Conclusion

This concluding chapter highlights the efforts put into reducing tax crimes. It starts with the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on budget deficits and optimisation of tax collection and reducing the tax gap. The Anti-Money Laundering (AML) framework and anti-tax fraud framework in the EU laid the foundation for future legislation and policy to counter tax crimes across Europe. Case studies, focus groups, and workshops found that interagency and international cooperation in fighting tax crimes fronted significant constraints, such as data exchange, joint investigations, collaborative asset confiscations, and sanctions. The chapter then discusses the findings from the PROTAX project to expound its point on legal regimes being made across Europe. It suggests that developing a holistic tax enforcement eco-system is needed instead of just tinkering with legal provisions. © U Turksen, D Vozza, R Kreissl, and F Rasmouki 2023.

Lead the African way!

PurposeCountries in Africa have undergone an unprecedented transformation that has shaped the continent as they move ahead from the clutches of colonialism. The evolution of leadership and how organisations function optimally has given rise to the review of leadership approaches and practices, revolutionising its position in the global markets. With the recent spate of global suffering from the pandemic, the formal and traditional work structures are becoming transient. At the same time, the economic consequences of the Russo-Ukrainian crisis have catastrophic effects globally.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted via a systematic review of scientific sources from various academic websites. Eligibility criteria were defined with the agreement of pertinent themes and concepts.FindingsBy evaluating and analysing characteristics and success indicators from the blend of leadership competencies ascertained from Afrocentric principles in response to African associated problems, Africa can cement its leadership concepts without following the global north principles. These philosophies are resilient enough to contend with a range of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) complexities, including the impact of the recent global pandemic of immeasurable proportions and the prospect of war as the Russo-Ukrainian conflict intensifies.Originality/valueWithin the African environment, there is a greater focus on the human element in shared values, holistic well-being, cooperation and experience. The global community band together to deal with these complexities. This is a typical example of global connectedness with positive and negative connotations.

COVID-19 Stresses EMA Resources

EMA has pleaded with the European Commission (EC) for more funds to finance the costs of its increased duties (2). "The GMP standards will be applied to the manufacture of sterile vials for the vaccines as per standard requirements, regardless of location," said a spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the UK, where a COVID-19 vaccine being jointly developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is considered likely to be among the first to gain authorization for mass distribution. Manufacturers of vaccines and their containers could be subject to two waves of standards-checking inspections- one for GMP and the other for pharmacovigilance. Because the latter will be the most extensive covering, for example, requiring surveillance quality systems in all the operations of a business, a manufacturer that is considered to be compliant with pharmacovigilance standards is unlikely to be breaching GMP rules. Other priorities include the work of key working parties and groups, drawing up of certain guidelines, the fight against anti-microbial resistance (AMR), co-operation with health technology assessment (HTA) bodies, innovation (especially in emerging therapies), clinical data publication, and international co-operation.

Narrative Encounters of Pedagogic Partnership, and the Development of Collegial Capital in Higher Education

Purpose: The study explores the relational encounters of five higher education tutors and programme leaders, working in collaboration across contrasting institutions--one, a modern, civic university in the Global North, and the other, a parastatal institution in the Global South. The purpose of the study is to deepen the understanding of evolving collegiality within a transnational partnership, stimulated by the COVID-19 pandemic related shift to online teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach: The inquiry is informed conceptually by the concept of narrative encounter as a site of learning, with inductive, meta-analysis undertaken across our individual reflective narratives. Findings: The narratives reveal three emergent themes--shared purpose, shared responsibility -- through focus, routinised dialogue and concreteness;collective and individual risk-taking -- through negotiated decision-making;and trust in self and in peers -- through reciprocity, caring, duality and building on stable practices. Research limitations/implications: The data from which this paper is developed and its related central thesis of collegial capital are limited and partial. However, when agility within higher education partnerships is at a premium, this paper is a useful touchstone for further reflection. Originality/value: The paper seeks to further the concept of collegiality and collegial capital, a dialogical affordance which enabled the partnership to build on previous collaborative successes.

