2004/2005 Editorial Note
It has been a pleasure to edit the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy (CEPMLP) Annual Review (CAR) for 2004-2005 and I could not have accomplished my task without help from Arthur Warden, Janeth Warden-Fernandez and the editorial board. The editorial board consisted of the following dedicated students who graciously donated their time and expertise to this publication:
Stephen Adegun
Victoria Bleppony
Emrah Can
Stanley Chimbodza
Laurence Davidson
Jerry Ehanmo
Ricardo Labo Fossa
Hamza Idris
Richard Khoe
Stella Mujakperuo
Konstantinos Nikolaras
Ivie Omorhirhi
Ulrik Sorenson
Julia Young
There were at least 150 papers initially eligible for submission to the CAR because they earned distinctions in the classes for which the papers were submitted. The fact that so many papers earned distinctions is an indication of the quality of student work submitted in the 2004-2005 academic year. Of that number, nearly 90 were submitted for consideration for publication in the CAR. Those 90 papers were then anonymously submitted to the editorial board for review and scoring. The board members were instructed to evaluate the submissions on the basis of three criteria: (1) Topic; (2) Substantive Analysis; and, (3) Technical Accuracy. After the board’s painstaking evaluation, the eligible papers were narrowed down to nearly 40 papers. Arthur Warden and I, with much difficulty, chose 26 of those 40 papers for final publication in the CAR. I am pleased with our selections for publication and regret only that we could not publish more papers as there were many excellent submissions and choosing among them was exceedingly difficult.
The papers published in this edition of the CAR fall into 13 broad categories ranging from international relations and energy to mining laws and human rights. The authors and the subject matter of the papers span the globe. The student authors represent Africa, Asia (including the Philippines), North and South America (including the Caribbean), Australia and Europe. Interestingly, many of this year’s papers touch on social and economic issues such as indigenous rights, human rights, environmental protection, public participation, corruption and the parity of developing countries in trade-related dispute resolution. I view the number and quality of papers on these topics as an indication of a growing social consciousness among students and a desire to tackle difficult issues in a constructive and equitable manner. If the choice of paper topics and the quality of such papers is any indication of the future of energy professionals, I believe that the extractive industries will be much more attuned to the social, political and environmental impact of their activities.
The papers published in this edition of the CAR also reflect the dynamism and diversity of the students at the CEPMLP. The diversity of the students at the CEPMLP is one of its strongest assets and the benefit of that diversity is reflected in the papers published in this edition of the CAR. In many instances, students chose to write about issues that are current in their home-country economies. For instance, a student from Azerbaijan has written about the electricity markets of countries formerly within the Soviet Union and suggests pricing structures that can assist in the transition to liberalised markets. Another example is a paper written by a student from the Philippines regarding current trends in agreements used there for the exploitation of mineral resources. In other cases, students have taken the opportunity to write on topics outside their national contexts. In all, the diverse background of students, combined with national expertise and a keen interest in international issues, has led to a superb array of topics and research for this year’s publication.
It is my hope that readers of the CAR enjoy this publication and that they also benefit from the research conducted by the authors.
Naomi Julia Barnes
Editor-in-Chief (2004-2005)
CEPMLP Annual Review (CAR)
