Conference Agenda

Problem Statement and Purpose

Despite the proliferation of donor funding by the European Union (EU) and other donors for public sector programmes in South Africa, there are often tensions between the donor and the recipient country when developing Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) institutional arrangements. Currently, recipient countries bear heavy transaction costs due to different donors using distinct institutional arrangements. As a result, managing contrasting donor procedures and meeting different donor requirements takes up a large proportion of recipient countries’ administrative capacity. This situation presents both challenges and opportunities to policy makers (Riddell, 2008). The main challenge is that differing donor institutional arrangements have a heavy aid transaction cost for recipient countries. However, there is an opportunity to develop an innovative approach that can be used in other similar contexts to reduce aid transaction costs for both donors and recipients. Thus, it is critical to understand how to structure institutional arrangements in undertaking multi-stakeholder donor supported programmes. The study aims to explore how ODA institutional arrangements are developed in multi-stakeholder donor supported programmes. Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) was employed to shed light on why actors choose one institutional arrangement over another (Jobin, 2008) based on the transaction costs involved. Scant attention has been paid to assessing how transaction costs influence aid institutional arrangements (Paul and Vandeninden, 2012). This study aims to close this gap.

Methodology

Based on the conceptual framework identified in the literature review, this study adopted a qualitative research strategy to understand how institutional arrangements in multi-stakeholder ODA programmes are formed. A qualitative research strategy was appropriate for this research in that it assisted in exploring and unpacking the nuances surrounding the formation of institutional arrangements in a multi-stakeholder programme and in exploring donors’ influence thereon. This research followed a case study research design. This design was appropriate because it focuses on a single instance of a social phenomenon (Babbie, 2016). The target population of this study was middle to senior management personnel at the Ecosystem Development for Small Enterprises (EDSE), the National Treasury (NT) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD). Purposive sampling was employed to select the respondents. The research site was the EDSE Programme. This study utilised semi-structured interviews to collect the qualitative primary data from participants. After collecting the data, the interviews were transcribed verbatim. The verbatim transcribed interview transcripts were manually subjected to thematic analysis.

Findings

The main finding is that different donors require distinct institutional arrangements. This creates onerous accountability processes in multi-stakeholder institutional arrangements which increase aid transaction costs for recipient countries and undermine the prospects of aid effectiveness. It was also found that ODA institutional arrangements and their attendant rules and conditionalities are heavily influenced by donors with scant input by the SA government. Budget support programmes are the favoured form of ODA in South Africa, mainly because they entail fewer administrative burdens and transaction costs as the funds are deposited directly into the respective departments’ fiscal budgets

Proposals

In order to reduce excessive ODA administrative burdens and transaction costs, the South African government should consider crafting an overarching ODA Act to govern ODA institutional arrangements. This would go a long way towards bringing certainty to the regulatory aspects of ODA and would likely reduce aid transaction costs. Similarly, to reduce ODA transaction costs, the National Treasury’s IDC Unit will be critical in ensuring harmonisation of ODA institutional arrangements.

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Problem Statement and Purpose

In 2015, the World Health Organization released the World Cancer Report stating that global cancer cases will grow rapidly in the future. The report predicts that the annual global cancer cases will increase to 19 million in 2025 and may increase to 24 million in 2035. Among them, the cancer incidence in some developing countries is close to the world level, but the mortality rate is higher than the world level and the level of developed countries. At the same time, most anti-cancer drugs in some developing countries come from developed countries in Europe and the United States. Due to the genetic differences between different races, the limitations of different pharmaceutical companies’ research and development technologies, and the high cost of anti-cancer drug research and development, people in different regions have different rights to life and health based on the availability of anti-cancer drugs in developed and developing countries. Presenting different forms of protection.

Methodology

Although the "Doha Declaration" issued in 2001 stated "to promote access to existing medicines and the research and development of new medicines in a manner that supports public health", it emphasized that members of the World Trade Organization can use it under certain conditions. Generic drugs used to treat diseases such as AIDS are exported to countries that can neither afford nor produce these drugs. However, developed countries maintain trade barriers against developing countries for drugs with competitive advantages based on the concept of absolute protection of patent rights.

