case studies

Question 1

R2P Libya 2011 (R2P pillar 2, responsible sovereignty, negative sovereignty, just war theory, jus en bello, offensive realism, UDHR article 30)

Answer 1

• in response to a violent crackdown of a popular uprising by the Qaddafi regime in Libya in Feb 2011, the UNSC passed Resolution 1973 invoking R2P (no-fly zone, call for immediate ceasefire, NATO-led alliance air strikes) —> Qaddafi regime collapsed in Aug 2011
• Just Cause threshold: language used reminiscent of 1994 genocide language in Rwanda, escalating military conflict
• avg 150 airstrikes, UN-authorized sanctions (restrictions on petroleum export, 60% of Libya’s GDP)
• liberals say responsibility was fulfilled through establishment of National Transitional Council of Libya (UN supported)
• critics say the international community abandoned Libya

Question 2

String of Pearls hypothesis (offensive realism, power as a capability, hard power)

Answer 2

• China’s strategic initiative to create a network of military and commercial establishments in the Indian Ocean surrounding India
• pearls = current/potential Chinese military/economic/infrastructure sites
• “string” = possibility of the Chinese navy connecting these pearls via a maritime route
• skeptics in India believe this plan (+ CPEC + BRI) = a threat to India’s national security
• threaten India’s power projection, trade, and potentially territorial integrity

Question 3

Hungary - EU democratic deficiency (democratic backsliding, soft power)

Answer 3

• Hungary has experienced democratic backsliding in recent years full democracy —> electoral autocracy
• taken steps to restrict media and judicial freedom, targeting individuals & NGOs directly (printing names in national news sites)
• head of judiciary = a stronghold political employee
• 2017 law focused on foreign universities but singled out the Central European University in Budapest forcing the liberal university to relocate to Vienna
• ECJ found the law incompatible with EU law
• President Viktor Orban has become intrinsically tied to the govt, criticizing one is the equivalent of criticizing the other
• in 2017, Hungary blocked the EU’s effort to strip Poland of its voting rights through Article 7 of the Treaty of the EU (suspension of membership rights) —> (autocratic) solidarity

Question 4

EU’s Covid-19 response (neoliberalism, pooled power, power as a capability)

Answer 4

• states initially pursued individual approaches to managing the crisis but the EU later pooled resources creating an effective, supranational response to the pandemic
• vaccine access: EU coordinated talks with promising vaccine developers and secured almost 2.3 billion doses of vaccines; in May 2020, the EU hosted an event for international donors to pledge funds for global vaccine development, raising a total of 16 billion euros, 11.9 billion from member states
• medical equipment: the EU created a reserve of medical supplies which could be ceased by both members and non-members, assisting neighboring countries through “rescEU” (North Macedonia received 148,000 facemasks and 35,000 protective gloves through the program)
• support staff: medical support staff were sourced across the EU, traveling to states with the worst outbreak at that time
• jobs and workers: established the “SURE” program to provide support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency

Question 5

Brexit (negative sovereignty, self-determination, political party - “Vote Leave” campaign by British National Party)

Answer 5

proponents:
- regain lost sovereignty
- economic independence may allow UK to negotiate more favorable trade deals (no longer bound by EU regulations)
- EU’s freedom of movement put strain on public services and wages, desire to control immigration system
- annual EU dues could be spent domestically on social welfare programs like healthcare

opponents:
- the UK could lose influence very decisions that affect its interest (interdependence)
- global power shifts to emerging economies and regional blocs
- EU international trade agreements leveraged the collective market strength, allowing it to secure desirable trade balances
- challenge posed by Ireland and Scotland, threatening overarching UK territorial integrity

consequences:
- sterling dollar plummeted
- insurance prices increased 2-3%
- cost each household £870
- slump in FDI & business investment

Question 6

1990 Cairo Declaration of Human Rights (cultural relativism)

Answer 6

• the Organization on the Islamic Conference issued the Cairo Declaration in 1990, asserting that “fundamental rights and universal freedoms in Islam are in integral part” of Islam
• Rule 24: all rights and freedoms stipulated in the declaration are subject to Islamic sharia law

Question 7

1993 Bangkok Declaration (cultural relativism, Asian values)

Answer 7

• during the lead-up to the World Conference on Human Rights, ministers from Asian states adopted the Bangkok Declaration reaffirming their govt’s commitmet to the principles of the UN Charter and the UDHR
• they emphasized the principles of sovereignty and non-interference + 2nd generation (socio-economic) human rights

