Abstract: This new edition of a textbook first published in 2000 provides a comprehensive account of the law of treaties from the viewpoint of two experienced practitioners. It draws on the combined experience of Anthony Aust, the original author, and Jeremy Hill, until recently Legal Counsellor in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, London. The book provides a wealth of examples of the problems experienced with treaties on a daily basis. The authors explore numerous precedents from treaties and other related documents, such as non-legally binding instruments. Using clear and accessible language, the authors cover the full extent of treaty law, with both practitioners and students in mind. Modern Treaty Law and Practice is essential reading for officials in governments and international organisations, lawyers practising in international law, and teachers and students of law, political science, international relations and diplomacy who have an interest in treaties.

Abstract: This study focuses on the relation of four different financial development indicators and export performance, sampled from nine member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States, with economic growth for the period of 1995–2020. Its long-run relationship with PVAR analysis has been presented through VECM. The FMOLS and DOLS methods are used for the long-term coefficient estimates. According to the findings, there is a cointegration relationship between economic growth and export, and broad money, domestic credit to the private sector by banks, and monetary sector credit to private sector variables. The findings indicate that both financial development and export have a positive impact on economic growth. On the other hand, the findings have not presented sufficient evidence about the influence of the gross capital formation variable on economic growth while the monetary sector credit to private sector variable has been found to negatively affect economic growth. When the results of FMOLS and DOLS models are assessed together, it is concluded that export and financial development affects economic growth positively in the long term, but the first one’s effect is less.

Abstract: AIM Globally, sustainability and planetary health are emerging as areas of critical importance. In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the United Nations member states. Since then, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Commonwealth Secretariat have published guidelines for educators to embed sustainability content into curricula. This scoping review aims to identify how student dietitians learn about sustainability, how learning opportunities are evaluated, their outcomes, and whether these guidelines have translated into teaching activities contained in dietetic degrees. METHODS A scoping review was used to address the aims. Eight electronic databases and Google Scholar were searched from inception to March 2022 for articles describing dietetics students' participation in learning activities focused on sustainability. Data that addressed the research aims were charted independently by two researchers, then narratively synthesised. RESULTS Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria. A range of teaching approaches and evaluation methods were used, from passive learning in lectures to experiential learning activities. A change in knowledge or behaviour was found for experiential learning activities (n = 5). For articles published after 2015 (n = 9), two mentioned the Sustainable Development Goals and no articles referenced the published guidelines. CONCLUSIONS A paucity of evidence exists describing how dietetics students learn about sustainability and their learning outcomes. Of the 12 articles published, varied teaching approaches and evaluation methods have resulted in inconsistencies in the reporting of outcomes. The minimal reference to the Sustainable Development Goals and published guidelines suggests a slow translation of knowledge to practice.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 placed an emphasis on increasing student education and preparation for employment for students as young as 14. When Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was awarded a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to establish a Rehabilitation and Research Training Center (RRTC) on employment for transition-age youth with disabilities, one of the studies focused on knowledge translation methods to develop and deliver a toolkit to assist VR counselors (and others) providing pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students 14 to 16 years of age with significant disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this practice brief is to share preliminary findings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of VCU-RRTC on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities’ study, Effects of Knowledge Translation Methods on Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Providing Pre-ETS to Youth with Significant Disabilities 14–16 years of age. METHOD: To prepare this practice brief, program staff conducted a thematic analysis of interview findings from Phase 1 and reviewed program materials from Phase 2 to identify preliminary observations. Program materials included instructor case notes, student reports, student pre- and post-tests, interviews with families, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and school staff after instruction. RESULTS: From Phase 1, VR counselors, educators, and families desired early exposure to career exploration and felt that interest-driven experiences and education was generally lacking. From Phase 2, it was observed that lesson content needed to be relevant and engaging to younger students, who often had a very abstract understanding of work and limited self-awareness about career interests and personal interests and strengths. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the study underscore the desire and need to increase collaboration between educators, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and families. Observations from Phase 2 demonstrate the value of Pre-ETS instruction to younger students with significant disabilities, and how increased collaboration can prepare students for employment through early career exploration, workplace readiness skills, and community based work experiences.

