AOS 1 Global Actors Flashcards

1
Q

difference between a state and a nation

A

A nation lacks a clear territory defined by recognised borders, dissimilar to a state. Additionally, nations often do not exercise sovereignty. Nations are groups of people connected through culture, history or language, including the Palestinians. However, states are recognised territories with governments that exercise sovereignty.

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2
Q

sovereignty

A

Sovereignty is a state’s ability to exercise effective control within its borders, while recognised by the United Nations and not controlled by an external authority. A state’s sovereignty is characterised by independence, recognition and authority.

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3
Q

how sovereignty can undermine attempts at international cooperation

A

Sovereignty allows states to prioritise their national interests and disregard their obligations to the international community, which is detrimental to global cooperation. This includes Australia’s failure to adhere to the UN Convention on the Status of Refugees, which is justified by the state’s national interest of border security.
Additionally, sovereignty can prevent action against human rights abuses in states with authoritarian or one party governments. It is difficult for organisations such as the UN to intervene when populations are being treated inhumanely due to the characteristics of sovereignty.

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4
Q

roles of the state

A

security, economic prosperity, justice and order, representation

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5
Q

national interests and how shape the aims of states

A

National interests are particular areas of focus that states are endeavouring towards at certain times. This includes Australia favouring the interest of border security through denying asylum seekers arriving by boat to Australia since 2013. The national interest of border security in Australia prompted the state to develop new border protection and asylum seeker policies.

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6
Q

power

A

Power refers to the capacity of one global actor to influence the actions of another global actor, and levels of power vary greatly between states. Factors that indicate a state’s power level include military forces, economy, diplomatic influence, political stability, and natural resources. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an example of a state using their power, which has been determined vastly by their extensive military forces.

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7
Q

how the european union challenges sovereignty

A

The European Union imposes trade regulations on member states and alters border restrictions, therefore challenging the sovereignty of the member states. States relinquish control over goods and people travelling in and out of their borders and must uphold a standard of human rights common to all European Union States.

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8
Q

why states give up elements of sovereignty to the eu

A

States sacrifice elements of their sovereignty in exchange for stimulation to their GDP growth and significant developments in trade, as well as access to goods and services provided by other EU states.

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9
Q

how eu member states retain sovereignty

A

Ultimately, member states of the European Union have voluntarily chosen to enter the regional grouping and have autonomy in deciding whether to leave. This proves that states do retain significant sovereignty. Additionally, member states have input in the decisions and policies of the EU.

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10
Q

regional groupings - brexit and how it challenged sovereignty

A

Brexit refers the exit of Britain from the European Union, which was decided in a referendum in 2016 where 52% of the population voted to leave the EU and 48% opted to stay. Brexit demonstrates that, although member states of the EU must relinquish parts of their sovereignty, they are ultimately autonomous in their actions and do retain their sovereignty. However, leaving the EU was a long and complicated process for Britain. It was delayed initially because the British parliament refused to concede on the terms given by the EU for the state’s exit. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was then elected with a large majority of conservatives, enabling the Brexit deal to eventuate. Britain formally left on 31st January 2020, yet had to abide by EU rules until 31st December. Evidently, Britain’s exit from the EU was an assertion of sovereignty, however the EU still had to agree to the terms of Brexit.

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11
Q

regional groupings - asean and how it challenged sovereignty

A

ASEAN challenges sovereignty comparably less than the EU, because a fundamental value of ASEAN is to maintain sovereignty and independence. The threat to sovereignty within ASEAN is almost non-existent, however the incident with the exclusion of Myanmar was an exception. Myanmar was banned by ASEAN in october 2021 from the annual conference as a display of contempt for the military regime’s violent retaliation against protestors. the regime had overturned the result of a democractic election in 2020.

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12
Q

reasons for turkey’s invasion of syria

A

Turkey’s invasion of Syria in 2019 can be attributed to multiple aspects of its own national interests. This includes removing the Kurdish militia group SDF from northern Syria. Turkey is concerned that the SDF are working in conjunction with the PKK (Kurdistan workers party) terrorist group in Turkey that are seeking secession. Additionally, Turkey aims to establish a safe zone that will allow the millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey to return.
In November 2022, Istanbul was allegedly bombed by Kurdish separatists that crossed the border from Syria. 6 people were killed in the attack, prompting the Turkish government to announce the possibility of a 2nd invasion in Syria, and to commence aerial bombing in retaliation.

