Leadership Thought for Research and Studies

This study addresses the topic of public-sector partnerships and their role in developing public-sector contracting companies—the Engineering Equipment Company as a model. It analyzes the Technical and economic framework that has enabled these companies to enter into partnerships with both the local and foreign sectors to overcome financial, technical, and administrative challenges. The fundamental problem of the research paper lies in the limited capacity of public-sector companies for self-development and weak operational efficiency in a changing economic environment, which necessitates the need for effective partnership mechanisms. The study sought to achieve a set of objectives, most notably: analyzing the reality of public-sector partnerships in the Engineering Equipment Company; assessing their impact on technology transfer and localizing expertise; and demonstrating their impact on improving the company\'s financial and operational indicators. The study concluded that public-sector partnerships constituted a strategic tool that enhanced the company\'s ability to expand into major projects in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors. These partnerships contributed to improving its production and administrative efficiency, while also opening new horizons for technology transfer and human capacity building. This makes them an effective alternative to full privatization and establishes a sustainable development approach.

This study aims to highlight the role of deficit management strategy in the operational algorithm of Iraq\'s Ministry of Health by examining financial deficit gaps, allocated financial resources, government health expenditures, their share of total public spending, and their relationship with the health sector’s operational algorithm. The study also sheds light on comparing Iraq with the region’s countries as well as global counterparts—such as OECD nations and Arab countries, including Iraq’s neighboring states—while analyzing the role of medicines, medical supplies, infrastructure, and their impact on delivering healthcare services through required financial allocations and the actually spent allocations.The most significant finding of the study is that the low level of government health expenditure, resulting from the overall decline in public spending in Iraq, has had substantial negative impacts, leading to deficits within the organization and operational algorithm management strategy of health’s sector. In response, the study proposes a set of solutions and future visions that could provide strong momentum toward alleviating the financial burdens borne by citizens and lead to bridging the operational gap.

Drought is one of the most pressing environmental, economic, and social challenges facing Iraq today, as natural factors have intertwined with climate change and regional policies to create a severe water crisis. The decline in water inflows from Tigris and Euphrates rivers, combined with reduced rainfall and rising temperatures, has led to increased desertification and the degradation of agricultural lands, negatively affecting food production, water security, and the national economy. In addition, the near-total reliance on surface water, along with the overexploitation of groundwater and the weakness of water management infrastructure, has made Iraq more vulnerable to prolonged drought waves. Furthermore, the absence of unified coordinating visions among the concerned institutions, along with the shortcomings of social awareness programs, has exacerbated the severity of the crisis and intensified its repercussions on the population through internal displacement, rising poverty rates, and worsening water-related health problems. The importance of addressing this crisis lies in adopting comprehensive national policies based on integrated water resources management, negotiating with neighboring countries for equitable water-sharing agreements, and developing modern irrigation techniques, in addition to enhancing social awareness and community participation programs. In addition, investment in infrastructure, activating early warning systems, and supporting scientific research are also essential steps to mitigate the negative impacts of drought and ensure the sustainability of resources for future generations. Thus, it becomes evident that addressing the problem of drought is not merely an environmental issue, but a matter of national security and socio-economic stability that requires political will and a long-term strategic vision.

This study aims to analyse the role of electronic management in addressing technical obstacles and enhancing control on projects in Project Directorate of Baghdad Mayoralty by assessing the current level of digital transformation; identifying organizational and technical challenges; and measuring the impact of electronic systems on institutional performance efficiency. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology. Electronic questionnaire was used as an essential tool for collecting data from samples, numbering 90 employees in various functional levels, along with conducting semi-structured interviews and analysing relevant official documents. The results reveal significant technical and administrative obstacles, including weak interdepartmental coordination, complex paper-based procedures, poor information flow, and the absence of unified databases. The findings also indicate that the current implementation of electronic management remains below the required level and did not amount to the level of complete operational efficiency. In return, respondents expressed strong conviction in the importance of electronic management and its capacity to overcome obstacles and enhance effectiveness of control when implemented in an integrated manner. Statistical analysis confirmed that the most influential variable in control was the extent of electronic management contribution in resolving technical problems, whereas the current implementation level showed no significant direct effect. The study concludes that digital transformation is no longer a secondary technological option, but rather a strategic necessity that requires robust infrastructure, well-defined policies, continuous training, and effective managerial support to achieve sustainable impact and improvement in public service management.

