Commitments from the 'Berlin Process' on Rule of Law and Good Governance

PREPARATION FOR AGENDA “BERLIN PLUS”

This study focuses on the obligations of the region, and more specifically those of Kosovo, in the field of rule of law and good governance. Kosovo will face leaders of European Union countries at the Berlin Plus Agenda Summits. What will be on the minds of every European leader is what Kosovo and each of the Western Balkan countries have done for the obligations they have assumed in the Berlin Process since 2014.

Digital “Government-to-Business” Services in Cambodia: Overview and Challenges

Maria Yang & Darapich Sovann

According to the UN e-government knowledgebase, e-government is a channel to strengthen the efficiency of government operations at three levels: Government to Citizen (G2C), Government to Business (G2B), and Government to Government (G2G). There are a number of research papers which show how, empirically, good e-government is positively associated with fostering a good business environment. This can be measured by different variables such as the ease of starting a business, electricity, taxes, construction permits, access to credit, cross-border trade and protection of minority investors. Moreover, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the digital economy, which are built on advanced new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and cloud computing, among many others, also act as driving forces of e-government, in particular at the G2B level.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN KOSOVO

The Investment Climate, Potential and Barriers

The aim of the research is to raise public awareness on the present state of FDI and its significance by analyzing the barriers that foreign investors face and by launching a broad based debate on the problems currently faced by FDI inflows in Kosovo as well as on policy measures to overcome them and subsequent precautionary measures (post-investment refers to post investment services) for existing investors in order to maintain and expand their investment (re-investments).

Gender-Based Legislative Review and Oversight

GUIDE FOR KOSOVO ASSEMBLY MEMBERS

This guide seeks to contribute to the information, awareness and training of MPs to include the gender perspective in the scrutiny of laws before them. However, in order to perform this task properly, the Assembly of Kosovo needs to be prepared to provide assistance and information on gender sensitive laws. It is also necessary for the Government and institutes for statistics and research to provide relevant gender dis-aggregated data in different fields, which will be incorporated into Kosovo legislation.

How Data-Driven Technology Can Upgrade Cambodia’s E-government

Sokhna Vor

Government departments in Cambodia are increasingly embracing data-driven digitalisation initiatives in order to become more efficient, accurate and accessible to citizens. For example, the National Bank of Cambodia recently adopted blockchain technology to reduce its interbank transaction costs. The Ministry of Public Work and Transport introduced mobile payments and a QR code-enabled vehicle information database to enhance its users’ experience. Also the Ministry of Health is overhauling its Data Management and National Hospital Systems to make its services more easily accessible. As the benefits of data grow, so do its risks, including data breaches. Balancing them requires proper governance and democratization of data, good data software and data skills. This article explores the current state of Cambodia’s e-governance landscape with a particular focus on data-driven technologies, how they are implemented and how public awareness around data is growing thanks to local communities and organizations, as well as recommendations for better data strategies.

How E-learning Can Improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Rural Cambodia

Seanghak Khin & Piseth Kim

Knowledge gaps between the national and subnational departments of Cambodia’s government can lead to a poor implementation of policies and practices at rural level. This research project assesses the feasibility of e-learning as a new way to close those gaps, specifically using the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector as a case study. National WASH guidelines were adapted into an easy-to-use and interactive e-learning course with the aim to upgrade the skills and knowledge of the Provincial Department of Rural Development (PDRD) staff. Real-world tests were carried out with staff of the Disability Action Council (DAC), the WASH District Committee and four PDRD offices. The study analyses participant feedback on the e-learning course and platform, and seeks ways to further improve and adapt it to their environment. Results indicate that it works well in Phnom Penh, where participants are equipped with up-to-date computers and good internet access, but less so in rural areas due to out of date technology and incompatible web browsers which demotivate users. Rural participants also appear to prefer using smartphones and suggest to improve the e-learning experience by making it available on mobile devices, as well as allowing to print the study material and providing better Khmer language support. Implementing these features may well lead to a successful application of digitalization and e-governance at rural level.

Promoting Better Governance Through Facebook: A Pilot Study and Analysis

Makara Vorn & You Y Ly

Facebook has become the most popular social media platform in Cambodia. This study collects primary data to examine how Facebook can give Cambodian users a chance to demand better governance in terms of public services, as well as how the government can solicit public feedback through the platform. A pilot survey of 150 respondents, mostly from Phnom Penh, shows how Facebook can enable communication between government and citizens. Most respondents in the sample use Facebook to consume or share news, but also to express their opinions and ask for more action from the government. To a certain degree, this can give citizens a means to hold their government to account, but the government currently appears not to be very responsive, probably due to the lack of decision-making from higher-level officials, and the lack of attention and interest. A potential solution could be to establish a dedicated governmental committee that gathers and addresses the concerns of the citizens. This pilot study can be used as the basis for a larger scale national survey.

Reevaluating the United Nations Secretariat’s Contribution to Economic Development

In recent years, not least due to the reforms of the UN Secretary General António Guterres, the role of the United Nations Secretariat as a coordinator and actor in international development cooperation has grown in importance. Wasim Mir (Senior Fellow, UN Foundation) and Sebastian Borchmeyer (Senior Program Officer, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung New York) examined in this research report to what extent the United Nations Regular Budget should count as Official Development Aid (ODA) as defined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For the UN Secretariat, the coefficient determining the ODA eligible share of an organization’s budget has been 18% since 2013 – this is considerably lower than the coefficient of other international (development) organizations. This underrating of the UN Secretariat's ODA Coefficient no longer does justice to its role in implementing the Agenda 2030. A reassessment seems therefore overdue.

The Collective Volume Articles of the President and Justices of the Constitutional Court in International Conference

The Constitutional Readers 2019

This Thai-English publication published by the Office of the Constitutional Court of Thailand aims to gather and publicise academic articles as well as legal opinions relating to constitutional laws and other relevant constitutional issues from various papers that were presented at international conferences by the president and justices of the constitutional court of the Kingdom of Thailand. The publication will be a significant source for both Thai and foreign lawyers, legal students and lecturers, academics, and interested people.

The Constitutional Court Rulings 2017-2018

Due to the period of political and constitutional reforms in Thailand, this publication published by the Office of the Constitutional Court of Thailand consists of the summaries of the Constitutional Court Rulings No. 1-3/2560 of the year 2017 with a total of three cases and the Constitutional Court Ruling No. 1-8/2561 of the year 2018 with a total of seven cases in both English and Thai languages. The summaries compiled here provide a comprehensive overview for Thai and foreign readers, researchers, and parties concerned on the development of the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence and constitutional case adjudication.