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  Weekly READINGS

Reading of the Week: Policing Search and Rescue NGOS in the Mediterranean

[ © Center For European policy Studies ]

 The policing of civil society actors conducting Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean Sea has exposed long-standing unresolved controversies that reveal responsibility evasion strategies by some EU Member States which are incompatible with their obligations under international human rights, refugee, and maritime law. They also contradict the EU’s foundational principles, chiefly those related to the rule of law and justice.  

Cities as global actors: Bringing governance closer to the people

[ © Finnish Institute of International Affairs ]

 Globalization and extensive urbanization worldwide have brought cities to the forefront of global governance in a multilateral system designed and created for states. Cities have come to exercise power due in part to the inadequacy or ineffectiveness of inter-state action, but also because their democratic nature and immediate connection to the population make them legitimate actors. This Briefing Paper discusses the changing role played by cities transnationally as actors involved in global governance. It also seeks to increase awareness of the global rise of cities. The paper starts by exploring the empowerment of cities, followed by a discussion on the means through which cities exercise their power, as well as relevant policy sectors that constitute important parts of their global agenda. Finally, the Briefing Paper ponders the implications for the state-dominated international order.  

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