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13
Q

contested and changing borders - turkey’s invasion of syria

A

Turkey has breached Syria’s borders, brazenly defying Syria’s sovereignty by invading the state. Turkey’s goal of creating a 30km safe zone in Syria can be considered an annexation of the state in order to further Turkey’s national interests. By invading the state, Turkey has disrupted Syria’s sovereignty over its territory.

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14
Q

contested and changing borders - south china sea

A

The territory claimed by China in the South China Sea is contentious because the area is within 200 miles of multiple states, including Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea, any area of sea within 200 miles of a state’s coastline is the sovereign territory of the state. China has asserted that it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and argues that the Spratly and Paracel islands are part of their historical ‘cows tongue’ territory. This assertion interferes with nearby states that have entitlement to the South China Sea.

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15
Q

multilateral resolutions - nk sanctions

A

The United Nations Security Council put trade sanctions, including Resolution 2375, on North Korea to deter the state from continuing to test nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. North Korea had tested non-nuclear weapons in waters outside its territory, alarming Japan and other nearby states. The actions of the UNSC are an example of a multilateral resolution due to the cooperative nature of the council, being comprised of 15 states. These sanctions impede on the sovereignty of North Korea because they restricted trade with other states, aiming to influence NK’s actions.

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16
Q

multilateral resolutions - coordinated airstrike

A

The coordinated airstrike assault of the US, Britain and France in Syria against the terrorist group ‘Islamic State’ was a multilateral resolution to combat the terrorist threat. Despite being beneficial to the state, the airstrikes were conducted without the approval of the Assad government in Syria. The US, Britain and France were also supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces over the Assad regime in the civil war. Although striking against a terrorist group, the unauthorised bombings were a significant challenge of Syria’s sovereignty.

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17
Q

external challenges - TNCs

A

Transnational corporations operating in developing states form a dependent relationship. These organisations become a major source of employment opportunities and boost the economy of the state, causing a significant reliance that may impact the decision making or sovereignty of the state. For example, Zambia raised taxes on the copper sourced by mining corporation Glencore in 2014 from 6% to 20%. When Glencore threatened to withdraw from Zambia, the taxes were dropped to 9%. Forcing Zambia to choose and making threats was a clear challenge to Zambia’s sovereignty.

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18
Q

internal challenges - secession

A

Sovereignty of states can be challenged by national groups living within a state that demand to break away from the state and control their own territory. The Catalonians in Spain wish to secede from the state, as their language and culture are very distinct from the Spanish population. Catalonian leaders introduced a referendum to determine support for independence, however, this was done without the authorisation of the Spanish government. The 2017 referendum resulted in a 90% vote for independence. The leaders behind the movement were jailed, leading to backlash from secessionists in 2019. This included a massive pro-independence demonstration held in Barcelona, consisting of over 1 million people. The scale of such movements poses a challenge to Spain’s sovereignty by applying pressure to the Spanish government to approve secession.

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19
Q

analyse the challenges to sovereignty

contention eg

A

Challenges to sovereignty worldwide vary greatly in magnitude, and are dependent upon the quantity of power a state or global actor possesses in the global community. States with greater economic, diplomatic, and military power are at a decreased risk of significant challenges to their sovereignty

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20
Q

roles of the un

A
  • protect human rights
  • provide a forum for states to discuss international issues
  • uphold international law
  • deliver humanitarian aid
  • assist parties in conflict to make peace
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21
Q

structure of the unsc

A
  • consists of 15 member states
  • has a permanent 5 members (china, US, russia, britain, france)
  • other members are decided by vote and stay on the council for 2 years
  • P5 have veto power over resolutions
  • resolutions created are binding
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22
Q

aims of the un

A
  • to maintain international peace and security
  • to develop friendly relations among nations
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23
Q

powers of the un

A

use of force against states in these situations:
* against states that act as agressors (invading, not related to self-defence, only when national interests of P5 align)
* under responsibility to protect doctrine (if a state threatens/commits genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing or war crimes)
* peacekeeping missions (resolving an internal conflict, reliant on state cooperation, eg UMISS extension unanimous agreement 2021)
* economic sanctions (cutting off trade and links to international finance, eg NK september 2017 unsc resolution 2375 textiles, oil, and labourers to deter nuclear missile testing)
not enforced:
* unga international treaties to protect human rights (eg un convention against torture UNCAT, states not compelled to sign or ratify)

