In this work, the particularities of natural resource wealth are the building blocks for the theoretical identification of some challenges faced by national governments in relation to extractive activities. Such challenges are later on unfolded from the perspective of overlapping claims on both environmental sustainability and social justice. The discussion here presented travels between different spatial, institutional and temporal scales, and particularly from the national to the regional (sub-national) levels. In order to observe how some of the challenges of extractive activities are manifested in practice, the case of La Colosa, an intended gold mining venture in the Colombian Andean region, is addressed. This work exposes some relevant tasks that the Colombian government has to undertake if the economic growth of the country is to be based on natural resources exploitation. In regards to long-term provision of environmental goods and services, the analysis done in this work allows the identification of tensions between the mining interests and the need to protect environmental functions related to the availability and quality of land and water resources. These tensions are aggravated by the existence of disjointed institutions and policies at the national level as well as between regional and national scales. So as to the achievement of social justice, this analysis reveals how the national interest on extractive activities for economic growth need to be not superimposed on, but harmonised with regional interests on natural resources for environmental functionality and local livelihoods, so as to avoid a systematic misrecognition of population’s needs and rights. Misaddressing this challenge conduces local entities to the necessary search of other avenues for claiming their recognition and participation. In this second stage, there is an additional need to ensure the security, effectiveness and legitimacy of participatory spaces that, if overshadowed by particular interests, may end up further reproducing the misrecognition patterns, exhausting the avenues for assertive claiming and even triggering conflict.

International recovery of illegal assets has received considerable attention in the last 25 years. International conventions against corruption, organized crime and terrorism have recognized its central importance for international and national security, development policy and the Rule of Law. International institutions such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank (WB) have created special units and programs to deliver and implement policy recommendations on the issue. Moreover, private organizations such as Transparency International and the Basel Institute on Governance have also engaged in supporting efforts done by States and local NGOs around the world, especially in developing countries. However all these initiatives to design and implement a comprehensive and effective framework to identify, trace, freeze, confiscate and recover illegal assets from abroad have not fulfilled the expectations of victims, civil society, States and international community. Extensive literature claims that political, legal and operational problems impede an effective approach to international recovery of illegal assets in the context of the fight against organized crime. Yet, there are no studies that consider international asset recovery in the context of peace negotiations between the State and illegal armed groups, where cooperation, compromise and mutual concessions are essential features of such situation. I argue that a peace process is a special opportunity for international asset recovery because in this context parties can create the incentives to overcome the key obstacles of ordinary asset recovery. Still, this requires to rethink international asset recovery in terms of restorative justice. I argue that a peace process setting is an exceptional background to create complementary, temporal and exceptional mechanisms by which illegal armed groups can effectively map, identify and cooperate with State authorities in order to recover, repatriate and liquidate their illegal assets from abroad. By pursuing this, the State would not only comply with the international standards of asset recovery, but also could fulfil the obligations owed to victims of international crimes. I claim that we should examine this new dimension of international asset recovery because most illegal armed groups involved in peace negotiations are also involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorism at a global scale. This dissertation aims to link the standard literature of international asset recovery with the field of restorative justice, peace-making and transitional justice to explore a new a research agenda that could have relevant policy implications. 

We review some theoretical and statistical aspects of the origin of the large-scale structure in the Universe, in view of the two most widely known and accepted scenarios: the inflaton and the curvaton scenarios. Among the theoretical aspects, we point out the impossibility of having a low inflationary energy scale in the simplest curvaton model. A couple of modifications to the simplest setup are explored, corresponding to the implementation of a second (thermal) inflationary period whose end makes the curvaton field `heavy', triggering either its oscillations or immediate decay. Low scale inflation is then possible to attain with H_\ast being as low as 1 TeV. Among the statistical aspects, we study the bispectrum B_\zeta(k_1,k_2,k_3) of the primordial curvature perturbation \zeta whose normalisation \fnl gives information about the level of non-gaussianity in \zeta. In connection with \fnl, several conserved and/or gauge invariant quantities described as the second-order curvature perturbation have been given in the literature. We review each of these quantities showing how to interpret one in terms of the others, and analyze the respective expected \fnl in both the inflaton and the curvaton scenarios as well as in other less known models for the generation of primordial perturbations and/or non-gaussianities. The \delta N formalism turns out to be a powerful technique to compute \fnl in multi-component slow-roll inflation, as the knowledge of the evolution of some family of unperturbed universes is the only requirement. We present for the first time this formalism and apply it to selected examples.