Covid-19: It's too soon to lift lockdown

While we count the terrible toll of covid-19 (doi:10.1136/bmj.m1835) and continue asking hard questions of our governments (doi:10.1136/bmj.m2052), clinicians and patients are embracing new ways of doing things: virtual wards are helping to keep covid patients out of hospital (doi:10.1136/bmj.m2119), mental health services are experimenting with phone triage and virtual appointments (doi:10.1136/bmj.m2106), and doctors are supporting each other through their uniquely shared covid experience (doi:10.1136/bmj.m1499). [...]in other news the NHS has launched a race and health observatory, after The BMJ's call for action to end racial inequalities (doi:10.1136/bmj.m2191). The world is facing a scale of challenge not seen since the second world war. [...]rather than identify and empower local leadership (https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/05/27/chris-ham-test-and-trace-strategy-must-value-local-leadership-to-be-a-success), the government seems set to continue its centralised bungling and magical thinking (https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/05/28/public-trust-and-the-publics-health-two-sides-of-the-same-coin).

Negative Integration Is What States Make of It? Tackling Labour Exploitation in the German Meat Sector

In this article, we trace Germany's recent reform (and its precursors) seeking to remedy precarious working conditions in the meat sector. Focusing on an extreme case of labour exploitation, and asking how unique it is, allows us to uncover which institutional features of EU Member States condition the liberalization effects of negative integration. We thereby contribute to the literature on Europeanization, which has mainly emphasized weak industrial relations to account for the German meat industry's reliance on cheap migrant labour. Complicated enforcement structures, demanding requirements of administrative cooperation, and the complexities of an evolving case law, we argue, further contributed to the precarious conditions of migrant workers in Germany. Major COVID outbreaks in slaughterhouses created the political momentum for reform which specifically addresses this administrative side of labour protection, but remains limited to the meat sector – despite similar patterns of labour exploitation elsewhere.

Optimal capacity sharing for global genomic surveillance.

Recent technological advances and substantial cost reductions have made the genomic surveillance of pathogens during pandemics feasible. Our paper focuses on full genome sequencing as a tool that can serve two goals: the estimation of variant prevalences, and the identification of new variants. Assuming that capacity constraints limit the number of samples that can be sequenced, we solve for the optimal distribution of these capacities among countries. Our results show that if the principal goal of sequencing is prevalence estimation, then the optimal capacity distribution is less than proportional to the weights (e.g., sizes) of countries. If, however, the main aim of sequencing is the detection of new variants, capacities should be allocated to countries or regions that have the most infections. Applying our results to the sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in 2021, we provide a comparison between the observed and a suggested optimal capacity distribution worldwide and in the EU. We believe that following such quantifiable guidance will increase the efficiency of genomic surveillance for pandemics.

Lifestyle audits in South Africa – overrated or X-factor?

PurposePresident Cyril Ramaphosa, in his 2018 State of the Nation Address, stated that "Thieves who are stealing public funds should be arrested and prosecuted”, and called for lifestyle audits of public-sector employees. The gross misuse of COVID-19 relief funds by public officials indicated the urgent need to execute these audits as an anti-corruption measure. This paper aims to provide a review of the existing state of affairs with regard to the application of lifestyle audits in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis paper critically analyses the literature available on the current position of South Africa concerning lifestyle audits in the public sector, based on the mandates of some of the anti-corruption agencies that could be responsible for the conducting and processing of such audits.FindingsSouth Africa has only recently seen a framework for applying lifestyle audits, developed by the Department of Public Service and Administration. Although these first steps in developing a standard practice are laudable, the practical process of dealing with misconduct and/or criminal matters remains to be seen. It is recommended that South Africa consider a legislative approach to dealing with unlawfully obtained wealth by either criminalising the act of illicit enrichment (per the United Nations Convention Against Corruption) or creating an Unexplained Wealth Order, as seen, for example, in the UK.Originality/valueSouth Africa is in dire need of addressing corruption in the public sector. Despite lifestyle audits being called for, the lack of proper implementation is negating any positive outcomes. Therefore, alternative solutions should be investigated.

Methodology for Virtual Education of Clinical Engineering through the Implementation of Digital Tools for Simulated Scenarios and International Collaboration

The Covid-19 global pandemic has represented a challenge for education, which had to migrate to virtual environments. Universities adopted different teaching methods to keep contributing to the growth of the professionals in various fields. In this context, the Biomedical Engineering program of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru and the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia had to change or adapt the methodology of the courses included in its curriculum in order to reach the learning objectives. This paper presents a methodology for an innovative approach of simulated scenarios using digital tools for the virtual teaching of Clinical Engineering. The learning results achieved in two semesters of implementation of the methodology, during 2020 and 2021, were measured by means of a survey applied to the students at the end of the course. Obtaining achievement results above 76 % and improvement opportunities that would be useful for the next version of this course and for the replication of the methodology in other universities. © 2023 IEEE.

