Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship Essay

Future scope on China and the Gulf Cooperation Council relationship (GCC) - Essay Example USSR is a socialist Republic and has similar internal state policies as that of China, the policies of China closely follow that of Moscow which is then the seat of powers of the former USSR. However, in the effort to forge stronger alliances, China strived to reach out to countries like the United States and those countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately, talks of alliance during the meetings held in Bandung, China failed to create a strong alliance between these nations. Throughout the 1990s, there were many important changes that occur in the foreign policy of China. These changes in the Chinese foreign policies were triggered by global political changes following the collapse of Soviet Union. The collapse of the USSR heralded the end of the cold war and triggered global political changes. As the USSR ceased to be one of the world’s superpowers, the United States took on the role as â€Å"big brother† of smaller nations and took upon itself to serve and the â€Å"police and watchdog† of democracy and power. The shift in the balance of world powers ushered the changes in China’s foreign policies especially towards the countries around the Persian Gulf. Believing that the shift in world powers may eventually affect the stability of oil supply and production around the oil rich nations of the Persian Gulf, and that the slowdown in the production of oil may affect the economic activities in China, the Chinese government emba rked into the task of fostering stability in the area by advocating the resolution of conflicts in the area internally and without any foreign interventions. As the largest country around this part of the world, China has the power to influence the economic activities in this region. In the 1990s, the value of Chinese investments around this area amounted to more than 2.2 billion US dollars. This is twice the value of its investments in the region in the 1980s. Chinese importation for oil reached about $9.5 billion dollars in

The Connection of The Metabolist Movement With Traditional Japanese Essay

The Connection of The Metabolist Movement With Traditional Japanese Architecture and Urban Design - Essay Example This was accomplished through defying the traditions of space, creating new forms and functional features within the structures. In the pamphlet Metabolism 1960: The Proposals for a New Urbanism, the proponants of the movement presented through the philosophies that defined the thoughts of the architects who were discussing the concepts. The philosophy of Metabolism are founded in the ideas of Buddhist worship, combined with thoughts about impermanence and change as they related to the losses in space that the population explosion was revealing for the future (Kurokawa 6). The ideas behind the development of the design are sometimes considered to be technocratic as much as they are still entrenched in the movement of the avant-garde. The technocrat is someone who lends expertise without the influences of politics in order to solve problems for a society. Crowther and Vunsche write that â€Å"the heterogeneous Japanese Metabolism Movement is significant for its incorporation of moder n science and mathematics into a philosophical exegesis of nature† (173). They go on to explain that the structures with their mass and density for their function were intended to reflect the technological advancements through a technology dominated habitat (Crowther and Vunsche 173). Metabolism is also concerned with nature. ... One of the things that Kurokawa wanted to avoid was repeating the aesthetics and structures found in the West. In the aftermath of the war Japan had been torn apart with much of its original architecture lost to the bombs and destruction of war. Kurokawa wanted to see a Japanese reinvention of building, placing the works in harmony with both the modern and the surroundings in which it would exist. The Description Internal The Nakagin Capsule Tower was built by Kisho Kurokawa in 1972 in order to solve a problem of too many traveling business men without enough economical space to house them when they visited Tokyo (Figure 1). The work looks like a pegged game, something like Jenga that has been slotted together in the best possible configuration. For the Metabolism Movement, the work is small having only 144 modules that can be stacked and rotated around a 14 story core. The building can be changed by removing or adding modules that are connected by four tension bolts to the core buil ding. The pieces were built and pre-made in a manufacturing plant in Shiga, making the units replaceable. The space is small, but efficient allowing for the perfected small space for an individual to live (Svievan). Figure 2 Nakagin Capsule Tower (Svievan) Description External The period of time when the Metabolism Movement was active was one in which social issues and the increases in the population were of high interest. The aftermath of World War II on the Japanese was to shift their ideas from military conquest to technological conquest. The Nakagin Capsule Tower reflects this idea through economy and efficiency. The inside of the building in relationship with its economy is reflected on the exterior through its modular and changeable

