An analysis of the standards of the government websites of Sri Lanka

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharindu Ishanka Rajapaksha ◽  
Lalitha S. Fernando
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Online Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lower Ranking ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
The Government

Purpose This paper aims to identify the reasons for the lower ranking of the Online Service Index of Sri Lanka under the United Nations E-Government Readiness Index. The study is conducted as a comparative study on selected Asian countries and suggests remedial measures for the improvement of the status of e-government of Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach In this regard, as the sample of websites ranked according to the Online Service Index of the United Nations, five government websites of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Singapore were selected. They are the national portal and the websites of the five Ministries: The Ministry of Education, Finance, Health, Labor and of Social Services. Asian countries selected are India, Bangladesh and Singapore including Sri Lanka. Observation method was the mainly used method for data collection. The websites were evaluated in contrast with the help of the “Main features reviewed by the United Nations E-government Survey” as the checklist. Substantial description and scoring methods were used for the analysis of the data and the presentation of the findings of the study. Findings Thus, several weaknesses of the online services of the government websites of Sri Lanka were identified. Among them, the major reasons identified for the lower rank of the Sri Lankan Online Service Index were, for example, the inability to identify the exact website of national portal, the lack of accessibility or usability features, the weaknesses in the active maintenance of the “Contact us” feature, service-delivery capability features, citizen participation and also interconnectedness features. The above weaknesses have been the key/root causes for the decline of the rank of the Online Service Index of Sri Lanka. Research limitations/implications From five government websites, selected three foreign Asian countries were in focus because of practical limitations. Another difficulty faced in the analysis and comparison of the websites was that the information with regard to the United Nations evaluation methodology/criteria has not been adequately provided. Practical implications The findings of this study provide information for the policy makers, web standards, evaluation criteria developers and almost all the government organizations to address key issues related to this field for the maximization of citizen participation, the enhancement of the service-delivery capabilities and accessibility features of websites to improve the online services of the government. This study unfolded several areas for the future researchers. Those researches can also be conducted based on sub indexes of the United Nations E-Government Readiness Index. The same method could be used to examine Human Capital Index, Telecommunication and Infrastructure Index and Citizen Participation Index. This research could also be expanded through observations of foreign countries. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of the quality of government websites of Sri Lanka compared to the selected Asian countries. Through the utilization of this scoring method, four major weaknesses that contribute to the lower ranking of the online service of Sri Lanka were identified with suggestions indented for the improvement of the government websites.

UNAMID withdrawal raises Darfur relapse risk

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Security Council ◽  
African Union ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relapse Risk ◽  
Liberation Movement ◽  
Un Security Council ◽  
Displaced People ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
The Government

Subject Peacekeeping in Darfur Significance The UN Security Council in July authorised a major drawdown and reconfiguration of the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The downsizing was expected. Nevertheless, the mission’s exit does not mark an end to Darfur’s 15-year-old conflict; rather, it increases the potential for a serious deterioration. Impacts The government will persist with efforts to dismantle camps that still play host to 1.8 million displaced people, despite fierce resistance. The weapons collection campaign will deepen tensions between government militias and non-Arab communities, potentially sparking fighting. The army will focus on combatting Sudan Liberation Movement/Abdel Wahid rebels and loyalists of recently arrested militia chief Musa Hilal.

scholarly journals Bringing Child Buddhist Monks into the Alternative Care Conversation: Reflections on an Under-considered Group of Children

2021 ◽  
pp. 234930032110121
Author(s):  
Deborah W. Parkes
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Young Children ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Child Rights ◽  
Alternative Care ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
The United Nations

Tens of thousands of children in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and other Asian countries are living as child Buddhist monks. Many are in temples and monasteries far from home and do not see their parents for months, even years. Some are as young as 6 years of age. The aim of this article is to engage scholars, practitioners, child rights advocates, and others in a conversation around the rights and vulnerabilities of child Buddhist monks and children susceptible to being entrusted to monasteries to live as child monks. This group of children receives relatively little attention in alternative care conversations despite many parallels and overlaps with children in orphanages and care homes. This article identifies risks and vulnerabilities that child monks can face, including sexual abuse. It reflects on how aspects of entrusting young children to live as child monks do not necessarily fit with principles articulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child ( UNGA, 1989 ) and the United Nations Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children ( UNGA, 2009 ).