Abstract: Effective collaborative engagement between diverse stakeholders is vital to supporting the developmental and educational opportunities and outcomes of students with disability. While Australian policy and legislation mandates collaborative engagement between a teacher and other members of a student’s support network, the extent of data examining stakeholder experiences of fulfilling these obligations remained unknown. To close this gap, the current study employed a scoping review methodology to investigate how collaborative engagement between teachers and families and/or allied health therapists had been reported in the literature since the introduction of the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Commonwealth of Australia Citation2006). A total of seven empirical articles were suitable for inclusion within the review. The findings address the existing span of literature into collaborative engagement between teachers and other stakeholders for students with disability, as well as the facilitators, barriers, and opportunities acknowledged. This article adds to the growing body of literature around the concept of collaborative engagement between stakeholders supporting students with disability. It further provides recommendations for researchers and policymakers to continue advancing knowledge and support of this critical practice.

Abstract: An understanding of the Australian Constitution as a framework for government in Australia is critical for any law student interested in ensuring that the rule of law is upheld. Australian Constitutional Law: Concepts and Cases provides an accessible introduction to Australian constitutional law, integrating theory and doctrine. This book provides clear explanations and carefully selected case extracts that are structured conceptually, rather than chronologically, to enable students to understand both the current state of constitutional law doctrine and how to engage in constitutional reasoning. Discussion questions throughout encourage students to consider how the law has evolved and how it can be applied to hypothetical legislation. The second edition has been updated to include commentary on significant recent High Court decisions and a new chapter that examines the scope of the Commonwealth's power to impose taxation. Written by leading constitutional law scholar Luke Beck, Australian Constitutional Law remains an invaluable resource for law students.

Abstract: Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program has often been portrayed as a model for temporary migration programmes. It is largely governed by the Contracts negotiated between Canada and Mexico and Commonwealth Caribbean countries respectively. This article provides a critical analysis of the Contract by examining its structural context and considers the possibilities and limitations for ameliorating it. It outlines formal recommendations that the article co-authors presented during the annual Contract negotiations between Canada and sending states in 2020. The article then explains why these recommendations were not accepted, situating the negotiation process within the structural context that produces migrant workers' vulnerability, on the one hand, and limits the capacity of representatives of sending and receiving states to expand rights and offer stronger protections to migrant farmworkers, on the other hand. We argue that fundamental changes are required to address the vulnerability of migrant agricultural workers. In the absence of structural changes, it is nevertheless important to seek improvements in the regulation of the programme through any means possible, including strengthening the Contract.

Abstract: From the genealogist’s point of view proposed by Foucault, this essay reconstructs the emergence, potentiality and limits of the notions of “energy poverty” and “right to energy”, which are at their peak in the field of human rights, one of the great contemporary regimes of truth. Both notions have been linked from the outset to a central idea since Hitler’s military defeat: “development”. The energy problem, then, is presented as part of the world agenda as the sustainable and then the sustainable are complementing the developments desired by the state commonwealth agglutinated in the United Nations Organization. At present, these notions allow us to think about the scope of the energy transition.

Abstract: 1Departments of Physical Therapy, Orthopaedic Surgery and Rheumatology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA 2Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA D. L. Riddle, Virginia Commonwealth University, 900 East Leigh Street, 4th floor, Room 100, Richmond, VA 23298, USA, Email: [email protected] (RE: Deckey DG, Verhey JT, Gerhart CR, et al. There are considerable inconsistencies among minimum clinically important differences in TKA: A systematic review. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2023;481:63-80.) Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR® or The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®.

Abstract: Penitentiary systems serve as breeding grounds for all kinds of diseases. Drawing upon new archival materials, this article examines the history of the management and reporting of epidemics in the Russian prison system from the late Imperial period to the present day. We use the case studies of cholera (1892-1893), typhus (1932-1933), and pulmonary tuberculosis (the 1990s) to examine how the general political and social conjuncture at different times affected the response of prison authorities to epidemics to show that, notwithstanding major shifts in society and polity, there was continuity in the management of epidemics by prison authorities in the long twentieth century. However, there were fundamental discrepancies in the way late Imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet Russia reported epidemiological emergencies in prisons. We argue that Russia's tumultuous past has reinforced the tendency among the Russian penal administration towards a lack of transparency that has persisted to the present day, in relation to the latest, COVID-19, epidemic.

Abstract: Abstract This chapter explores some of the challenges and opportunities for expansion of open, distance, and digital education in the global south. The discussion begins by defining the terms as used in the chapter and explains why such approaches are of relevance to the diverse countries involved. The chapter then provides some current examples of open, distance, and digital education provision and how some of these practices have been adapted in response to external factors such as climate, financial, and pandemic crises. The chapter then discusses the challenges and opportunities indicated both by current practice and by current research into issues such as open pedagogy, technology-enabled learning, and educational financing. The chapter then makes an argument for the development of more resilient, future-directed education provision, drawing heavily on the experience of the Commonwealth of Learning in its efforts to support sustainable development through learning.