Maria Montessori Language Arts Rationale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Maria Montessori Language Arts Rationale - Essay Example A child learns to listen by hearing the various sounds that the adults around him and also learns to speak by imitating the various sounds that the adults make around him.as Maria Montessori said: There are three main areas where children are prepared for reading and writing. The first is physical skills where a child learns to balance using their hands and coordination of the hand and the eye works. The child also learns to concentrate and focus on the practical issues of life, recognizing sizes and shapes, working with paints, crayons, pencils and practice in talking. The second skill that a child learns is the mental skills where the child learns to absorb and how to use language and how to learn the sounds that each letter of the alphabet makes. This can be made easy by playing games to break up words into sounds (Montessori, 2010). The third skills are the social skills where people living in homes sit down and have conversations instead of watching the television or using the computer to learn language. A directress would know that a child is ready to learn a sound if they try to repeat what has been said to them by an adult around them. The child will also be making sounds on their own that they have heard before. Sounds are taught to children by repeating the sounds over and over until the child is able to differentiate it from other sounds. In learning the different sounds, he child is taught the various sounds of the different letters of the alphabet. There are different rules for the letters and children are very receptive towards rules. Therefore, they are first taught the rules than the different sounds of the letters of the alphabet (Montessori, 1909). The child is taught the phonetic words first and once they have mastered the phonetic part of the alphabets, they are next taught the non-phonetic part of the language where there are no rules whatsoever. A child learns to blend sounds by learning the individual

Insecurity and Ignorance Essay Example for Free

Insecurity and Ignorance Essay Grasping the idea of sexual assault and rape can be a difficult task. We know of it within our world, but it may not effect us in our own lives. Vulnerability is a more comprehensible feeling. Many girls around the world can relate the constant comparison between themselves and others, their need for attention, and insecurity. In Joyce Carol Oats’ Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? , the main character, Connie, displays these feelings through her subconscious thoughts and mindless actions. Her longing for acknowledgement leads to the extremely unfortunate event, meeting Arnold Friend. Connie’s low self-esteem, constant need for male attention, and lack of judgment force her to be helpless to the manipulative people she attracts. Connie’s insecurity causes her to constantly desire for male attention. She consistently daydreams about the boys she has been with, â€Å"Her mind slipped over onto thoughts of the boy she had been with the night before. †(365) Even as Connie goes through her normal, relaxing day, her mind subconsciously slips to thoughts of boys. This shows her obsession, desiring more from the males with whom she interacts. Connie’s clothing also displays her low self-esteem, when talking about Connie’s two different appearances: â€Å"She wore a pullover jersey blouse that looked one way at home and another way when she was away from home. †(362) Connie’s need for male attention causes her to dress in an inappropriate way, that she cannot show at home. She lost all self-respect, allowing herself to dress in a way to fulfill her mind’s desires. Because of the way she dresses, males treat her as they would someone much older, who dresses in the same way. Connie’s low self-esteem causes her to think that being pretty is all that matters, â€Å"She knew she was pretty and that was everything. † (361) Connie believes she is pretty and that she is better than anyone else because of that. Her world revolves around boys, and she thinks that all men care about is how pretty women appear, therefore being pretty is everything. The actions and thoughts of Connie cause her to have little self-respect in a world that revolves around males. Connie’s attitude and action towards males does not attract her the kind of attention she desires. Her mother tends to get angry with Connie for her arrogance. When Connie explains her mother’s preference for her older sister, June, she said, â€Å"If Connie’s name was mentioned it was disapproving. † (364). In Connie’s mind, the importance of the boys in her life is much greater than the importance of family. Spending nights at the drive-in restaurant, a popular hangout spot, Connie attracts the attention of older boys. This is what she intends to happen, but she is unaware of how this can lead to trouble. Older boys treat Connie as they would a girl their own age. This pressures Connie into doing things she would not normally do with someone as young as herself. In addition to the pressure from older boys, her actions by hanging out at the drive-in put her in danger. When Connie was with a boy at the drive-in restaurant, she caught the eye of a man who would prove dangerous: â€Å"He wagged a finger and laughed and said, ‘Gonna get you, baby. ’† (363-364) Connie does not know at the time that she was attracting danger. Connie is naive of the world around her, acting without thinking about the affects these decisions could have on her life. Through flirtatious acts and her attitude, Connie attracted a rapist, from whom she was unable to escape. By hanging out at the drive-in restaurant, flirting with older boys, and wearing provocative clothing Connie attracted the attention of the creepy Arnold Friend, whose intentions can be inferred from the story. When Arnold first pulls up to Connie’s house, and they officially meet for the first time, Connie instantly thinks about his impression on her: â€Å"She couldn’t decide if she liked him or if he was a jerk. (367). Connie did not find this abrupt encounter with Arnold strange, because he showed up at her house and knew about her. She first thinks about whether she liked him or not. She is oblivious to the danger of strangers, only thinking about if he is worth her flirting. Once Connie fell into Arnold’s trap, she is unable to escape: â€Å"She thought for the first time in her life that is was nothing that was hers, that belonged to her, but just a pounding, living thing inside this body that wasn’t really hers either. (377). She no longer had control of herself or of her fate. Everything lies in the hands of Arnold Friend. A potential rapist easily takes advantage of Connie, because of her vulnerability, longing for male acknowledgement, and not thinking about her actions. Connie’s whole world is centered around boys, consistently in her thoughts, which influence her actions. As a result, Connie’s daydreams of being with boys turned into nightmares of reality.

