

(1) China’s participation in the development of Arctic shipping routes

The Arctic shipping routes comprise the Northeast Passage, Northwest Passage, and the Central Passage. As a result of global warming, the Arctic shipping routes are likely to become important transport routes for international trade. China respects the legislative, enforcement and adjudicatory powers of the Arctic States in the waters subject to their jurisdiction. China maintains that the management of the Arctic shipping routes should be conducted in accordance with treaties including the UNCLOS and general international law and that the freedom of navigation enjoyed by all countries in accordance with the law and their rights to use the Arctic shipping routes should be ensured. China maintains that disputes over the Arctic shipping routes should be properly settled in accordance with international law.

China hopes to work with all parties to build a “Polar Silk Road” through developing the Arctic shipping routes. It encourages its enterprises to participate in the infrastructure construction for these routes and conduct commercial trial voyages in accordance with the law to pave the way for their commercial and regularized operation. China attaches great importance to navigation security in the Arctic shipping routes. It has actively conducted studies on these routes and continuously strengthened hydrographic surveys with the aim to improving the navigation, security and logistical capacities in the Arctic. China abides by the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), and supports the International Maritime Organization in playing an active role in formulating navigational rules for the Arctic. China calls for stronger international cooperation on infrastructure construction and operation of the Arctic routes.

(2) Participating in the exploration for and exploitation of oil, gas, mineral and other non-living resources

China respects the sovereign rights of Arctic States over oil, gas and mineral resources in the areas subject to their jurisdiction in accordance with international law, and respects the interests and concerns of residents in the region. It requires its enterprises to observe the laws of the relevant States and conduct risk assessments for resource exploration, and encourages them to participate in the exploitation of oil, gas and mineral resources in the Arctic, through cooperation in various forms and on the condition of properly protecting the eco-environment of the Arctic.

The Arctic region boasts an abundance of geothermal, wind, and other clean energy resources. China will work with the Arctic States to strengthen clean energy cooperation, increase exchanges in respect of technology, personnel and experience in this field, explore the supply of clean energy and energy substitution, and pursue low-carbon development.

(3) Participating in conservation and utilization of fisheries and other living resources

As fish stocks have shown a tendency to move northwards due to climate change and other factors, the Arctic has the potential to become a new fishing ground in the future. As regards fishing in the high seas in the Arctic Ocean, China has consistently held a firm stance in favor of conservation in a scientific manner and of rational use, and maintains that, while enjoying their lawful right to conduct fisheries research and development in the high seas in the Arctic Ocean, all States should fulfill their obligations to conserve the fishery resources and the ecosystem in the region.

China supports efforts to formulate a legally binding international agreement on the management of fisheries in the high seas portion of the Arctic Ocean. China also supports the establishment of an Arctic fisheries management organization or making other institutional arrangements based on the UNCLOS. China will strengthen survey on and research into the fishery resources in the high seas in the Arctic, carry out appropriate exploratory fishing, and play a constructive part in the management of fisheries in the high seas in the Arctic Ocean. China hopes to strengthen cooperation with the Arctic coastal States on the research, conservation, and utilization of fishery resources. China is committed to properly protecting Arctic biodiversity and advocates transparent and reasonable exploration and utilization of Arctic genetic resources, and fair and equitable sharing and use of the benefits generated by the exploitation of such resources.

(4) Participating in developing tourism resources

Arctic tourism is an emerging industry, and China is a source of tourists to the Arctic. China supports and encourages its enterprises to cooperate with Arctic States in developing tourism in the region, and calls for continuous efforts to enhance security, insurance, and rescue systems to ensure the safety of tourists in the Arctic. China conducts training for and regulates Chinese tourism agencies and professionals involved in Arctic tourism, and endeavors to raise the environmental awareness of Chinese tourists. China advocates low-carbon tourism, ecotourism, and responsible tourism, and hopes to contribute to the sustainable development of Arctic tourism.

China takes part in the development and utilization of Arctic resources on the condition of respecting the traditions and cultures of the Arctic residents including the indigenous peoples, preserving their unique lifestyles and values, and respecting the efforts made by the Arctic States to empower the local citizens, foster their social and economic progress, and improve education and medical services, so that the Arctic residents, including the indigenous peoples, will truly benefit from the development of Arctic resources.

4. Participating Actively in Arctic governance and international cooperation

China is committed to improving and complementing the Arctic governance regime. China has worked to regulate and supervise the activities of Chinese citizens, legal persons or other organizations in the Arctic in accordance with the law to ensure that their activities accord with international law and respect the relevant national laws on environmental protection, resource conservation, and sustainable development. And it has endeavored to strengthen overall coordination of its Arctic policy and related affairs. Furthermore, China takes an active part in the international governance of the Arctic. China upholds the current Arctic governance system with the UN Charter and the UNCLOS as its core, plays a constructive part in the making, interpretation, application and development of international rules regarding the Arctic, and safeguards the common interests of all nations and the international community.

China stands for steadily advancing international cooperation on the Arctic. It has worked to strengthen such cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative according to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits and emphasized policy coordination, infrastructure connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and closer people-to-people ties. Concrete cooperation steps include coordinating development strategies with the Arctic States, encouraging joint efforts to build a blue economic passage linking China and Europe via the Arctic Ocean, enhancing Arctic digital connectivity, and building a global infrastructure network. China hopes to work for the common good of all parties and further common interests through the Arctic.

At the global level, China actively participates in the formulation of rules concerning the global environment, climate change, international maritime issues, and high seas fisheries management, and fulfills all its international obligations in accordance with the law. China expands cooperation with various States and international organizations in environmental protection, and promotes energy conservation, emissions reduction, and low-carbon development. China also promotes global cooperation in tackling climate change, and upholds the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities. It urges developed countries to fulfill their commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement, and provides support to fellow developing countries in addressing climate change. China plays a constructive role in the work of the International Maritime Organization, and makes solid efforts to fulfill its international responsibilities for ensuring maritime navigational security and preventing its ships from polluting the maritime environment. China advocates stronger international cooperation in maritime technology and a globally coordinated solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport under the International Maritime Organization framework. China takes an active part in negotiations over high seas fisheries regulation in the Arctic, and calls for a legally binding international agreement for managing fishery resources in the high seas portion of the Arctic. The agreement should allow scientific research and exploratory fishing activities in the high seas portion of the Arctic, and protect the freedom of all States on the high seas in accordance with international law.

