IO 305 Flashcards
Obligations of MS for UN
Give up the use of force (except self-defense)
carry out UNSC decisions
Can’t enter into treaties that contradict the Charter
Enforcement of the UNGA
can make recommendations of sanctions, arms embargoes, cultural isolation, and more.
why was the UN made?*
- international peace and security
- The UN is established for peaceful dispute settlements.
- Generating development
- Protection/Promotion of HRs
Why is the composition of the UN so complicated?
because of the 4 purposes - peace and security, protection/promotion of HRs, generating development, peaceful dispute settlements.
and because largest and smallest MS and have equal proportionality in the UNGA
also because beyond the 6 organs there are so many specialized organizations/funds + subsidiary bodies
Peacekeeping/Peace enforcement/Humanitarian Intervention
humanitarian intervention IS NOT equal to peacekeeping (its forceful).
Humanitarian intervention:
- doesn’t require the consent of the UNSC
- no consent - like two invasions of behalf of HRs.
- Goes against the sovereignty right. - Harms civilians
Peacekeeping = consent
UNSC resolutions = decides to have a peacekeeping
UNGA = is to keep it (volunteering troops, money, supplies, etc).
three components:
1. impartial between two sides in the conflict
2. Can only use force to defend their own lives
3. Consented to by the local governments
Peace-enforcement
1. military isn’t consensual nor impartial
2. Authorized to accomplish the political goals of the UNSC
“One dollar, one vote”
Both IMF and WB use this, it means the voting power is directly ties to the financial contributions.
See the problem??
US and China get to determine what the money goes to
Main feature of IMF?
BLANCE OF PAYMENTS is a record of all economic transactions between a country and the rest of the world over a set period. It includes money coming in and going out due to trade, investments, and financial transfers. The IMF uses it to assess a country’s economic health and stability.
Imagine Country A exports cars to Country B, earning $1 billion from the sales. At the same time, Country A imports electronics from Country B, costing $600 million.
In the balance of payments for Country A:
The $1 billion from car exports counts as money coming in.
The $600 million for electronics imports counts as money going out.
The balance here would show a $400 million surplus in trade, meaning Country A is earning more from its exports than it’s spending on imports. This surplus would contribute positively to Country A’s balance of payments.
Structural adjustment reform conditions:
This is what is imposed when a state takes a loan from IMF
- Fiscal austerity - the government must shorten the spendings, on civil servant wages, have to fire some, no more bonuses etc. ALWAYS adds extra taxes on people
- Reduction in government subsidies to domestic industries
- universities, agriculture, etc. - Reduction to Tariffs, quotas, and other barriers to imports
harshest one no buying foreign products, just domestics - Capital market liberalization
- reduces restrictions on foreign investment - get European companies to come into Turkey and pay the workers in euros - Privatization - selling off government owned industries to the private sector, now the government doesn’t have to pay for the wages, its a one time, big income.
Why the treaty established the IMF**
learn word for word:
- Promote monetary cooperation
- Facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade
- IMF is a supportive organ of the liberal international market system - Promote exchange stability
- Assist in the establishment of a multilateral system of payments
- Making resources available (with safeguards) to members experiences balance-of-payments difficulties
Since the establishment of the IMF, countries like Canada, Germany, US, etc, are members and each year they make lots of contributions to the IMF but they don’t take out loans, why should they continue being members? **
- Balance of payments
- Operates on the ‘one dollar, one vote’ so the voting power is directly tied to the financial contributions. this system ensures that countries with larger economies have a greater say in the decision-making, but it also raises concerns about the influence wielded by wealthier nations over developing countries.
- economic dependence
Why do governments not opt for taking loans from the IMF even if they really need it? Or why do governments who ask for loans by the IMF never get re-elected.
What happens when a state loans:
STEP ONE: The state goes under scrutiny for why the exchange rates are so bad. then the government goes under scrutiny, what is the government pay for? What kind of resources do they have? Are they bribing? Over-paying state servants? Too many planes for PM ;)?