Dualits Marketing Strategy Analysis

Dualits Marketing Strategy Analysis Over the next three years the market for kitchen products and appliances is expected to grow by up to 17.6% (Datamonitor, 2009). This growing market makes it the ideal time to be the manufacturer of these goods.   Consumers of these goods are looking for products which are both stylish and built to last.   Dualit has created a product with has incorporated both these key elements; the Dualit NewGen toaster. Dualit is a British company which designs and manufactures toasters and other kitchen appliances.   Founded in the early 1940s (Dualit, 2010), Dualit is portrayed as a company which offers high quality and well-engineered products. The first Dualit toaster to be made with a timer and manual eject button was created in 1952 and ever since Dualit has continued to produce toasters based on the original design (Dualit, 2010). In this essay Dualits marketing strategy will be assessed using the 4Ps framework.   This framework allows product, place, price and promotion to be considered (Marketing Teacher, 2010).   As well as looking at the companys marketing mix, their targeting, positioning and segmentation will also be evaluated.   By considering all of these aspects, alternatives can be suggested on how Dualit can improve their strategy.   All the information used for this essay will come from secondary sources. Dualit want to be considered as a company which offer high quality products which are superior to their competitors (Dualit, 2010).   This is illustrated in the way in which they target their customers.   Dualit use a differentiated marketing strategy to target their consumers.   Using a differentiated marketing strategy allows them to target several markets and design a separate offering for each market (Armstrong et al, 2009).   Products which use a differentiated strategy tend to be valued by customers and customers perceive the product to be better than or different from products of the competition.   Also, according to Michel Porters model if a company has a corporate reputation for quality and innovation like Dualit does, then they will usually use a differentiated strategy (QuickMBA, 2010). Dualit segment their market using psycographic segmentation, this allows Dualit to divide its buyers into different groups based on social class, lifestyle or personality characteristics (QuickMBA, 2010).   Dualits 2 slice NewGen toaster will appeal to people with a high disposable income that will pay a lot to get a stylish product like the NewGen toaster but who also care about the environment, as the NewGen has a control which allows only one slot to be heated.   Whereas, the 4 slice NewGen toaster appeals more to the commercial users such as cafes and restaurants, who might need to make several slices at any one time.   By targeting more than one target market it allows Dualit to increase its market share. After considering their target market and deciding how to segment them, Dualit can then consider all aspects of their marketing mix and how the different aspects work together. Dualits NewGen toaster can be split into three product levels.   These three levels are the core product, the actual product and the augmented product.   The core product is the benefits the customer will receive (Kotler et al, 2008).   Buyers of the NewGen toaster range will benefit from a product which makes toast but at the same time is compact and stylish and comes in over ten colours meaning it will complement almost any kitchen.   The core benefits are offered through the components that make up the actual product (Armstrong et al, 2009). The actual product includes styling, features and design.   The extra wide slots on the NewGen toaster that allow for nearly every type of bread to be toasted can be seen as a core benefit.   The augmented product is built around the core benefits and the actual product by offering additional customer service (Armstrong et al, 2009).   Dualit offer a two year guarantee on the elements in the toaster and a one year guarantee on al l other parts.   Customers are also given a users guild to allow them to see other ways to use their toaster, this guide is also available from their website.   The Dualit NewGen toaster also has replaceable parts meaning that if it breaks it doesnt need to be thrown out, it can be fixed.   This means it will last significantly longer than any other toaster. There is no obvious improvement that Dualit could make to the NewGen toaster as it has more features than every other toaster currently on the market. Dualit make some of the most expensive kitchen appliances on the market.   The NewGen toaster ranges in price from  £135 to  £195 depending on the size of the toaster and how it is finished (John Lewis, 2010).   Dualit appear to use two pricing strategies.   They appear to use product line pricing, where a company prices different models within a range at different prices (Armstrong et al, 2009).   It is more expensive for a 4 slice NewGen toaster than it is for a 2 slice NewGen toaster; this is a perfect example of product line pricing.   However, Dualit also appear to use value based pricing as a way of pricing their range, whereby buyers perceptions, not the sellers costs are key to pricing (Armstrong et al, 2009). Dualits toaster may be highly priced but the consumers perception is that the high price means it is high quality.   