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In the issue "Poland and the North" of the magazine WeltTrends, various authors with connections to Polish universities are introduced. The contributions contain many facts that are otherwise difficult to find and harmonize with each other. However, it is noted that the authors may not be sufficiently familiar with the complex political situation. Differences in security interests and attitudes towards Russia between Poland and the Baltic states are also pointed out. It is recommended that Poland should better utilize its opportunities instead of hiding behind the positions of the Baltic states. The relationships with countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are also discussed, with emphasis on social development and challenges related to climate and immigration policies. [Extracted from the article]

Microcredit transactions in developing countries create risks for borrowers that are routinely overlooked in the literature. This paper argues that common microfinance-lending methodologies that allow lenders to collateralize loans and unilaterally collect this security create opportunities for malicious lenders to steal from clients in good standing. In places where any lender can simply call itself a 'microfinance institution' (MFI), opportunistic lenders can use the halo effect associated with microfinance to encourage borrowers to make themselves unusually vulnerable to theft. Evidence of these abuses can be seen in a case study of Uganda, where theft and fraud by a small number of microfinance institutions created a large-scale crisis and contributed to a precipitous decline in trust in the financial sector as a whole. Even when it occurs only on the margins of the sector, I conclude, this type of opportunism may have problematic implications for all MFIs and undermine efforts to increase financial inclusion. This possibility provides a new impetus to consider innovative regulatory approaches for microfinance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many households and businesses in developing countries are said to face credit constraints which limit their ability to undertake investments in various production-enhancing economic activities required to reduce poverty. This limited access to formal credit is often attributed to the lack of ‘acceptable’ collateral, resulting from the absence of formally registered land titles. Despite the fact that this assertion is fast gaining ground, land registration has not been found empirically to positively influence access to credit. This article seeks to critically examine the above argument and provide credible theoretical explanations as to why previous studies in the developing world have failed to establish any significant positive link between land registration and access to credit. It is argued that formalising property titles alone will not be enough solve the problem of limited access to credit in the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Indian Ocean Region is moving to the centre of the global geostrategic agenda. Resource competition and energy security, environmental and economic issues exacerbated by climate change; the involvement of external powers like China, and the emergence of regional powers like India underscore a heightened need for attention to this region. Concomitantly, Indian Ocean sea lines of communication are becoming increasingly important to global and regional commerce. Related security issues largely converge in the maritime domain. There is little history of region-wide security cooperation and a lack of regional institutions in the Indian Ocean Region. Non-conventional threats posing collective security risks to common interests present the most realisable prospects, at least initially, for the development of collective security dialogue and mechanisms. Such arrangements need to involve both regional and extra-regional powers that have interests to protect and capacities to assist. Given geography and the diverse nature of the region, maritime security offers the most compelling area for cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. Efforts to facilitate collective security dialogue and establish maritime security cooperative mechanisms and habits need to be urgently progressed at official, non-official and operational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Access to social protection differs widely amongst international migrants. Using new global data on bilateral migrant stocks, social security law, and bilateral social security agreements, we quantify the status of social protection of international migrants as belonging to one of four different regimes. Results suggest that approximately one quarter of global migrants fall under the most favorable regime, but these are largely north–north migrants. On the other hand, migrants from developing countries, in particular south–south migrants, are in a far less favorable position, having to depend largely on informal networks and self insurance as a way of minimizing risk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Discusses the effect of the war on terror on developing countries and development policy and practice. Influence of the international focus on counterterrorism and security on aid allocations; Use of counter-terrorism to justify practices that undermine the achievement of development goals; Impact of increases in military aid on human security.