Historical Background. The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) is the first multilateral trade agreement to cover trade in services. Its creation was one of the major achievements of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations, from 1986 to 1993. This was almost half a century after the entry into force of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of 1947, the GATS' counterpart in merchandise trade. The need for a trade agreement in services has long been questioned. Large segments of the services economy, from hotels and restaurants to personal services, have traditionally been considered as domestic activities that do not lend themselves to the application of trade policy concepts and instruments. Other sectors, from rail transport to telecommunications, have been viewed as classical domains of government ownership and control, given their infrastructural importance and the perceived existence, in some cases, of natural monopoly situations. A third important group of sectors, including health, education and basic insurance services, are considered in many countries as governmental responsibilities, given their importance for social integration and regional cohesion, which should be tightly regulated and not be left to the rough and tumble of markets. Nevertheless, some services sectors, in particular international finance and maritime transport, have been largely open for centuries - as the natural complements to merchandise trade. Other large sectors have undergone fundamental technical and regulatory changes in recent decades, opening them to private commercial participation and reducing, even eliminating, existing barriers to entry. The emergence of the Internet has helped to create a range of internationally tradeable product variants - from e-banking to tele-health and distance learning - that were unknown only two decades ago, and has removed distance-related barriers to trade that had disadvantaged suppliers and users in remote locations (relevant areas include professional services such as software development, consultancy and advisory services, etc.). A growing number of governments has gradually exposed previous monopoly domains to competition; telecommunication is a case in point. This reflects a basic change in attitudes. The traditional framework of public service increasingly proved inappropriate for operating some of the most dynamic and innovative segments of the economy, and governments apparently lacked the entrepreneurial spirit and financial r...
Historical Background. The legal context arose from post-World War II governmental infrastructure projects which involved property acquisition for public use. The NAC’s assurance policies during such acquisitions formed the basis of subsequent disputes when properties were deemed surplus or relocated (e.g., Lahug Airport transfer to Mactan). This historical backdrop contextualizes the MCIAA’s procedural and legal challenges in property reconveyance cases.
Historical Background. After decades of civil unrest that caused significant damages to its economic and financial infrastructure, the Republic of Congo has since the beginning of the millennium undertaken a significant effort to restructure and boost its economy. It has also undertaken to normalize its financial relations with the international community. The first objective of the Government has been to rebuild the economic and social infrastructure, which underwent severe damage or destruction during the years of civil turmoil. This situation had led to the deterioration of all of the economic and social indicators of the country and, in particular, to the destruction of the school and health apparatus as well as to the interruption of the provision of essential services such as drinkable water and electricity. It had also resulted in widespread displacements of populations and, as a result, in an important disorganization of the economic system. As a consequence, GDP contracted by approximately 3 points between 1990 and 2001; real income per capita dropped by almost one half from its level eleven years earlier, and more than 70% of the population had fallen below the poverty line. In the area of the public finances, the budget deficit reached 8.4% of GDP in 2000 and was accompanied by a large accumulation of domestic payment arrears by the government; the banking system was totally ruined; external debt increased from 175% to almost 240% of GDP, and the country had virtually ceased payments on its foreign obligations. The economy survived only thanks to the maintenance of a certain level of activity in the oil sector. Faced with this situation, the authorities have attempted progressively to restore a proper and democratic functioning of the State and of the political institutions. At the economic level, they have implemented an emergency program that benefited from various contributions from external partners, including the World Bank through post-conflict assistance. Undertaken within the framework of a series of reference programs defined with the IMF, these efforts have led to a relative recovery of the economy. GDP has grown by an average of 4 ½% per annum since the beginning of the decade (6 ¼% in the non-oil sector) and the country’s economic and social infrastructure has been progressively rehabilitated. Meanwhile, the budget situation has been gradually stabilized, and an important train of structural reforms launched. These encouraging results made it possible in D...