The actual realization of health justice is rooted on the causes and effects of ill-health, or health ontology as it’s been framed. A recent paradigm shift in health has been the raise of the social determinants of health, which gave substantial weight to perceiving health as more than absence of disease. It follows that justice in contemporary liberal societies must enact coherently with these social accounts through the inclusion of other strategies and actors. Nevertheless, predominant views of health are still based on individualistic causes of ill-health and healthcare-based solutions. The current dissertation explores the implications of excluding and including the social paradigm in health from the scope of social justice theories. Particularly, it clarifies what the role of civil society is in realizing health justice. It will cover this topic in three ways: 1. Evaluation of the predominant view in determinants of ill-health, particularly biologic endowments, behavioral risks and environmental exposure. This yields a better comprehension displacing social factors from health justice. 2. Analyses of contemporary political accounts of egalitarianism and its critiques. It will support and further deepen the arguments against displacing social factors, while guiding the scope of research towards the central role of civil society. 3. Once civil society and social factors are considered within health justice, I will explore related issues including social structures, social groups and identity. In sum, the incorporation of social factors in the ontology of health is fundamental to realize health justice. The social paradigm here envisioned refers to relationships in civil society that defines the preconditions for the flourishing of individuals. This is done through social positioning of entities, whether individuals or social groups. As such, integrating the social paradigm within justice implies a central role civil society; particularly, by shaping individual identity through social groups.

This paper explores the relationship between land inequality and inclusive growth in light of land policies for growth and poverty reduction. Contrasting traditional redistribution with inclusive rural growth shows the importance of land as an economic, social and political asset for achieving sustainable development. Analysing the Brazilian case, the paper suggests that inclusive growth strategies do not effectively counteract structural conditions of inequality and rather than attacking exclusionary growth patterns merely address immediate exigencies. Hence, returning to redistribution is fundamental for including the rural poor in modern economies, not just in terms of economic efficiency but for constructing equitable and approachable markets that enable the expansion of individual freedom. 

The growing problem of maintaining socio-economic sustainability in a changing climate has focused attention of a wide range of stakeholders on devising and delivering adaptive responses. A series of IPCC reports have emphasised that the economies of developing countries and particularly the poor would bear the brunt of climate change impacts. Farmers are highly vulnerable because of their high and direct dependency on natural resources, climate-sensitive livelihoods and lack of access to resources that they could rely on to respond successfully to shocks. Microfinance has become an increasingly used and effective tool to respond to major global challenges at the local level, including poverty and climate change. This thesis seeks to analyze the effects that the level of climate change risk and impact has on the willingness of Colombian farmers to invest, through microfinances, in strategies to adapt anticipatively to climate change. The methodology combines experimental economic games, surveys and interviews with farmers who cultivate three different crops: coffee, cocoa and citrus. The findings demonstrate that adaptation decisions depend on climate variability, the cost to implement an adaptation strategy and its benefits to cope with current hazards. Some farmers are risk takers as they prefer to face the risk of losing the harvest rather than pay the adaptation costs. Integrated pest management and beekeeping were strategies preferred under any level of climate variability, while farmers invested in crop diversification and solar dehydrators when facing higher risk of climate change. They were willing to obtain individual and associative microcredits. Microcredits awarded to small farmers in a short period of time enable them to accumulate and manage assets that make them less vulnerable. Microfinance can be more effective when combined with training and bottom-up strategies such as social networks, establishment of partnerships, collective lands and social learning that help farmers to increase their earnings, improve land productivity and promote food security.

Mean sea level rise exposes coasts to increasing risks. For the Caribbean Sea, the regional and local sea-level behaviour is not well known. This study has investigated the sea level behavior in the region at different frequencies during the last century, to provide updated, accurate and useful information to implement coastal adaptation responses to sea-level hazards. Time series from 28 tide-gauges, 18 years of altimetry and various atmospheric and oceanographic climatologies have been used. Several new results have been found. The small Caribbean tides have significant long-term modulations. The net effect of the low frequency modulation of the tidal signal can change the maximum tidal range up to 23.5%. The seasonal sea level cycle is characterized by large spatial and temporal variability. The amplitude of the coastal annual harmonic ranges from 2 cm to 9 cm, peaking between August and October. The amplitude of the semi-annual harmonic has maximum amplitude of 6 cm but it is not significant at all stations. The barometric effect dominates the coastal semi-annual cycle, but it is insignificant in all the other sea level frequencies at the tide-gauges. The seasonal sea level cycle from altimetry confirms the results obtained from the tide-gauges and allows the identification of some dominant sea level forcing parameters such as the Panama-Colombia gyre driven by the wind stress curl and the Caribbean Low Level Jet modulating the sea level in the northern coast of South America and linked to the local upwelling. The basin average mean sea level rise from altimetry is 1.7±1.3 mm yr-1 for the period 1993-2010. Wind forcing changes causes the trends in the southern part of the basin, modulating the sea level through changes in the ocean circulation. Significant spatial and decadal variability of the trends is found. Secular coastal sea-level trends range from 1.3±0.2 mm yr-1 in Magueyes, where the steric contribution dominates, to 5.3±0.3 mm yr-1 in Cartagena, where other contributors including local vertical land movements are significant. Temporal changes in the sea level extremes are significant but in line with mean sea-level trends at each tide gauge. With the annual mean sea level removed, extremes range between 36 cm and 79 cm, the later recorded in Port Spain and caused by the largest tidal signal. The largest nontidal residual is 76 cm found in Magueyes, forced by a hurricane induced storm surge, however larger surges can occur in the basin. The interannual sea level signal and nontidal extremes correlate with El Niño-Southern Oscillation at different time and spatial scales. No correlation with the North Atlantic Oscillation is found at any frequency. The largest sea flooding probability in the Caribbean coasts is around October, when the different sea level contributors’ maximums interact. These sea flooding events are going to became more frequent in the future due to the secular mean sea level rise affecting the basin.