At the regional level, China takes an active part in Arctic intergovernmental mechanisms. China, as an accredited observer to the Arctic Council, highly values the Council’s positive role in Arctic affairs, and recognizes it as the main intergovernmental forum on issues regarding the environment and sustainable development of the Arctic. China stands by the commitments it made when applying to become an observer to the Council. It fully supports the work of the Council, and dispatches experts to participate in the work of the Council including its Working Groups and Task Forces. China respects the Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic, the Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic, and the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation, all adopted by the Arctic Council. China also supports international cooperation through such platforms as the Arctic Science Ministerial Meeting.

At the bilateral and multilateral levels, China promotes practical cooperation in all fields, especially regarding climate change, scientific expeditions, environmental protection, ecosystems, shipping routes, resource development, submarine fiber-optic cables, cultural exchanges, and capacity building. China proposes to form cooperative partnerships between Arctic and non-Arctic States, and has carried out bilateral consultations on Arctic affairs with all Arctic States. In 2010, China and the United States set up an annual dialogue mechanism for bilateral dialogues on the law of the sea and polar issues. Since 2013, China and Russia have been conducting dialogues on Arctic issues. In 2012, China and Iceland signed the Framework Agreement on Arctic Cooperation, which was the first intergovernmental agreement on Arctic issues between China and an Arctic State. China also values cooperation with other non-Arctic States. It has conducted bilateral dialogues on the law of the sea and polar issues with the United Kingdom and France. In 2016, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea launched high-level trilateral dialogues on Arctic issues to promote exchanges on policies, practices, and experience regarding Arctic international cooperation, scientific research, and commercial cooperation.

China supports the participation of all Arctic stakeholders in Arctic governance and international cooperation. China supports platforms such as “The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue”, “The Arctic Circle”, “Arctic Frontiers”, “The China-Nordic Arctic Research Center”, in promoting exchanges and cooperation among the stakeholders. China also supports the participation of research institutions and enterprises in Arctic governance with their own expertise put to good use. China encourages research institutions to communicate with foreign think tanks and academic institutions, and supports enterprises to participate in the commercial development and utilization of the Arctic in a lawful and orderly manner.

5. Promoting peace and stability in the Arctic

Peace and stability in the Arctic provides a significant guarantee for all activities in the region, and serves the fundamental interest of all countries including China. China calls for the peaceful utilization of the Arctic and commits itself to maintaining peace and stability, protecting lives and property, and ensuring the security of maritime trade, operations and transport in the region. China supports the peaceful settlement of disputes over territory and maritime rights and interests by all parties concerned in accordance with such treaties as the UN Charter and the UNCLOS and general international law, and supports efforts to safeguard security and stability in the region. China strives to reinforce cooperation with the Arctic States in maritime and air search and rescue, maritime early warning, emergency response, and information sharing in order to properly handle security challenges such as maritime accidents, environmental pollution, and maritime crimes.

Conclusion

The future of the Arctic concerns the interests of the Arctic States, the wellbeing of non-Arctic States and that of the humanity as a whole. The governance of the Arctic requires the participation and contribution of all stakeholders. On the basis of the principles of “respect, cooperation, win-win result and sustainability”, China, as a responsible major country, is ready to cooperate with all relevant parties to seize the historic opportunity in the development of the Arctic, to address the challenges brought by the changes in the region, jointly understand, protect, develop and participate in the governance of the Arctic, and advance Arctic-related cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to build a community with a shared future for mankind and contribute to peace, stability and sustainable development in the Arctic.

http://english.gov.cn/archive/white_paper/2018/01/26/content_281476026660336.htm

[rapporteur-africa]

Program Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA)

Overview

Infrastructure plays a key role in economic growth and poverty reduction. Conversely, the lack of infrastructure affects productivity and raises production and transaction costs, which hinders growth by reducing the competitiveness of businesses and the ability of governments to pursue economic and social development policies

The lack of infrastructure in Africa is widely recognized. Deficits of infrastructure have a clear impact on African competitiveness: African countries, particularly those south of the Sahara, are among the least competitive in the world, and infrastructure appears to be one of the most important factors holding them back. Deficient infrastructure in today’s Africa has been found to sap growth by as much as 2% a year .This is a continental problem that requires a continental solution.

Many of Africa’s 54 countries are small, with populations of fewer than 20 million and economies of less than $10 billion. Their infrastructure systems, like their borders, are reflections of the continent’s colonial past, with roads, ports, and railroads built for resource extraction and political control, rather than to bind territories together economically or socially. Because Africa’s economic geography is particularly challenging, regional integration is the best, perhaps the only, way for Africa to realize its growth potential, participate effectively in the global economy, and share the benefits of globalization.

The essential benefit of regional infrastructure is to make possible the formation of large, competitive markets in place of the present collection of small, isolated, and inefficient ones. Shared regional infrastructure is the only solution to problems of small scale and adverse location. An important benefit of regional infrastructure is its effect on trade within Africa. Because, despite robust GDP gains by many countries in recent years, Africa's staggering infrastructure inefficiencies have been choking integration efforts, stunting growth and sapping national resources, public and private. As regional integration improves the competitiveness of African producers and brings millions more consumers within their reach, Africa will see a swelling of intra- and inter-regional trade as a share of all trade. Regional infrastructure also exploits and advances synergies among sectors.

The Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), a Multi sector programme covering four Transport, Energy, Transboundary water and Telecommunication/ICT is dedicated to facilitating continental integration in Africa through improved regional infrastructure and is designed to support implementation of the African Union Abuja Treaty and the creation of the African economic Community,

PIDA is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission (AUC), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). PIDA is grounded in regional and continental master plans and action plans as well as other relevant work undertaken by the African Union (AU), the regional economic Communities (RECs), the regional and continental technical agencies (including the lake and river basin organizations (L/RBO) and power pools (PP)), and the concerned countries.

