The international community has repeatedly committed to the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) initiated by UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Yet progress on the ground has been slow and sporadic, which can also be seen in the Ukrainian peace process starting from 2014. This article looks at the different areas of inclusion of women in both policy and practice, in order to highlight the existing discrepancies and draw attention to the need to improve the international community’s approach to inclusion. The role of the different international actors (e.g. UN, EU, NATO, OSCE) is assessed in terms of their contribution to or emphasis on the need for inclusion. The article also aims to illustrate how international law and policy can be utilised by civil society activists in order to implement inclusion in practice, thereby highlighting the potential for international legal norms to positively impact enhancement of the position of women in (post)conflict situations around the world.

The paper analyzes various types of international socio-economic relations of Polish voivodeships. They were assessed in terms of: a) the current impact on the territorial brand of Polish regions; b) unused potential in this respect. The study covered the following types of relations: a) migration (territorial brand as a derivative of outmigration from a given area); b) trade relationships (economic relations as the basis for brand promotion); c) tourist relations (territorial brand as a derivative of tourist visits in a given area); d) transport relations as an element defining the region (as poorly or easily accessible in terms of international transport). In summary, the tables presents the impact of individual types of connections on the territorial brand and recommendations resulting from these connections. An initial typology of Polish regions was made in terms of their international position measured by selected indicators and in terms of the objectives of the promotional policy.

The article is a modified Polish version of my Director’s report published in the “Annual Report 2017–March 2018” of the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (www.iimcb.gov.pl). After 20 years of being in charge of the Institute and a few months before the end of my final term as its director, I summarize our achievements, failures, lost opportunities and recall how it all began. I also give the names of people who formed organizing team of the Institute in the nineties, names of the first International Advisory Board members and names of the Institutes’ directors who will be in charge of it since July 2018.

The aim of the study is to examine the importance of economic argumentation in international maritime disputes. The paper first explains what the international maritime disputes, their sources and types are, what principles they are subjected to. It also established what should be understood by economic arguments, emphasizing their relative nature, as well as showing the potential of the Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 as a basis for formulating economic argumentation. The importance of economic argumentation was considered in relation to international disputes regarding the legal status of maritime territories, delimitation of maritime zones, power over the sea and use of the sea.

Research, carried out, leads to the following conclusions: 1) economic arguments are present in the reasoning of the parties as well as dispute settlement bodies. However, their probative value is limited; 2) in disputes related to the status of maritime features economic reasoning appears in the context of necessity to demonstrate that they can be a basis for delimitation; 3) in delimitation disputes, addressing economic arguments is more complex and contradictory. Economic arguments may be useful in the second phase of delimitation when relevant circumstances are considered. However, the existing practice shows that the range of economic arguments is limited (they cannot serve as a reason for correction of natural inequalities). International jurisprudence denies taking into account arguments based on level of economic development or economic or financial difficulties of a state (except for the catastrophic repercussions for the livelihood and economic wellbeing of the population), the needs of economic development or performance of economic activities (mining, fishing, shipping). An argument associated with assurance of deposit unity is of some importance (when resources are known or readily ascertainable); 4) in disputes concerning the power over the sea some weight is held by an argument associated with the establishment of economic authority, in particular, of a regulatory and control nature; 5) in disputes related to the use of the sea, the importance of economic reasoning is varied. In disputes concerning the prompt release, the role of the economic argument is limited. On the contrary, it is relevant in disputes related to the violation of rights and economic interests of States and people, if they are protected by international law.

In this article, I present a proposal for an international law-based formula for mediating territorial conflicts and apply it to the case of Crimea in Ukraine. Although the tragic Russian attack which commenced on 24 February 2022 has made the mediation even more difficult, once a ceasefire is achieved my formula is capable of providing legally solid compromises to the Ukrainian territorial questions that fit into the contemporary international legal framework concerning territory. Naturally, any realistic solution will require concessions on the part of all stakeholders (primarily Crimea, Ukraine, and Russia). In short, the formula offers for Ukraine the return of its territorial integrity, for Crimea internal self-determination in the form of a meaningful territorial autonomy, and for Russia a few indirect perks and guarantees, mostly related to a possible demilitarization of the Crimean Peninsula. The analysis can also be useful for Donbas, for which the formula offers recognition of some limited autonomous rights.

