Readings

Question 1

Panke, Institutional Design of UN GA

Answer 1

• UN structure more or less effective equaliser
• Agenda-setting: medium equaliser, all states can contribute but bigger states have more resources and personnel, puts them at advantage
• Negotiation: Weak equaliser, bigger states have more power
• Decision-making: strong equaliser, one-state one-vote

Question 2

Clemencon, Paris Climate Agreement

Answer 2

Positives:

• 100+ countries committed to it and bottom up approach includes more domestic and international actors
• Agreement includes provisions to increase transparency in reporting

Negatives:

• No legally binding emission targets
• Financial support source ambiguous
• No compensation from countries historically responsible for damages

Question 3

Weiss & Welz, UN and AU in Mali

Answer 3

• UN handed over peace enforcement in Rwanda and Somalia to regional orgs – Lower costs, share cultural background
• OAU ineffective at dealing with peace and security, AU created with Peace and Security Council
• UN assisted with capacity building
• UN and AU relatively close cooperation nowadays (joint task forces etc.)
• AU enforces, UN keeps peace once established, but AU repeatedly downgraded

Relations are difficult bcs:

• AU has less capabilities than UN, has to ask for help
• UN more risk-averse when it comes to casualties, AU more risk-assuming
• Geopolitics: resentment in Africa
• Leadership rivalry: unclear who is in charge, AU or UN

To improve:
- AU needs to improve capacity to be less reliant
- AU should be taken more seriously by UN
= UN and AU need each other

Question 4

Hanssen & Johnson Eurafrica and European Integration

Answer 4

• After Suez Crisis 1956 and growing anti-colonisation movements, Europe needs integration to maintain influence in Africa
• EEC created to maintain access to African markets and resources
• Colonialism disguised as development/progress

Question 5

Callaghan & Hubbard, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Answer 5

• Bank meant to finance the ‘one belt, one road’ initiative to reduce transport costs in Asia
• More acceptable to borrow from multilateral org than bilaterally
• US sees it as an attempt to undermine their position
• China frustrated by US restraint in WB and IMF

Criticism of AIIB:
- Votes weighted by shares = China has veto power similar to US in MB and IMF
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