At the XVIIIth Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 29-30 January 2012, the AU Heads of State and Government formally endorsed the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) through adoption of the “Declaration on the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa” (Doc. EX.CL/702(XX)).

Objectives

The importance of regional integration for supporting Africa's economic development has long been recognized by African leaders, who have consistently expressed their desire to build a common market for goods and services. PIDA provides a common framework for African stakeholders to build the infrastructure necessary for more integrated transport, energy, ICT and trans-boundary water networks to boost trade, spark growth and create jobs. Implementing it will transform the way business is done and help deliver a well-connected and prosperous Africa.

PIDA's overall strategic objective aims at accelerating the regional integration of the continent and facilitating the creation of African Regional Economic as planned by the Abuja Treaty. By improving access to integrated regional and continental infrastructure networks, PIDA will allow countries the primary beneficiaries to meet forecast demand for infrastructure services and boost their competitiveness by: Increasing efficiencies Accelerating growth Facilitating integration in the world economy Improving living standards Unleashing intra-African trade.

Implementation Status

Implementation will rely on all actors at all levels of the African development process taking coordinated action—AUC and NPCA at the continental level, the RECs at the regional level and, at the national level, the individual countries on whose territory the projects will be constructed and whose populations should benefit from them.

The implementation process is grounded in the Institutional Architecture for Infrastructure Development in Africa (IAIDA) which general aim is to reinforce institutional capacities and to create conducive environment for resource mobilization. The architecture consists of structures for decision-making and implementation. The responsibility for devising master plans and identifying integrative regional infrastructure lies at the regional and national levels. The responsibility for updating PIDA rests with the NPCA in close cooperation with the RECs and their specialized institutions.

Implementing infrastructure is always complex—more so for regional projects with many stakeholders. For PIDA implementation to succeed, coordinated action must be taken all along the project chain, starting with the Heads of State and Government, who must provide political leadership To that end, it is important to recall the catalytic role of the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative (PCI) which facilitate implementation by removing bottlenecks. Country governments and financial institutions, such as the African Development Bank, must provide financial leadership. Political leadership, as well as financial leadership, is required to avoid the mistakes of past regional infrastructure efforts. At the regional level, RECs and the selected implementing agencies must ensure that countries involved are united and that project developers are skilled.

The requirements for different projects in different regions will naturally differ. Given these realities, PIDA's impact will rely on a few key success factors in the implementation process. Notably: Adherence to AU values of subsidiarity and solidarity, Strong local ownership, Quick starts and early wins, Shared responsibilities.

Expected out comes

Reduce energy costs and increase access. Africa will reap savings on electricity production costs of $30 billion a year, or $850 billion through 2040. Power access will rise from 39% in 2009 to nearly 70% in 2040, providing access to an additional 800 million people.

Slash transport costs and boost intra-African trade. Transport efficiency gains will be at least $172 billion in the African Regional Transport Integration Network (ARTIN), with the potential for much larger savings as trade corridors open. Steady advances in regional integration and services will finally create a shift from overseas trade to trade between countries and within and across regions, helping fulfill the promise of the 2028 African Common Market.

Ensure water and food security. Africa has the lowest water storage capacity and irrigated agriculture in the world, and about half the continent faces some sort of water stress or water scarcity—and demand is going to surge. To deal with the coming crisis, PIDA will enable the water storage infrastructure needed for food production and trade.

Increase global connectivity. PIDA will boost broadband connectivity by 20 percentage points. Increasing broadband penetration by 10%, which can be expected by 2018, will increase GDP by 1% by strengthening connections between goods and markets and between people and jobs.

Challenges

PIDA Implementation challenges include the following:

Operationalization of Institutional Architecture for PIDA Implementation: IAIDA defines responsibilities of Continental, Regional institutions (AUC, NPCA, RECs) and Member States, Builds on principles of subsidiarity, Allows high level advocacy, Provides a mechanism for reviewing performance and rolling over the PAP with access to the highest levels of the AU, RECs and Member States.

PIDA’s implementation success lies in assurances that it will be financed: Extension of Platform for project sponsors to meet infrastructure financiers, Support to Infrastructure Project Preparation funds for PPP and regional projects, Regional projects require strong involvement from countries and RECs

Enabling environment for more private participation: Financing will need to come mostly from domestic sources (public & private);

Country role in PIDA implementation: Projects are implemented by countries on whose territory they are located and by their agencies (public or private), Countries are critical and efficient players, Implement “soft” components (harmonisation of continental and regional policies), Financing project preparation, capital investment, operation and maintenance

[touristguidebuzz]

American Airlines CEO Learned of Qatar’s Investment Interest at IATA Conference

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, wants his airline to be able to invest in American Airlines. Qatar Airways / Flickr.com

Skift Take: Don't look for this Qatar Airways investment in American Airlines to ever come to fruition. The American board would have to approve it, and both American's management and its unions are against it. Nice try, though.

— Dennis Schaal

Qatar has a feel-good slogan for its flagship airline: “Going places together.” But for the moment, the energy-rich Middle Eastern country seems to be getting exactly nowhere with American Airlines Group Inc.

State-owned Qatar Airways Ltd.’s surprise overture to acquire a major stake in American, a partner in the Oneworld alliance but an archrival on lucrative long-distance routes, was met with skepticism in the stock market after initial enthusiasm. American reacted with bewilderment, if not hostility, to the company’s interest.

“Puzzling at best and concerning at worst,’’ Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said. The airline’s pilots union went further, calling it an act of “financial aggression” while flight attendants said it was a threat to their jobs.

The development marks a new twist in a long battle between U.S. carriers and their Persian Gulf rivals over accusations of unfair competition. The move is playing out against the backdrop of renewed efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to mediate the simmering crisis between Qatar and some of the closest U.S. allies in the region, notably Saudi Arabia.