Unfortunately for Dualit many of its competitors offer a similar product in a similar style for a fraction of the price that is sold by t he same retailer.   Although they dont have as many features as the NewGen toaster, they still do the same job so potential customers may feel it is unnecessary to buy a toaster that costs  £135 and purchase a rival toaster instead.   Dualit may need to consider lowering their prices if it begins to affect them in the future.   The Dualit NewGen toaster hasnt been highly publicised.   The only advertising that Dualit does for the range is on their own website.   Any other advertising is mostly done by the individual retailers that sell the product.   John Lewis currently offer a five year guarantee with all NewGen toasters, this may act as an incentive to potential customers as they feel they are getting more for their money and their product is protected longer.   Dualits lack of advertising may be a way to reduce costs but in the long run it could cost them potential customers.   The NewGen toaster is currently sold out on one of its main retailers website so their lack of advertising doesnt currently seem to be affecting their sales but in the future it could, so to increase publicity Dualit may consider taking part in a joint advertising campaign with a premium bread company such a Warburtons or Hovis, which are both popular brands.   This would allow Dualit to target a wider market which ma y, as a result increase their market share. Dualit currently sell their product on their own website and through high end retailers such as John Lewis and House of Frasers, which are as reputable but expensive department stores.   This enhances Dualits image of being manufacturers of high quality products.   Department stores carry a wide range of product lines (Armstrong et al, 2009) which can attract a larger range of customers, so by selling their product they may increase their market share.   Dualit may want to appeal to a larger target market.   They could do this by selling their products in large supermarkets such as Tesco or Asda because thousands of people go to these shops every day.   Although this would allow them to reach a larger target marker, it may put off existing customers as they may feel that it takes away from the brands high end reputation.   If Dualit did consider this they would have to decide if they would rather gain new customers or risk losing existing customers. After having analysed all the aspects of Dualits marketing mix, it can be seen that although there are a few improvements which they could make to their marketing strategy such as more advertising or vary where they sell the products overall their current marketing strategy is working well as their products are sold out on retailers websites.   With the market for kitchen appliances set to largely increase, Dualit may have to consider altering their marketing if they wish to dominate more of this increasing market.   If Dualit do decide to change their marketing strategy in the future it should be for the better as long as they continue to make high quality products that out perform their rivals. References Armstrong, G.; Kotler, P.; Harker, M. Brennan, R. (2009) Marketing An Introduction. 8th Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Dualit (2010) Dualit Our History. Available at: http://www.dualit.com/our-history (Accessed: 12 February 2010). John Lewis (2010) Search Results NewGen. Available at: http://www.johnlewis.com/Search/Search.aspx?SearchTerm=NewGen (Accessed: 13 February 2010). Kotler,P.; Armstrong, G.; Wong,V. Saunders, J. (2008) Principles of Marketing. 5th Ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Marketing Teacher (2010) Marketing Mix. Available at: http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_marketing_mix.htm (Accessed: 11 February 2010). QuickMBA (2010) Market Segmentation. Available at: http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/market-segmentation (Accessed: 12 February 2010). Datamonitor (2009) Kitchen Appliances Global Industry Guide, Special Report, London, The Data Monitor Group

Overview of Autism Essay -- essays research papers

Autism is defined as a developmental disability of the brain. However it is not a form of mental retardation. A person with autism can actually be very intelligent. Autism develops before a child is 30 months of age. It occurs is approximately 4 out of every 10,000 children. Children with autism are unable to develop normal relationships with others. Their hearing and sight senses are heightened. A noise that would not bother a normal person might drive an autistic child crazy. They have a difficult time understanding what is going on around them. If something suddenly happens, like someone laughs or cries they go into confusion because they are wondering why this is happening and they might go into panic. Sometimes they may lose their ability to speak, or need extra time to respond to a question. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether a young child or infant is autistic. Some of the symptoms vary greatly but follow the same general pattern. Autistic infants will act relatively normal during their first few months. But after a couple of months they become less responsive to thei...

