Global governance: Human rights and environmental

Question 1

The International Court of Justice

Answer 1

• Comprises of 15 judges
• Settles legal disputes submitted to it by states and provides opinions on legal matters. Attempts to enforce the rule of law and create stability and peace

Question 2

UN and special tribunals (Aims):

Answer 2

Judges would judge crimes taking place

Aims:

• Bring justice and punish those accused
• Try heads of government for their actions

Question 3

Humanitarian interventions:

Answer 3

Suggested a more liberal world order in which the international community would be more likely to be more united and less likely to tolerate human right abuses

Question 4

Selective interventionism:

Answer 4

Interference in the territory or domestic affairs of another state with military force

Question 5

The role and significance of the UNFCCC:

Answer 5

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

- The UNFCCC states that nation-states must ‘stabilise’ carbon emissions so that they do not damage the environment

Question 6

The role and significance of the IPCC:

Answer 6

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• It is important because it provides detailed, scientific and impartial research on the way in which the climate is changing and what the impact of this is now and likely to be in the future

Question 7

Competing views about how to tackle environmental issues:

Deep green ecology:

Answer 7

Based on the principle that all life on Earth is of essential value. Human beings have a duty not to exploit the planet since they are part of the ecosystem. Radical steps must be taken to limit humanity’s impact on the environment

Question 8

Competing views about how to tackle environmental issues:

Shallow green ecology:

Answer 8

Shallow green ecology states that the environment needs to be protected in order to ensure that human beings prosper and survive

Question 9

Strengths and weaknesses of international agreements:

Janeiro :

Answer 9

Strengths - The Rio Conference recognised that climate change is an important issue

Weaknesses - Did not provide a mechanism for nation-states to reduce carbon emissions to be monitored

Question 10

Strengths and weaknesses of international agreements:

Kyoto :

Answer 10

Strengths - The Kyoto Conference tried to resolve the challenge of climate change and made it clear that it was a global problem and could only change with collective action
Weaknesses - Highly controversial that responsibility for combating climate change was firmly placed on the developed world

Question 11

Strengths and weaknesses of international agreements:

Copenhagen:

Answer 11

Strengths - The Copenhagen Conference recognised that ‘deep cuts in carbon emissions are required according to science’
Weaknesses - It did not establish binding carbon-reduction targets

Question 12

Strengths and weaknesses of international agreements:

Paris :

Answer 12

Strengths - The Paris Conference recognised that temperature rise in the 21st century must be no more than 2 degrees and nation-states should strive to ensure that it was no higher than 1.5 degrees
Weaknesses - Nation-states are allowed to decide what cuts they are going to make

Question 13

Role/significance of the global civil society and non-state actors in climate change:

Answer 13

Global pressure groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth lobby governments and ensure that the issue of climate change gains worldwide publicity

The involvement of non-state actors in climate change conferences has meant that responsibility for reducing carbon emissions does not lie solely with nation-states