The article examines the growing role of the bioeconomy within the agendas of major international institutions and explores how global governance mechanisms shape its development. The study analyses conceptual approaches to the bioeconomy – biotechnological, bioresource and bioecological – and highlights the ongoing shift toward an integrated, cross-sectoral transformation model linking innovation, sustainability and circular economy principles. Particular attention is paid to the activities of key organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, UNCTAD and the World Trade Organisation, as well as specialized international platforms and partnerships that facilitate policy coordination and knowledge exchange. The review demonstrates that institutional priorities differ depending on mandates: FAO focuses on sustainability, food security and inclusive growth; energy agencies emphasize technological development and the expansion of bioenergy; while UNCTAD and the WTO address trade rules, market access and regulatory frameworks for bioproducts. International forums serve primarily as spaces for dialogue and policy convergence rather than formal rule-making. The article concludes that the bioeconomy is increasingly framed as a key pathway to achieving climate and sustainable development goals, though tensions remain regarding resource competition, environmental impacts and trade regulation. Overall, the expansion of international cooperation and the convergence of bioeconomy and circular economy agendas signal a deepening mainstreaming of the concept across sectors and policy arenas.
The article examines the faith-based organisationsʼ (FBOs) projects aimed at addressing the shortage of clean drinking water in Africa in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The author focuses on the role of religion in achieving relevant SDGs and the geographical alignment of these projects with the countries most affected by water scarcity. The study draws on a wide range of sources, including (a) statistical data that allows an assessment of the severity of water shortages in Africa, (b) regulatory documents governing water strategies in African states, (c) news and reports from major FBOs involved in water projects, (d) field-study materials collected in Ethiopia in 2024. It has been established that water scarcity is a major problem in 21 African countries: Somalia, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Mauritania, Tanzania, Madagascar, Niger, Mozambique, Angola, Chad, DRC, South Sudan, Togo, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Nigeria and the Republic of the Congo. The analysis of regulatory documents of these countries revealed an active involvement of international and FBOs in developing and implementing national water strategies. The major FBOs that lead the largest water projects in Africa include World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Internationalis, and the Islamic Development Bank. The advantage of FBOs can be due to the high mobilisation potential provided by the moral authority of spiritual leaders and their wide presence in African countries. The comparative geographical analysis revealed the spatial discrepancy between the countries with the greatest water scarcity and the beneficiaries of FBOs projects. The largest initiatives in this field are implemented by FBOs in Ethiopia, DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, in several other countries where water scarcity is a more pressing issue, water projects tend to be significantly smaller in scale. This disparity is explained by both the inherent difficulties of operating in some of the water-scarcest countries, such as bureaucratic obstacles, security concerns, and the priorities of funding donors, predominantly Western states, transnational corporations, and international institutions.
Tax sovereignty, traditionally understood as a state’s authority to impose taxes, has been increasingly challenged by globalisation, resulting in the adaptation of domestic tax regulations under international influence. At present, the OECD and G20 play a significant role in shaping domestic tax policy through soft law frameworks that guide reform. This article analyses the baseline standards of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative as tailored for developing countries and examines the associated enforcement challenges. It further highlights how states have adjusted their domestic tax structures to align with OECD/G20 guidelines, reinforced by continuous monitoring and peer review mechanisms. Since 2015, the BEPS initiative – particularly its four Minimum Standards – has been stringently enforced. Despite differing national interests and the complexities involved, the OECD’s peer-review process has steered national policy adjustments, fostering a shift toward a more unified global tax framework, which has, in turn, diminished national tax sovereignty.
This article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of international experience in organising academic mobility programmes with the aim of adapting it for the Russian Federation in the context of global changes in international scientific and technological cooperation. In the context of the reorientation of Russiaʼs scientific cooperation from West to East, the relevance of developing international academic mobility with partners from Asia and Eurasia is increasing. And the sanctions pressure and related restrictions on access to various technologies make academic mobility currently one of the key elements of Russiaʼs scientific and technological system at the moment. Academic mobility programmes in countries in Asia and Eurasia are considered, as the associations in these states are proving promising scientific partners for Russia – associations where Russia already has a contractual framework for the development of scientific and technical cooperation. In the course of the study, information about 68 academic mobility programmes was systematised, including details of key models of mobility organisation, their goals, target audiences, funding volumes, and support measures for participants. The results of the analysis showed that international practice of academic mobility includes both long-term programmes focused on attracting foreign researchers to compensate for the shortage of personnel in the countryʼs scientific system, and short-term internships that promote the exchange of knowledge and technologies between countries. An important element of support is not only financial payments (grants, scholarships), but also additional measures – such as assistance in obtaining visas, medical insurance, reimbursement of housing expenses, and assistance in the relocation of participantsʼ families. In the conclusion of the article, recommendations are formulated for creating an effective Russian academic mobility system, which will not only attract foreign researchers, but also ensure the integration of Russian scientists into the international scientific community, which is critically important for maintaining and developing the countryʼs scientific potential in todayʼs conditions. In addition, based on the results of the analysis, specific partner states were proposed with which Russia could create joint academic mobility programmes.
The article analyses the key factors that can have a significant impact on the dynamics of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in the near future. The year 2025 has seen a remarkable transformation of the international configuration that has developed over the past few years. This coincides with D. Trump’s second term in office, which began in February 2025. The Russian-American dialogue on the normalisation of bilateral relations, which culminated in the August meeting of the two heads of state in Anchorage, has raised serious concerns among Western elites about the preservation of transatlantic unity. The possible prospects for a change in the nature of Russian-American relations have cast some doubt on the implementation of NATOʼs priority areas of activity, formulated within the framework of their new Strategic Concept in 2022, as well as in the decisions of the allianceʼs summits in recent years. The methodology of this study is based on a systematic approach that allows consideration of the complex of factors determining the development trends of the NATO, as well as key challenges to intra-bloc unity. As part of the study of the processes currently taking place within the framework of the alliance, both general scientific and special methods of scientific research were used. Among them, the comparative was used to compare the strategies of key members of the block, as well as the structural and functional method, which made it possible to identify certain changes in the nature of intra-block relations. The analysis, based on the application of a set of interdisciplinary methods of humanitarian research, seems to be fundamentally significant both in the context of assessing the possible prospects for the further evolution of modern international architecture, and in terms of predicting the prospects for the development of relations between the North Atlantic Bloc and the Russian Federation and other key international actors. Based on the results of the study, conclusions are drawn about the emergence in 2025 of certain challenges to maintaining intra-bloc unity and further effective implementation of the strategic priorities of NATOʼs activities outlined in recent years. The noticeable skepticism shown by D. Trumpʼs position on the current system of American obligations to ensure European security, complemented by disagreements between the new US administration and a number of European allies over a possible settlement of the Special Military Operation in Ukraine, can become a factor in a significant change in the nature of relations within the NATO.