Article 62 of the Vienna Convention Essay

The doctrine of fundamental change of circumstances, (rebus sic stantibus) is a principle of customary international law allowing a part to an agreement to withdraw or terminate it where there has been a fundamental change in circumstances. The main justification for this principle is that treaties often remain in force for many years, during which time fundamental changes may occur in the political or international environment which may require a departure from the provisions set out in the treaty. However, this principle has also been criticized for disrupting the binding force of obligations taken by states, particularly when bearing in mind that there is no compulsory jurisdiction forcing states who terminate a treaty on this ground, to have the legitimacy of their decision scrutinised before an international tribunal. Nevertheless, this principle has been codified in Article 62 of the VCLT, although its scope has been severely restricted. Article 62 (1) is drafted it negative terms, stating that a fundamental change of circumstances which has occurred since the conclusion of a treaty, and which was not foreseen by the parties, may not be invoked as a ground for terminating or withdrawing from the treaty unless: (a) the existence of those circumstances constituted an essential basis of the consent of the parties to be bound by the treaty; and (b) the effect of the change is radically to transform the extent of obligations still to be performed under the treaty. This is further restricted by Article 62 (2) which states that fundamental change of circumstances may not be invoked as a ground for terminating or withdrawing from a treaty if the treaty establishes a boundary or if the fundamental change is the result of a breach by the party invoking it either of an obligation under the treaty or of any other international obligation owed to any other party to the treaty. If these conditions are met, Article 62 (3) allows a state to suspend the operation of the treaty if it does not wish to terminate it or withdraw from  it. Therefore, in order for Article 62 to apply, five conditions must be met. First, the change must be of circumstances existing at the time the treaty was made. Second, the change of circumstances must be â€Å"fundamental†. Third, the change must not have been foreseen by the parties. Fourth, the existence of those circumstances must have constituted an essential basis of the consent of the parties to be bound by the treaty in the first place. Fifth, the effect of the change must be radically to transform the â€Å"extent† of obligations still to be performed under the treaty. The possibility of terminating a treaty on grounds of fundamental change of circumstances was recognised in the Fisheries Jurisdiction case, but was not held to be applicable on the particular facts of that case. In this case, Iceland and the UK entered into an agreement to limit their fisheries jurisdiction to within their 12 mile continental shelf limit. However, as the law of the sea developed, greater fishing zones became permissible, and Iceland argued that these developments where a fundamental change of circumstances allowing them to withdraw from the treaty. The ICJ held that a change in the law is not sufficient to constitute a fundamental change of circumstance. A change in international law could however terminate the treaty on grounds of supervening impossibility of performance if the change made the carrying out of the treaty illegal. It was stated that changes in circumstances will only be regarded as fundamental if they â€Å"imperil the existence or vital development of one of the parties.† Moreover, it was added that â€Å"the change must have increased the burden of the obligations to be executed to the extent of rendering the performance something essentially different from that initially undertaken†. As these requirements had not been met, Iceland could not withdraw from the agreement. Similarly, the scope and application of Article 62 was also examined in the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Project (Danube Dam) case. Here the ICJ stated that â€Å"The changed circumstances advanced by Hungary are, in the Court’s view, not of such a nature†¦that their effect would radically transform the extent of the obligations still to be performed in order to accomplish the Project. A  fundamental change of circumstances must have been unforeseen; the existence of the circumstances at the time of the Treaty’s conclusion must have constituted an essential basis of the consent of the parties to be bound by the Treaty. The negative and conditional wording of Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties is a clear indication moreover that the stability of treaty relations requires that the plea of fundamental change of circumstances be applied only in exceptional cases†. This reasoning was followed by the ECJ in the Racke v Hauptzollamt Mainz case. In this case, the ECJ considered whether the EC could suspend the operation of a trade concession agreement between itself and the former Republic of Yugoslavia on the grounds that the break-up of Yugoslavia into several new States were factors to be regarded as a political change, involving a fundamental change in the material circumstances underlying the consent of the contracting parties