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24
Q

limits to un power

A
  • unsc resolutions can only be passed if the national interests of the P5 align due to veto power
  • general assembly resolutions are not binding and cant be enforced
  • states can withhold membership fees, leaving the un under resourced (US owed $1.3 billion as of january 2019)
  • peacekeepers require the permission of the state to quell conflict
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25
Q

what extent un can challenge sovereignty

A

The United Nations’ capacity to threaten the sovereignty of states as a global actor is limited. It can apply sanctions to states, or in cases where the national interests of the Permanent 5 align, using force to protect civilians and uphold the R2P doctrine. This includes the UN imposing economic sanctions of North Korea in 2017 to deter the state from testing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Despite being able to do this, sovereignty still severely limits the United Nation’s actions. The UN cannot deploy peacekeepers without the permission of the state, and the Responsibility to Protect doctrine can only be activated through a UNSC resolution. This means that the allies of P5 members are at much less risk of a challenge to their sovereignty through the protection of veto power. It is also proven that the UN cannot challenge sovereignty to a great extent because members can delay their fee payments without any repercussions. This leaves the UN low on resources to facilitate humanitarian aid missions. Additionally, states can refuse to sign and ratify international human rights treaties and face no repercussions due to the protection of their sovereignty.

26
Q

the icc

A

A permanent court with global jurisdiction to try individuals accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and the crime of aggression. the 1998 rome statute came into effect in 2002 after 60 states had ratified, giving the icc the power to prosecute individuals from member states, or individuals who have committed crimes in member states.

27
Q

roles of the icc

A
  • to be a permanent court that has the power to prosecute individuals for the most serious crimes of international concern
  • to support national jurisdictions in investigating and prosecuting the worst perpetrators of crimes against humanity
28
Q

aims of the icc

A
  • ensure the worst perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes
  • serve as a court of last resort that can investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes
29
Q

power of the icc

A
  • can prosecute individuals that are either citizens of states party to the rome statute, the crime occurred in the territory of a party state, or recommended for prosecution by UNSC resolution
  • can issue arrest warrants that do not expire
30
Q

limits to the power of icc

A
  • states can refuse to hand individuals over to the icc if arrest warrant is issued
  • alleged crime must have occurred after july 2002
  • must have been committed by a citizen of a member state or occurred on the territory of a member state
  • unsc referral must be through a resolution
  • is reliant on states cooperation
  • can only try individuals, not organisations or states
  • no jurisdiction over trans-national crimes
31
Q

case eg Laurent Gbagbo

A

The ICC must have enough evidence to convict an individual in a trial. In the case of Laurent Gbagbo, former president of the Ivory Coast, the evidence against him was deemed insufficient and the defendant was cleared of crimes against humanity charges. These restrictions display how incompetent the ICC can be under certain circumstances; failing to achieve its aim of ensuring the worst perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.

32
Q

case eg Mahamat Said Abdel Kani

A

A transgressor that has allegedly committed various crimes against humanity and war crimes in Bangui, Central African Republic, as commander of the ‘Seleka’ rebel alliance. Mr Said has been committed to trial, proving the effectiveness of the ICC to uphold its aims.

33
Q

eg state noncompliance with icc

A

An example of noncompliance is the allegations against American soldiers in Afghanistan. Although the US has not ratified the Rome Statute, Afghanistan has. In 2018, the ICC stated that they could bring charges against US soldiers accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the United States’ occupation of Afghanistan, however the then US Secretary of State John Bolton claimed this was an infringement of the state’s sovereignty and refuted the ICC’s jurisdiction.

34
Q

case eg authoritarian leader

A

Uganda, where all cases that have been prosecuted are from the Lord’s Resistance Army: a rebel group opposing President Museveni and the National Resistance Movement. By referring the LRA to ICC prosecutors, President Museveni and the NRM remain in power and have reduced any political opposition.

35
Q

role of the imf

A

The IMF’s primary role is to ensure the stability of the international monetary system—the system of exchange rates and international payments that enables states (and their citizens) to transact with each other.