Question 8

1990 New Zealand Bill of Rights (ICCPR, codification)

Answer 8

New Zealand took measures to give its citizens many of the rights expressed in the ICCPR through the passing of the NZ Bill of Rights in 1990

Question 9

Egypt IMF-Grant (ICESCR, promotion of rights, UDHR article 26)

Answer 9

in 2016, Egypt expanded preschool availability and improved the safety of public transportation under an IMF-supported program to expand economic, social, and cultural rights in the country

Question 10

Taliban takeover of Afghanistan (ICESCR, CEDAW, UDHR article 26/1/2, realism, factors affecting development)

Answer 10

in March 2022, the Taliban govt in Afghanistan instituted a ban on girl’s attaining a secondary school education

Question 11

Police Violence Reduction - UNCAT (Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; codification, UDHR article 5)

Answer 11

2012 study in the American Journal of Political Science found that states with criminalized torture and defined it in line with the standards codified in the UNCAT experience reduction in police torture

Question 12

FGM in Somalia (CEDAW, cultural relativism, promotion)

Answer 12

• at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM, 99% of women in Somalia have undergone FGM
• in 2021, the UN launched the “Dear Daughter” campaign in collaboration with the Ifrah Foundation (registered Civil Society organization founded by an Irish-Somali): involves individual letter writing as a pledge to protect individual daughters and support their right to bodily self-determination; since 2020, 100 Somali mothers signed the pledge
• the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic survey reported that 72% of women believed FGM is an Islamic requirement
• a federal FGM bill has been drafted but not yet enforced within national cabinet

Question 13

US Deployment of 17 year olds (UNCAT)

Answer 13

US Pentagon stopped deploying 17 year olds as soldiers in accordance with the first optional protocol of UNCAT (Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict)

Question 14

UK Prisoners’ Rights (ICCPR, protection of rights, UDHR article 21, negative sovereignty)

Answer 14

UK resisted a 2012 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (Scoppola vs Italy) which required prisoners to be given the right to vote under EU law —> decisions made by regional IGOs are frequently disputed or ignored by nation states

Question 15

African Commission for Human Rights (cultural relativism, UDHR article 2)

Answer 15

• the ACHR has played a role in advancing human rights across the continent, such as promoting better treatment of prisoners, but has done little to promote LGBTQ+ rights, which are denied by many African states
• regional human rights commissions are prone to selective investigation

Question 16

Qatar Migrant Workers (ICCPR, ICESCR, codification, promotion, role of non-state actors)

Answer 16

• Qatar is home to >2,000,000 migrant workers
• Qatar mandates that only Qatari nationals can form trade unions, which violates the International Labor Organization’s Key Principles on Workers’ Rights
• migrant workers are sponsored by the kafala system - must have a kafeel (sponsor) to enter the country and work, which can be withdrawn at any time
• migrant workers tend to pay high recruitment fees to secure the job in Qatar —> enter the country in pre-existing debt
• in 2017, the govt introduced reforms to the kafala system including allowing workers to change their job without their employers permission and instituting a minimum wage
• in 2018, Qatar ratified the ICCPR and ICESCR (with several reservations on women’s rights and punishments in alignment with Sharia law) after pressure from human rights NGOs like AI

Question 17

EU & Migrant Crisis (pooled power, power as a capability, neoliberalism)

Answer 17

• Dublin Regulation - a regulation that determines which member state is responsible for the examination of an application for asylum = the state where the migrant first registers is responsible for their application
• passage of a reformed migration framework in Dec 2023 mandates solidarity among member states (choice between accepting an annual quota of migrants or contributing to a joint EU fund for migrant aid), funds additional exterior hotspots so migrants can begin processing their application for asylum before entering the EU, expansion of the Frontex

Question 18

Boko Haram (UNCRC, religious conflict)

Answer 18

• Boko Haram: one of the most prominent insurgent sects fighting for Islamic rule in Nigeria
• from 2011 to 2013, the sect engaged in a series of guerrilla attacks on civil and military targets around Nigeria, using firearms, improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombings (designated as a terrorist organization by the US government)
• 2017 CNN report indicated that more than 60% of those abducted by Boko Haram from 2014 to 2017 were women
• in 2014, the terrorist group abducted nearly 300 girls from a public school in the town of Chibok
• demanded release of Boko Haram commanders in the Nigerian government’s custody in exchange for several of the abducted girls
• Boko Haram victims are subject to rape, forced Islamic religious conversion, forced labor, forced marriage, and concubinage in insurgent camps
• Nigeria is roughly 50% Muslim 50% Christian