The brash proposal of American’s would-be investor also underscores the efforts of Qatar Airways to bolster its portfolio of global airline interests and expand its U.S. footprint. While CEO Akbar Al Baker once taunted his U.S. rivals, he’s now angling for an equity stake in American similar to the one held by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Cancun Meeting

Al Baker told Parker of the Gulf carrier’s interest in American when the two men met during an airline industry conference this month in Cancun, Mexico, said Matt Miller, a spokesman for the Fort Worth, Texas-based company.

“While anyone can purchase our shares in the open market, we aren’t particularly excited about Qatar’s outreach,” Parker said in a letter to staff Thursday. “Of course, it may just be that Qatar Airways views American Airlines as a solid financial investment,” he cheekily ended the memo, crediting his employees.

Qatar responded in kind. The Gulf carrier is happy to see that Parker agrees with Qatar “that American Airlines is a solid financial investment,” it tweeted Friday.

Even with the potential investment, Parker vowed to continue a campaign against Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways PJSC. American, Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Continental Holdings Inc. have railed against the three Persian Gulf carriers for years, saying that $50 billion in government support have enabled them to compete unfairly.

‘Driving Buy-In’

Another obstacle for any American-Qatar rapprochement is opposition by the U.S. carrier’s labor unions, said Hunter Keay, an analyst at Wolfe Research. The threat of lower-paying, non-union jobs at Qatar Airways would roil American’s employees, upsetting Parker’s overriding goal of winning the trust of employees.

“We don’t see it happening,’’ Keay said in a note to clients. Parker’s “single biggest thing right now is driving buy-in and trust from his employees.”

Qatar Airways is interested in buying a 10 percent stake, American said in a regulatory filing. That would be worth about $2.4 billion based on American’s current market value. In a statement after the filing, the Doha-based airline said it planned to make a passive investment of as much as 4.75 percent, saying it saw “a strong investment opportunity.”

American rose only 1.1 percent to $48.97 at the close in New York after surging as much as 4.4 percent in earlier trading, the biggest intraday gain in six weeks.

Purchasing Stakes

Establishing a holding in American would extend an investment strategy in which the Qatari airline has purchased significant stakes in IAG SA, the parent of British Airways, and Latam Airlines Group SA, which are both close allies of the the U.S. carrier.

Accumulating American shares via the open market would parallel Qatar’s approach to building its IAG holding, which stands at 20 percent, making the Gulf carrier the No. 1 investor in a group that also owns Spain’s Iberia and Aer Lingus of Ireland. Qatar, American, IAG and Latam are all members of the Oneworld global alliance.

“This may buy a little bit of silence in the sense of complaints about Middle Eastern carriers’ expansion and growth,” said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant. He added that the move may also help Qatar get a bigger chunk of trans-Atlantic business travel dollars following its investment in IAG.

An investment in American could also serve as “a stepping stone to more access to the U.S.,” Cowen & Co. analyst Helane Becker said in a note. Still, given the “political overhang,” Gulf carriers may also consider deals with smaller U.S. airlines such as Alaska Air Group Inc. or JetBlue Airways Corp., she said.

Qatar Airways has remained bullish on the U.S., even after Trump’s attempt to block travel from six predominantly Muslim nations and a U.S. ban on carrying laptop and tablet computers onto flights from some Middle Eastern airports, including Doha.

The airline vowed to continue its global expansion even as its state owner gets punished by an escalating political standoff that’s threatening to choke Qatar’s economy. A move this month by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to shut down flights to Qatar forced Qatar Airways to ground more than 50 daily departures — or about 10 percent of its total — according to scheduling firm OAG.

Parker’s Resolve

For their part, the big U.S. airlines show no signs of softening their opposition.

Delta held a rally Wednesday for employees in Atlanta, featuring a new documentary outlining the threat from the Gulf airlines. Delta canceled its sponsorship of Atlanta’s Fox Theatre last year after the venue hosted a Qatar Airways event with an appearance by Jennifer Lopez, to celebrate the opening of a route between the U.S. city and Qatar. At the time, Al Baker said the route would “rub salt in the wounds’’ of Delta.

Parker vowed to redouble lobbying efforts against the Gulf carriers even after Qatar Airways’ interest in buying a stake.

“We will not be discouraged or dissuaded from our full court press in Washington, D.C., to stand up to companies that are illegally subsidized by their governments,’’ Parker said in a letter to employees. “If anything, this development strengthens our resolve to ensure the U.S. government enforces its trade agreements regarding fair competition with Gulf carriers.”

–With assistance from Deena Kamel Yousef and Christopher Jasper

  ©2017 Bloomberg L.P.

This article was written by Richard Clough and Michael Sasso from Bloomberg and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.

[rollinbrigittenv8]

American Airlines CEO Learned of Qatar’s Investment Interest at IATA Conference

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, wants his airline to be able to invest in American Airlines. Qatar Airways / Flickr.com

Skift Take: Don't look for this Qatar Airways investment in American Airlines to ever come to fruition. The American board would have to approve it, and both American's management and its unions are against it. Nice try, though.

— Dennis Schaal

Qatar has a feel-good slogan for its flagship airline: “Going places together.” But for the moment, the energy-rich Middle Eastern country seems to be getting exactly nowhere with American Airlines Group Inc.

State-owned Qatar Airways Ltd.’s surprise overture to acquire a major stake in American, a partner in the Oneworld alliance but an archrival on lucrative long-distance routes, was met with skepticism in the stock market after initial enthusiasm. American reacted with bewilderment, if not hostility, to the company’s interest.

“Puzzling at best and concerning at worst,’’ Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said. The airline’s pilots union went further, calling it an act of “financial aggression” while flight attendants said it was a threat to their jobs.

The development marks a new twist in a long battle between U.S. carriers and their Persian Gulf rivals over accusations of unfair competition. The move is playing out against the backdrop of renewed efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to mediate the simmering crisis between Qatar and some of the closest U.S. allies in the region, notably Saudi Arabia.