Abstract: The landmark 2021 Resolution on Oral Health by the 74th World Health Assembly has elevated the importance of oral health into the global health policy agenda. This has led to the development and adoption of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy on Oral Health in 2022. It acknowledged the need to integrate oral health as part of universal health coverage (UHC), which is supported by national clinical leadership for oral health. Although Australia is a signatory WHO member state, it is yet to appoint a Commonwealth Chief Dental Officer to provide national clinical leadership. This commentary provides a background on the current issues on population oral health in Australia, an insight into the Australian oral healthcare system, and explores some of the challenges and learnings related to previous Commonwealth dental programs. This paper highlights why expertise in dental public health is required to steer national oral health policy that is focused on prevention and early intervention. A population oral health approach for UHC should be informed by evidence, prioritise and address oral health inequities, and be co-ordinated by national clinical leadership for oral health.

Abstract: African Literature has gone through many phases: from its being denied a literary category to becoming Third World, Commonwealth and Postcolonial Literature respectively and to its latter categorization as a “Global Anglophone Literature” subsumed under an overarching “Area Studies” American academic quota. This essay examines these shifts between categorizations and focalizes the politics, both professional and disciplinary, that undergirds such unstable and sliding nomenclature. It proceeds to tease out, within a postcolonial framework, the Euro-American empire-building imperatives of such naming. While some of these questions are not necessarily completely new, what is unique here is that this reflection concludes by suggesting Afropolitanism as a possible alternative discourse for reading postcolonial African and African diasporic culture.

Abstract: Australian fashion is emblematic of Global North countries with high levels of consumption and waste, dominated by high street fast fashion brands. It also has some unique characteristics as it is located in the Asia-Pacific region – the central production hub of garments – and is a leading producer of quality natural fibres such as cotton and wool. Despite this, Australia has a hollowed-out manufacturing sector that can provide minimal value add to these fibres, and little reuse, remanufacturing or recycling infrastructure for post-consumption garment waste. Ambition for change in the Australian fashion sector is rapidly accelerating with product stewardship initiatives, a modern slavery act and textile waste being designated a priority by the Commonwealth government. Both the policy and industry landscape is evolving. This article reflects on the research landscape of Australian sustainable fashion. The authors of this article draw on multi- and interdisciplinary perspectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to survey and consider the trajectory of fashion sustainability research in Australia over the past decade and to identify key strengths and gaps. This survey culminates in the development of a research agenda for the next decade to 2030.

Abstract: This paper describes and discusses a piece of inclusive and participatory fieldwork carried out at two sites in Bangladesh in close collaboration with local and international NGOs working on disability as part of the UK government (FCDO) funded Disability Inclusive Development (DID) programme. Our research fieldwork engaged two small groups of learners with specific identities (deafblind or young women) in workshops aiming to gather examples of and understand their experiences as young people with disabilities, both in general terms and about a work-focussed programme. Creative, visual and arts based multi-modal methods were used to encourage maximum participation, including from those with little or no spoken language or literacy. Some were accompanied by carers or supporters who also shared their perspectives. Local staff teams from collaborating INGOs and Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) supported, participated in and learnt from the process. Detail about the workshop activities and data from the participants are presented and discussed. Recommendations from the participants and reflections on the methodological aspects are provided. We concluded that using inclusive, participatory and creative research methods generates rich insights into people’s experiences, which can increase understandings about marginalised people’s lives and inform future interventions to promote their inclusion.

