Global Governing Gaps and Accountability Traps for Solar Energy and Storage. The climate crisis has spurred the global race for renewables, dramatically increasing solar energy and lithium-ion storage battery use. This project investigates the global governance of these technologies environmental and social impacts. This is significant because regulation lags technology: there are governance 'gaps' for protecting
communities, ecosystems, and developing states, and accountability 'traps' that pri ....Global Governing Gaps and Accountability Traps for Solar Energy and Storage. The climate crisis has spurred the global race for renewables, dramatically increasing solar energy and lithium-ion storage battery use. This project investigates the global governance of these technologies environmental and social impacts. This is significant because regulation lags technology: there are governance 'gaps' for protecting
communities, ecosystems, and developing states, and accountability 'traps' that prioritise governance processes over outcomes. The project examines how solar and storage production, use, and disposal is governed and whether governance initiatives can account for harm. The expected outcomes are to determine whether global governance can regulate renewables, with benefit for improving global protection rules.Read moreRead less
The Global Governance of Tax and Financial Services: Who Regulates, Who Wins, Who Loses. This project analyses the role of power in the global economy, specifically, whether powerful states can establish global rules concerning tax and financial services by coercion. Large states working through international organisations have floated global tax and financial standards that would regulate international competition for mobile investment but also impose disproportionate costs on small states. If ....The Global Governance of Tax and Financial Services: Who Regulates, Who Wins, Who Loses. This project analyses the role of power in the global economy, specifically, whether powerful states can establish global rules concerning tax and financial services by coercion. Large states working through international organisations have floated global tax and financial standards that would regulate international competition for mobile investment but also impose disproportionate costs on small states. If coercion is cheap and easy to use in solving economic disputes large states will be able to impose these standards on small states. If not, large states will instead have to compromise or offer compensation to establish effective regulations.Read moreRead less
Multilateral Development Bank Accountability: Who Benefits? In 1994 the World Bank adopted an "external accountability mechanism" to assess claims by people all over the world that they were negatively affected by Bank financed development projects. Within a decade this mechanism would become a global model of accountability. Adopted by the African, Asian, European and Inter-American Development Banks, hundreds of claims have now been filed. In probing the creation, proliferation and operations ....Multilateral Development Bank Accountability: Who Benefits? In 1994 the World Bank adopted an "external accountability mechanism" to assess claims by people all over the world that they were negatively affected by Bank financed development projects. Within a decade this mechanism would become a global model of accountability. Adopted by the African, Asian, European and Inter-American Development Banks, hundreds of claims have now been filed. In probing the creation, proliferation and operations of these external accountability mechanisms, this project investigates who benefits from them: project affected people, the Banks, or the Banks' member states, some who pushed for greater accountability, and some who opposed these infringements on their sovereign right to borrow.Read moreRead less
International Law and the Anthropocene. This project aims to examine how international law deals with environmental systems in the Anthropocene: the current geological epoch defined by human interference with Earth's biophysical systems. It will assess whether and how international law takes a systemic approach in controlling human impacts upon key environmental spheres (in particular the atmosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere). The project also aims to assess whether environmental re ....International Law and the Anthropocene. This project aims to examine how international law deals with environmental systems in the Anthropocene: the current geological epoch defined by human interference with Earth's biophysical systems. It will assess whether and how international law takes a systemic approach in controlling human impacts upon key environmental spheres (in particular the atmosphere, cryosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere). The project also aims to assess whether environmental regimes are capable of further development to ensure the continued existence of a safe operating space for humanity.Read moreRead less
Financing Human Rights: Global Problems and Possibilities. In global terms, Australia is a rich country with a large aid budget and a strong record of supporting the international advancement of human rights standards, especially in the Asia-Pacific. Australia's private sector also invests heavily in many of our neighbouring states, thereby helping to advance human rights through economic development. But human rights problems persist in many countries in our region. This project seeks to optimi ....Financing Human Rights: Global Problems and Possibilities. In global terms, Australia is a rich country with a large aid budget and a strong record of supporting the international advancement of human rights standards, especially in the Asia-Pacific. Australia's private sector also invests heavily in many of our neighbouring states, thereby helping to advance human rights through economic development. But human rights problems persist in many countries in our region. This project seeks to optimise the impact of the financing of human rights protection in developing countries, and thereby add significantly to the maintenance and promotion of the security, prosperity and welfare of all peoples in our region.Read moreRead less