36
Q

aims of the imf

A
  • make resources available (with adequate safeguards) to members experiencing balance of payments difficulties.
  • facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade
37
Q

strategies of achieving aims

A
  • lending: provides loans to states to assist with making debt repayments eg Pakistan
  • technical assistance: assists low income states to upgrade their institutions such as banks and train personnel
  • surveillance: oversees the international monetary system and monitors economic policies and offers advice eg Australia 2015
38
Q

criticisms of imf

A
  • economic reforms involving privatisation of government owned assests impact most on the poorest in society
  • wealthy TNCs buy govt enterprises, raising the cost of essentials
  • decision making is dominated by wealthy developd states eg US has 17% of vote and veto power
  • impacts sovereignty - outside authority dictating state economic policies
39
Q

background to pakistan sovereign debt crisis

A
  • 1970s rapid rise in the price of imported oil
  • 2008 global financial crisis devaules the Rupee
  • 2020 COVID pandemic
  • june 2022 floods cause over $US 14 billion in damage to infrastructure
  • pakistan’s fragile democracy requires the support of the military to stay in power - 2020/21 budget allocated $US 7.85 billion to military spending and only $US 151 million to health services
  • pakistan has a small tax base with less than 1% of the population putting in tax returns - less revenue for govt
40
Q

comment on blog ‘eurodad’ re pakistan

A

“Pakistan is in a perfect debt trap. Its economy is running purely on debt. Obviously, this will not be sustainable for long. Sooner rather than later it will come to the inevitable – default.’ - economic analyst Abdul Khaliq

41
Q

loans given to pakistan by imf

A
  • imf has given loans for 32 of the past 44 years as of 2020
  • 2019 $US 6 billion had following conditions:
  • increase taxes
    *devalue Pakistani rupee - make exports cheaper to sell more goods overseas
  • pay off $US 37 billion to international creditors within the loan period
  • appoint imf officials as advisors to pakistani government
  • 2022 imf agree to additional loan of $US 1.17 billion
  • 2023 in urgent talks to release funds agreed in 2022 - pakistan claims to be ‘days away’ from defaulting on its debts
42
Q

how the imf has challenged pakistans sovereignty

A

The IMF has challenged Pakistan’s sovereignty by imposing conditions on loans to help prevent the state from defaulting on its debts. For the loan given in 2019, these conditions included increasing taxes, devaluing the Pakistani Rupee, and appointing IMF officials as advisors to the Pakistani government. The IMF was able to challenge Pakistan’s sovereignty in this way because the state lacks the ability to pay back its debts, and is struggling with balance of payments difficulties.

43
Q

roles of wilderness society

A

To promote ideas and actions that enhance humanity’s understanding, enjoyment and protection of the natural environment

44
Q

aims of wilderness society

A
  • Protecting, promoting and restoring wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth.
  • To run national programs to foster the reservation, preservation and protection of wilderness and nature, including from the impacts of climate change.
  • ** To have all permits for oil exploration cancelled and have this thriving marine sanctuary (the GAB) protected from the fossil fuel industry.**
45
Q

power of wilderness society

A
  • raises awareness and gains the support of public opinion which influences liberal democracies that are dependent upon being elected
  • joined coalition of environmental ngos (The Great Australian Bight Alliance) and engaged in international advocacy in norway, conveying the extent of opposition to oil drilling to Equinor shareholders and norwegian government
  • challenges all aplications for oil drilling permits submitted to NOPSEMA (The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority)
  • publishes independent research on the impacts of oil drilling
  • organises public protests e.g. National Day of Action 23rd November 2019
  • been a factor in the withdrawal of BP, Chevron and Equinor
46
Q

limits to power of wilderness society

A
  • relies on voluntary contributions and fundraising (underresourced compared to TNCs and states
  • subject to the laws of states
  • has not changed aus government’s policy of encouraging offshore petroleum exploration
  • cannot prevent nopsema from approving permits, e.g. permit was granted to Equinor following national day of action
47
Q

federal resources minister quote wilderness society

A

“The (then) Liberal and National Government remains committed to encouraging the safe development of Australia’s offshore petroleum resources.” (then) Federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt - 2020
* current Labor government has not since made any changes to this policy regarding oil exploration