Abstract: This paper examined rising debt burden and its implication for implementing three (3) selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Commonwealth African member states. The methodology was mainly “Desk Research’’ with data collected from the World Bank Data Online Portal, covering the period 2016-2020. The approach analysis was to compare the estimated debt servicing obligations against estimated costs on investments on the selected SDGs and discuss its implications for successfully meeting these goals by 2030, under the assumption of rising public debt burden and low growth. The findings were as follows: - (i). Public debt stocks in all of these Commonwealth African states were already high, even, before COVID-19 which struck late in 2019, experiencing a very high-debt-to GDP ratios; that was far above 50 percent- Mozambique (116 %), Mauritius (105%), Zambia (85%) and Zimbabwe (61%) were spotted to have very high debt- to-GDP ratio amongst these member states. (ii). economic growth and domestic revenue collection in all of these Commonwealth African member states deteriorated in the year following the outbreak of the COVID-19. This widened the deficit and hence, the cycle of increased borrowing and rising debt burden continued unabated in these member states. (iii). none of these (20) Commonwealth African member states had invested enough in the SDGs to have come closer to meeting the internationally acceptable minimum annual expenditure threshold of 15-20% of GDP needed to achieve any of these three (3) selected SDGs. Governments therefore are encouraged to improve key aspects of macroeconomic fundamentals in order to improve domestic productivity, innovations in private sector involvement and stimulate overall confidence in the domestic economy in order to achieve the SDG agenda 2030.

Abstract: Staff shortage is a long-standing issue in long term care facilities (LTCFs) that worsened with the COVID-19 outbreak. Different states in the US have employed various tools to alleviate this issue in LTCFs. We describe the actions taken by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist LTCFs in addressing the staff shortage issue and their outcomes. Therefore, the main question of this study is how to create a central mechanism to allocate severely limited medical staff to healthcare centers during emergencies.For the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we developed a mathematical programming model to match severely limited available staff with LTCF demand requests submitted through a designed portal. To find feasible matches and prioritize facility needs, we incorporated restrictions and preferences for both sides. For staff, we considered maximum mileage they are willing to travel, available by date, and short- or long-term work preferences. For LTCFs, we considered their demand quantities for different positions and the level of urgency for their demand. As a secondary goal of this study, by using the feedback entries data received from the LTCFs on their matches, we developed statistical models to determine the most salient features that induced the LTCFs to submit feedback.We used the developed portal to complete about 150 matching sessions in 14 months to match staff to LTCFs in Massachusetts. LTCFs provided feedback for 2,542 matches including 2,064 intentions to hire the matched staff during this time. Further analysis indicated that nursing homes and facilities that entered higher levels of demand to the portal were more likely to provide feedback on the matches and facilities that were prioritized in the matching process due to whole facility testing or low staffing levels were less likely to do so. On the staffing side, matches that involved more experienced staff and staff who can work afternoons, evenings, and overnight were more likely to generate feedback from the facility that they were matched to.Developing a central matching framework to match medical staff to LTCFs at the time of a public health emergency could be an efficient tool for responding to staffing shortages. Such central approaches that help allocate a severely limited resource efficiently during a public emergency can be developed and used for different resource types, as well as provide crucial demand and supply information in different regions and/or demographics.

Abstract: Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) has emerged in free trade agreements to resolve complex investment disputes. Essentially, where there is a dispute between a state and foreign investor, the ISDS process can be used to enable arbitration to intervene. This chapter explores the role of investor-state disputes for data and cybersecurity. Moreover, it will demonstrate there are a number of Commonwealth member states who have not adopted the ICSID. On the other hand, most member states have adopted the framework, and do utilise investor-state arbitration. It addresses the principles of fair and equitable treatment and legitimate expectations where there is foreign investment of technologies that will indirectly relate to the use of data and need for [cyber] security of that data. In an fast paced environment where technology is out-pacing any response by governments through regulation, there could be increasing disputes that will be resolved through arbitration. Therefore, governments will need to be vigilant in its development of regulation.

Abstract: The purpose of the publication is to introduce into scientific circulation documents that reveal and supplement, in a new way, the evidence about the life and work of the Ukrainian ascetic, church and cultural figure and Saint Job (Ezekiel) Kniahynycky (ca. 1550–1621), in particular, about the Athos period of his biography and foreign travels as part of the embassies of the Vatopedi Monastery. The methodological foundations of the study are based on the principles of historicism, scientific objectivity, systematicity, and a dialectical approach to historical phenomena. In accordance with the goal and objectives, a combination of general scientific, interdisciplinary, and special research methods was used. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time the documents from the case of the arrival of the delegation of the Vatopedi Monastery from the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to Smolensk in 1592, consisting of the ecclesiarch and elder Gerasimus, and the monks Ezekiel and Jonikiy, were introduced into scientific circulation. Based on the analysis of the entries in these documents, as well as the analysis of the 1596 marks in the manuscript Slavic Gospel-tetra from the library of the Vatopedi Monastery (Slavic 1), it is established that the monk Ezekiel of Vatopedi mentioned in them is the same Ezekiel Kniahynytsky, who later took the monastic vows with the name Job and contributed to the revival and reform of Orthodox monasticism in the western Ukrainian lands. It is emphasised that the document confirms the authenticity of the record in the life of Job Knyahynytsky, written after his death by his disciple Ignatii of Liubarov. The analysis of the entries in these documents, as well as the notes in the late 14th-century manuscript Slavic Gospeltetra, which is kept in the library of Vatopedi, allows us to more accurately date the time of Knyahynytsky’s stay in the Vatopedi monastery. It is established that another monk, Sava, lived there with him. The author suggests that another well-known Ukrainian church and cultural figure and polemic writer, St John Vyshensky, may have stayed with them for some time at the Vatopedi Monastery. It is noted that at the end of the 16th century, a group of Ukrainian monks-scribes probably operated at the Vatopedi Monastery. Later on, the author observes the establishment of closer ties between the Vatopedi Monastery, and the Ukrainian Orthodox monasticism and the Cossacks.