The brash proposal of American’s would-be investor also underscores the efforts of Qatar Airways to bolster its portfolio of global airline interests and expand its U.S. footprint. While CEO Akbar Al Baker once taunted his U.S. rivals, he’s now angling for an equity stake in American similar to the one held by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Cancun Meeting

Al Baker told Parker of the Gulf carrier’s interest in American when the two men met during an airline industry conference this month in Cancun, Mexico, said Matt Miller, a spokesman for the Fort Worth, Texas-based company.

“While anyone can purchase our shares in the open market, we aren’t particularly excited about Qatar’s outreach,” Parker said in a letter to staff Thursday. “Of course, it may just be that Qatar Airways views American Airlines as a solid financial investment,” he cheekily ended the memo, crediting his employees.

Qatar responded in kind. The Gulf carrier is happy to see that Parker agrees with Qatar “that American Airlines is a solid financial investment,” it tweeted Friday.

Even with the potential investment, Parker vowed to continue a campaign against Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways PJSC. American, Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Continental Holdings Inc. have railed against the three Persian Gulf carriers for years, saying that $50 billion in government support have enabled them to compete unfairly.

‘Driving Buy-In’

Another obstacle for any American-Qatar rapprochement is opposition by the U.S. carrier’s labor unions, said Hunter Keay, an analyst at Wolfe Research. The threat of lower-paying, non-union jobs at Qatar Airways would roil American’s employees, upsetting Parker’s overriding goal of winning the trust of employees.

“We don’t see it happening,’’ Keay said in a note to clients. Parker’s “single biggest thing right now is driving buy-in and trust from his employees.”

Qatar Airways is interested in buying a 10 percent stake, American said in a regulatory filing. That would be worth about $2.4 billion based on American’s current market value. In a statement after the filing, the Doha-based airline said it planned to make a passive investment of as much as 4.75 percent, saying it saw “a strong investment opportunity.”

American rose only 1.1 percent to $48.97 at the close in New York after surging as much as 4.4 percent in earlier trading, the biggest intraday gain in six weeks.

Purchasing Stakes

Establishing a holding in American would extend an investment strategy in which the Qatari airline has purchased significant stakes in IAG SA, the parent of British Airways, and Latam Airlines Group SA, which are both close allies of the the U.S. carrier.

Accumulating American shares via the open market would parallel Qatar’s approach to building its IAG holding, which stands at 20 percent, making the Gulf carrier the No. 1 investor in a group that also owns Spain’s Iberia and Aer Lingus of Ireland. Qatar, American, IAG and Latam are all members of the Oneworld global alliance.

“This may buy a little bit of silence in the sense of complaints about Middle Eastern carriers’ expansion and growth,” said Robert Mann, an aviation consultant. He added that the move may also help Qatar get a bigger chunk of trans-Atlantic business travel dollars following its investment in IAG.

An investment in American could also serve as “a stepping stone to more access to the U.S.,” Cowen & Co. analyst Helane Becker said in a note. Still, given the “political overhang,” Gulf carriers may also consider deals with smaller U.S. airlines such as Alaska Air Group Inc. or JetBlue Airways Corp., she said.

Qatar Airways has remained bullish on the U.S., even after Trump’s attempt to block travel from six predominantly Muslim nations and a U.S. ban on carrying laptop and tablet computers onto flights from some Middle Eastern airports, including Doha.

The airline vowed to continue its global expansion even as its state owner gets punished by an escalating political standoff that’s threatening to choke Qatar’s economy. A move this month by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to shut down flights to Qatar forced Qatar Airways to ground more than 50 daily departures — or about 10 percent of its total — according to scheduling firm OAG.

Parker’s Resolve

For their part, the big U.S. airlines show no signs of softening their opposition.

Delta held a rally Wednesday for employees in Atlanta, featuring a new documentary outlining the threat from the Gulf airlines. Delta canceled its sponsorship of Atlanta’s Fox Theatre last year after the venue hosted a Qatar Airways event with an appearance by Jennifer Lopez, to celebrate the opening of a route between the U.S. city and Qatar. At the time, Al Baker said the route would “rub salt in the wounds’’ of Delta.

Parker vowed to redouble lobbying efforts against the Gulf carriers even after Qatar Airways’ interest in buying a stake.

“We will not be discouraged or dissuaded from our full court press in Washington, D.C., to stand up to companies that are illegally subsidized by their governments,’’ Parker said in a letter to employees. “If anything, this development strengthens our resolve to ensure the U.S. government enforces its trade agreements regarding fair competition with Gulf carriers.”

–With assistance from Deena Kamel Yousef and Christopher Jasper

©2017 Bloomberg L.P.

This article was written by Richard Clough and Michael Sasso from Bloomberg and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.

[hudsonespie]

Ocean Governance and Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea

[By Bem Ibrahim Garba]

The world’s oceans occupy over 70 percent of the earth’s surface, playing a significant role in the support of the socio-economic growth and development of nations. These oceans provide a source of livelihood for many people through fishing, shipping and logistics, exploration of hydrocarbons and petroleum resources, exploitation of mineral resources, as well as leisure.

For some time now, these repositories of valuable natural resources have endured great degradation due to man’s activities.  In order to continuously utilize and benefit from them now and in the future, the oceans need to be efficiently managed and sustained with guidelines and policies for effective governance. This implies that ocean governance is not only obligatory but also compulsory on nations that are contiguous to the oceans and other major water bodies around the world. 

Ocean Governance

Ocean governance refers to actionable policies, strategies and activities embarked upon by governments and non-governmental agencies for influencing and managing the affairs of the world’s oceans. The world’s ocean systems are complex, as such matters concerning ocean governance are multi-pronged and multi-faceted. The challenges associated with climate change, green-house pollution, biodiversity loss, offshore extraction, and overfishing also continue to be a burden, posing various kinds of threat to marine life and humankind as well.  

These challenges are too complex to be tackled by a single group, region, or nation-state, hence keeping the world’s oceans healthy and safe requires a broad coalition of actors coming together under international guidelines and protocols. This becomes even more imperative as the global population is estimated to hit 10 billion by 2050 and 11 billion by the year 2100.

