Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Migrant workers perform essential work but often have to do so in substandard or even abusive conditions. Women make up nearly half the migrant workforce and are exposed to extra dangers to their health and safety. The COVID-19 pandemic and other events have heightened the visibility of their situation. The rights-based approach, developed over a period of more than 60 years, offers coherent solutions to the whole range of issues pertaining to the employment of international migrant workers. It covers recruitment, admission, employment, unemployment, training, occupational safety, health care, social security, organisation, housing, family, and others, that by minimising the differences in treatment and opportunities between migrant and national workers protect not only migrant but also national workers and minimise social and economic divisions and the risk of political divisions inherent in them. Using examples, the article outlines the risk of discriminatory treatment not only by individuals but by law and administrative practice for migrant workers and the need to control the risk, not least for the benefit of national workers. It describes the many ways and situations in which migrant workers have been found to suffer discrimination. It takes a close look at the definition of discrimination in the international Conventions adopted in response. Among their implications it highlights the issue of indirect discrimination and touches on the issue of positive discrimination. Some reasons given by states for keeping migrant workers in situations prone to discrimination are mentioned.

For Small Island Developing States such as the Maldives, climate change poses an existential threat to the future and welfare of their countries’ populations. The effects of global warming, such as rising sea levels and increased flooding, have forced countries to consider different measures in order to adapt, and some are even worried about a possible climate forced migration as a result of these dangers. Unfortunately, a lack of recognition of climate migrants under international law means that island states are left on their own to decide the best course of action. This raises an important question: What are possible challenges and solutions for Small Island Developing States [SIDS], such as the Maldives, who are planning for the climate forced migration of their populations? Using a case study of the Maldives, this paper explores both mitigation and adaptation measures that the Maldivian government has considered to develop its climate resilience. It also argues that rather than plan for relocation, the Maldives and other SIDS should prioritize keeping their populations together, maintaining cultural integrity, and implementing initiatives which support sustainable development.

Global warming is increasingly leading to displacement of people. The Maasai community in East Africa are a pastoralist community that severely face the impact of climate change which is leading to their displacement. This article examines the context of global warming in East Africa, examines the direct factors for displacement of the Maasai community and assesses the various factors that affect migration patterns of the Maasai. Issues such as exacerbated gender disparities due to climate change are outlined with an analysis of the link between both. Kenya is home to a large number of the Maasai. Thus, the article also assesses the measures implemented in Kenya to tackle global warming effects on the displacement of the Maasai. The article aims to identify what is missing in the international and regional law and norms applicable to pastoralists affected by climate change with a section providing recommendations for the East African Community.

This paper aims to design a methodological proposal to improve the innovation of companies belonging to the logistics sector in Cartagena, Colombia. The multiple case study methodology was applied, where nine axes that directly affect organizational innovation (strategy, culture, planning, people, tools, products/services, processes, efficiency, and capitalization) were analysed. The sample consisted of five Logistics Service Providers located in Cartagena. Among the main results of the research, it was found that planning is fundamental for improving organizational innovation because it is essential to have a stipulated strategic direction and to design a plan to propitiate an innovative culture in the company. Additionally, the company's diagnosis showed that most have innovative resources and processes; however, they do not have the necessary tools to implement the processes effectively. Finally, four of the five companies are working to develop an innovative culture, which places culture as the second most crucial axis after planning. These results led to the proposal of a methodology that seeks to improve organizational innovation levels and mainly focuses on three phases: Strategic Direction, Processes, and Results.

This research aims to present the usefulness of sentiment analysis in the comments issued by users of tourism services on social networks (Twitter and Trip Advisor), which allows rating the level of such services. This case study is set in the city of Quito-Ecuador.  The research develops a computer system using Big Data tools (Python, Node.Js, Mongo DB) to collect, store, and process large amounts of information. The Node.js programming language libraries, Puppeteer and Sentiment, make it possible to obtain comments from the social networks Twitter and Trip Advisor and determine a score for the observed tourist destination. Among the novel aspects of this research is the use of the social network Twitter as a source of data origin and web scraping techniques from the Trip Advisor site. This study uses the Twitter Application Programming Interface (API) to obtain data from this social network in real-time, facilitating the evaluation of the tourist services. Results determine that this tool allows the generation of knowledge to decide the quality level of the services received in the visited sites.