Realising Ainu indigenous rights: a commentary on Hiroshi Maruyama's ‘Japan's post-war Ainu policy. Why the Japanese Government has not recognised Ainu indigenous rights?’

Polar Record ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naohiro Nakamura
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Indigenous Rights ◽  
Japanese Government ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
The Government ◽  
Post War ◽  
Legal Frameworks ◽  
United Nations Declaration

ABSTRACTThis commentary reviews Maruyama's article ‘Japan's post-war Ainu policy: why the Japanese Government has not recognised Ainu indigenous rights?’ (Maruyama 2013a), published in this journal. Maruyama criticises the government for its reluctance to enact a new Ainu law to guarantee indigenous rights, even after Japan's ratification of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). However, in actuality, the government is searching for the foundation of new Ainu policies in the existing legal frameworks and trying to guarantee some elements of indigenous rights. Japan's case suggests the possibility of realising indigenous rights without the enactment of a specific law.

From environmental education to education for sustainable development in higher education: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Mauricio Acosta Castellanos ◽  
Araceli Queiruga-Dios
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
The World ◽  
The United Nations

Purpose In education concerning environmental issues, there are two predominant currents in the world, environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). ESD is the formal commitment and therefore promoted by the United Nations, to ensure that countries achieve sustainable development. In contrast, EE was the first educational trend with an environmental protection approach. The purpose of this systematic review that seeks to show whether the migration from EE to ESD is being effective and welcomed by researchers and especially by universities is presented. With the above, a global panorama can be provided, where the regions that choose each model can be identified. In the same sense, it was sought to determine which of the two currents is more accepted within engineering education. Design/methodology/approach The review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyzes parameters for systematic reviews. In total, 198 papers indexed in Scopus, Science Direct, ERIC and Scielo were analyzed. With the results, the advancement of ESD and the state of the EE by regions in the world were identified. Findings It was possible to categorize the geographical regions that host either of the two EE or ESD currents. It is important to note that ESD has gained more strength from the decade of ESD proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. For its part, EE has greater historical roots in some regions of the planet. In turn, there is evidence of a limited number of publications on the design and revision of study plans in engineering. Originality/value Through this systematic literature review, the regions of the world that are clinging to EE and those that have taken the path of ESD could be distinguished. Moreover, specific cases in engineering where ESD has been involved were noted.

Reimagining transnational validity under the CISG

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-168
Author(s):  
Ndubuisi Nwafor ◽  
Collins Ajibo ◽  
Chidi Lloyd
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
United Nations Convention ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
International Sale Of Goods ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Purpose The aims and objectives of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) have been defeated by the intrusion of domestic laws of different contracting states in the interpretation of the provisions of this Convention. One of the most abused channels of this un-uniform interpretation is through art 4 of the CISG, which excludes the matters of validity and property from the Convention’s jurisdiction. This paper, therefore, aims to critically analyze the dangers of unsystematic reliance on the domestic laws in the interpretation of art 4 of the CISG on matters involving transnational validity and property. Design/methodology/approach The paper will use doctrinal methodology with critical and analytical approaches. The paper will incisively study the doctrines, theories and principles of law associated with validity of commercial contracts and the implications of exclusion of the doctrine of “validity” under the CISG. Findings The findings and contribution to knowledge will be by way of canvassing for a uniform transnational validity doctrine that will streamline and position the CISG to serve as a uniform international commercial convention. Originality/value This paper adopted a conceptual approach. Even though the paper ventilated the views of many writers on the issue of application of the doctrine of validity under the CISG, the paper, however, carved its own niche by making original recommendations on how to create a uniform validity jurisprudence under the CISG.

scholarly journals Canada in the United Nations General Assembly from Trudeau to Trudeau

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srdjan Vucetic ◽  
Bojan Ramadanovic
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
General Assembly ◽  
Global Issues ◽  
United Nations General ◽  
The World ◽  
United Nations General Assembly ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Western European ◽  
The Government