Findings

At the same time, because the cancer incidence and mortality rates in developing countries are lower than those in developed countries, the demand for market-driven anti-cancer drug R&D innovation in the latter is far lower than that in the former. The issue of availability of anticancer drugs in developing countries remains unresolved.

Proposals

In this case, international organizations represented by the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization can actively promote free trade of anti-cancer drugs in supply and demand countries and balance the protection of property rights of drug research and development results with the life and health rights of patients.

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Problem Statement and Purpose

The global governance system refers to the sum of a series of systems, rules, and mechanisms formulated and implemented by sovereign states, international organizations, multinational corporations, and other governance entities to address public issues in the international community. The main problems facing the current global governance system include three aspects.

Firstly, global issues are becoming increasingly prominent.

Secondly, the reform of the four major international organizations on which the global governance system relies is difficult.

Thirdly, the selfish behavior of Western powers has damaged the effectiveness of global governance.

he research aims to explore ways to address global governance issues.

Methodology

Qualitative research method. Qualitative research is mainly used to study the problems and proposed solutions in the global governance system.

Case study method. Mainly using the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization as examples, this study explores the difficulties and solutions faced by global governance system reform.

Findings

The main issues facing the global governance system

Firstly, global issues are becoming increasingly prominent.

Secondly, the reform of the four major international organizations on which the global governance system relies is difficult.

Thirdly, the selfish behavior of Western powers has damaged the effectiveness of global governance

Proposals

To effectively address these issues faced by the global governance system, we need to approach them from three aspects.

Firstly, we need to leverage the different roles of the main body of the global governance system.

Secondly, we need to promote reforms in the four major international organizations.

Thirdly, Western powers should abandon zero sum game thinking and assume their responsibilities in the international governance system.

References

“United Nations Charter,” signed on 26 June 1945, in San Francisco,and came into force on 24 October 1945.

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Problem Statement and Purpose

1、Problem statement

With the acceleration of globalization, environmental issues are no longer a problem that can be solved by a single country or region, but require cooperation and joint efforts on a global scale. As part of the social forces, Chinese environmental non-governmental organizations actively participate in international environmental governance, fully reflecting the international factors of public governance. However, why do Chinese environmental non-governmental organizations participate in international environmental governance, and how do they participate? The answer to this question will reflect the two-way interaction between international factors and China's environmental management.

2、Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze how international factors affect the participation decisions and actions of Chinese environmental non-governmental organizations, and evaluate their contribution to global environmental governance. This will not only help deepen our understanding of the role of environmental non-governmental organizations in international environmental governance, but also provide useful references and inspiration for other countries and regions.

Methodology

3. Methodology

This article uses a variety of research methods such as literature review and case analysis. Through in-depth analysis of the international environmental governance system, public governance theory, and the development status of Chinese environmental non-governmental organizations, this article reveals the motivations for their participation in international environmental governance, including internal mission-driven and external environmental promotion factors. At the same time, this article also selects a typical Chinese environmental non-governmental organization, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation（CBCGDF）, for in-depth research, analyzes its specific practices and effectiveness in participating in international environmental governance, and explores the international factors and significance of this case in reflecting Chinese public governance.

Findings

The Chinese government encourages domestic environmental NGOs to participate in international environmental governance to compensate for the limited resources and ineffective cooperation. The Chinese environmental NGOs engage internationally to achieve their own environmental protection mission, to enhance their international influence and learn from international advanced experience and technology. Chinese environmental NGOs participate in international environmental governance through international exchanges and cooperation, information sharing, and promoting the formulation of international environmental rules. However, there are faced with insufficient funding 、limited international cooperation experience、scarcity of professionals in environmental protection and lack of domestic legal basis.

Proposals

This article proposes corresponding countermeasures and suggestions, including strengthening international cooperation and exchanges, enhancing organizational capabilities and professional standards, and gaining more international support. China also urgently need to formulate relevant laws and regulations to regulate the internationalization of Chinese environmental non-governmental organizations. International non-governmental organizations carry out projects overseas, and government overseas aid funds are an important source. China can consider increasing the proportion of foreign aid funds implemented through its own non-governmental organizations. These proposals aim to promote Chinese environmental NGOs to better participate in international environmental governance and contribute to the improvement of global environmental governance.

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