The Right to Property Taking Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Seriously

The right to property is part of International Human Rights Law (IHRL). However, the right is conspicuously missing from some fundamental treaties, and there are important inconsistencies in its interpretation by regional and global human rights bodies. In light of the indeterminacy and polysemy of IHRL in relation to property, this paper articulates a proposal to rethink this right taking Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR) seriously. The proposal contains four propositions. Firstly, property is a human right. Secondly, it includes private property as one of its forms, but this is not the only one. Thirdly, property has a social function. And fourthly, as a matter of proportionality, fulfilling ESCR is one of the most important objectives that may justify the limitation of private property.

The War in Ukraine: How Putin's War in Ukraine Has Ruined Russia

The first two months of war alone turned the Russian clock back decades, undoing thirty years of post-Soviet economic gains and reducing the country to an international pariah state. Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet empire, Russians are being dragged back in time to when Soviet citizens lived isolated from the rest of the world, in a bubble of failed ideology and misinformation. That system fell apart under just the kind of autarky and autocracy that Putin hopes to reimpose. Just as the Soviet system collapsed, Putin is also failing Russia, erasing the gains of the postcommunist period in a feckless attempt to rebuild a doomed empire.

Weaponizing Wheat: Russia's Next Weapon in Pandemic and Climate Eras

[...]the article closes with policy recommendations to prevent the weaponization of wheat. [...]Russia has recently violated Swedish airspace,8 simulated attacks on Norway,9 jammed GPS systems during NATO exercises,10 and tested new missile systems.11 Russia's quest for melting Arctic fossil fuels is part of an overall plan to leverage the advantages they gain from climate change, a plan that is marked by increased aggression and strategic manipulation of climate-vulnerable regions. [...]as importing countries transition away from fossil fuels, demand for Russian oil and gas will decrease, reducing the overall [End Page 63] revenue for the Russian economy. Countries that fell under the Soviet sphere of influence during the Cold War are less diversified in their energy mixes than those in Western Europe and are highly dependent on Russia.19 For example, in 2015, the stateowned oil and gas company Gazprom increased prices for the Baltic states, Bulgaria, and Poland.20 EU antitrust regulators found that Gazprom was manipulating gas prices in Bulgaria and Poland to force them to participate in additional pipeline projects.21 Such manipulative tactics could indicate future avenues for hybrid warfare, through which Russia combines military strength with economic, resource, technological, or political aggression.22 Russia's use of energy as a form of hybrid warfare can also be seen clearly in Ukraine.

International Trade in the Post-Soviet Space: Trends, Threats, and Prospects for the Internal Trade within the Eurasian Economic Union

This paper discusses the dynamics of foreign trade in the post-Soviet space within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) during the period from 2015 to 2021. Additionally, the paper analyzes export indicators in foreign and mutual trade of the EAEU member countries and diversification of the commodity structure as well as its dynamics based on the commodity concentration index for each member country. Our paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the EAEU, analyzes the opportunities and threats of development, and focuses on the trends and prospects. The main strengths include the institutional and legal structure of the EAEU single market, the historical, cultural, and economic proximity of the EAEU member countries, the transit potential of the territory, the high level of domestic trade, and the increasing share of ruble transactions in the trade turnover. The most significant weaknesses are the low efficiency of the institutional structure, the gap in the socio-economic level of development of the participating countries, unstable geopolitical situations in some member countries, the low level of recognition of the EAEU in the world market, economic and political conflicts of interests of the member countries, and the dependence on Western technologies in some key industries. Strategically important opportunities can be found in the creation and implementation of a long-term development strategy, diversification of trade with the Middle East and Asian countries, expansion in terms of the territorial composition, development of the institutional and legal structure as well as cooperation ties, as well as the cooperation in the field of technological innovation and financial security. Among the most significant threats were identified the outpacing growth in the share of EAEU members' trade with China, the expansion of economic and political contradictions between the EAEU member countries, and the strengthening of the positions of alternative currencies in foreign trade.