bound by the agreement. It was held not to be, because the change did not fundamentally alter the extent of the obligations under the agreement, which was essentially an economic agreement to promote the development of trade between the contracting parties. These cases demonstrate the severe restriction which is place on the scope of Article 62, and that it will require a truly exceptional case for the ICJ to conclude that the requirements of Article 62 have been met. In relation to the provisions of Article 62, a question has arisen as to whether these provisions could apply to the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty between the USA and the USSR in 1972, which was concluded in the circumstances of the Cold War. Can it be said that there has been a fundamental change in the circumstances which determined the parties to accept the treaty and which has resulted in a radical transformation in the extent of their obligations still to be performed under the treaty? In 2001, President Bush announced that he had given formal notice to Russia, that the US is withdrawing from the Treaty. The treaty sought to limit the development and deployment of nationwide ballistic missile defence systems. Explaining the withdrawal, President Bush referred to the terrorist events  of September 11 as a fundamental change of circumstances which have resulted in the US now being put in danger from rogue states or terrorists who may have acquired nuclear weapons. Consequently, US wants the freedom to develop effective defenses against missile attacks from such sources, and this can be done only if the restrictions of the ABM Treaty are removed. A further argument that can be made is that the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the removal of the Cold War threat may also constitute a fundamental change in circumstances allowing the US to withdraw from the treaty. However, the problem here is that despite the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, both the US and Russia have continued to regard the treaty as remaining in force between themselves. The most obvious resolution to this problem would be for Russia to grant its consent to the US to withdraw from the treaty, or for both states to terminate the treaty by mutual agreement, according to Article 54 of the VCLT. However, it is unlikely that Russia will grant its consent for the USA to withdraw from the treaty. Therefore, the question of whether the US can unilaterally withdraw from the treaty arises. The only provision under the VCLT which may provide the US with the opportunity to unilaterally withdraw from the treaty is fundamental change of circumstances, under Article 62. In order for Article 62 to apply, five conditions must be met. First, the change must be of circumstances existing at the time the treaty was made. The first condition is clearly met as there certainly has been a change of circumstances from the height of the cold war in 1972 to the present post-cold war era. The Cold War has now subsided, and the Iron Curtain and the Soviet Union no longer exist. Second, the change of circumstances must be â€Å"fundamental†. This change can be said to be fundamental because in 1972, the threat from the Soviet Union was real and vivid, whereas the improvement in relations since then has greatly reduced this threat. This disparity between US and Russian military power  can be seen by the fact that the US spends more on its military than the next ten military powers (including Russia) taken together. Furthermore, few countries other than the US and Russia had nuclear weapons in 1972, and the majority that did were allies of the US. Any threat from other countries (let alone terrorists) was mostly a distant threat, not yet a reality. Third, the change must not have been foreseen by the parties. It is questionable whether the change in circumstances was not foreseen by the parties. It can be argued that the acquisition of nuclear weapons by other countries, some of which are a threat to the US was foreseeable. However, the threat from terrorists who may have now acquired nuclear weapons cannot reasonably be said to have been foreseeable. Fourth, the existence of those circumstances must have constituted an essential basis of the consent of the parties to be bound by the treaty in the first place. It can be said that the circumstances which constituted an essential basis of the US’s consent have changed, because the Soviet Union no longer exists, and Russia is no longer the threat it used to be. The only reason why the US signed the treaty was because of the threat from Russia, if there was no threat, it would not have consented. Furthermore, the persisting ideology of the two states at the time the treaty was signed was world supremacy, and so both states sought to limit the military and nuclear aspirations of the other by consenting to this treaty. It would now seem that the original nuclear arms race which instigated the treaty is over, since neither the US nor Russia are seeking to increase their arsenal of nuclear weapons, and it is doubted whether Russia would have the financial means to do so even if it wanted to. Therefore, it seems that the object and purpose of the ABM Treaty has ceased to be relevant in today’s world. On the other hand, it may be argued that despite the developments of the last 30 years, Russia