IR 002: Lecture 16

Question 1

What are the 4 main factors helping international peace?

Answer 1

1) Distribution of power among the great powers
2) Diplomacy (the process by which representatives of two or more governments meet and discuss matters of common concern)
3) Transnational Forces (economic interdependence: free trade, liberalization and integration of global financial markets, shared democratic values, the emergence of a “global civil society”)
4) International Law (explicit rules that stipulate rights and obligations for states)

Question 2

What is a key organization that helps international peace?

Answer 2

The United Nations

Question 3

How many states are currently in the United Nations?

Answer 3

193 members

Question 4

How many states were in the United Nations in 1945?

Answer 4

51 members

Question 5

What are some of the main achievements of the United Nations?

Answer 5

-Forum for diplomacy
-Promotion of norms (ex. women’s rights)
-Voice for the poor (ex. development of underdeveloped states)
-Effective humanitarian agencies (ex. UN development program, UN world food program, etc.)
-Peacekeeping missions

Question 6

Who are the 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council?

Answer 6

-The United States
-Russia
-China
-Britain
-France

Question 7

What is additional benefit do permanent members of the United Nations security council have?

Answer 7

They can veto any United Nations Security Council resolution

Question 8

How many rotating members are on the United Nations Security Council?

Answer 8

10 rotating members that are elected every 2 years

Question 9

What are some critiques of the United Nations Security Council?

Answer 9

It does not reflect the world anymore:
-The United Nations Security Council members represent 26% of the world’s populations
-2/3 of the United Nations Security Council members population live in China

Question 10

What are some of the potential criteria for reforms of the United Nations Security Council?

Answer 10

-Economic Criteria
-Demographic Criteria
-Diversity Criteria

Question 11

What are some of the key powers of the United Nations Security Council?

Answer 11

-Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter: Promote the pacific settlement of disputes (ex. fact-finding missions, arbitration, investigations, etc.)
-Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter: Take action with respect to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression (ex. use of force, economic sanctions, etc.)

Question 12

How many times has the United Nations intervened with force?

Answer 12

5

Question 13

How do peacekeeping operations work?

Answer 13

-Member-states provide the troops
-Goal of “keeping the peace” (ex. monitoring ceasefires and protecting disengagement zones)

Question 14

When did the United Nations release the declaration of Human Rights?

Answer 14

1948

Question 15

When did the United Nations release the declaration on independence to colonial countries and peoples?

Answer 15

1960

Question 16

When did the United Nations release the convention against torture?

Answer 16

1985

Question 17

What is the United Nations definition of human rights?

Answer 17

Rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status

Question 18

What are two of the human rights mentioned by the United Nations?

Answer 18

1) Civil/political rights (against state abuses + for political participation)
2) Economic/social rights (for access to essential goods/services)

Question 19

What are some of the issues the United Nations Security Council has covered in the past?

Answer 19

-(1990s) Massive human rights abuse, forced displacement, purposeful starvation, etc.
-(2000) HIV/AIDS pandemic as a threat to peace
-(2007) Gradual Recognition of the security consequence of global warming

Question 20

What is the United Nations Security Council endorsed concept of “human security”?

Answer 20

Human security is a child who did not die, a disease that did not spread, a job that was not cut, an ethnic tension that did not explode in violence, a dissident who was not silenced. Human Security is not a concern with weapons- it is a concern with human life and dignity:
-emphasis on prevention (ex. primary healthcare is considered to be an important facet of human security)

Question 21

What is the United Nations Security Council endorsed concept of “Responsibility to Protect (R2P)”?

Answer 21

In situations where a state is manifestly failing to protect its population…the international community has a responsibility to take timely and decisive action” (ex. Intervention in Libya)

Question 22

What was the budget of the United Nations in 2016?

Answer 22

$6.5 Billion

Question 23

How many personnel did the United Nations have in 2016?

Answer 23

117,306 personnel

Question 24

What was the budget of the United Nations in 1993?

Answer 24

$1.5 Billion

Question 25

How many personnel did the United Nations have in 2000?

Answer 25

78,444 personnel

Question 26

What is the difference between peacebuilding rather than peacekeeping?

Answer 26

Peacebuilding is much larger and more complex:
-Democratization
-Development
-State-building
-Judicial reform
-Women’s rights