The History of Life and Scientific Activities of the Soviet Microbiologist Z. V. Ermolyeva in Documents from Federal Archives

The article analyzes unpublished sources stored in the Russian State Archive of Economics (RGAE), the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), and the Russian State Archive in Samara (RGA v Samare) to determine the representativeness of these documents in reconstruction of the scientific biography of the Soviet microbiologist Zinaida Vissarionovna Ermolieva (1898-1974). The coronavirus pandemic, which has engulfed all the humanity, has changed the vector of biomedical research subjects. In this regard, one of the important tasks of humanitarian researchers is to update historical knowledge about extreme periods. The task of studying the life and work of Soviet scientists who made a significant contribution to studying epidemic diseases and fighting them seems significant. Scar.ity of publications devoted to the activities of Z. V. Ermolyeva means that an extensive layer of unpublished documents remains out of view of researchers. Source analysis, archival heuristics, and historical-comparative method permit to conduct research and to assess the informative value of different types of documents for comprehensive reconstruction of Z. V. Ermolyeva's scientific fate. In the RGAE, a great number of documents is concentrated in the scientist's personal fond, its analysis shows that official, scientific, and personal documents are stored there. In addition to text documents, there are photos of Zinaida Vissarionovna with her colleagues in various scientific institutions which are of great interest. Some official documents also provide personal information. In the GARF, documents on this topic are dispersed in different fonds. The fond of the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine, where Z. V. Ermolyeva worked, contains information on preparation of first Soviet penicillin and launch of its production. The fond of the People's Commissariat of Health of the USSR permits to follow the discussion of her scientific works at its Scientific Medical Council meetings. The documents of the Committee for the Assistance of Scientists under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR help to reconstruct elements of material support provided to Ermolyeva in the 1930s. Among the sources stored in the RGA in Samara, of interest are application documents for inventions, in which Zinaida Vissarionovna participated. They show the scientist as the author of inventions and scientific discoveries. The analysis demonstrates that conjunctive use of documents from federal archives showcase multifaceted activities of the well-known microbiologist.

Managing Editor's Comments

Greetings again from North Korean Review. We would like to wish all our readers a safe, healthy, and happy 2022. The end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 have seen numerous missile tests on the part of North Korea, reminding us of the perennial issue the regime in North Korea and its weapons development present to the international community. There has also been activity at the DPRK/China border which means the Kim regime may be emerging from its COVID-19 hibernation. Whatever the case, we at NKR are dedicated to the understanding of the economic, political, and social situation north of the 38th parallel and publishing research that lends itself to such understanding policy. As part of this NKR is proud to offer our Spring 2022 issue.

An Empirical Study of COVID-19 Impacts and SMEs in Nigeria: Quarterly Journal

VUCA Model: A Strategic Concept This concept originated from the military strategies of the United States of America (USA) War College at the end of the cold war (Financial Times, 2018) which had pitched the US against Russia in all facets: military might, technology, space race, allies, sports etc. [...]the mastery of the future business environment, the ability to harness the opportunities and solve the challenges therein, depend on the understanding of the strategic pillars identified in Figure 2. The Covid 19 VUCA Environment and Impact on Businesses The global business environment is currently immersed in a VUCA situation triggered by the current pandemic, and the impact has been devastating on the health system and the economy of the world (International Monetary Fund, 2020). Other major sporting events planned for this year which have been disrupted by the pandemic, have led to significant loss of potential revenues. [...]the task for business leaders going forward is to craft strategies that are robust enough to predict factors that create VUCA situations and develop plans to mitigate or ameliorate their impact.

The Technologies and International Politics of Genetic Warfare: SSQ

This article considers the prospect and potential of genetic warfare. Drawing on expert interviews and fieldwork, it begins by detailing how the recent and anticipated innovations in synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology solve the weaponization, delivery, and precision problems that had previously made biological weapons impractical. The article then considers how states and non-state actors may develop and use genetic weapons, with a focus on the problem of secrecy. Underlying whether to reveal or conceal genetic war capability is a trade-off between strategic surprise and deterrence. Actors requiring deterrence are likely to reveal genetic military capability. With the only rivaling source of deterrence being nuclear weapons, nonnuclear states and non-state actors are more likely to make public their genetic weapons capability than nuclear states. The question of whether to use genetic weapons covertly or openly also entails a trade-off. Covert use confers strategic and tactical benefits, whereas the benefits of unrestricted use are primarily psychological. Terroristic, genocidal, and apocalyptic regimes and non-state actors may use genetic weapons openly, but most would likely opt for covert genetic warfare.

The State of Public Health Education and Science During and After the Fall of the Soviet Union: Achievements, Remaining Challenges, and Future Priorities.

