The objectives of the study were to assess genome wide association study (GWAS) for sugarcane on a panel of 183 accessions and to evaluate the impact of population structure and family relatedness on QTL detection. The panel was genotyped with 3327 AFLP, DArT and SSR markers and phenotyped for 13 traits related to agro-morphology, sugar yield, bagasse content and disease resistances. Marker-trait associations were detected using (i) general linear models that took population structure into account with either a Q matrix from STRUCTURE software or principal components from a principal component analysis added as covariates, and (ii) mixed linear models that took into account both population structure and family relatedness estimated using a similarity matrix K* computed using Jaccard's coefficient. With general linear models analysis, test statistics were inflated in most cases, while mixed linear models analysis allowed the inflation of test statistics to be controlled in most cases. When only detections in which both population structure and family relatedness were correctly controlled were considered, only 11 markers were significantly associated with three out of the 13. Among these 11 markers, six were linked to the major resistance gene Bru1, which has already been identified. Our results confirm that the use of GWAS is feasible for sugarcane in spite of its complex polyploid genome but also underline the need to take into account family relatedness and not only population structure. The small number of significant associations detected suggests that a larger population and/or denser genotyping are required to increase the statistical power of association detection. (Résumé d'auteur

This paper analyses the status, rights and obligations of multinational corporations (MNCs) under international law, focusing in particular on international human rights, investment, environmental and criminal law. Private companies wield increasing economic and social power, frequently rivalling the one of states. While they are thereby in a position to contribute to the economic and technological development of societies, they can also harm human rights, damage the environment, or commit crimes. Domestic law has proven to be insufficient to promote the positive effects of business by safeguarding a stable and reliable economic environment, and to curb the negative effects by ensuring accountability. Assessing MNCs in the framework of international law, this paper comes to the conclusion that, independent of whether or not MNCs have international legal personality, they enjoy considerable rights under international investment law and under international human rights law. Conversely, MNCs do not have binding obligations under international law, notwithstanding a range of initiatives, attempting to create, both, voluntary and non-voluntary instruments.

Over the past decades, the European Union (EU or Union) has undergone a remarkable transformation—from a primarily economic integration project whose founding treaties were completely silent on human rights, to a political union of values that puts human rights front and centre. The Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force one decade ago, on 1 December 2009, is widely regarded as the high point of the Union’s journey in that direction. Not only did the Treaty recognise human rights as one of the EU’s founding values, as the guiding principles and objectives of all EU external action, it also gave the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights the same legal value as the Treaties and obliged the Union to accede to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)....

This paper develops an analytical framework to assess the contribution of international and supranational courts and tribunals to the rule of law at international, regional, and domestic levels. After a brief historical overview of the rise of international adjudication, it clarifies the distinction between supranational and international bodies and explores possible interpretations of the concept of the rule of law. Subsequently, the paper places the international judiciary in its political context and analyses the institutional safeguards of the courts' independence and impartiality. Finally, the authors provide a preliminary comparative analysis of the many ways in which international courts may arguably strengthen the rule of law and concludes by taking a closer look at the remaining challenges that the international judiciary faces today.

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