Global Governance, Eco-Justice, and International Grievance Mechanisms. Despite their global use, there is no evidence that grievance mechanisms provide remedies for people and ecosystems harmed by international development projects. This project aims to investigate whether grievance mechanisms provide eco-justice, where communities seek to be recognised and participate, can lead full lives safe from undue environmental risk, in ecosystems that can regenerate and repair. This is significant give ....Global Governance, Eco-Justice, and International Grievance Mechanisms. Despite their global use, there is no evidence that grievance mechanisms provide remedies for people and ecosystems harmed by international development projects. This project aims to investigate whether grievance mechanisms provide eco-justice, where communities seek to be recognised and participate, can lead full lives safe from undue environmental risk, in ecosystems that can regenerate and repair. This is significant given increasing environmental conflict and deaths at project sites around the world. Examining over 430 original claims to the Multilateral Development Banks’ mechanisms over 25 years, and four case studies, the project aims to determine whether the mechanisms deliver eco-justice, and can improve global rules for remedy.Read moreRead less
Leveraging power and influence on the United Nations Security Council. This project examines the fundamental problem of how elected members on the Security Council can influence Council decision-making and norm development. Assembling a research team of international lawyers and political scientists, the project seeks to provide a rigorous, multi-disciplinary evaluation of why and when non-permanent Council members have succeeded in having impact on the Council's decision-making process. Drawing ....Leveraging power and influence on the United Nations Security Council. This project examines the fundamental problem of how elected members on the Security Council can influence Council decision-making and norm development. Assembling a research team of international lawyers and political scientists, the project seeks to provide a rigorous, multi-disciplinary evaluation of why and when non-permanent Council members have succeeded in having impact on the Council's decision-making process. Drawing on recent experiences of elected members, including Australia, the project is expected to advance evidence-based and empirically grounded policy proposals designed to increase the capacity of elected members to exercise power and influence over the Council's agenda and policy.Read moreRead less
Global Challenges, Reluctant Publics? The Role of Public Opinion in International Cooperation on Crucial Global Issues. When challenges emerge that demand international cooperation, what is the facilitating or constraining role of public opinion in states’ ability for joint action? Which factors, under what conditions, influence citizens’ attitudes? Can governments or issue activists meaningfully change public opinion about crucial issues? Human society faces a number of major challenges to its ....Global Challenges, Reluctant Publics? The Role of Public Opinion in International Cooperation on Crucial Global Issues. When challenges emerge that demand international cooperation, what is the facilitating or constraining role of public opinion in states’ ability for joint action? Which factors, under what conditions, influence citizens’ attitudes? Can governments or issue activists meaningfully change public opinion about crucial issues? Human society faces a number of major challenges to its environmental, economic, and political wellbeing that are not contained by international borders and may require international cooperation for effective action. Developing and testing new theory, this project aims to address these under-explored issues of the role of opinion in multinational cooperation, and the degree to which opinion is an independent agenda setter.Read moreRead less
Improving the International Response to Regime-Induced Displacement. This project examines why governments increasingly use force to deliberately displace their own populations on a massive scale, which is termed regime-induced displacement. Through a mix of quantitative and case study research, this project aims to explain why such actions have become rational strategies for regimes to respond to ethnic groups which may be a threat to them and how these regimes try to justify their behaviour in ....Improving the International Response to Regime-Induced Displacement. This project examines why governments increasingly use force to deliberately displace their own populations on a massive scale, which is termed regime-induced displacement. Through a mix of quantitative and case study research, this project aims to explain why such actions have become rational strategies for regimes to respond to ethnic groups which may be a threat to them and how these regimes try to justify their behaviour in order to thwart or delay international action. This is a critical issue as beyond its human cost, regime-induced displacement can lead to state fragility and regional instability as cases from Darfur to Syria demonstrate. Consequently, it directly affects Australia's security interests and international responsibilities.Read moreRead less
The Persona of State: Conceptualising the State in International Relations. This project will develop a comprehensive theoretical account of the State as a conceptual necessity in international relations. Despite universal acknowledgement of the State as central to the discipline, no comprehensive conceptualisation has been attempted from an international perspective. The State will be investigated as a persona, embodying various properties, necessary from a range of perspectives, in various for ....The Persona of State: Conceptualising the State in International Relations. This project will develop a comprehensive theoretical account of the State as a conceptual necessity in international relations. Despite universal acknowledgement of the State as central to the discipline, no comprehensive conceptualisation has been attempted from an international perspective. The State will be investigated as a persona, embodying various properties, necessary from a range of perspectives, in various forms in modern history. This should provide in a monograph and articles a multi-faceted but easily comprehensible theory of the state that is not only a powerful analytical tool, but will provide a solid basis for subsequent theorising about international relations.Read moreRead less