Governance in general involves interactions between formal institutions, civil society groups and organizations within areas of interest (sometimes geographic) aimed at exercising authority and influence, which leads to the enactment of policies and decisions, in the management of the economic and social resources of an area.

Ocean governance involves making sure that those who operate and trade on the oceans do so with safe and reasonable caution. They need to be guided by the requisite laws and order. As an example, in line with its Global Strategy and specific regional policies for the Gulf of Guinea, the European Union plays a key role as a global maritime security provider. It has mobilized resources to protect the region against maritime threats like piracy and human trafficking, reduced maritime accidents, and prevented environmental disasters. Satellite data from its Copernicus programme have been used by the European Maritime Safety Agency for international search-and-rescue operations at the request of the UN.

Since the inception of seaborne trade, ocean coastlines have been valuable gateways for global trade, however today, with ongoing pollution, human degradation, piracy, armed banditry, kidnapping of seafarers and illegal bunkering on the seas on the rise, there is a noteworthy decline in the economic value derived from seaborne trade within areas that border oceans notorious for criminality at sea.

Some of the threats to life and assets at sea include terrorism, vandalization, robberies, piracy, gun running, bunkering, and other acts of economic sabotage, stealing, pollution (from oil spillage), war and civil unrest, etc. These acts of criminality are especially common on the African coastline known as the Gulf of Guinea. 

The Gulf of Guinea (GOG)

The Gulf of Guinea (GOG) represents the continental coastline that borders the Atlantic Ocean and is more than 6,000 kilometers in length. This coastline spans the border of Africa from Central and West Africa, and borders more than a dozen countries.

The Gulf of Guinea (GOG) provides an economic theater to both coastal and landlocked African countries and is of strategic importance to the global business community and international shipping. The safe passage of goods and services to ports in this region, plus the required security within its waters is a critical factor to global energy production and transportation. This is more so as Nigeria and Angola, two countries within this zone, are amongst the world’s top ten crude oil exporters.

The Gulf of Guinea is also important to West Africa’s fishing industry, as it provides employment and a means of sustenance for a large percentage of the indigenous population. It offers vast mineral resources and commercially valuable marine life, as well as providing strategic maritime transport routes for international shipping. Its natural resources are integral to global trade networks. This justifies the need for maritime security and safety at all times.

The socio-economic and political environment within this area has changed over the years. Insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea has taken a different dimension. Piracy and other criminal activities have been on the rise, and constitutes a serious threat to life and commercial activity within the area.

Within Nigeria’s Niger Delta, there has been a spike in maritime piracy, armed robbery, and youth militancy. In 2007, over 100 attacks against shipping vessels were recorded. A study by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in 2013 identified the threats in the Gulf as acts of violence at sea, organized transnational crime, trafficking in drugs and illegal substances, illegal and unrecorded fishing, and other ecological risks. The report of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) records the Gulf of Guinea as the most dangerous sea in 2016.

The IMB also reported that in 2017 the Gulf of Guinea had the highest number of reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the world. It was noted in the same report that 102 crew members were kidnapped in 2018, compared to 63 kidnap incidents in 2017.

However, it is worthy to note that piracy is not the only cause of maritime instability and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. Other challenges related to weak governance include organized crime such as illegal fishing, drug smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. The region is known as a major transit corridor for drug trafficking from South America to Europe and other parts of the world.

Close analysis suggests that weak ocean governance is the major factor enabling insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. Other factors would include poverty within coastal communities, corruption of government officials, growing unemployment, youth militancy, terrorism, and the lure of quick money provided by criminal enterprise.

Healthy global trade demands a concerted global effort to combat criminal activities and the racketeering that have become synonymous with this region. To create a safer more secure economic region, there must be adequate information, human capacity development, the development and transfer of technical knowledge, sound and practical institutional policies and technological resources to manage the adverse human impact and natural hazards inherent within this marine environment and its ecosystem. This is impossible without integrated governance and a trans-regional ocean policy that will balance the use of this coastline with the sustainable development of its abundant resources.

Rising up to this challenge, many maritime organizations, especially the International Maritime Organization (IMO), have followed the security issues in the Gulf of Guinea for many years with a strong commitment to understanding and resolving the underlying challenges. This started after an appeal was made to the United Nations by the then-President of Benin Republic Thomas Boni Yayi for assistance in combating crimes in the region. In response to this, amongst many other pleas from other stakeholders, the UN Security Council in February 2012 came up with Resolution 2039 which urged states within the region to develop counter-piracy policies at regional and national levels.

Bodies such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) also convened joint meetings and strategic sessions to draft regional strategies. Documents drafted at the above meetings were endorsed at a summit of heads of states and governments of Central and West Africa in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in June 2013.

2015 saw the creation of the Inter-regional Coordination Center (ICC) under the auspices of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC). Many other bodies have also been created to deal with the issue of insecurity and facilitate development in the area. These bodies include CRESMAO in 2014 and CRESMAC in 2015, under ECOWAS.

On the global scene, the UN Security Council Resolution 2039 invited international partners to provide support for regional efforts and bilateral relations and partnerships in the Gulf of Guinea. Developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Spain are to be part of the bilateral partnerships. The EU has also released its strategy for the Gulf of Guinea, and INTERPOL and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have included Gulf of Guinea piracy in their analyses and reports concerning organized crime in West and Central Africa.

This international attention acknowledges that maritime insecurity in West Africa, like Somali piracy, exists as a component of transnational crime and can have an impact far beyond the immediate region.

The IMO Council, in its Resolution 1069 of 2003, resolved to monitor the situation in relation to acts and attempted acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships, illicit maritime activity, and threats to ships sailing in the Gulf of Guinea. The council resolved to initiate any actions which it may deem necessary, including coordinating the work of competent committees of the organization to ensure the protection of seafarers and ships sailing in those waters and to ensure appropriate cooperation with other organizations and entities tasked with relevant activities.