has still not submitted to the emerging realisation that we are living in a US dominated world. It continues to maintain links with rogue governments and has nuclear parity with the US. Therefore, although it  is less of a threat than it used to be, it is still nevertheless a threat. Consequently, the counter-argument may be that the original threat which instigated the US to sign the ABM Treaty still exists, albeit in a weaker form. Therefore, it is a matter of debate whether the existence of the circumstances which initially formed the basis of the US’s consent have been fundamentally changed. Fifth, the effect of the change must be radically to transform the â€Å"extent† of obligations still to be performed under the treaty. This is the most difficult condition to satisfy and it is questionable whether it has been satisfied. It must be remembered that both the US and Russia have continued to regard the treaty as remaining in force between themselves, and the treaty has continued to carry out its purpose, i.e. the restriction of nuclear weapons. However, the justification given by the US is that the Treaty enshrines the past and should not prevent it from addressing the threats of today, or to pursue technology to defend itself. This argument may have some support from the statements made in the Fisheries Jurisdiction case, where it was stated that changes in circumstances will only be regarded as fundamental if they â€Å"imperil the existence or vital development of one of the parties.† Moreover, it was added that â€Å"the change must have increased the burden of the obligations to be executed to the extent of rendering the performance something essentially different from that initially undertaken†. It can be argued that preventing the US from developing technology to protect itself from the threat from rogue nations and terrorists may indeed â€Å"imperil its existence or vital development†. Moreover, as Professor Mullerson points out, the purpose of the ABM Treaty and the extent of its obligations were not to prohibit national missile defence systems in abstract against all possible threats, but to prohibit such defence from the other party to the Treaty. Therefore, by preventing the US from defending itself from new nuclear threats, it can be said that the fundamental change has now altered the extent of the obligations of the US. This is because its obligations will have been transformed from an obligation not to defend itself against Soviet missile threats, to an  obligation not to defend itself from missile threats from rogue states or terrorists. Therefore, the fundamental change of circumstance provision in Article 62, when combined with the provision in Article XV of the ABM treaty itself which allows a state to withdraw where extraordinary events arise, and where its supreme interests are threatened, may give the US a legitimate basis for unilaterally withdrawing from the treaty. As Professor Mullerson points out, â€Å"it is clear that US-Soviet (Russian) legal relations cannot, by definition, remain the same as they were at the height of the military-strategic competition which was the axis of world politics†. On the other hand, it may be argued that despite the developments of the last 30 years, although Russia is less of a threat than it used to be, it is still nevertheless a threat. Consequently, the counter-argument may be that the original threat which instigated the US to sign the ABM Treaty still exists, albeit in a weaker form. An alternative solution to the situation is advanced by Professor Mullerson, who states that the doctrine of change of fundamental circumstances should be used not only as a method of upholding or terminating treaties, but it should be used more flexibly as a process for initiating renegotiation or modification of a treaty whose object and purpose no longer correspond to the needs of changed circumstances. Despite the arguments either way, if Russia ultimately acquiesces in the US justification for withdrawing from the ABM Treaty, it is possible that the reasons given by the US may be regarded as supplying a precedent for withdrawal by the United States or other countries from other arms control treaties on similar grounds. As we have seen from the above discussion, although Article 62 lays down the general criteria which may allow a state to terminate a treaty on grounds of fundamental change of circumstances, the scope and application of Article 62 remains very problematic. The fact that there is no compulsory jurisdiction forcing states who terminate a treaty on this ground, to have the legitimacy  of their decision scrutinised before an international tribunal further adds to these problems. In the few cases where Article 62 has been ar5gued before the ICJ, we have seen that a very strict approach has been adopted and that no state has ever successfully pleaded Article 62 before the ICJ. This may discourage states from testing the legitimacy of their decision to terminate a treaty on the basis of Article 62 before the ICJ, as will probably occur in the ABM Treaty debate. Perhaps an alternative solution would be to not only use Article 62 as a method of upholding or terminating treaties; but more flexibly as a process for initiating renegotiation or modification of a treaty whose object and purpose no longer correspond to the needs of changed circumstances.