The article presents an analysis of Russia’s participation in international steam coal trade, which has been its important participant for years. The research covered the years 2014–2018. The geographical location on two continents and the availability of coal deposits, favors its presence on both the Pacific and Atlantic markets. The article also discusses the main coal producers in Russia and the prices of Russian steam coal directed to the spot market. Due to the significant share of coal exports for the Russian economy, the focus was also on analyzing Russian seaports.

In recent years, Asian exports have dominated in Russian steam coal exports. The share of export to this market in the years 2014–2018 was in the range of 49–57% (60–87 million tons). Currently, three countries play an important role among Asian countries: South Korea, China and J apan. They purchased a total of 38–52 million tons of Russian coal. Although in the years under analysis Russia exported 52–67 million tons of steam coal to the European market, the share of this market dropped from almost half to around 40%. T he slow departure from coal energy contributes to reducing the share of recipients from this direction. Among European countries, in 2014 the main direction of export was Great Britain with 19% (24 million tons) of total export share. In 2018, exports fell to 9 million tons (5%).

Among European destinations for Russian coal, Poland’s share is growing in importance. In the years 2014–2018, steam coal exports to Poland varied in the range of 5.6–16.2 million tons. In the years 2014–2018 it changed in the range of 5.6–16.2 million tons. The dynamic growth achieved in the last three years is noteworthy. In relation to 2016, imports increased by 10.0 million tons and in 2018 amounted to as much as 16.1 million tons. The article also discusses the geographical structure of coal imports to Poland by railway border crossings and seaports.

The aim of the paper was to estimate how the value of 1 GJ of energy in coal with a calorific value of 5500 kcal/kg varies on the international coal market compared to 1 GJ of energy in coal with a calorific value of 6000 kcal/kg. The analysis of data from different ports was intended to answer the question of whether the pricing of coals of different producers according to their calorific value is convergent. The best-known price standard for thermal coal is 25.1 MJ/kg coal (6000 kcal/kg) and, until recently, coals with such quality parameters dominated international trade. Currently, coals with parameters other than considered to be standard parameters are traded on the coal market, hence it is necessary to price a unit of energy (e.g. 1 GJ) contained in these coals. The indices have been selected of the largest exporters of thermal coal for which data was available and referred to the same coal types (grades) determined on the same basis (FOB). Theoretically, the price differential between 6000 kcal/kg and 5000 kcal/kg coal (in USD/ton) should be (at least) as much as the difference in calorific value, i.e. about 9% per USD/ton. In reality, the price differential between these types of coal is greater, though. The overall conclusion of the analysis is that the price calculated per 1 GJ of energy fluctuated on average by 5.9% over the entire period considered. The analytical results obtained for coal from four countries are quite convergent, so it can be assumed that the calculated relationship between the prices of coal with different calorific values (6000 and 5000 kcal/kg) is a good approximation of the observed relationships in the international trade. The calculation results provide a simple formula allowing to estimate the price of coal with a calorific value other than the standard 25.1 MJ/kg (6000 kcal/kg) using the relationships from the international market.

The aim of the article is to present international economic integration as one of the mega trends that infl uence on the redefi nition of the factors of socio-economic development. The research procedure includes three stages. In the fi rst stage, the most important modern mega trends of socio-economic changes are organized in a synthetic way. In the second step, the genesis and changes of the process of international economic integration are elaborated. In the third stage, the infl uence of international economic integration on the changes of factors of socio-economic development is systematized. This study is being carried out as part of the FORSED research project (http://www.forsed.amu.edu.pl) fi nanced by the National Science Center as part of OPUS competition 10 – 2015/19/B/HS5/00012: New challenges of regional policy in shaping the socio-economic development factors of less developed regions.