The global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by the public-private partnership COVAX from a public-law perspective

This article examines COVAX, a public private partnership, from a public law perspective. It asks whether COVAX is a legitimate and appropriate instrument with regard to the goal of distributing COVID-19 vaccines in a globally equitable manner and enabling equal access to vaccination worldwide. By developing public-legal legitimacy standards for this purpose, the article critically distances itself from the outset from considering the use of private actors and forms of action in public functions ('privatization') essentially as a release of market economy rationality, which enables efficiency and effectiveness gains and relieves the public sector. With the public law perspective, the article questions precisely whether private-law, market-based action is appropriate with respect to the global distribution of vaccines in the pandemic.

Institutional Differences and the Choice of Outward Foreign Direct Investment Mode under the "Belt and Road” Initiative: Experience Analysis Based on China's Manufacturing Enterprises

Based on 1692 outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) events of 735 A-share listed companies in China's manufacturing industry from 2010 to 2019, this paper empirically examines the effect of investment motivation and the impact of institutional differences between China and the host country on the choice of OFDI entry mode;the paper also investigates the moderating effect of the "Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) on Chinese manufacturing enterprises (CMEs) through use of the logit model. The empirical results show that, with greater institutional differences, CMEs become more inclined to choose cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Furthermore, a positive moderating effect of resource-seeking motivation on the choice of M&A OFDI by CMEs is observed. The signing of the "Belt and Road” cooperation document positively moderates institutional differences in promoting CMEs—especially state-owned CMEs—to choose the M&A mode. The "Belt and Road” Initiative provides an efficient supply system for OFDI by CMEs. This study enriches and extends existing institutional theories and provides suggestions for the promotion of the geopolitical pattern and international cooperation regarding the "Belt and Road” Initiative.

Climate Change and the Great Power Rivalry in the Arctic

The world politics of the 2020s seems to consist of two realities: People are concerned about an ecological catastrophe, as tion kills and climate change threatens societies. The focus of this article is to discuss climate change, and state politics in the Arctic in the context of the two realities. Behind this is the assumption that climate change mitigation is a challenge to state politics and national security. The commentary assumes that, although in world politics, there is a new (East-West) great power rivalry with its related conflicts, no armed conflicts appear in the Arctic, but environmental degradation and rapid climate change still threaten the people. The study firstly analyses how environmental issues came onto the political agenda of States, in particular, that of the Arctic states;secondly, it discusses huge investment packages and great power rivalry as substitutes for climate change mitigation, revealing the political inability of states;thirdly, it examines the Arctic from the point of view of functional cooperation on environmental protection, and that on science;and finally, it concludes what has possibly gone wrong in state politics related to the environment, and could be taken as the biggest challenge.

International cooperation, production side emissions and environmental sustainability

PurposeRising greenhouse gases have contributed to global warming above the pre-industrial levels with detrimental effects on world climatic patterns. Extreme weather has inflicted drastic impacts, including loss of lives and livelihoods and economic disruption. However, collective international cooperation in adopting greenhouse gas emission mitigating measures can translate into long-run beneficial effects of improving environmental quality. This study examines if international environmental cooperation among the world's top ten polluters can reduce production side emissions.Design/methodology/approachThe panel estimation procedure was applied to data from ten top polluting countries from 2000 to 2019.FindingsThe results revealed a statistically significant inverse association between a nation's commitments to international environmental treaties and carbon dioxide emissions. Other than confirming the environmental Kuznets curve effect, industrial intensification, international trade and law rule are other strong correlations of carbon dioxide emissions.Research limitations/implicationsThe main policy implication is the urgency for the leaders of the world's top ten polluters to actively cooperate in developing and implementing new production-side carbon emission measures as well as the implementation and enforcement of existing international treaties to minimize further environmental damage and let the countries in the lower ranks of carbon emissions to enjoy the long-run benefits of the decarbonized world.Originality/valueThis study makes a new contribution to the environmental research literature by unfolding how collective global cooperation on environmental challenges can help reduce environmental damage in a coherent analytical framework.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2022-0598

EU vs EAEU: Youth of the Russian exclave on prospects and barriers of international cooperation

