Research Library

Although there are enormous potential benefits for Mexico's energy sector in the future, there are also important challenges the country must overcome to fully realize its energy potential. One of them has to do with the land ownership and land use regime in Mexico. As the legislative debate on the new Ley de Petróleos and the Ley de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Petroleum Act and Federal Electric Utility Act) proceeded in the summer of 2014, the Mexican Congress anticipated potential land-related conflicts associated with exploration and production activities related to hydrocarbons and new energy-related infrastructure projects. These potential conflicts stem from the fact that all of these projects will necessarily require the right of way to access and work on the resources in the subsoil of privately owned as well as on so-called “socially owned” lands in regions targeted for energy development. Thus, the Mexican Congress sought to avoid land-related conflicts by including language related to land ownership and use in the new energy legislation. The legislation, however, may not be able to prevent such conflicts.

Despite his sweeping electoral victory, it seems that Egypt's new president, General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, has learned little from the past mistakes of Mubarak and Morsi.

Governance of the natural gas sector in Argentina is at an incipient stage. The oil and gas sector developed under a centralized management structure in which a relatively insulated government imposed policy on the sector. That structure is well-developed, even if unstable and characterized by lack of credibility. The traditional unilateral government control of the sector is not appropriate for creating a favorable investment climate for the high-cost, high-risk investments required in shale gas or for managing the protests by civil society actors that have erupted against fracking. But the creation of governance as a replacement for government control is only beginning and faces many obstacles to its full development. The evolution of governance will have a major impact on the development of the country's shale gas resources. Consequently, the full development of Argentina's shale gas potential is problematic.

Joe Barnes, the institute's Bonner Means Baker Fellow, blogs on concern in Kyiv, Washington and European capitals — not too far-fetched, given Russia’s seizure of Crimea last month — that Moscow might invade Eastern Ukraine on the pretext of protecting Russian speakers.

What has the Arab Spring meant for women’s rights in the region? Three years after the mass social protests of January and February 2011, when and where can we expect the promises of democracy and equality, and the revolutionary spirit of unity and purpose, to be realized? This article takes stock of significant events and possible future directions, with a focus on prospects for a women-friendly democratization.

Writing about India's upcoming elections, Baker Institute international economics fellow Russell Green suggests that the national momentum is waning, and India needs a strong new government to promote a clear vision to regain its upward trajectory. Will the elections in May lead to a strong, unified government, or a weak coalition of parties?

Most recent reports on sexual harassment in Egypt draw a dim picture of women’s status not only in that country, but also in most parts of the region. A recent United Nations study revealed that 99.3 percent of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past year, primarily in the form of physical harassment. A recent public opinion survey showed that 85 percent of Egyptian women surveyed agree sexual harassment is the most urgent problem facing women and girls in transitional Egypt, despite the prevailing political and social instability in the country. Looking closely at these statistics, it is evident that sexual harassment is becoming not only a repugnant social phenomenon or political tool used by the regime to suppress women’s participation in the political and public spheres; it is also progressively becoming a barrier for women to play an active role in society and enjoy equal citizenship rights in their own country. Most importantly, harassment has become an impediment for both economic and social development in the country—a critical issue that requires immediate attention from policymakers, legislators, and society as a whole.

On Monday, three committees in Mexico’s senate — constitutional issues, energy and legislative studies — voted to bring an energy reform bill to the chamber’s floor for debate. The legislation would provide international oil companies the opportunity to participate in profit-sharing contracts and concession-like licenses for energy operations in Mexico, and it is expected to become law by the end of the legislative session Dec. 15.

Women have been central to the events that have shaken Tunisian politics since the Arab Spring. This article addresses how Tunisia came to occupy a premier position in regard to women's rights and discusses some of the current debates on women's rights in Tunisia following the Arab Spring.

The election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as pope underscores the growing importance of Latin America for the Roman Catholic Church. Mark P. Jones, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, discusses the significance of Pope Francis' election for the church's future.