Protocol in international politics represents a set of etiquette and rules governing diplomatic relations and state affairs. It reflects the art of dealing with others and is considered a measure of cultural and civilizational advancement، as modern pressures influence social behavior and interaction. With the increasing diplomatic relations among countries، it has become essential to establish certain rules to regulate the interactions among state representatives. Strong diplomacy prevents the outbreak of wars، and when wars do occur، the need for effective diplomacy arises to halt them. Diplomacy cannot succeed without clear protocols، and success requires qualified diplomats capable of applying these protocols. Currently، countries balance their military strength with the effectiveness of their diplomacy، highlighting the importance of protocol in supporting and enhancing the State’s status. The relationship between protocol and a state’s standing is complementary، as each contributes to the enhancement of the other. This reflects the importance of adhering to diplomatic rules to ensure success and sustainability in international relations. Perhaps one of the most important findings is that the protocol does not operate in isolation from political and security contexts، but rather interacts with them، requiring professional and administrative flexibility to accommodate changing circumstances without compromising fundamental legal principles. Weak adherence to the protocol could lead to a decline in international credibility، weaken a state's negotiating position، and negatively impact its sovereignty and international reputation.

Diplomacy is an art and science for managing and organizing international relations and economic diplomacy is one of the essential tools adopted by the States in their foreign policies for enhancing economic relations at the regional and international level. Iraq’s application of economic diplomacy aims to establish well-balanced economic relations; contribute to rebuilding; restore economic power; and benefiting from Iraq’s strategic position and what Iraq possesses, including economic resources in order to enhance its economic relations in the framework of an agreement that regulates economic transactions among the States, which will contribute to raising Iraq’s exports; achieve openness to new markets; and attract foreign investments for the interest of Iraq’s economy and its international relations. Specifically after 2017, economic diplomacy aimed at engaging in international agreements along with trade and investment memoranda of understanding; thereby, Iraq would be a major partner in building international economic relations.

Constructivist theory is one of the most prominent theories in international relations that focuses on the role of ideas, values, identity, culture, and discourse in shaping relations between states, rather than being limited to material interests or hard power, as in realism and liberalism. Following the events of the "Arab Spring," Arab-Western relations underwent complex transformations, with new roles for non-state actors emerging and narratives of the "other" identity changing. This makes it necessary to re-read these relations from a constructivist perspective. A constructivist perspective helps understand how the new identities that emerged in the wake of the Arab revolutions, and the discourses exchanged between peoples and governments affect the nature of relations with the West. For example, the 2011 revolutions changed the image of the "Arab street" in the West and prompted some Western countries to reconsider their policies toward ruling regimes. Therefore, the events of the Arab Spring are one of the most important security and political events of the twenty-first century, given the suffering of Arab peoples and the rise of Arab protests demanding change from traditional ruling regimes. Some regimes underwent peaceful change as in Tunisia, while others underwent foreign military intervention in Libya. Other regimes, such as Syria, turned their opponents into military force and continued to resist their people for more than a decade

Security crises in the international system are considered important topics that contribute to major global transformations, due to the seriousness and dimensions of the issues being interacted with. The world, during the last decades, has witnessed important interactions with security dimensions, including the events in Ukraine since 2014, which began to affect the international system in terms of interactions and polarity, due to the specificity of the parties participating in these events, namely: the United States and Russia. This research is based on a problematic, the content of which is: How do the Ukrainian events affect the international system? It will include studying security events, studying the international system, and studying the case of Ukraine, as an important global security event.

This research addresses the issue of treaty interpretation in international law through an in-depth analytical study of the 1969 Vienna Convention on Treaty Law, along with a thorough analysis of international jurisprudence and case law. The research aims to investigate the mechanisms for applying the principles of interpretation contained in the Convention within actual contexts. It focuses on some prominent judicial decisions that have directly influenced treaty interpretation. Using a comparative legal analysis methodology, the research demonstrates the importance of adhering to the principles stipulated in the Vienna Convention to ensure the transparency and stability of the international legal system. Furthermore, the research discusses various jurisprudential positions related to the issue of interpretation and offers practical recommendations for improving the approach to treaty interpretation in the future. The findings reveal a disparity in the application of treaty interpretation principles by international courts. They also highlight the importance of standardizing the criteria used in interpreting legal texts to ensure justice in international transactions. In light of these conclusions, the research recommends strengthening specialized training in treaty interpretation and developing legal tools that contribute to clarifying texts within their various contexts.