Question 19

Melilla Spain (UDHR article 13 - freedom of movement, power as a capability)

Answer 19

• Melilla = 1 of 2 Spanish enclaves in mainland Africa, 6x wealthier than the Moroccan side of the border
• seen as a gateway to Europe for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, Syria, and Palestine
• EU pays Morocco tens of millions of euros a year to keep migrant off its territory through “enhancing the capacities of Moroccan authorities in different areas of migration, including border management”
• fence that runs along the 7 mile perimeter of Melila’s border with Morocco is a triple structure covered in blades and alarms
• at least 37 people were killed in a conflict between Moroccan soldiers and migrants in June 2022 at the border
• value of money and other resources in influencing state actions in the international system

Question 20

Colombia & the FARC (peacemaking, feminist peace and conflict theory, Galtung’s peace formula, restorative justice)

Answer 20

• conflict began in 1960s as a result of wealth, land, and power disparities —> the FARC (Marxist-Leninist guerrilla group) capitalized on drug trade to fund the uprising
• peace process began in 2012 but a referendum for the peace accord failed in 2016, with a 50.2% of the population voting against
• a month later, the FARC and Colombia govt signed a revised peace accord and sent it to Congress for ratification
• peace agreement included: 5 reserved parliamentary seats for the FARC, establishment of a special tribunal, land reform, and ceasefire + disarmament
• ## women were included in negotiations on both sides, given their own gender sub-commission, negotiated local ceasefires, and advocated for thee inclusion of gender-specific provisions in the peace accord such as the establishment of a gender-based violence unit to investigate crimes against women

Question 21

UN Peacekeeping - Mali (peacekeeping, negative peace, top-down approach, PIN model)

Answer 21

• UN Peacekeeping mission to Mali (MINUSMA) was established by the UNSC in 2013, following a violent insurrection by separatist rebels and subsequent military-led coup in 2012
• MINUSMA supported the organization of the 2013 elections, assisted in the peace process —> 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali
• distrust of foreigners —> failures on the ground (locals tipping off insurgent groups, refusal of help, lack of understanding the role of peacekeepers in the region)
• attacks on the peacekeepers are prevalent (in a 5 year period, 170 peacekeepers in Mali were killed)

Question 22

Peacebuilding - Rwanda (peacebuilding, positive peace, reconciliation commission, restorative justice, Galtung’s Violence Triangle)

Answer 22

• 1994 Rwandan genocide: 100 days, 500,000 Tutsi were killed
• govt sponsors civic education “ingando” camps where nearly every Rwandan adult has learned about the main causes of the genocide and Rwanda’s abandonment by the international community
• National Unity and Reconciliation Commission supports local community seminars, national summits, and research initiatives on conflict mitigation and management
• prosecution of 400,000 genocide suspect in 12,000 local “gacaca” courts with public acknowledgment of crimes and restorative punishment of perpetrators
• Unity Club was formed as a forum for top women elders and spouses of national leaders in an attempt to spread unity and reconciliation (lobbied for changes to inheritance law, rights of the child, rights of women at the workplace)

Question 23

2015 Iran Nuclear Deal (conflict, diplomacy)

Answer 23

• in 2015, Iran and the P5 UNSC disagreed over Iran’s nuclear program, using diplomacy and negotiation to discuss their conflicting interests
• economic sanctions were relaxed for weapons inspections
• conflicts over ideas ad security interests between states may be resolved through diplomacy

Question 24

Eurozone Crisis (conflict, liberalism, austerity measures)

Answer 24

• the EU established the Eurozone with the creation of the Euro in 2002 and established the European Central Bank to manage monetary policies for the new currency
• after the 2008 financial crisis, the Greek govt requested EU loans to repay its debts, causing conflict within the EU over austerity measures —> all member states share a common institutions and interests, which means disputes can be resolved non-violently through discussion

Question 25

Ukraine (constructivism, R2P, offensive realism, jus en bello)

