The human rights protection regime for afro-descendants the case of latin America ang the Caribbean
"Some states have been proactive in ratifying laws that protect ethnic minorities in Latin America and the Caribbean, but Afro-descendants do not benefit much from these laws. Self-identification as an 'ethnic minority' for Afro-descendants has been problematic. Some Afro-descendants defend the term Afro-descendant peoples whereas others agree with the use of ethnic minority as the ideal concept to identify them as a group or population. In any case, most Afro-descendants support an effective human rights protection regime as a key tool to help overcome their historical problems. This article studies in depth the crucial importance for Afro-descendants of enhancing this ""still-weak"" regime. The text represents one of the few works of its kind that explores in detail the limitations of the Afro-descendants' human rights struggle in the region"
La equidad y la exclusión de los pueblos indígenas y afrodescendientes en América Latina y el Caribe
El proposito de este articulo es mostrar y examinar algunos aspectos basicos de la situacion que viven los pueblos indigenas y afrodescendientes en America Latina y el Caribe. A traves del analisis de factores como el racismo y la discriminacion, se intenta interpretar las causas que han determinado que millones de personas de la region,provenientes de diversos origenes etnico-raciales,vivan en la pobreza y la marginacion. Para enfrentar esta problematica,se plantea la necesidad de transformar las bases de los sistemas (culturales, economicos, legales y politicos);de exclusion y discriminacion, disenando estrategias que vayan desde el reconocimiento formal de las identidades y derechos colectivos hasta la formulacion de po- liticas publicas,fortalecimiento de programas de cooperacion regional e internacional y profundas reformas estatales. El principio activo para la aplicacion de estas medidas debiera ser el de una nueva "ciudadania ", basada en la promocion de la diferencia y la diversidad cultural.
Protection of the Marine Environment: The International and National Regulation of Deep Seabed Mining Activities
This chapter provides an overview of the international and national regulatory framework pertaining to deep seabed mining activities. It begins by discussing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the backdrop for all marine activities – be they national or international – and examines the obligations of states to protect the marine environment from the harmful effects arising from deep seabed mining. Next, the chapter examines the international regime for deep seabed mining (i.e. “activities in the Area”), explaining the “common heritage of mankind” status of the Area (i.e. the international seabed); the functions of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the international organization established to govern deep seabed mining in the Area; and the concept of state sponsorship of non-state entities (i.e. private actors) for deep seabed mining in the Area. The chapter follows with a discussion of the development of national legislation to regulate deep seabed mining, examining efforts in the Pacific region where many prospective deep-sea mining sites are located. This includes a look at the legislative regimes of several Pacific Island nations, namely, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the Cook Islands, for whom deep seabed mining may soon become a reality – as well as New Zealand and Japan, countries with comparatively developed rule of law and legislative regimes that have undertaken or considered deep seabed mining in their national waters. Overall, the chapter critically describes and evaluates the current regulatory status in the international and national seabed areas and highlights some salient gaps that require urgent attention in order to ensure marine environmental protection and mitigate impacts on humans.