Objectives: In the post-COVID-19 world, when the adequacy of public health workforce education is being critically re-evaluated, this study undertakes a historical analysis of how the educational and scientific field of public health developed during and after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The study intends to historically contextualize public health education and science development in former Soviet Republics. It attempts to document achievements after gaining independence and identify remaining challenges that need to be addressed for advancing public health science and education in Former Soviet Union countries to better prepare them for future pandemics and address current health challenges of the nations. Methods: The study used a mixed-methods review approach combining both a literature review, information collection from the school's websites, and secondary analysis of the quantitative data available about scientific outputs-peer-reviewed articles. Results: During communist rule and after the fall of the Soviet Union, the main historical events seem to have shaped the public health field of former Soviet countries, which also determined its eventual evolution. The international efforts post-1991 were instrumental in shifting medically oriented conceptualization of public health toward Western approaches, albeit with variable progress. Also, while scientific output has been growing from 1996 to 2019, sub-regional differences remain prominent. Conclusion: The region seems to have matured enough that it might be time to start and facilitate regional cooperation of public health schools to advance the field of public health and research. Regional and country variabilities feature prominently in the volume and quality of scientific output and call for the immediate attention of national governments and international partners.

MEDIA COMMUNICATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic has divided the world into groups of people who believe and who do not believe in the existence of the SARS-COV.2 virus, who accept and who are against vaccination. The SARS-COV.2 virus appears in the socio-human environment. It is a living, microbiological organism reproduced by the human body and propagated in the social environment. The COVID-19 pandemic led to extreme situations for the state's institutions and for the social ones, developed their activity capacities during crisis, presenting the weaknesses of the connections of the management at different levels and of the horizontal connections on the horizontal between the citizens and the social groups. SARS-CoV.2 also entered the media communication, where it shed light on the way in which the media exerts its information, sensibilisation, culturalization and formation functions of the socio-human values.

Russıa-Nato Relatıons Past, Present And Future

Nato's political and military comments on the security environment after the Cold War were primarily due diligence. In this period when predictability became difficult, process management, in which even "uncertainty" was perceived as a threat, was actually due to a lack of methodological paradigm in analysis and predictions. In other words, how to assess and detect threats was lost in the bureaucratic congestion of the Alliance. As a matter of fact, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the focus was on what was "opposed" rather than "who", and this approach was correct. Because even the types of conflicts that existed in the past were rapidly conceptualized with different interpretations of the new era and required to turn to facts rather than actors. Under these circumstances, NATO has tended to question traditionalism in military activism and to move towards new types of missions. Nato's post-Cold War experience also coincided with its geographical expansion. In other words, while new threats and security situations shaped the Alliance's thinking world, the multi-edged threat plane required consideration of different problem areas at the same time. While areas of member states such as public safety are on the rise in the shadow of climate change, the concerns and perceptions of threats inherited from the Cold War period of the states accepted as members dictated the preservation of the level of war readiness in the traditional sense. Russia's invasion and annexation of Crimea and its attempt to seize Donbas from the inside confirmed the concerns. Thus, Russia has proven that it alone can challenge the United States or NATO. It turned out that countries with ethnic Russian populations or pro-Russian political leanings were particularly susceptible to Russian influence. Speaking after his meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken, Lavrov's use of the term "symmetural zone" showed how Russia perceives not only NATO expansion but also its own expansionism with cold war logic. The current situation in Ukraine, on the other hand, should push NATO beyond the level of combat readiness and seek recicialization, while Biden's talk of economic sanctions has called into question the cohesion between political and military determinations. In this study, the development process of the relationship between the parties will be discussed. and the factors affecting this process will be emphasized. Also, Russia's stances and reservations towards enlargement will be examined and NATO's It will be tried to determine how effective Russia is in its immediate surroundings. As a result, the possible future of the relationship between the parties and Russia's involvement in NATO. The possibility of becoming a member will be discussed.

