Geography Of Botswana
Botswana (07/05)
Because of history and geography, Botswana has long had deep ties to the economy of South Africa. The Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU), comprised of Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, and South Africa, dates from 1910, and is the world’s oldest customs union. Under this arrangement, South Africa has collected levies from customs, sales, and excise duties for all five members, sharing out proceeds based on each country's portion of imports. The exact formula for sharing revenues and the decision-making authority over duties--held exclusively by the Government of South Africa--became increasingly controversial, and the members renegotiated the arrangement in 2001 (the new structure has now been formally ratified and a SACU Secretariat has been established in Windhoek, Namibia ). Following South Africa's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Botswana also is a member, many of the SACU duties are declining, making American products more competitive in Botswana. Currently ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The Embassy staff includes the Ambassador, DCM, Ambassador’s office management specialist, two political/economic officers, a regional health and environment officer, a public affairs officer, a consular/commercial officer, two regional security officers, a security office management specialist, and management officer, a general services officer, a facilities maintenance manager, a regional human resources officer, a financial management officer, and two information management specialists. The Marine Security Guard Detachment provides 24-hour security guard operations at the Chancery. The management section provides a full range of support to agencies participating in the ICASS agreement. USAID relies minimally on the State administrative function since that agency maintains its own support service operation. ... [Read More]
U.S. Department of State FOIA Electronic Reading Room--Post Reports
1 Quick Jump AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAngolaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbados [Read More]
Lesotho (06/05)
The Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) controls a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament), with the Basotho National Party (BNP), Lesotho Peoples Congress, and the National Independent Party among the 9 opposition parties represented. The upper house of parliament, called the Senate, is composed of 22 principal chiefs whose membership is hereditary, and 11 appointees of the King, acting on the advice of the prime minister. The constitution provides for an independent judicial system. The judiciary is made up of the Court of Appeal, the High Court, Magistrate's Courts, and traditional courts that exist predominately in rural areas. All but one of the Justices on the Court of Appeal are South African jurists. There is no trial by jury; rather, judges make rulings alone, or, in the case of criminal trials, with two other judges as observers. The constitution also protects basic civil liberties, including freedom of speech, association, and the press; freedom of ... [Read More]
Fulbright Educational Partnerships Program – Project Profile – Educational Partnerships Program
The project is helping to further understanding and accuracy by faculty and students of both universities in their investigations of political phenomena. Project activities are increasing the ability of the University of Kerala project participants to utilize quantitative methods in gathering and processing political data and better enabling Claremont Graduate School's participants to use qualitative descriptions of political phenomena in their research work. Participants are from the departments of political science of the two institutions and the Centre for Women's Studies and the Department of Futures Science at the University of Kerala. ... [Read More]
United States Libraries in South Africa: Topics--Economic Affairs
On June 1, former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz became the head of the World Bank. His mission is ending global poverty. FOREIGN POLICY asked five of the world's leading development experts to offer Wolfowitz some advice on getting the job done. Their suggestions include:Stimulating economic growth rather than providing direct aid.Focusing on knowledge and providing information that will assist governments in establishing economic policies that promote development.Microfinancing of the poor in order support entrepreneurship by offering small loansLinking the overall volume of lending to the funding of critical institutions, such as basic education, basic health, and nondiscriminatory legal frameworks. In this way, the bank would fund the very things that drive growth, be it infrastructure or higher education. Developing a clear, integrated, viable, and sustainable mission for the Bank as well as exploring innovative financ ... [Read More]
Namibia (07/05)
In May 1988, a U.S. mediation team, headed by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester A. Crocker, brought negotiators from Angola, Cuba, and South Africa, and observers from the Soviet Union together in London. Intense diplomatic maneuvering characterized the next 7 months, as the parties worked out agreements to bring peace to the region and make implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 435 possible. On December 13, Cuba, South Africa, and the People's Republic of Angola agreed to a total Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola. The protocol also established a Joint Commission, consisting of the parties with the United States and the Soviet Union as observers, to oversee implementation of the accords. A bilateral agreement between Cuba and the People's Republic of Angola was signed in New York on December 22, 1988. On the same day a tripartite agreement, in which the parties recommended initiation of the UN Plan on April 1 and the Republic of South Africa agreed to ... [Read More]
Congo (Kinshasa) (06/05)
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Int ... [Read More]
Swaziland (07/05)
The government also has been criticized by both domestic groups and international observers for significant interference with the independence of the judiciary, parliament, and freedom of the press starting in late 2002. Swaziland has been without a Court of Appeals since the court’s resignation en masse in December 2002 in protest of the government’s refusal to abide by the court’s decisions in two important rulings. Other related events have been the resignation of the Chief Justice, the removal of two other justices of the High Court, interference by the palace with parliament, and the official announcement of new censorship rules. ... [Read More]
|