Historical Background. First inhabited by Pygmies, the Republic was later settled by Bantu groups that also occupied parts of present-day Angola, Gabon, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), forming the basis for ethnic affinities and rivalries among those states. Several Bantu kingdoms - notably those of the Kongo, the Loango, and the Teke - built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. The first European contacts came in the late 15th century, and commercial relationships were quickly established with the kingdoms--trading for slaves captured in the interior. The coastal area was a major source for the transatlantic slave trade, and when that commerce ended in the early 19th century, the power of the Bantu kingdoms eroded. The area came under French sovereignty in the 1880s. Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx xx Xxxxxx, a French empire builder, competed with agents of Xxxx Xxxxxxx of Belgium's International Congo Association (later Zaire) for control of the Congo River basin. Between 1882 and 1891, treaties were secured with all the main local rulers on the river's right bank, placing their lands under French protection. In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Africa (AEF), comprising its colonies of Middle Congo (modern Congo), Gabon, Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (modern Central African Republic). Brazzaville was selected as the federal capital. Economic development during the first 50 years of colonial rule in the Republic centered on natural resource extraction by private companies. In 1924-34, the Congo-Ocean Railway (CFCO) was built at a considerable human and financial cost, opening the way for growth of the ocean port of Pointe- Noire and towns along its route. During World War II, the AEF administration sided with Xxxxxxx xx Xxxxxx, and Brazzaville became the symbolic capital of Free France during 1940-43. The Brazzaville Conference of 1944 heralded a period of major reform in French colonial policy, including the abolition of forced labor, granting of French citizenship to colonial subjects, decentralization of certain powers, and election of local advisory assemblies. The Republic benefited from the postwar expansion of colonial administrative and infrastructure spending as a result of its central geographic location within AEF and the federal capital at Brazzaville. The Loi Cadre (framework law) of 1956 ended dual voting roles and provided for partial self- government for the individual overseas territories. Ethnic rivalries then produced xxxxx struggles amon...
Historical Background. The Bucks County NAACP and the Bensalem Township Police Department have worked together for years to facilitate better communication and understanding, and to improve the police services to all citizens in the community. On September 9, 2020, Bucks County NAACP President Xxxxx Xxxxxx and Bensalem Township Police Department Director of Public Safety Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx signed a historic agreement encouraging citizens to come forward with complaints against the police and providing guidelines for the handling of those complaints. In addition, the document described how citizens could go to the Bucks County NAACP to serve as the complainant's ombudsman in the filing of complaints, and in receiving the final report about the complaint investigation, if any, and the disposition of the complaint. This document contains the official seal of the Bucks County NAACP and the Bensalem Township Police Department, as well as the signature of President Xxxxxx and Director Harran.
Historical Background. The case emerged during the American colonial period in the Philippines, reflecting the rapid industrialization and commercial rivalry in the sugar industry. It shows legal principles in property and contractual agreements pivotal in the context of economic competition and agricultural development.
Historical Background. The case is part of a broader legal context where disputes between government entities and local governments over tax liabilities occur frequently, especially under BOT agreements. The case reflects the balancing act between granting exemptions to government-owned corporations and ensuring local government units can collect necessary revenues to support public services. This case reaffirms the principle set in previous rulings, emphasizing the actual use and ownership of properties while clarifying the effect of contractual BOT arrangements on tax liabilities.
Historical Background. The case reflects post-war property and lease conflicts in urban Philippine settings, addressing improvements on leased properties amidst inflation and evolving property ownership. This highlights the judiciary’s role in reinforcing written legal agreements while balancing equitable remedies for improvements made in good faith.
Historical Background. This case elucidates the judiciary’s role in handling financial fraud, especially in situations where fiduciary responsibilities and trust between contracting parties are breached. It demonstrates the legal system’s mechanism in addressing and rectifying instances of forgery and misappropriation of funds through the enforcement of civil liabilities, thereby reinforcing the legal standards for financial transactions and contractual obligations within the Philippines’ legal structure.
Historical Background. This case encapsulates the legal intricacies involved in the international boxing industry during the early 1960s in the Philippines, highlighting the tension between contractual fidelity and the practicalities of sports management. It demonstrates the judiciary’s role in mediating disputes arising from the intersection of sports regulations, contractual obligations, and personal and professional relationships within the context of international sports promotions.