THE THIRD ETHICAL COMMENTARY TO COVID-19 (two years later) — VACCINATION, SOLIDARITY, AND TRUST

The systematic monitoring of ethical contents and events related to COVID-19 pandemic, carried out over the last two years, serves to develop a multi-professional discussion on one of the most relevant platforms — Russian Journal Infection and Immunity. Two previous articles consistently presented the moral context of historically established regulatory and epidemiological paradigms and the analysis of readiness/unwillingness to follow them in the real-life conditions during the epidemic crisis. The contemporary moral cross-section of the pandemic, characterized by the state of global loss of values of social unity, trust and solidarity leaves virtually no doubt about the dominant role of ethics as a criterion for resolving conflicts of interest. The point of the peak moral tension was vaccine prevention at all levels of its introduction into an effective resource for containing COVID-19. According to the authors’ personal and professional responsibility, based on long-term scientific research of vaccination-related ethics, embodied in the books Ethics of Infectious Pathology (2014) and Ethics of Vaccination (Criterion of Scientific and Humanitarian Breakthrough (2018), account for our interest in writing this paper. In the Third Ethical Commentary presented to the readers the two ideologically related tasks have been set. First, to consider the ethically verified canon of vaccine prevention specifically exemplified by COVID-19 pandemic. Second, to expand the scope in the discussion of the ethics role by connecting the vaccination in the context of a regional cluster, namely the CIS member states. This opportunity took place owing the long-term cooperation to create ethical evaluation system within the framework of the WHO project Forum of Ethics Committees in the Commonwealth of Independent States (FECCIS) and the practice of developing model laws in the field of social policy and human rights of the IPA CIS. The perspective focus of this work is the need for an innovative approach to develop management decisions by enlarging the interdisciplinary range and expanding the areas of responsibility of social and bioethical meaning while protecting public health in epidemic crisis.

THE ANTARCTIC TREATY AT SIXTY YEARS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

The 1959 Antarctic Treaty entered into force on 23 June 1961. It remains as a unique example of an international law instrument providing a governance mechanism for a single continent. The Treaty celebrates its 60th anniversary at a time when Antarctica is increasingly coming under the spotlight with debate as to whether a Cold War treaty is capable of continuing to provide an appropriate governance framework for Antarctica in the 21st century. The debate has raised issues with respect to the ongoing interests and motivations of the seven Antarctic claimant states (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, United Kingdom), the role of historically prominent non-claimant states such as the United States and the Russian Federation, and the interests of others such as China. This article assesses whether the Treaty and the associated 'Antarctic Treaty System' are sufficiently resilient to address the challenges confronting Antarctic governance in the 2020s. These challenges extend to accommodating the interests of the founding Treaty parties and subsequent Treaty parties with respect to their Antarctic aspirations, and the ongoing interest of states in Antarctica's mineral resources. Particular attention is given to whether it remains possible for Treaty parties to request an art XII 'Review Conference' and the treaty review mechanisms that exist within the 1991 Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection. If the Antarctic Treaty is not capable of amendment, the options for treaty withdrawal are assessed.

Biosecurity in an age of open science

The risk of accidental or deliberate misuse of biological research is increasing as biotechnology advances. As open science becomes widespread, we must consider its impact on those risks and develop solutions that ensure security while facilitating scientific progress. Here, we examine the interaction between open science practices and biosecurity and biosafety to identify risks and opportunities for risk mitigation. Increasing the availability of computational tools, datasets, and protocols could increase risks from research with misuse potential. For instance, in the context of viral engineering, open code, data, and materials may increase the risk of release of enhanced pathogens. For this dangerous subset of research, both open science and biosecurity goals may be achieved by using access-controlled repositories or application programming interfaces. While preprints accelerate dissemination of findings, their increased use could challenge strategies for risk mitigation at the publication stage. This highlights the importance of oversight earlier in the research lifecycle. Preregistration of research, a practice promoted by the open science community, provides an opportunity for achieving biosecurity risk assessment at the conception of research. Open science and biosecurity experts have an important role to play in enabling responsible research with maximal societal benefit.

Reflection of the EU Climate Policy Strategic Narrative in the Programmes of Latvian Political Parties—External Convergence and Influence on Shaping Public Opinion

Climate change, as well as the challenges that come with it, is one of the main issues in international and national politics today. Addressing the threats posed by climate change requires close cooperation at the international level and within each country, creating a dialogue between the political elite and society, thus promoting a common understanding and action across the European Union (EU). The aim of this research is to (1) identify what climate policy narratives are projected to the Latvian electorate (public) and (2) assess how these narratives are aligned with the EU-defined strategic climate policy narrative. The theoretical basis and methodological approach of the study is based on the concept of strategic narrative. It is assumed that the viability and impact of a strategic narrative is enhanced when there is coherence between all stages of the narrative life cycle (i.e., the EU level and the national policy level). The empirical basis of the study is based on the identification of the EU climate policy narrative in the sector’s regulatory documents, as well as an analysis of the election programmes of Latvian political parties (the last European Parliament (2019) and parliamentary (2018) election programmes). The results show that the narrative that the Latvian public receives from its political elite through the European Parliament and the national pre-election programmes is significantly different from the EU strategic narrative on climate policy. Based on the theoretical concept of strategic narrative, it can be concluded that the observed dissimilarity of narratives does not stimulate the inclusion of the Latvian public in the common EU space of climate policy understanding and action.