STEP 2: The IMF calculates the amount to be paid, this is fun, because it’s a negotiation
STEP 3: The IMF makes the contract between the asking country and the IMF. Then, repayment conditions which are very strict, if the state doesn’t adhere to it, then there’s even more interest added.
a. Structural adjustment reforms * - are imposed on the borrower from the IMF, and it’s political reforms
- it impacts the population directly, and it suffers harshly. The
The IMF prescribes reforms to get money (structural adjustment reforms ) in the treasury.
Bring a Marxist approach to the IMF structure**
this entails a first to explain the IMF structure and then the Marxist critique
the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s governance structure is rooted in the principle of weighted voting, where a country’s influence is proportional to its financial contribution of the organization.
The Marxist approach heavily criticizes the structure of the IMF as it ensures a system that keeps the developing countries to remain developing country, and allows the dominant states to maintain their exploitive powers to ensure they obtain the resources, powers, and most dominance in the international system.
It ensures that there is economic dependence on behalf of the developing countries
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WILL NEVER BECOME DEVELOPED WITH THE IMF ENSURING ECONOMIC DEPENDENCY
The World bank
Twin sister to the IMF
actually called the *international bank for reconstruction and development BRD not the WB
so it’s for reconstruction and development
Obligation of IMF (States → IMF)
- standard obligations: Non-borrowing states only have a few
- contribute resources to the pool
- support the organization
- participate in plenary bodies
a) Members shall pay their duties
b) Members allow some surveillance**
IMF monitors the policies, + regional, national, and international developments. - Borrowing states - pay it back!
Compare IMF to WB
IMF:
- new liberal economy
- support the flow of the new liberal order
- Help states by giving loans from the pooled resources - these loans have interests
- the loans become sovereign debt
World Bank:
- pools resources, from the pool credits, but low-interest rates
- the credits are given for developmental projects can be private sector, finances etc.
Obligations of WB
-Members are also shareholders
-All member also contribute to the common pool of resources
-members are obligated to purchase shares
- those who borrow, agree to the trade of the loan
WB enforcement
- Borrowing = part of sovereign debt
- loans shall be repayed according to the Rules
- No straightforward enforcement
- Corruption → biggest obstacle to reduce poverty
1/3 is perceived to be normal
SDGs!! (17) quality education, no poverty, zero hunger, gender equality, etc.
UNSC Resolution
If it’s condemning = political persuasion
Assets freeze = individual measures
“all options are on the table” = we know that there is a military operation.
Key Provisions of the UNSC
If an issue is considered a threat to international peace and security (Art. 39), it isn’t within a states jurisdiction (Art. 2(7))
if there isn’t such threat, the UNSC has no power
Legal obligations of UNSC decisions:
- must be based on a finding of a breach or threat to international peace and security
- problem, the Council decides what international peace and security is, and what’s going against it
How does the UNSC define threats to international peace and security?*
legally speaking, this doesn’t exist
before 9/11 it was listed as:
1) genocide
2) crimes against humanity
3) crimes of aggression
4) war crimes
after that though, the UNSC started targeting tailed measures - more robust measures
- travel ban, freezing assets
due to critique, the UNSC started to implement steps:
- political persuasion. Ex. Condemning through Resolution
- Implementing individual measures - freezing assets, travel bans, etc.
- Last step - use of force
- rarely used
What is confusing about the interpretation definition of threat to international peace and security? *
because it’s subjective
It’s what is described as such in a UN Resolution.
Principle Obligations of Members of WTO that came from GATT
Art. 1 - “most favored nation” - treats goods from all trading partners the same.
Art. 11 - “Schedule of concession” - maintain a public and fixed set of tariffs for imports
Art. 111 - “national treatment” - treats imports no worse than domestically produced goods
WTO principles + main objective
- lowering trade barriers to encourage trade
-non-discrimination between trading partners - predictability and transparency to encourage investment
- discouraging ‘unfair’ trade practices
main objective is to promote free trade
why did the transition from the GATT to the WHO happen? What changed?
- intellectual property rights
- dispute resolution processes
- agricultural trade
- subsidies
1995 - WTO