The dynamics of relations between the Kaliningrad region and its neighboring countries demonstrates various strategic approaches for positioning the region: a military outpost, a "development corridor" and a region of international cooperation. The latter option is considered the most promising scenario. However, the effectiveness of the implementation of the program largely depends on the degree of acceptance of the new geopolitical role of the region by the population of the region. First of all, those who represent the cultural and professional future - the youth. Therefore, the aim of this article is to determine the ideas of young people in the Kaliningrad region about the prospects and barriers of international cooperation with the Russian exclave, as well as to record their assessment of the socio-economic, cultural and infrastructural network of interactions with the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union. The main research method is a sociological survey of young people aged 18-35 in Kaliningrad and border municipalities of the Kaliningrad region. The survey was conducted in May 2021. The research sample consisted of 463 respondents. Depending on the attitude to the EAEU and the EU a typology of Kaliningrad youth is proposed: Eurasians and anti-Eurasians, pro-Europeans and Euro-pessimists. A positive attitude to each integration project ( EU and EAEU) significantly prevails among the youth of the Kaliningrad region. The European Union is seen as the region's preferred partner in such areas as culture, science, education, transport and infrastructure, and environmental protection. The Eurasian Economic Union seems to be a more reliable partner for cooperation in the military sphere. The socio-economic and healthcare spheres turn out to be outside of integration agenda. The absolute majority of the respondents supported the development of cooperation with Poland and Lithuania in various fields, especially in the tourism industry. Despite the support for the idea of cross-border cooperation, the majority of the young people demonstrated extremely poor awareness of the main international programs with the Kaliningrad region. They also could not give specific examples of cross-border cooperation. According to the youth, there are such main barriers to cross-border cooperation as the COVID-19 pandemic, the visa regime, the two-sided sanctions of the European Union and Russia, and stereotypes in the perception of Russians by residents of the neighboring countries.

Who Deserves European Solidarity? How Recipient Characteristics Shaped Public Support for International Medical and Financial Aid during COVID-19

International solidarity is indispensable for coping with global crises;however, solidarity is frequently constrained by public opinion. Past research has examined who, on the donor side, is willing to support European and international aid. However, we know less about who, on the recipient side, is perceived to deserve solidarity. The article argues that potential donors consider situational circumstances and those relational features that link them to the recipients. Using factorial survey experiments, we analyse public support for international medical and financial aid in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results show that recipient countries' situational need and control, as well as political community criteria, namely, group membership, adherence to shared values and reciprocity, played a crucial role in explaining public support for aid. Important policy implications result: on the donor side, fault-attribution frames matter;on the recipient side, honouring community norms is key to receiving aid.

Cross-Border Cooperation Health in Ireland//A RESPONSE

Providing healthcare services commands the largest allocation of public funding on both sides of the Irish border and concerns over the efficiency and effectiveness of these systems are perennial. Over the past two decades health has been identified as a key area for cross-border collaboration. However, in the absence of an overarching framework or strategy, there is little clarity about objectives. Using the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study it demonstrates that even in the face of an existential crisis, political leaders default to debates over culture and identity. The paper sets out how the healthcare systems in the two jurisdictions share similar core principles and values and face similar social, economic and political pressures. They have adopted broadly comparable approaches to tackling systemic issues, such as an ageing and growing population, evolving healthcare needs, workforce planning and financial pressures. It argues that there is potential for greater cross-border cooperation but this requires high-level political agreement and must be based on robust evidence. As this paper shows, there are significant barriers to developing all-island approaches, but these are not insurmountable.

Collaborating on Healthcare on an All-Island Basis: A Scoping Study *

Over the past two decades health has been identified as a key area for increased cross-border working on the island of Ireland. To date though, the approach has been minimalist and often project specific. The global pandemic, the continuing fallout from Brexit and the establishment of the Shared Island initiative have pushed the broad issue of healthcare cooperation up the policy agenda. Theoretically, closer cooperation could deliver economies of scale, value for money, opportunities for clinical specialisation, and facilitate the sharing of knowledge. However, despite its obvious potential and policy significance, cross-border collaboration in healthcare has been the subject of remarkably little research attention. This small-scale qualitative study is based on in-depth interviews with 49 individuals with expertise and experience in this area. From these interviews six broad themes emerged: support for collaboration, lack of strategic direction, knowledge sharing, CoviD-19, data and opportunities for future cooperation. Given the similar social, economic and political pressures faced by both healthcare systems, it is concluded that leveraging the strengths from cross-border collaboration should be a policy priority.