America, You Better Believe That Africa Matters

Rich in Resources, but Mired in Poverty Africa's resources, its strategic minerals such as gold, copper, diamonds, cobalt, and oil, as well as its human resources during the height of the global slave trade, have always been as much a curse as a blessing to the continent. [...]far too many foreign assistance programs, as well meaning as they are, create dependence on foreign aid, prop up autocratic rulers, and feed into corruption, failing to alleviate the pervasive poverty. Africa's growing young population will have an impact on the world -whether good or bad depends on how Africans and the world act in the present. Because wars have destroyed so much of the colonial infrastructure, many young Africans have, for instance, never experienced analog telephones. With the degradation of the Amazon rainforest, which now emits more CO2 than it absorbs, it is vitally important to stemming the rise of global warming caused by excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Borderland Organizations: Creating the Idea of a Borderland in Eastern Poland

This article presents an analysis of borderland organizations in eastern Poland. It examines the nature of organizations creating the idea of a borderland, their territorial location, and the meanings of the borderland representations they create. The category of "borderland" is mainly used by local self-governments and NGOs. After 1989, these actors concentrated on organizing the region's ethnic differences. The oldest borderland organizations are focused on the multicultural past of the region. Poland's accession to the EU resulted in the reorganization of cross-border relations in connection with the emergence of new organizations interested in the state border or in the profits associated with proximity to it. The idea of a borderland in eastern Poland is supported by a small number of local institutions, which have not created a unified representation of what the borderland is. Therefore, the region has retained features of a coexisting and/or interdependent borderland.

BIOGEOGRAPHIC POTENTIAL OF THE NORTH KAZAKH PLAIN IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF HEALTH TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

The article presents the prospects for the development of natural and recreational activities in the field of medical and health tourism within the ribbon pine forest, located in the southern outskirts of the West Siberian dry steppe lowland. The purpose of the study is to assess the biological and geographical potential of the forest landscape for the development of recreational areas. This is especially true for the Northern region of Kazakhstan, since industry is developed on the territory, it is characterized by technogenesis. Research methods include field reconnaissance, cartographic modeling using GIS technologies, and laboratory experiments to determine the phytoncide activity of the biological material of trees - Scots pine - collected at different intervals of the day. The results of the study are statistical data on laboratory research. For convenience, they are presented in the form of cartographic material, built based on spatial data of the territory. The paper considers and addresses the ecosystem's natural potential and the recreational infrastructure of the studied object.

EUROPEAN UNION AND CIS COUNTRIES ON THE WAY TO A NEW STRATEGY: NEW APPROACHES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION

The economic, social, political processes taking place in the world radically transformed the system of relations between countries in the post-Soviet space. The readiness of the CIS countries for global changes was clearly insufficient. The development of complex processes related to the transformation of all relations in society has highlighted the problems of stability and social integration. The problem of studying the content of these processes is becoming increasingly important. First of all, it is necessary to realize that change cannot be limited to a narrow economic field. In our understanding, this approach allows us to analyze relations in a transitional society, where politics, economics and the social sphere are closely intertwined. The transition to the stage of sustainable economic growth is possible only on the basis of the formation of the technological potential of production, the development of entrepreneurship, and social mobility of workers. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia and the new independent states remained with a very unusual configuration of the economy and the infrastructure and technological base. The traditional business in the CIS - trade in raw materials and industrial cooperation - is in crisis. Especially the economies of the oil-exporting countries of the region have undergone significant changes under the influence of falling oil prices in world markets. In 2015, a sharp drop in world prices for raw materials, devaluation of national currencies, economic sanctions against Russia had negative consequences in trade relations within the region, as well as with the EU countries. But now, political, financial and technical obstacles tied to the spread of the Coronavirus may disrupt this relations and making it logistically and politically complicated.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE CHINA CHALLENGE: READING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S CHINA POLICY TESTAMENT

Between 2017 and 2021 Donald Trump's administration published over a dozen strategic documents on China among which The Elements ofthe China Challenge seems to stand out as it outlines a longer perspective and sketches a wider framework for US policy towards China. This paper attempts to examine the major assumptions of The Elements, arguing that by putting forward an anti-imperialist rhetoric, the American policy-makers want to emphasize the systemic differences with China, the importance of which have long been underplayed by Western policy-makers who have given precedence to economic considerations. However, the analysis also gives weight to the argument that the strong ideological appeal in The Elements is also intended to mobilize the American allies, anchor them to the leader of the "free world" and reduce their tendencies to cooperate with China, including in 5G technology as in the case of Central and Eastern Europe.