In supply chain management, it is essential to develop inventory policies capable of meeting highly volatile demands while keeping the required investment in inventory to a minimum. This research aims to compare different inventory management systems and select the most convenient for a public institution warehouse. Consideration is given to products with highly volatile demands and government restrictions in public procurement processes. Three different inventory policy options based on buffers and target inventory are proposed with different methods for calculating the order quantity. The three options are simulated using Flexsim and compared with the current system’s results. The best option is determined using the indicators of average inventory, inventory days, and stockout. It is determined that the three options perform better than the current situation. However, the best option is third one, which asks for the maximum value between the difference between the target inventory and the current inventory and the sum of the three previous consumptions. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed considering an increase in the variability of the demand and lead-time, with which the response of these models to the new proposed scenarios could be evidenced.

This comprehensive brief identifies a range of key contemporary challenges for human rights, development, and governance of international migration as an all-encompassing human, social, economic, political, and environmental phenomena. It premises that migration is fundamentally about development, human rights, and social welfare, showing that labour and skills mobility is key to sustaining viability of labour forces and economies and to obtaining return on capital in a globalized economy. It notes that over 90 percent of migration today results in employment and economic activity outcomes. Sustaining development in all regions depends on migration. The article discusses the structural and systemic imperatives for mobility of people worldwide and it identifies 20 law, policy and practical challenges for economic and social development, human rights, welfare of people, and for governance. The article reiterates the comprehensive international legal framework for governance of migration and reviews especially relevant global policy frameworks: the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. Discussion addresses abusive exploitation of migrants versus lacuna in legal protection; contentions between capital and labour in deregulation impacting migrant workers; dangers of xenophobia; gender specificity in migration; restrictions in access to social security for migrants; challenges to social and family welfare; growing skills and training constraints, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and often inappropriate response measures. The trend of regime change towards deregulatory migration control is raised, with mention of concerns on the Global Compact on Migration.  A comprehensive Agenda for Action outlines policy lines and practical actions for rights-based, economically sustainable, and socially responsible governance of migration.  This article and the action agenda build on the plenary address by the author to the Global Parliamentary Consultation on International Migration held in Rabat, Morocco in December 2018.

The objective of this research was to develop an automated system to control the consumption of regenerated glycol supplied to the natural gas dehydration system at the Jusepin Extraction Plant of Petroleos de Venezuela S.A (PDVSA). The Jusepin plant is a natural gas liquids (NGL) extraction plant with one (01) process train and a gas processing capacity of 350 million cubic feet per day (MMPCD, acronyms in Spanish). The study consisted of field research, with a descriptive level and feasible project modality, where the data collection techniques used were direct observation, unstructured interviews, and documentary review. For the development of the study, the first three (3) phases of the Capital Investment Project Management Guide (GGPIC) methodology were used. The result was a proposal for the automated control of Regenerated Glycol supplied to the Natural Gas Dehydration system at the Jusepin Extraction Plant. This proposal provides greater security, precision, efficiency, and reliability to the data obtained in real-time, allowing to visualize the level of glycol and keep control of the content of the containers. The final benefit is to maintain the constant supply of regenerated glycol to the system and thus guarantee that the plant maintains the extraction process of the liquid from the natural gas.

This paper aims to analyze the revocation of the mandate considering normative, political, and institutional characteristics that affect its application. The popularly elected authorities to whom the popular initiatives have been addressed, electoral districts to which they belong, and political office are identified. The Ecuadorian case is taken as empirical evidence from 1998 to 2018. It is a descriptive study with a quantitative methodology applied to a database that identifies the revocation processes carried out in Ecuador. Among the main results, the relationship between the size of the constituency and the initiatives presented stands out, recognizing local governments as the institutions where this type of citizen participation mechanism has been applied most frequently. In the twenty years of study, it has been revealed that the legislative positions of cantons, i.e., councils, are the prominent positions revoked by citizen initiatives. Twenty-five percent of the referendums have obtained a majority to revoke the authority.  There is a strong impact of the institutional design that explains the historical evolution of this mechanism in the country. The continuous modifications in requirements and grounds for its approval have limited its application.

The amount of excreta produced in the El Calvario community is exposed to the environment. Its decomposition produces gases, which in some way contributes to global warming. The construction of biodigesters has been proposed to mitigate the impact of waste degradation and prevent the filtration of these components into the groundwater. Groundwater is consumed by the community and causes gastrointestinal diseases. Inductive and analytical pre-elaborated documents have been used in the design of biofermenters to obtain suitable formulas, designs, dimensions, and materials for the construction of tubular biodigesters. In addition, a descriptive documentary research method is employed. The number of pigs in a municipality allows us to determine the daily fecal load. Therefore, the mixture fed daily to the biofermenter is 532.15 kg/day with a residence time of 29 days range. During this period, the bacteria that decompose the waste produce 9.73 m³ of biogas per day, besides the amount of liquids and solids that result from this process.