All Canadian governments say that Canada must look to its “friends and allies” and “like-minded partners” to achieve greater cooperation on global issues. But who are these countries exactly? To gain a better understanding of where Ottawa stands in the world, with whom, and under what conditions, we analyze Canada’s voting patterns in the United Nations General Assembly from 1980 to 2017. We find that Canada’s overall record tends towards that of Western European states. We find no evidence of greater affinity with US positions either when the Democrats are in power in Washington or when the conservative parties reign in power in Ottawa. We identify a sharp pro-US turn in the Harper years, and also confirm that the government of Justin Trudeau started off by maintaining rather than reversing this trend.

The impact of open government data on accountability and transparency

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena ◽  
Irfan Muhammad
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Accountability, citizen participation and transparency are the three pillars on which open government data (OGD) is based. As such, OGD implies that the government shall provide data freely via the internet so that the same may be re-used for diverse purposes. It is hoped that by re-using government data, public value shall be co-created and government services might be improved upon with the involvement of different stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to underline the impact of OGD on accountability and transparency in the context of Pakistan where OGD initiative is taking roots for quite some time now. In the present study, the authors seek to investigate the challenges being faced by the professionals in the private sector and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan. Besides, the authors also seek inputs from the respondents in the manner in which OGD initiative of Pakistan has impact on ensuring accountability and transparency. Design/methodology/approach For conducting the review of the national OGD portal of Pakistan, the authors invoke documentary analysis wherein the authors investigate the features of the national OGD portal of Pakistan. Furthermore, the authors conducted structured interviews with 49 senior management representatives from private sector and NGOs in order to gauge the challenges encountered by them in tapping OGD from diverse online public sources. Findings Respondents aver that robust statistical analysis is not feasible via the data sets being shared by the online sources. More initiatives are required on the part of the government bodies to release the data sets which have remained confined in silos. Government should institutionalize an OGD policy and promote the re-use of OGD by the professionals from diverse backgrounds. At present, only educational data are being shared by the OGD portal of Pakistan and it is important that more data sets are being released in the public domain. Furthermore, the respondents perceive that in a bid to be more accountable and transparent, the government bodies should release data sets via the online channels which are user-friendly. Research limitations/implications The present study conducted a qualitative research where the number of respondents was relatively less. Further research is required by adopting quantitative approach in order to accommodate more respondents and lend reliability to the study. Nevertheless, the study holds implications for academicians and practitioners in the sense that while it is needed that further research be conducted on the OGD initiative of Pakistan, it is imperative that policy makers get involved in institutionalizing the OGD initiative of Pakistan at national and local levels. Social implications Professionals might be better involved in creating and co-creating products and services by tapping OGD. Originality/value Given that OGD initiative in Pakistan is in a nascent stage and research is wanting in exploring the nature and scope of Pakistan’s OGD, the present study seeks to contribute toward the existing OGD literature.

A multi-level analysis of sustainability practices in Ghana: examining the timber, cocoa, and gold mining industries

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Hess
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Timber Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The United Nations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the macro-, meso- and micro-level approaches to building sustainability in Ghana's timber, cocoa and goldmining industries s Ghana works to align sustainability efforts with the sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative content analysis, a synthesis of contemporary literature on Ghana's timber, cocoa and gold mining industries was conducted to provide a descriptive evaluation of sustainability efforts in those industries. Findings At the macro-level, Ghana continues to invest in infrastructure, privatize industries and develop an urban development agenda to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI); improved forest management and green building policies and reduction of galamsey are also implemented. At the meso-level, the timber industry encourages land reclamation and green building technologies; the cocoa industry works to replenish lost trees, develop supply-chain partnerships, and encourage certifications; the goldmining industry works to regulate informal mining and reduce galamsey and the use of toxins in exploration. At the micro-level, alignment has developed between the micro- and meso-levels in the timber and cocoa industries, whereas micro-level players in the timber industry are less successful, given its large, unregulated informal sector. Originality/value Existing literature is missing discussion on the alignment of macro-, meso- and micro-level approaches to sustainability in Ghana's timber, cocoa and gold mining industries with attention to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as the premise for the work.

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