Health and Human rights EQ3 and EQ4 Flashcards
What are the range of geopolitical interventions used to address development and human rights issues?
development aid trade embargoes military aid indirect and direct military action There is seldom consensus about what strategy and the success of that strategy should be used.
What is the responsibility to protect?
A UN law that dictates that all governments have a responsibility to protect its citizens from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
If national government fails to do this responsibility falls to the international community to intervene, including permission for military action.
This agreement was singed by UN member countries in 2005.
What is national sovereignity?
The right a country has to govern itself.
Often conflicts with the responsibility to protect.
What are some criticisms of the responsibility to protect?
Stated outcomes of protection are not always achieved.
intervention is not proportionate to the crisis.
different organisations have different goals and prioritise for intervention.
often used for personal/country own gain
intervention is inconsistent. For example intervention in a civil war is 100 times more likely if the country contains large oil reserves.
What are some motives to intervene?
HUMANITARIAN: offering support to the poorest and least developed countries. protecting human rights, encouraging healthcare and education.
MUTUAL BENEFIT: encouraging FDI, protecting trade routes, strengthening security and stability.
SELF SEEKING: accessing resources, extending sphere of influences.
What is development aid?
Financial aid given to developing countries in order to support their long term social, economic, environmental and political growth.
Often comes from governments, NGOs and IGOs.
Bilateral aid goes directly from one country to another, this can be more targeted and gives the donor more control over what the money is spent on.
Multilateral aid is often channelled through an IGO, meant to limit the power of the donor country.
Development aid, general examples.
1970 UN resolution set a target for all members to spend 0.7% GNI on development aid.
UK was the first G7 country to achieve this donation £12bn to development aid internationally.
The absolute value of aid has risen but the relative value of GNI has decreased.
USA gives the largest absolute value at almost £32 bn, bigger than next two largest combined, but this is less than 0.5% of their GNI.
Norway, Sweden and Luxemburg spend over 1% of their GNI on development aid, high priority human rights.
Who are some of the top recipients of development aid?
Afganistan 2013 recieved over £5,000 million to help fight terrorism and aid social and economic reconstruction.
Myanmar received over £3,000 million to help transition to a civilian democracy and prevent ethnic cleansing.
Kenya receives over £2,000 million to fight HIV/AIDS and poverty.
What are trade embargoes?
A government or international ban of trade with a country. Aims to persuade a country to ends its policy of human rights abuses by hindering its economy and access to resources (such as military weapons).
More serious version of tariffs and quotas.
General trade embragoes.
2011 UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Libya in response to human right abuses.
1980s UN imposed an oil and military embargo on South Africa to pressurize the government to end the policy of Apartheid ( a system of racial segregation that discriminated highly against the black majority in favour of the white minority).
What is military aid?
The donation of money, weapons, equipment or expertise to a country to help them develop their military to protect their borders and conflict with human right abuses e.g gangs and terror groups.
Often given to opposition groups fighting for democracy.
In 2014 £1.3bn was given to Egypt to help fight ISIS.
What is military action?
Often considered a last resort.
Indirect - providing military and political resistance, e.g helping to train forces.
Direct - sending own troops and air strikes that place your country in open conflict.
Military action can be taken at or against the request of another country. Protect from rebel groups or own government.
What are some examples of international intervention players?
IGOs - UN, EU, World Bank.
NGOs - Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch.
National Governments.
What is amnesty internationals mission?
Founded in 1961 in the UK.
Ais to investigate and expose global human right abuses by governments and major companies.
Works alongside grass route activists to ensure UDHR is fully implemented.
Provides education and training so people are made aware of their human rights.
What do human Rights Watch do?
Funded in 1978 originally called Helsinki Watch to monitor the soviets union following of the Helsinki Rules.
Now monitors all governments to ensure the UDHR is followed, used media and direct exchanges with policy makers to publically shame non-compliant governments for violation the UDHR.