This article aims to present the issues related to the legal framework for conducting economic activity in the form of marine aquaculture, consisting of farming marine organisms. The work analyses mainly selected the regulations of international law because it is these regulations that shape the rights and obligations of states, producers, farmers and society in the field of ocean farming, as well as in the context of marine resources, which are undoubtedly a common good for all mankind. The author also discusses the legal status of maritime areas in which aquaculture is cultivated.

For a considerable period of time, we lived under conditions in which we paid little heed to the state of our security in its various aspects: military, economic, social, or health-related.

Over the past two decades, Polish higher education institutions and research institutes have made significant progress in internationalizing their activity. Likewise, the Polish Academy of Sciences has taken many steps to boost the collaboration between the PAS researchers and their partners abroad.

The research was conducted in a relatively small (26.8 ha) but quite deep (17.3 m) Lake Długie in Olsztyn, Poland. For over 20 years the lake was collecting sewage which eventually caused its complete degradation. In 1987-2000 the lake was restored using the artificial aeration method with destratification of water. The results showed that the artificial aeration effectively limited the internal loading. Application of this restoration method resulted in reduction of phosphorus compounds concentrations in the analyzed water strata. The decrease of TP in bottom sediments (to the level of 3-4 mg P g·' DW) was probably associated with the fact that a new layer of sediments was created, reflecting a change in the aquatic conditions caused by the restoration. The investigations conducted in the reference years showed that the changes were not permanent. A high concentration of phosphorus compounds in bottom sediments, low sorptivc capacity and a tendency to oxygen deficiency, indicate that further possibility to decrease the amount of phosphorus compounds in the lake by this restoration method is limited.

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of other alternative directions of coal supply to Poland following the February 2022 embargo on coal imports from Russia. Due to the dominant role of steam coal in imports to Poland, the authors focused on this type of coal. Analysis of the share of Russian steam coal imported into Poland in domestic consumption and production suggests that this commodity has played a relatively important role in the Polish market. In 2010–2021, between 4.8 and 12.9 million tonnes were imported annually from Russia to Poland, accounting for 8–25% of domestic steam-coal consumption. In 2018–2021, steam coal imported into Poland accounted for 22–29% of the volume of coal shipped by Russia to all EU -27 countries. In order to fill the gap left by Russian coal, this article considers alternative routes of coal supply to Poland, namely from Australia, Indonesia, Colombia, South Africa and the US, and presents the qualitative characteristics of the coal offered by these alternative routes of coal supply and traded on the international market. Between 2010 and 2021, steam-coal-price offers from these countries followed a consistent trend, with the difference between the minimum and maximum offer ranging from USD 5–32/tonne. As the steam coal supply of each of the analyzed routes of supply is fraught with some risk, the authors have also identified in the article those directions that may present some difficulties. It was found that coal offerings from Australia, South Africa, Indonesia and Colombia have low sulphur content (less than 1%), while coals from Australia and South Africa have relatively high ash content (from 12% to nearly 25%). Towards the end, the article also addresses issues related to the transport of coal to Poland and its dispatching within the country. As the analyzed alternative directions of coal imports involve importing this commodity by sea, the authors also analyzed the reloading capacity of Polish seaports and the rail transport fleet.

Based on China’s resource endowment and coal mine disaster statistics, it has been found that there are many deficiencies in the management of disasters and risks in mining areas in China. Therefore, to scientifically and effectively manage mining areas, based on the theory of internal control, this paper systematically analyzes the risks of mining areas in the context of various factors and relevant suggestions. From the occurrence of mine risk to the occurrence of damage, the importance of risk management is highlighted. In accordance with the five selection principles of evaluation indicators (goal principle, comprehensiveness principle, scientificity principle, timeliness principle and focus principle) as well as the five elements of internal control (control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication and supervision), a mining area risk managementframework of human-machine-environment-management – disturbance is constructed, and twentyseven secondary risk indicators are divided. The criteria for determining the risk level and the risk response process have been established, and a more systematic and accurate mine risk management system under the theory of internal control has been formed. Finally, based on four key technologies, a dual prevention and control mechanism is formed around the system risk and job risk management system. This provides new methods and ideas for the prevention and control of coal mine safety risks and the containment of disasters and accidents.