The purpose of this dissertation is to empirically, analytically, and descriptively, investigate whether or not, and to what extent the fundamental human right to due process of Colombian Army members has been violated by national and international tribunals. The investigation is based on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and analyses cases of Colombian Army members being tried for human rights and IHL abuses by Colombian and international courts. Thus, it argues that due to the “Fuero Militar” (Military Judiciary Jurisdiction) being weakened, the fundamental human right to due process has been violated for military personnel. Accordingly, the paper presents a hypothesis that suggests that political and legal changes of the Military Justice System in Colombia have resulted in due process violations to Colombian Army members. The paper provides analysis of: Firstly (a) the United Kingdom, The United States and the Colombian Armed Forces and Police, in terms of, chain of command, structure, Military Justice, rights and duties; (b) a detailed Colombian Army structure; (c) a comparison between the three countries, illustrating the reasons that made the Colombian context unique; (d) the due process from international legislation to Colombian legislation; (e) the Transitional Justice concept and its interference in the Colombian armed conflict. Secondly, the information collected in the 31 interviews with Colombian Army members being tried for human rights and IHL abuses; together with assessment of three high-profile cases in which Colombian Army members are being tried for human rights and IHL abuses: “Soacha”, “Mapiripan” and “Palacio de Justicia”.  The analysis of the research findings concludes that the weakening of the “Fuero Militar” have increased the number of allegations of human rights violations in the particular case due process to servicemen. Finally, policy changes are suggested and the dissertation recommends that further research be conducted.

Con ocasión de la discusión sobre el alcance de las conclusiones a las que algunos neurocientíficos han arribado tras experimentos relativamente recientes con respecto a temas que, como el de la posibilidad de la libertad individual, son cruciales para la legitimidad de cualquier sistema de atribución de responsabilidad, los juristas suelen afanarse por determinar si el Derecho –y, en particular, el Derecho penal- ha quedado sin un sustento sólido sobre el cual fundar un juicio de reproche. En la ejecución de esta tarea, suelen moverse al vaivén de los avances de las “ciencias duras” sin detenerse a contemplar el trasfondo filosófico que le da sentido y contexto a la discusión. La verdad es que conceptos como voluntad, conciencia y libertad dependen, sin duda, de cómo entendamos la relación entre la mente y el cerebro: para algunos, son una misma cosa; para otros, son tan distintas que los descubrimientos sobre el funcionamiento del uno no alteran las propiedades de la otra. Este escrito reseña el estado actual de la cuestión, al tiempo en que lo evalúa con base en las herramientas que ofrece la Filosofía de la mente y propone una aproximación desde un enfoque funcionalista que permite integrar los aportes de las neurociencias al sistema jurídico-penal, así como ubicarlos adecuadamente y definir sus alcances.

En el presente estudio se analizan los mecanismos implicados en la fragmentación del aparato de Golgi (AG) en células neuronales PC12 tratadas con las neurotoxinas 6-hidroxidopamina o metanfetamina como modelos celulares de la enfermedad de Parkinson (EP). Nuestros datos demuestran que la fragmentación del AG precede y podrían dar lugar a la agregación de la proteína ?-sinucleína, con la subsecuente formación de inclusiones, conduciendo a alteraciones en el transporte anterógrado y retrógrado entre el retículo endoplásmico y el AG, y daño en el citoesqueleto. Por el contrario, la fragmentación del AG está directamente relacionada con alteraciones en los niveles de expresión de las GTPasas Rab1, 2 y 8 y la proteína SNARE sintaxina 5. Así, la sobreexpresión de las proteínas Rab1 y 8 y la depleción de Rab 2 y sintaxina 5 restauran la morfología del AG. En conclusión, la homeostasis de un número limitado de proteínas Rab y SNARE es importante para la comprensión de la citopatología de la EP. La fragmentación del AG puede ser una especie de señal indicativa de que algo en la célula está mal y que el mecanismo de defensa celular se debe iniciar, lo que podría inducir la formación de cuerpos de inclusión del tipo agresomas, que funcionarían como un sistema de adaptación y “supervivencia” celular.