Answer 25

• Putin asserted that Ukraine was always part of Russia, divided by Western imperialism in the 20th century
• in response to an uprising against President Viktor Yanukovich after he canceled a deal promoting further EU integration and signed one with Russia instead, Russia annexed Crimea in 2014
• Russia claimed that its annexation was carried under R2P, claiming the ethnic Russian majority in the region was being persecuted (unjust under proportionality principle of jus en bello)

Question 26

Tunisia - Arab Spring (Moore’s Conflict Circle - value conflict, direct violence, self-determination)

Answer 26

• pre-Arab Spring, Tunisia had high unemployment, corruption, a lack of freedom/speech, poor living conditions, rising food prices
• Arab Spring began when a street vendor set himself on fire in Dec 2010 in response to the confiscation of his wares and harassment by officials
• street protests ended in the removal of President Ben Ali after 23 years in office
• by Oct 2011, there were first post-revolution elections
• in Jan 2014, a new constitution increased human rights and gender equality
• by Sept 2016, the only country involved in Arab Spring to become a democracy was Tunisia
• strong civil society: Tunisia’s high commission for democratic transition & political reform established the bodies and legal mechanisms necessary for transition between govt systems to run smoothly
• support of national military in removing the govt

Question 27

State-led capitalism in China

Answer 27

• China has a nearly inexhaustible supply of cheap labor (export-led growth strategy in manufacturing industry)
• high savings ration means investment within China largely comes from internal sources, also allows China to invest heavily abroad, keeping the yuan cheap compared to USD
• heavy govt investments in infrastructure and gearing foreign policy toward securing vital resources

Question 28

EU Green Deal (sustainable development)

Answer 28

• main growth strategy to transition the EU economy to a sustainable model/framework of what needs to be passed for Europe to become sustainable
• main goals: decarbonize + digitize Europe’s economy
• 1 trillion euros planed to be invested (only half of which is from the EU’s 2021-27 budget, remainder has to be fund-raised)
• NGOs and activists have criticized the EU for involving corporations in the Green Deal (58% of meetings included fossil fuel lobbyists)

Question 29

Cuba - education (sociopolitical development - Amartya Sen)

Answer 29

• 13% of the country’s GDP is spent on education (one of the highest in the world) vs US spends 3-5% of its GDP on eduction
• free morning & afterschool care are provided the students nationwide
• 1/23 students are enrolled in university; free education but have to work 3 years in civil service with low wages to pay it back
• education and development programs completely free for citizens (not considering mandatory civil service)

Question 30

Costa Rica (tourism-led growth, economic development, globalization)

Answer 30

• tourism makes up 8% of Costa Rica’s GDP, economy relies on foreign currency
• Ministry and Costa Rica Tourist Board is actively planning for the future by scanning market trends, new product opportunities, and initiatives to further personalize the tourism sector
• tourism brings in foreign currency and creates jobs —> invest in infrastructure like airports

Question 31

Cuba - healthcare (human development, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, right to adequate standard of living)

Answer 31

• only pubic healthcare options; focused on prevention and analysis of local health risks (generally high quality despite being free)
• Cuba reported a 26% lower infant mortality rate than the US in 2014
• Cuba has ore doctors per capita than any other country in the world (govt sends some 20,000 overseas per year)

Question 32

Timor-Leste (commodity-led growth)

Answer 32

• established petroleum fund in 2006, oil and gas revenue = 48% of GDP in 2015
• state-owed oil company, TIMOR GAP, works with foreign-owed companies to keep more of the revenue in the country
• Timor-Leste currently only has 1 active oil field, although others are being explored as it has already reached mass extraction
• trade & economic policy aiming to speed up industrializations of a country by exporting goods for which the country has a comparative advantage

Question 33

DESERTEC (sustainable development, neocolonialism)

Answer 33

• launched in 2007, DESERTEC aims to enable the countries of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East to cover a large part of their energy needs through the use of renewable energies in 2050 (all of MENA + 15% of Europe’s total energy demand)
• initial aim to install concentrating solar power stations in MENA & proposed installation of transnational grid of HVDC cables
• many African states are skeptical of the benefit they would reap from the project aka another form of Western resource exploitation
• severely underfunded
• cooperations: DESERTEC secured funding from the African Develpment Bank to build a solar farm in Morocco; partnered with the EU’s Medgrid project (aims to promote and develop a Euro-Meditarranian electricity network) to design and build an interconnected electrical grid between Tunisia and Italy