The question of the state affiliation of Upper Silesia which arose after WWI has been treated and perceived by today’s historians, if at all, as a typical German-Polish border conflict. Really however, it was both a European and an international problem of utmost significance. In it, French hegemonic and safety efforts, accumulated in and collided with Britain‘s classic policy of continental equilibrium. Both, Poland with its territorial claim on Upper Silesia and Germany in its struggle to preserve its territorial integrity, thus were not only players of political, diplomatic and military struggles for the second most important European industrial region, but rather objects of the interests of European great powers. This applied even more to the population which was actually to vote in the referendum on Upper Silesia affiliation. However, in its effort to weaken Germany and simultaneously gain control over the Ruhr, France favoured its ally Poland, to a much greater extent than Britain could in respect of Germany.

This article addresses the legal aspects of assessing the age of foreign minors. It is a juxtaposition of the development of international legal standards in this area with the law and practice of the Polish authorities. The basic thesis of this analysis is the statement that Polish law in its current form requires fundamental change with respect to at least three elements. First, it is necessary to extend the methods of age assessment to also include non-medical methods. Secondly, the law should clearly define the legal form in which the age of a foreigner is determined and, at the same time, impose an obligation to provide a foreigner with the results of the assessment. Thirdly, a person concerned should have a direct opportunity to appeal.

The advancement of contemporary internal combustion engine technologies necessitates not only design enhancements but also the exploration of alternative fuels or fuel catalysts. These endeavors are integral to curbing the emission of hazardous substances in exhaust gases. Most contemporary catalyst additives are of complex chemical origins, introduced into the fuel during the fuel preparation stage. Nonetheless, none of these additives yield a significant reduction in fuel consumption. The research endeavors to develop the fuel system of a primary marine diesel engine to facilitate the incorporation of pure hydrogen additives into diesel fuel. Notably, this study introduces a pioneering approach, employing compressed gaseous hydrogen up to 5 MPa as an additive to the principal diesel fuel. This method obviates the need for extensive modifications to the ship engine fuel equipment and is adaptable to modern marine power plants. With the introduction of modest quantities of hydrogen into the primary fuel, observable shifts in the behavior of the fuel equipment become apparent, aligning with the calculations outlined in the methodology. The innovative outcomes of the experimental study affirm that the mass consumption of hydrogen is contingent upon the hydrogen supply pressure, the settings of the fuel equipment, and the structural attributes of the fuel delivery system. The modulation of engine load exerts a particularly pronounced influence on the mass admixture of hydrogen. The proportion of mass addition of hydrogen in relation to the pressure of supply (ranging from 4–12 MPa) adheres to a geometric progression (within the range of 0.04–0.1%). The application of this technology allows for a reduction in the specific fuel consumption of the engine by 2–5%, contingent upon the type of fuel system in use, and concurrently permits an augmentation in engine power by up to 5%. The resultant economic benefits are estimated at 1.5–4.2% of the total fuel expenses. This technology is applicable across marine, automotive, tractor, and stationary diesel engines. Its implementation necessitates no intricate modifications to the engine design, and its utilization demands no specialized skills. It is worth noting that, in addition to hydrogen, other combustible gases can be employed.

The article deals with the appropriation of postcolonial studies to look at Central Europe and Galicia. Beginning with the concept of“internal colonialism“, we follow the evolution of postcolonial theory from a basically economy-based concept into a poststructuralist cultural theory, presenting the development and uses of its central concepts, such as Orientalism or othering. Based on some examples, we also highlight its previous appropriation to Central Europe and the political implications it carries in this region.

The paper presents the results of a simulation on a 3D model of undeformed chips and cutting forces during three-pass gear cutting using the power skiving method. At the level of individual blades and teeth in successive angular cutting positions, the main component of the cutting force and the tangential force on the cutter axis are shown. The analysis of the forces acting on a single gear tooth and the continuous cutting forces allowed the development of a methodology for the selection of rational cutting modes – the value of the axial feed, the number of passes with different cutting depths in order to ensure the minimum time consumption and to achieve the required accuracy of the gears in terms of the parameter of the permissible angular deviation of the profile of the cut gear. It is shown that, provided the required machining accuracy is ensured, higher productivity is achieved by increasing the axial feed at a lower depth of cut and increasing the number of passes, rather than by reducing the feed and increasing the depth of cut.