Notwithstanding the efforts listed above, piracy and armed banditry still remain a critical challenge in the Gulf of Guinea, and this challenge continues to rise. Many factors have been adduced for the inability of these regional bodies to eliminate the incessant insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. One of the key factors listed include the structure of the regional bodies responsible for this work. Most of them have duplicated functions and are poorly coordinated.

Another factor is the competition for scarce resources (mostly financial) by regional heads, organizations, committees, and donor bodies. This implies that most of these organizations are unable to operate efficiently, making them ineffective in tackling and combating criminal activity within the region.

There is no verifiable record of any criminal prosecutions for maritime crimes committed within this region, hence the absence of any legal deterrents. This has, in turn, further led to an international outcry among the littoral states and maritime operators for increased surveillance, better restructuring, and greater funding for the management of the Gulf of Guinea.

To develop a workable blueprint for the sustainable development of renewable and non-renewable resources within the region, the conservation and protection of this marine domain, and to address the interrelated problems of the ocean space as a whole, there are key questions and challenges that are likely to confront the policymakers responsible for ocean governance.

When viewed holistically, there are four major areas or perspectives that ocean governance needs to be addressed from. They include environmental problems and population pressures; institutional responses to these problems and pressures; modern technology; and the adoption of the principles of responsible governance. A combination of these environmental, institutional, technological, and societal perspectives will have a significant bearing on ocean governance and, by extension, on the security and development of the Gulf of Guinea. 

Institutional Arrangements and Principles

In order to achieve the far-reaching security for people and cargo within the Gulf of Guinea and along its coasts, the governments of stakeholder states need to develop and adopt a grand security architecture in their approach to ocean governance. This will require inter-sectoral cooperation amongst the governing bodies.

Modern management principles and an integrated governance framework will be needed to improve enforcement and compliance in this ecological belt. Responsible ocean governance goes beyond legal and institutional arrangements and policies, even though these remain fundamental and key determinants. Other key factors worthy of consideration would include ethics and shared values; the use of the best scientific knowledge, shared information from indigenous knowledge systems; human capacity development; enhanced public awareness systems; technological advancements and innovation. All these are essential to enhancing cooperation amongst the stakeholders in order to strengthen institutional arrangements for ocean governance and to broaden participation amongst governing institutions at all levels in the Gulf region. 

Technological Challenges and Opportunities

The use of science and technology is increasing within many maritime domains. Some of the areas that have seen these developments include improved internet connectivity, marine information forecasts, transport efficiency, navigation, ocean floor profiling, and marine resource exploitation capabilities.

These developments in technology offer great opportunities for capacity development and wealth creation in the sector. In the future, access to cost-effective, timely data will be critical to enhancing ocean governance within the Gulf of Guinea. Information gathering and sharing via geospatial data systems and infrastructures will be essential for maritime domain awareness, observation, reporting, and more detailed exploration of the ocean’s floor. This will ensure the safety and security of marine operators while at the same time improving the management of commercial fishing practices.

Institutional Framework for Ocean Governance and Maritime Safety in the Gulf of Guinea

To achieve the above, institutional frameworks built on a multi-layered approach are required.

African nations within the littoral and landlocked zones of the Gulf of Guinea need to be more committed to formulating strategic maritime policies that engage with key ocean players to build bilateral partnerships. There is a need for an integrated fisheries management policy at the regional level through Regional Conventions and Fisheries Management Boards (RFMBs). This will improve regional ocean fishery regulation.

Finally, there is a need to build the capacity of partner states and organizations to monitor the oceans, conserve marine biodiversity and eliminate illegal, underreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Gulf of Guinea. 

National governments can, through determined political will, take up the mantle of leadership needed to formulate national policies and regulations for their respective states. The regional bodies, on their part, can integrate the policies developed by individual states and fashion them into actionable goals to be achieved within specific time periods. At the global level, international agreements and protocols can be strengthened and implemented with support and advocacy from the diverse coastal communities.

All the above, if well-coordinated, will draw support from the coastal communities. Through social networking, capacity-building, and effective communication, coastal communities will lead the effort and support participatory governance. This will promote shared values and enhance the rule of law.

The Future of the Gulf of Guinea 

Looking into the future, the European Commission, in 2019, established the International Ocean Governance Stakeholders Forum which brought together maritime experts, civil society representatives, academics, and policymakers dedicated to ocean and maritime issues worldwide.

Their terms of reference were to establish new protocols, discuss current challenges that hinder international ocean governance, and recommend future actions to resolve them. African nations dotting the Gulf of Guinea need to borrow from this effort. They need to become more proactive, transcending from being ordinary policy formulators, to implementors of agreed-upon goals for the development of oceans and coastlines in Africa.

Addressing the Gulf of Guinea’s challenges is a significant task, while ocean governance is a daunting issue which demands an interdisciplinary approach and innovative solutions. It remains a known fact that this maritime domain has a community of likeminded peoples with the passion and commitment to tackle these challenges. Their reasons are very simple. The economic and historic importance of the area is beyond reproach.

Much can be achieved through the collective efforts of these coastal communities when they come together as progressive stakeholders for the governance of the Gulf of Guinea. Effective ocean governance within the Gulf of Guinea will require their collective identification of common goals and the implementation of collectively agreed upon effective strategies for managing the region. These must all be built on enduring institutional structures.

It is by doing this, and by carrying out the shared recommendations, that the laudable objective of ocean governance and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea will be achieved.

Bem is the Chief Executive Officer of GOG Marine Limited, a shipowner and management company established to provide high quality product shipping services to end users doing business within the West African sub-region.

This article appears courtesy of CIMSEC and is reproduced here in an abbreviated form. It may be found in its original form here.

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/ocean-governance-and-maritime-security-in-the-gulf-of-guinea via http://www.rssmix.com/

[touristguidebuzz]

Expanded Laptop Ban Spurs Airline Meeting with U.S. Homeland Security

United, Delta and American airlines met with Homeland Security secretary John Kelly, pictured here In this photo taken January 8, 2016, to discuss the prospect of a widening ban of laptops in the cabin on flights from Europe. Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press

Skift Take: Is there an imminent threat or are U.S. federal authorities merely looking to have travelers from foreign countries avoid visiting the United States at all costs? Hopefully officials shared more information Thursday with major airlines and Airlines for America.