Abstract: ABSTRACT An internationally renowned scholar and theologian, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948–2020), longstanding Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth (1991–2013), suggested a direct discussion of the State of Israel. By way of exploring the way he viewed the modern State of Israel, this article discusses Rabbi Sacks’ overall communitarian, covenant based ideas before focusing on three categories: national narrative, the invigoration of civil society, and the place of religion. His most distinct criticism relates to the interrelationship between religion, the political system, and the state, illustrated inter alia by his insistence that ‘Judaism must be depoliticised and put back where it belongs, in civil society, far removed from all structures of power’.

Abstract: Research systems and cultures have been criticised for their detrimental effect on members’ mental health and well-being. Many international research programmes operate through research consortia that have the resources to make a substantial contribution to improving the research environment in their member organisations. This paper collates real-life examples from several large international consortia-based research programmes about how they strengthened organisations’ research capacity. The consortia primarily involved academic partners from the UK and/or sub-Saharan Africa and covered research topics including health, natural sciences, conservation agriculture and vector control. They were partly or wholly funded by UK agencies including the Wellcome, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, UK Research and Innovation Fund, and the Medical Research Council and they operated for 2–10 years between 2012 and 2022. Consortia’s size and ability to access and share resources among their member organisations according to need meant they were uniquely placed to target actions to address weaknesses in member organisations’ research capacity, to widen networks and collaborations, and to build in sustainability of capacity gains. Consortia’s actions covered: (a) individuals’ knowledge and skills; (b) capacity strengthening ethos; (c) organisations’ visibility and prestige; and (d) inclusive and responsive management practices. Evidence about these actions formed the basis of recommendations for funders and leaders of consortium-based programmes about how they could make more effective use of consortia’s resources to enhance organisations’ research systems, environments and cultures. Key lessons were that training should cover management and research leadership and should be offered beyond consortium members, including to research support staff such as technicians and managers. Consortia often tackle complex problems requiring multidisciplinary inputs, but overcoming disciplinary boundaries—and making everyone feel valued and respected—takes time and skill on the part of consortium leaders. Consortia need clear guidance from funders about their commitment to strengthening research capacity. Without this, consortia leaders may continue to prioritise research outputs over creating and embedding sustainable improvements in their organisations’ research systems.

Abstract: Without the contribution of the higher education (HE) sector, none of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are achievable. Through research, teaching, and community engagement, universities globally make vital contributions towards Agenda 30. Through partnerships, their impact is enhanced – university networks are key to facilitating collaboration. The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is a global university network encompassing more than 500 universities. ACU spans five continents with membership representative of the full diversity of the Commonwealth. University networks such as this demonstrate that bringing institutions together enhances their ability to tackle global challenges. University networks are vital vehicles for knowledge sharing and best practice. ACU members in low- to middle-income countries face systematic biases that need significant support for disparities to decrease. The ACU provides a platform for all its members, including in the global South, to have their voices heard and affect policy-makers at the most prominent forums, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM), and the Conference of the Parties (COP). The ACU implements initiatives that build capacity. Examples include Climate Impacts Research Capacity and Leadership Enhancement (CIRCLE), which supports researchers and institutions across Africa to produce internationally peer reviewed research into the climate change; and Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning (PEBL), which works with universities in Africa to enhance access to quality education through blended learning. These projects rank alongside similar initiatives that leverage networks to deliver outcomes that would not otherwise be possible. Without networks such as these, the great potential of universities to tackle the SDGs will likely not be realised.