Law is grounded in time and is constantly shaped by historical circumstances. Treaties, produced by voluntary acts at a given point in time, remain generally in force without a formal endpoint, while customary law arises from practice and lacks specific points of departure and conclusion. Through the practice of their application, both treaties and customary law may change their content and meaning to a far greater extent than domestic rules. Generally, international law resists retroactive application. However the recognition of sovereign equality to all States in the process of decolonization represents an example of profound change. While the problems deriving from armed conflict and former colonial domination must be assessed by the standards of their epoch and not by having recourse to the rules and principles of our time, at the same time it must be borne in mind that many of the acts considered perfectly lawful when they occurred were marred by deep injustices, producing effects which need to be addressed by the law of our time.

The aim of this article is to assess the military operation started on 24 February 2022 by Russia against Ukraine in light of the law on use of force, having in mind all the justifications officially expressed by Russian authorities and in light of international humanitarian law. The author claims that there is no justification for the Russian military action and thus it must be qualified as aggression. This, due to the serious violation of the peremptory norm, implies obligations on the part of states and international organizations (i.e. the international community). In addition, the current conduct of hostilities clearly shows that it is mainly Russian forces which neglect international humanitarian law principles, which might amount to war crimes.

This article examines the idea of cross-currents in international law, which was proposed almost a century ago by Ludwik Ehrlich. First the theoretical background of this idea is provided, with the focus on Albert Venn Dicey’s assumption that there are fundamental differences in public opinion influencing the legislative process. The development of the crosscurrents concept is given through the prism of the evolution of Ehrlich’s ideas. The article illustrates some aspects of his legal philosophy, which describe the scholar as broad-minded, innovative, and deep-thinking. Four dimensions of cross-currents in international law are discussed: (1) the existence of norms originating from different periods; (2) variations between states in their recognition and interpretation of them; (3) fulfillment of abstract norms; and (4) inconsistencies of theory and practice. They contribute to approximating a fully coherent international law serving as the ideal in comparison to a heterogeneous, contradictory, fragmented one, as is frequently observed at the present time. The idea of cross-currents might be helpful in accepting the view that some of the incompatibilities between the rules and principles of international law are inevitable and do not cause harm to international legality.

This article is an attempt to identify the essence of new positivism, described by Ludwik Ehrlich as a method of interpretation of international law. The evolution of his views on international law is examined with respect to the place of this method from the beginning of 1920s until his retirement in 1961. The article expounds on both the theoretical and methodological aspects of new positivism, according to which judicial decisions should be taken into account in addition to international treaties and customs for the determination of international law. The question of the obligatory force of international law is discussed as being related to the principle of good faith, which is at the core of Ehrlich’s views on international law. The article offers suggestions on how the method of new positivism might be used and what tasks it can fulfil today. It also makes an attempt to critically analyse Ehrlich’s method and to characterize it both in general and in the context of the theory of international law.

The article presents the issue of researching emotions in international history. It has been noticed that the development of the research on emotions within other sub‑disciplines of history, humanities, social sciences and neuroscience, provides an international historian with many outcomes enabling further research opportunities. At the same time, it was indicated that the tools traditionally used by historians (i.e., internal and external critique of the sources, and the intuitive approach) may be useful in conducting such research. A historian who decides to deal with the problem of emotions, is, however, forced to pay special attention to the context in which the people whose lives he examines functioned. Therefore, the research on emotions, also in the international context, requires greater awareness of the achievements of other academic disciplines from the historian. This task is difficult and perhaps demands from the historian that they be more sensitive and intuitive than in case of other studies. Nevertheless, by approaching the issue of emotions, international historians have a chance to obtain a more credible image of the past.