Production Sharing Agreements: Learning Lessons from Russia and Nigeria

This paper lays the foundation of what Production Sharing Agreements are, what they were intended to be, and how they have failed to meet the current requirements of the State and, in turn, have ended up exploiting the economic resources of the countries by not giving the State their rightful due. Moreover, this paper highlights the consequences of implementing the Production Sharing Agreements in two major oil producing States namely Nigeria and Russia. Subsequently, an earnest attempt has been made to bring to light the flaws of the Production Sharing Agreements accompanied with the inefficiency of the States to amend their respective laws according to their economic requirements.

EXPLORING THE LESSONS OF THE KIMBERLEY PROCESS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

There has been a great deal of academic discourse about policy and governance choices embedded in the UNFCCC-based regimes for Climate Change action, and they point to the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of such regimes, which is often attributed to the fact that they hinge on the political authority of State actors and lack meaningful enforcement mechanisms. Against this backdrop, this paper argues that an alternative regime may be needed; and that for an effective regulatory framework for Climate Change action to emerge there needs to be a regulatory imperativeness similar to that upon which the Kimberley Process was created, where Non-State Actors play a leadership role. It also argues that in addition to regulatory imperativeness, the making and enforcement of the Kimberley Process provides helpful lessons towards crafting a more effective Climate Change remedial regime.

LEGAL SUPPORT TO THE PROTECTION OF LAND AND SOIL IN LIGHT OF NEW REGULATIONS OF UKRAINE

In this article, regulations on land and soil protection are studied in a chronological sequence and in the historical and legal contexts. The main factors responsible for the deterioration of the quality of land resources and the soil environment are identified. The modern regulatory framework providing legal support to land and soil protection is analyzed. Among the current problems is the improper land-use triggered by inadequate legal regulation concerning pollution, depletion, degradation, and reduced fertility of soil. Appropriate legal protection to the ecological functions of the soil is absent. Further legal framework addressing rational use and protection of land resources (including soil) in Ukraine should be developed integrating environmental interests of society and ecological tenets of sustainable development.

WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD NEXUS INTERVENTIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN MALAWI

Malawi faces mounting challenges in meeting the growing demand for food, water, and energy to satisfy the needs of a rapidly growing population. Relying on secondary data, the paper argues that while the existing policy initiatives have increased food production to a certain extent, the demand for water and energy has also increased, leading to degradation of the resource base, and contributing to an increase in water-related diseases. Poor sectoral coordination and institutional fragmentation have triggered the unsustainable use of resources and threatened the long-term sustainability of food, water, and energy security in the country, posing challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country. Consequently, this paper substantiates that a nexus approach can enhance understanding of the interconnectedness of the sectors and strengthen coordination among them. However, it requires a major shift in the decision-making process towards taking a holistic view, and development of institutional mechanisms to coordinate the actions of diverse actors and strengthen complementarities and synergies among the three sectors. The framework for cross-sectoral coordination and managing the nexus challenges is also suggested.