Israel's COVID-19 Diplomacy in Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Europe

Israel's aid initiatives have historically been facilitated through the Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV). However, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted MASHAVs ability to provide assistance due to budget cuts and government instability. As such, Israel's COVID-19 diplomacy initiative took on greater importance in maintaining its presence and reputation internationally. This article analyzes Israel's approach to COVID-19 diplomacy, which involved providing medical teams, PPE, and surplus vaccines to approximately 20 countries, and examines the political and strategic calculations behind Israel's decision to extend assistance to specific countries. The article argues that Israel's COVID-19 diplomacy initiative was more limited in scope and geography compared to other countries with similar economic development levels, and aid efforts were concentrated in regions where Israel has sought to increase its involvement in recent years, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and Central Europe. Finally, the article assesses the impact of Israel's COVID-19 diplomacy initiative on its diplomatic relations with recipient countries and the broader international community.

[Epistemic communities and the challenges of training health technicians during the COVID-19 pandemicComunidades epistémicas y retos en cuanto a la educación de los técnicos en salud durante la pandemia de COVID-19]. / Comunidades epistêmicas e os desafios na formação de técnicos em saúde na pandemia de covid-19.

This article discusses the role of the epistemic community linked to the training of health technicians through analysis of the actions initiated by the Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Collaborating Center for the education of these technicians during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of comparing these actions with the main elements that define the constitution and functioning of epistemic communities according to the specialized literature. It is argued that, despite the differences in the historical configuration of national healthcare and training systems, the emergence of common challenges in the training of technicians allowed the articulation of demands, the sharing of diagnostic assessments, and the cooperation between the International Network of Health Technicians Education, the Ibero-American Network of Health Technicians Education, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries Network of Health Technician Schools, promoting the exchange of experiences, the search for strategic solutions, and the dissemination of recommendations across countries. By reaffirming the central role of health technicians in epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis and assistance, the COVID health emergency demanded immediate and consistent responses from governments and educational institutions, favoring the strengthening of the health technician epistemic community through the circulation of discourses and the hegemonization of meanings for the education of technicians. These actions, however, do not translate into stability or homogeneity for the epistemic community, since their articulation is always provisional and contingent, nor do they ensure the capacity to directly influence policies in each country.

En este artículo se examina el desempeño de la comunidad epistémica vinculada a la educación de técnicos en salud a partir del análisis de las medidas iniciadas por el centro colaborador de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud/Organización Mundial de la Salud (OPS/OMS) para la educación de técnicos en salud durante la pandemia de COVID-19, con el objetivo de comparar estas medidas con los principales elementos que definen la constitución y el funcionamiento de las comunidades epistémicas, de conformidad con la bibliografía especializada. Se argumenta que, a pesar de las diferencias en la configuración histórica de los sistemas nacionales de salud y de educación, el surgimiento de desafíos comunes para la educación de técnicos propició la articulación de demandas, el intercambio de evaluaciones con fines de diagnóstico y la cooperación entre la Red Internacional de Educación de Técnicos en Salud, la Red Iberoamericana de Educación de Técnicos en Salud y la Red de Escuelas Técnicas de Salud de la Comunidad de Países de Lengua Portuguesa, con el fin de promover el intercambio de experiencias, la búsqueda de soluciones estratégicas y la difusión de recomendaciones entre los países. Al reafirmar el papel central de los técnicos en las medidas de vigilancia epidemiológica, diagnóstico y atención, la emergencia de salud exigió respuestas inmediatas y coherentes de los gobiernos y de las instituciones educativas, lo cual favoreció el fortalecimiento de la comunidad epistémica vinculada a la educación de técnicos en salud al hacer circular discursos y ejercer hegemonía con respecto al sentido de la educación de esos profesionales. Sin embargo, esta actuación no confiere estabilidad ni homogeneidad a dicha comunidad epistémica, en vista de que sus afirmaciones son provisionales y contingentes, ni asegura su capacidad de influir directamente en las políticas de cada país.

The Legal Duty of States to Cooperate in the Fight Against Pandemic Disease under the International Health Regulations

The paper outlines the contemporary legal framework of global health focusing on the legal duty of States to cooperate in the surveillance, prevention, and control of epidemic and pandemic disease. The paper details, in particular, the content and nature of States' duty to cooperate under the International Health Regulations – the primary international legal instrument governing the global response to such events. It also examines the role of the World Health Organization and other UN bodies in fostering cooperation between States in the fight against epidemics and pandemics. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Community Law Review is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)