Economic Impact of Sea-bed Mineral Resources Development in Light of the Convention on the Law of the Sea

In 1983, the Preparatory Commission for the International Sea-Bed Authority and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea appointed its officers, decided upon its structure and adopted a programme of work. In July of the previous year, the US Government announced that it would not sign the Convention on the Law of the Sea and thus would not participate in the deliberations of the Preparatory Commission. As part of the Texts adopted, Resolution II establishes a scheme for the Protection of Pioneer investment pending the entry into force of the Convention. This scheme is predicated on the philosphy embodied in the Convention in respect of the establishment of a resource policy for the development of sea-bed mineral resources and takes into account its basic component, the limitation of production. This article investigates the impact of future sea-bed mineral development on the affected economies of developing land-based producer states. It also reviews the mechanisms to be utilized to mitigate against possible adverse impacts and attempts to assess the extent to which these resources may be exploited in the medium term.     

The Role of the Zairian Health Services in the Rwandan Refugee Crisis

In July 1994, a stream of Rwandan refugees entered the southern part of North Kivu Region, Zaire. The public health consequences of this crisis for the host population and health services have not been analysed up to now. The lack of human and financial resources did not prevent Zairian health structures and personnel from taking care of the many refugees settled outside the camps, following their arrival. The public health consequences of the crisis for the local population should be considered an integral part of the disaster.     

Analysis of the Recent Climatic Evolution in Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)

This paper analyses the recent climatic evolution in the Sahel, and more particularly in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta). For this evolution, three stages can be recognized which go from a humid phase before 1950 to a dry phase after 1965. The main evidence of this evolution is the steady decrease in the number of rains exceeding 40 mm and the relative increase in the number of annual rains.
It is suggested that rainfall of less than 20 mm constitutes the stable component of the rainfall. An analysis of the data available does not indicate an improvement in climatic conditions in the near future.     

The Mortality Experience of Kurdish Refugees Remaining in Turkey

A survey of one of the camps still holding refugees from Iraq who crossed into Turkey in the spring of 1991 showed that the majority of the population was under 15 years of age and that increased mortality occurred during the first 30 days after the refugees left their homes in Iraq. Infants, young children, and the elderly suffered the highest mortality, with infant mortality rates (IMRs) over the first month of the crisis approximately 18–29 times the MR in Iraq in the late 1980s. Still unexplained is a greater than two-fold excess mortality among males compared with females. Other demographic and health findings are also reported.