/library/oar/handle/123456789/2764 2025-11-19T19:42:46Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/10290 Title: Curbing corruption in the realm of international development : discrepancies between proposed theoretical approaches and practical implementations Abstract: Across all fields of socio-economic interaction, the fight against corruption has experienced an increase in public attention. Public and private sector alike have been subject to ever-increasing scrutiny in their undertakings. This trend has naturally found its way into the realm of international development assistance. This thesis set out to analyse anti-corruption policies of Western bilateral development donor agencies in order to understand what these policies comprise in terms of actual concepts and measures for their utilisation within the life cycle of development assistance projects. The application of the criteria and the ensuing comparison have demonstrated that the policies have to be considered on two separate levels: on the operational and on the strategic level. Although a certain amount of convergence exists among the respective operational approaches to curbing corruption in projects, on closer consideration it becomes evident that with regard to particular aspects, not all agencies consider the anti-corruption instruments and mechanisms as equally important when it comes to implement their projects. It can be said that while a set of regulations exists with regard to development projects, the analysis revealed that many donor agencies have partly shifted their emphasis onto the more strategic perspective within development aid, represented mainly by the concept of good governance. Description: B.A.(HONS)INT.REL. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/10218 Title: Non-traditional threats to security : the threat of cyber terrorism Abstract: This research will explore the threat of cyber terrorism as a non-traditional security threat and the concept of cyber security. As a prelude to this main objective, this dissertation also seeks to explore the shift from traditional to non-traditional security age, as the world is heading towards 'a new age of global security'. This study therefore seeks to analyse the threat of cyber terrorism and establish whether it is a reality or a myth. Thus in this dissertation various arguments and debates will be analysed and compared. In addition, as part of the analysis, two case studies will be used: the 2007 cyber attacks on Estonia and the Stuxnet attack on Iran. This dissertation seeks to analyse and explore the objectives through the use of qualitative research. Both primary and secondary sources have been consulted while a short interview was also conducted with an expert in the field. The general findings from this research have shown that the threat of cyber terrorism is indeed real and is ever growing in significance, as the concept of cyber security will occupy a place in the centre of security studies in the near future. Such conclusions therefore imply that since cyber security is becoming a priority, more attention and debate is required. This is because every nation is at risk, while every individual that is part of the cyber world is also a potential target. Thus, nation states should develop cyber capabilities, at least to be able to counter cyber attacks as in the near future cyberspace will perhaps be the main battlefield in which states conduct attacks. Description: B.A.(HONS)INT.REL. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/10217 Title: The prioritising of bilateral relations between Poland and Ukraine : a study of Poland's attempts to draw Ukraine into a tighter embrace with the western world Abstract: This study set out to present Poland's self-constructed roles and their possible impact within the international arena. The research was conducted by gathering data of Poland's foreign policy discourse in regards to Ukrainerelated issues in order to investigate Poland's role formation in this particular relation. The method used in the study is partly based on Holsti's role theory and borrows his concept of 'national role conception', which describes a shared understanding among policy makers in regards to the role and purpose of their state in the international arena. Furthermore, role theory was combined with a grounded theory approach in order to generate new theory from the findings. As a result, Poland's established roles, namely the Stabiliser, the Advocate, the Empowerer and the Initiator are presented in a newly generated theoretical framework. In addition, the findings revealed underlying trends in Polish foreign policy decision-making, which were thus evaluated and incorporated into the discussion of the analysis. Despite the fact that it has been impossible to accurately assess Poland's success of its foreign policy making towards Ukraine, the findings revealed interesting insights into the psychology of Poland's decision making. Consequently, the benefit of utilising this study design would be a rich and in-depth analysis of a state's motivations, social concepts and values. Description: B.A.(HONS)INT.REL. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/10216 Title: The African Union and the responsibility to protect in Libya Abstract: The Libyan crisis of 2011 was catalysed by the Arab Spring developments in North Africa, where the citizens in those countries protested against dictatorial regimes in those countries. Due to the prevalent mass atrocities and the staunch tough approach taken by Gaddafi, the African Union Peace and Security Council became quickly and ceased by the crisis in Libya. As a result the AU dispatched a diplomatic political mission to try and resolve the intensifying conflict situation. Yet, apart from its duties inherent in the Responsibility to Protect norm, the AU is legally instructed by its Constitutive Act to forcefully intervene in peace and security situations, specifically, to protect civilian populations from mass atrocity crimes. Therefore the uprising in Libya, which expressed a situation similar to the thresholds implicit in both provisions, gave the AU the opportunity to exercise both, its constitutive legal commitments and its R2P obligations. However, the events, during and after the Civil War in Libya, demonstrated that the AU had failed to deliver on both its protection responsibilities and on its legal commitments, as effectively as it would have desired or rather expected. This dissertation therefore, tries to examine and evaluate the African Union's response to the Libyan crisis of 2011 from both a Responsibility to Protect perspective, but also from the standpoint of the Article 4(h) of the Constitutive Act. Such an analysis is aimed to determine whether or not, the AU exhibited any signs of organizational dysfunction. The research method adopts an exploratory case study approach, using both primary and secondary sources as methods of data collection. The study looked at the weaknesses that affected the African Union in trying to look for a solution to the Libyan crisis, by exploring the measures AU took to respond to the crisis, the AU organs and mechanisms that were greatly engaged in looking for the solution to the crisis, and whether the measures undertaken were sufficient in resolving the crisis. The general findings from this research in these areas have indeed shown that the African Union displayed certain forms of pathological behaviour in its response to the Libyan Crisis, which led it to unproductive results that led the organization to become increasingly side-lined. Description: B.A.(HONS)INT.REL. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z