— Dennis Schaal

Airline and travel-industry groups are quietly expressing concern about a plan under consideration by U.S. security authorities to prohibit passengers from carrying their laptop computers into the cabin on flights from Europe.

Extending electronics restrictions — now in place for travel from some Middle Eastern and African airports — to Europe would disrupt one of the world’s busiest and most lucrative travel markets just ahead of the peak summer tourism season. It could also hinder business passengers’ ability to work on their laptops on long-haul routes across the Atlantic.

Two travel trade groups, the Global Business Travel Association and the U.S. Travel Association, issued statements Thursday saying genuine security risks should be addressed, but also urging the U.S. Homeland Security department to be as flexible as possible to minimize disruptions.

“The question remains whether the targeted application of policies banning personal electronics is an effective measure to reduce the risk of terrorism,” Michael McCormick, GBTA executive director, said in a statement Thursday.

More than 3,000 flights are expected to arrive in the U.S. from the European Union each week this summer. The U.S. is the world’s second-largest market for spending on business travel, following China, according to the GBTA. Global spending for business travel topped $1.3 trillion and is projected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2020, the group said.

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly met in Washington Thursday with U.S. airline officials to discuss details of a possible expansion. The meeting was to include representatives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, as well as industry trade group Airlines for America, according to three people familiar with the ongoing discussions. Agency spokeswoman Jenny Burke said there would be no announcement on Thursday.

The U.S. announced on March 21 that electronic devices larger than smartphones would be banned from cabins on flights originating from eight countries, impacting global hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul. The action, which affects major carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, resulted from fears that bombs capable of downing an airliner could be hidden in the devices.

DHS is considering an expansion of that order, but no decisions have been made, Burke said in an email. “DHS continues to evaluate the threat environment and will make changes when necessary to keep air travelers safe,” she said.

Airline representatives have also expressed their concern to Congress, according to two congressional staffers who asked not to be named because they aren’t authorized to discuss the discussions.

U.S. airlines have been pushing alternative solutions they believe will address security concerns while sidestepping measures that would block business travelers from working on laptops and prevent other fliers from viewing movies or reading books on tablets, according to the staffers and an industry official. The official asked not to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak about discussions with the government.

Airlines have suggested measures such as asking passengers to turn on their electronic devices and subjecting all devices to explosive-detection swabs. Another strategy might be to use CT x-ray technology, which uses scores of x-ray images from multiple vantage points to provide a higher definition image, the person said. CT is used for checked bags but isn’t available at checkpoints for carry-on luggage.

At the same time, the airlines will do whatever is necessary to address any legitimate security threat, the industry official said.

Finding a way to expand trusted-traveler programs, such as the Transportation Security Administration PreCheck, may also be a solution, McCormick of the GBTA said. Passengers who agree to be screened for terrorist ties now get expedited screening at U.S. airports, but the program isn’t recognized by airport security workers in other countries.

Terrorist Groups

DHS Secretary Kelly and Representative John Katko, a New York Republican who is chairman of the House Transportation Security Subcommittee, have said in recent weeks that the initial measures were prompted by intelligence that terrorist groups have gotten better at concealing explosives in electronic devices. A bomb installed in a laptop or tablet may not be detectable by existing x-ray machines at security checkpoints.

The current laptop ban on flights from eight countries in the Middle East and Africa doesn’t apply to travel that originates in the U.S. to those countries.

Some carriers serving those routes have begun loaning equipment to premium customers. Business-class travelers on Qatar Airways Ltd. hand over their laptops at the gate for storage in the hold and receive specially purchased computers. Etihad Airways PJSC planned to provide Apple Inc. IPads, according to a March announcement.

Making Preparations

Meanwhile, U.S. and European airlines are preparing for an anticipated widening of the ban.

Air France-KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa AG say they’re making preparations for the moratorium on devices on flights from Europe, including tablets and games consoles. The European Commission has written to President Donald Trump’s administration to urge cooperation on any new measures.

“We are in contact with our partners and the authorities, and we’re preparing for the possibility,” Air France spokeswoman Ulli Gendrot said by phone.

Lufthansa has been working internally on different scenarios for responding to any extension of the ban, spokesman Helmut Tolksdorf said. Both companies have close ties to major U.S. operators, with Air France-KLM allied to Delta Air Lines Inc. and Lufthansa partnered with United Continental Holdings Inc.

U.S. airlines also have been discussing a potential expansion of the ban with officials at DHS and TSA for several weeks, according to one of the U.S. people briefed on the talks.

Load Factors

While a broadening of the restrictions could “only be a negative” for airlines, making on-time departure more challenging and adding costs for loaner devices, it might at least amount to a “zero-sum game” if applied universally to trans-Atlantic operators, said Mark Simpson, an analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers in Dublin. Carriers impacted by the existing ban have reported a slide in U.S. load factors as some travelers take alternative routes, though that will become less of an option in the event of expanded curbs.

Airports Council International, which represents hubs around the world, said it has been discussing the issue with bodies including the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the European Commission and TSA in anticipation of the ban being extended.

“We’re trying to make sure that there is good coordination involving airports and airlines,” said Robert O’Meara, a spokesman for ACI Europe. “The key thing is to make sure the message is communicated in a coherent way.”

Shortly after the original ban was announced the Flight Safety Foundation, an aviation safety group, warned that it could create risks by shifting more lithium-battery powered devices to cargo holds. Lithium-powered batteries have been linked to fires.

Officials are coordinating with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide carriers with a bulletin on the proper handling of batteries, DHS spokeswoman Jenny Burke said last month.

–With assistance from Marine Strauss Deena Kamel Yousef Richard Weiss and Benjamin Katz

  ©2017 Bloomberg L.P.

This article was written by Christopher Jasper, Mary Schlangenstein and Alan Levin from Bloomberg and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.