Global governance human rights and environmental Flashcards
Name some institutions that protect human rights and international justice
- ICC (international criminal court)
- ICJ( international court of justice)
- ECHR ( European court of human rights)
What power does the ICC( international criminal court) have in upholding human rights
Yes(Has the power)
- sets examples: sends out messages that political and military leaders will be prosecuted for their actions which should deter future crimes. However this has not been effective in upholding international justice because it has not deterred Putin from committing international crimes
- Intervention - ICC intervenes as a last resort , where states will not occur cannot prosecute military and political leaders for committing crimes against their own citizens. This provides a defence of human rights across the globe. However has not intervened with china and the accusations of genocide against the uyghur people
- International law - international humanitarian law has a court which can enforce the law on crimes of genocide against humanity and war crimes
What is international law ?
This is seen as binding on states and non state actors in their interrelations. It establishes a framework for the practice of stable and organised international relations and is a key component in avoiding an anarchical system and protecting human rights
When did the concept of international law develop ?
- International law has been rooted in the treaty of Westphalia 1648 which defined state sovereignty and the rules and limits on state action
- UDHR 1948 (universal declaration of human rights) further developed the concept of international law which suggested that states will face restrictions and this will impact their sovereignty
What is the role of the ICJ
- The ICJ is the principle judicial body of the Un and was created 1945 which deals with legal disputes between states.
Have the human rights institutions been effective in sanctioning Russia ?
YES
- ICC - has duristiction in ukraine which mean they are effective as they are documenting and investigating war crimes committed by russia- However will Putin be held accountable for his crimes?
- ICJ - solves territorial disoutes ie Thaliand and however no complusion without force
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NO
- Russian sanctions have not been effective because they are hurting countries such as the US , UK etc more than Russia because of the extent of economic interdependence and the extent of globalisation
- UNSC- one of its functions is to prevent war which has not been fufilled ie Russia and Ukraine which shows how ineffective it is
- These institutions are not binding ie cant stop war because rules are not enforceable
Gives some examples of humanitarian intervention being effective and not effective.
Effective
- Iraq war 1990-1991 , UN responded and was successful
- Sierra Leone 200 - intervention worked
Not effective
- Iraq qar 2003 not as effective because a power vacume was left
- Syria 2013 - not effective
What is meant by climate change?
Climate change is ..
What ae the strengths and weaknesses of the UNFCC ?
UNFCC( United Nations Framework Convention)
Strengths
1. Inclusive. The UNFCC includes majority of states which include developed and less developed
- Effective- the Unfcc is a driving force for climate change agreements and discussions for example ..
- Membership of this body ensures that states abide by their commitments and continue to cooperate over climate change.
Weaknesses
1. Targets are not legally binding which means that they are just recommendations that do not have to be followed through by states. of recommendations for further action – its rulings and requirements were not legally binding. It took 26 years to make them so
2.outadted. It did not take account of the fact that emissions by developing states would increase rapidly as their economic growth accelerated/ ie china has seen a rapid growth in emissions which was ignored by the UNFCC.
3.
What is the UNFCC?
- The UNFCC is the united nations framework convention of cliamte change which is a forum where global environmental issues are discussed.
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What is the IPCC ?
The intergovernmental panel on climate change which is the international body for assessing the science of climate change.
- Its aim is to tackle climate change and provide regular assessments on the science of climate change , its impacts and future risks , options for adaption
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the IPCC4s
Strengths
1. Transparency- the assessment reports are reported in an objective and open way. For example the fifth report of 201 upgraded its findings to say it is extremely likely that human centred emissions caused climate change
- Consensus- the ipcc has made it increasingly hard for states to ignore the issue and cannot be avoided has put pressure on states to act ie china and the US have put aside there differences to cooperat. furthermore evidence that the Earth’s temperature is rising as a result of human activity – through the production of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, from burning fossil fuels also increased this consensus
- Univerasal membership -195 countries- inclusive to all states. shows that they are generally concerned with the cliamte and not attempting to push a political agenda making it increasingly difficult for states to ignore the issue
Weaknesses
1. outdated- The reports use existing data which are already slow to produce suggesting that they quickly loose relevance for example.. and tend to underestimate climate change issues
- exaggerate- the ipcc has been gevaily criticised for over exaggerating climate dangers in order to push there political agenda which is to further greenhouse emissions cuts for example the 2014 Assessment Report claimed that was is a ‘risk of death, injury, and disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones and small island developing states, due to sea-level rise, coastal flooding and storm surges’ … furthermore it has been criticised on its faith in revolutionary new technologies such as the carbon dioxide capture to deliver the level of mitigation needed to limit climate change
- ant force states to comply with their recommendations - this suggests that they are ineffective because there isnt any compulsion without force
is environmental global governance effective ?
yes
- because there is generally a consensus on the existence of global warming and, to some extent, the scale of it,
NO
- because , it has been difficult to reach agreement on how to mitigate the effects of global warming
- There is disagreement over whether to take a more gradual (shallow-green) or radical (deep-green) approach to environmentally damaging behaviour – a more radical approach risks lower levels of economic growth
- ragedy of the commons
- There is aslo the issue of the tragedy of the commons this is a global probelm that needs global solutions where all states cooperate to solve the issue this is been an increasing problem because not all states abide ie donald trump when he was president was a noticable dissenters ?
What is sustainable development ?
The idea of sustainable development gained currency through the Brundtland Commission Report of 1987, Our Common Future
The report aimed to show how economic growth and poverty reduction should be linked to environmental protection.
What is Ecologism
a political ideology that argues that nature is an interconnected whole, where humans, animals and plants share a self-regulating and mutually sustaining ecosystem.
