IR 002: Lecture 16 Flashcards
What are the 4 main factors helping international peace?
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)
What is a key organization that helps international peace?
The United Nations
How many states are currently in the United Nations?
193 members
How many states were in the United Nations in 1945?
51 members
What are some of the main achievements of the United Nations?
-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
Who are the 5 permanent members of the United Nations Security Council?
-The United States
-Russia
-China
-Britain
-France
What is additional benefit do permanent members of the United Nations security council have?
They can veto any United Nations Security Council resolution
How many rotating members are on the United Nations Security Council?
10 rotating members that are elected every 2 years
What are some critiques of the United Nations Security Council?
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
What are some of the potential criteria for reforms of the United Nations Security Council?
-Economic Criteria
-Demographic Criteria
-Diversity Criteria
What are some of the key powers of the United Nations Security Council?
-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.)
How many times has the United Nations intervened with force?
5
How do peacekeeping operations work?
-Member-states provide the troops
-Goal of “keeping the peace” (ex. monitoring ceasefires and protecting disengagement zones)
When did the United Nations release the declaration of Human Rights?
1948
When did the United Nations release the declaration on independence to colonial countries and peoples?
1960
When did the United Nations release the convention against torture?
1985
What is the United Nations definition of human rights?
Rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status
What are two of the human rights mentioned by the United Nations?
1) Civil/political rights (against state abuses + for political participation)
2) Economic/social rights (for access to essential goods/services)
What are some of the issues the United Nations Security Council has covered in the past?
-(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
What is the United Nations Security Council endorsed concept of “human security”?
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)
What is the United Nations Security Council endorsed concept of “Responsibility to Protect (R2P)”?
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)
What was the budget of the United Nations in 2016?
$6.5 Billion
How many personnel did the United Nations have in 2016?
117,306 personnel
What was the budget of the United Nations in 1993?
$1.5 Billion
How many personnel did the United Nations have in 2000?
78,444 personnel
What is the difference between peacebuilding rather than peacekeeping?
Peacebuilding is much larger and more complex:
-Democratization
-Development
-State-building
-Judicial reform
-Women’s rights
