2011. vol. 6. No. 3

The paper presents a review of a flow of “accountability” reports made public in the G8/G20 process
since 2008, the total number of which reached 67 for both institutions. The review looked into how these
reports addressed the four accountability aspects of transparency, consultation, evaluation and correction.
Several features of the reports were singled out as proxies for the respective qualities. Provision of
the evidence base and data presented for each of the members rather than in an aggregated format enhance
transparency. Recommendations provided by the reports’ author promote consultation. Scorings
or ratings give clear signals of the evaluation results. Each report was assessed against the set of these
three functions with one score for transparency, one score for evaluation, and one score for consultation.
As the correction is the prerogative of the affecting actors, reports were not assessed on this merit.
The author concludes that the answer to the four questions of 1) how transparently G8 and G20
pursue the delivery of the global public good within their mission; 2) how consultative the institutions’
policy processes in respect of providing that global public good are; 3) how well their performance is
evaluated in regard to furthering that global public good; 4) how well they correct their shortcomings in
promoting the particular global public good is: “not enough”. Emphasizing that it is not the quantity but
the quality of the accountability mechanisms which should be addressed, the paper concludes with a set
of recommendations aimed at helping to build a pluralistic accountability system.

The article discusses the phenomenon of the Great Human Rights Game, the expression used in debates
on human rights issues in international political and economic relations context. Human rights have become
a tool of “unsuitable” countries dismemberment, the reason for the use of force, military intervention,
imposing sanctions and intrusion of “democratic” internal regulations. The author draws special
attention to the UN human rights sector reform and establishment of the UN Human Rights Council. The
Great Human Rights Game represents manipulation of human rights concepts’ provisions and nowadays
takes place in the Arab world (Libya in particular).

The Russian society should be shifted from social pessimism to social optimism. This could be achieved
by targeting the real perspectives of the World politics. According to the authors the sovereign status of
Russia in XXI Century must be determined by the growing geopolitical role of the North, particularly the
Arctic Region. However the competitive positions of the “Arctic race” actors should be taken into account.
And special attention should be given to China.

International organizations are an important resource for developing Russia’s Arctic cooperation both
today and in the foreseeable future. The Arctic Council and Barents-EuroArctic Council are crucial. The
AC should be reformed in a way to become the key international organization in the region that makes
binding decisions. The BEAC is instrumental in developing bilateral and multilateral cooperation at the
regional level (including the “soft security” sphere) as well as Russia’s Arctic regions. However the NATO
Arctic activities do not conform to Russia’s interests.

The securitization of development assistance has lately become one of the most debatable subjects in
the Western Political Science. It is understood as encapsulation of global and national security interests
in the framing, justification, structuring and implementation of development and aid policies based on the
perception of underdevelopment as a threat. Experts argue that this phenomenon can be observed at
three different levels: in the discourse of political leaders and the language of documentation of the international
organizations (macro-level); in the changes in institutional structure, volumes and direction of the
development aid flows (meso-level); and in the planning and implementation of specific programmes and
projects (micro-level). This article examines the manifestations of the securitization of development at
macro-level, identifies the key elements of the securitizing move as a discursive practice, and assesses
the prospects for the preservation of this trend.

The presented paper is an unofficial translation of the Foresight Report prepared by the Government
Office of Science, Department for Business Innovation and Skills with the support of Defra and DFID.
It describes the present situation in food system highlighting irrational use of natural resources and the
fact that over 1 billion people worldwide are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. The authors provide
recommendations on wide range of issues to overcome these problems. The document is relevant
to professionals in the food sector and officials whose interests include food system, climate change,
energy and water consumption and land use.

The presented publication is translation of the first chapter of the CSIS report “Key Players in Global
Health: How Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa Are Influencing the Game”. A Brazilian policy in global health is discussed in the article. The author analyzes characteristics of the Brazilian policy in
international development aid and global health, interconnection of national and international health policy.
The leading role of Brazil in South-South Initiative, negotiations on Agreement on the Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property and Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is pointed out in the
article. Prospects of further Brazil’s participation in international development in the health sector have
been also analyzed.

The presented publication is translation of the third chapter of the CSIS report “Key Players in Global
Health: How Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa Are Influencing the Game”. The article focuses
on India’s policy in global and national health. The author notes India’s paradox: whereas the country’s
health sector faces serious problems, India stakes on active participation in international development
aid. This approach stimulates development of innovations in India’s health sector.

The article presents a systemic analysis of the main theoretical approaches to assessing the effects of
international development assistance. The author gives an overview of the research in the field of international
development cooperation within the context of the developing countries’ role in world economy
and the evolution of donors’ policy approach to international development assistance and cooperation.
In conclusion the author argues that international development assistance is a temporary measure and
its effectiveness depends on factors, in particular those measures, which are undertaken by national
government of developing countries.