48
Q

aims of islamic state

A
  • Establish an Islamic ‘Caliphate’ in the Sunni Muslim regions of northern Iraq and Syria
  • For Sunni Muslims to migrate to areas under its control
  • To instigate a final ‘apocalyptic’ battle between the forces of Islam and the West
49
Q

capturing territory - power of islamic state

A
  • captured significant territory between 2014-2018 in northern iraq and syria, including iraq’s second largest city mosul
  • led to gaining control of valuable oil supplies which were sold on the black market to fund state expenses and is’s exploits
  • caliphate attracted many supporters
  • forced out of territory completely by march 2019
  • inability to maintain long term control
50
Q

recruitment - power of islamic state

A
  • recruited from western states to fight in syria
  • spread their ideology online to radicalise youth through the internet
  • encouraged supporters in other states to perpetrate ‘lone wolf’ attacks within their states e.g. 15 year old boy shot civilian employee of a police station in october 2015 in nsw after being radicalised online and given a gun by older men
  • losing the caliphate caused a loss of recruitment among those inspired by the caliphate
  • losing all territory does not prevent IS from committing further acts of terror
51
Q

counter terrorism - power of islamic state

A
  • generated fear in civilian populations, which compelled states to enact counter terrorism legislations
  • ensuring state security
  • laws undermined the values of liberal democracies
  • eg Victoria Justice Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2018 allows individuals to be detained without a court order or a warrant for up to four days for an adult and 36 hours for a child
52
Q

limits to the power of islamic state

A
  • removal from all territory by March 2019 shows inability to maintain long term control
  • was only able to take territory due to the instability in the region:
  • sectarian divisions between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims, civil war in Syria, weakness of the iraqi military following US occupation
  • loss of caliphate resulted in loss of recruitment
  • state multilateral resolution (US, France, Britain) coordinated airstrikes on IS territory
  • lacked the military power to defend against well-trained and better equipped state military forces
  • limited economically due to lack of legal international trade
53
Q

comparison power of IS with states

A

despite emulating some qualities of a state, taking territory, and recruiting many, IS has limited power in comparison to states. although IS controlled territory, enforced a set of laws, had a population of about 8 million, and taxed the population, IS was not a state. it’s borders were not formally recognised and the group was not represented internationally. IS also lacked the power to contend with state military forces and had far less resources than a state.

54
Q

comparison power of WS with states

A

ws has the capacity to initiate protests, use public opinion to influence other global actors, advocate, and challenge permit submissions however it lacks methods of enforcement to achieve its aims. despite constant protesting and pressure, ws has been unable to change the australian governments encouragement of new offshore oil ventures, and also failed to have every permit for oil exploration in the GAB cancelled. a permit was granted by nopsema to Equinor just prior to the company pulling out for ‘commercial reasons’.

55
Q

facts - google tnc

A
  • dominates web searches, with 70% of desktop and 93% of mobile phone searches performed through google’s search engine
  • economic power - annual revenue for 2022 was $US 282 billion
  • in 2021 the company generated $617 billion worth of economic activity
  • database has information about its 4.5 billion users
  • generates advertising revenue via its search engine, icloud storage, google maps, google earth
56
Q

roles of google

A
  • its technological services provide a platform for business activity that stimulates economic growth and creates employment
  • its search engine provides for the dissemination of web based information to spread knowledge and shape opinions in the global political arena
57
Q

aims of google

A
  • to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful
58
Q

background to google case study in australia

A
  • as content is consumed online, traditional media companies are losing revenue, leading to many local newspapers to stop printing during the covid pandemic
  • news outlets lack bargaining power with google becaue they rely on google to reach many of their consumers
  • companies lobbied the state government to introduce legislation that would require tech companies to pay for news content by sharing advertising revenue
59
Q

quote traditional media affected by digitalisation

A

According to The Guardian, ‘Dozens of regional newspapers have stopped printing during the pandemic due to the decline in ad revenue’, demonstrating the impact of media being digitalised

60
Q

google’s response to proposed law in australia

A

january 2021 - google threatened to shut down its search engine in australia if the law is passed, and placed notices on its search engine and YouTube telling consumers that the proposed law would force google to charge users. Australian Consumer and Competition Commission denied Google’s statements and said that ‘Google is not being truthful’. Then PM Scott Morrison stated that ‘Australia will not respond to threats’. - the bill was passed into law in february 2021. google then negotiated deals with channels 7 and 9 regarding remunerations for media content

61
Q

google case study in france

A

france’s competition regulator imposed that google must pay for media content through traditional publishing companies. Google resisted, threatening to withdraw from France, but the state retained sovereignty and maintained its position. After many months, Google announced in January 2021 that ‘Newspapers will be remunerated based on contributions to political and general information, daily volume of publications and monthly internet audience’. France’s Alliance de la Presse d’Information Generale engaged in negotiations with Google regarding the payment of French media publishers for news content.