UN and NATO 6 markers Flashcards
Explain UK involvement in NATO action
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and was set up in the aftermath of WW2. The UK has been a member of NATO since its introduction, with Ernest Bevan being the main drive behind the creation of NATO as foreign secretary from 1945-1951.
Involvement:
- Kosovo 1999: Operation Allied Force to halt the humanitarian crisis. Aims were to stop all military action and violence. NATO set up a no-fly zone + an arms embargo.
- Iraq 2004-2011: Training mission. Trained 5,000 military personnel and 10,000 police.
- Afghanistan 2001-2014: In response to 9/11- NATO invoked Article 5 of NATO charter, wanted to prevent Afghanistan from being a base for terrorism again.
- Libya 2011
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-2004
Explain UK representation in NATO
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Set up in aftermath of WW2. Ernest Bevan was main drive for its creation– foreign secretary 1945-1951.
UK sends a Joint Delegation, to ensure UK interests are being represented. Its principle roles are to:
- promote UK interests in NATO
- Playing an influential role in NATO activities, committees and groups
- Keep UK ministers informed about NATO decisions
UK’s joint delegation is a diplomatic mission consisting of the UK’s ambassador to NATO & a UK military representative to NATO
Current UK ambassador to NATO is David Quarrey since April 2022
UK hosted NATO summit in 2012 in Newport
Explain the EU
The EU is a political and economic union of 27 states, which arose out of the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community established by 6 nations in 1950
6 aims of the EU:
1. Promote peace
2. Establish economic integration: Single European Act of 1985 established ‘four freedoms’- the free movement of goods, services, people and capital (e.g. block internal barriers + customs for trade)
3. To establish and economic and monetary union- single currency
4. To enlarge/expand: 10 new members were admitted to the EU in 2004
5. To create social policy
6. To establish political union
Policy of EU:
- Treaties (Lisbon Treaty, Amsterdam etc.)
- Regulations (e.g. roaming charges- which was updated in 2022 for another 10 years)
- Directives (e.g. 1998 Working Time Directive in UK)
Explain the 4 treaties of the EU
Maastricht (1993)
- Made EEC into EU
- Union given three pillars:
1. European Communities
2. Common foreign & security policy
3. Cooperation in fields of Justice & Home Affairs
- Introduced co-decision procedure (gave parl more power)
- The entire commission must now be approved by the European Parliament
Amsterdam (1999)
- Aim: reform EU in prep of arrival of future countries
- Co-decision procedure simplified + broadened in scope
- Parliament had right to approve Commission President
- Set max number of MEP at 700
Nice (2003)
- Signed in presence of European Parliament President, Nicole Fontaine
- Aim: reform EU’s structure to stand challenges of enlargement (10 countries joined in 2004: Poland, Latvia, Malta etc.)
- Increased Parliament’s legislative and supervisory powers
- Majority voting extended to more areas in council
Lisbon (2009)
- Established creation of permanent European Council President
- Established Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Extended Parl’s full legislative power to more than 40 new fields (e.g. immigration, agriculture)
- Gave MEP’s right to strike down international agreements- Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
Explain the UN
The UN is an international organization founded in 1945
Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter
Article 1 of the UN Charter lists the purposes of the United Nations, which include:
- Strengthening and maintaining peace and respecting human rights
The UN has six main organs that were established under the UN Charter:
- The General Assembly
- The Security Council (Russia, UK, US, France, China- perm.)
- The Economic and Social Council
- The Trusteeship Council
- The International Court of Justice
- The Secretariat
Examples of UN peacekeeping missions:
1. The Korean War from 1950-53.
2. Bosnia (1992-95),
3. Sierra Leone (in 2000, as part of UN intervention between 1999-2006)
4. Libya (2011)
5. Cyprus (since 1974 to current day)
Explain the UK’s relationship with the EU
The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states that arose out of the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community by 6 nations in 1950.
The ‘EU’ was formed by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992.
The UK applied to be a member of the EEC in 1961, De Gaulle blocked it twice- 1963 + 1967
European Communities Act 1972- UK a member
Labour politcian Roy Jenkins became President of the European Commission in 1977
Opt-outs= Social Charter (Major- damage buisnesses)
Schengen Agreement
EU’s area of Security, Freedom and Justice (partial)
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
EU ref- 51.9% leave
EU Withdrawal Bill- left
Explain UK opt-outs of the EU
Schengen Agreement
- Abolish border controls- UK didn’t think it was safe + wanted sovereignty over their borders
- UK secured opt-out out by saying they didn’t sign 1999 Treaty of Amsterdam
- Obtained partial opt-out, could do it by case-by-case basis
Economic and monetary union
- Euro
EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
- Not full opt-out– UK secured clarification of how it would interact with UK law
- Limited extent EU courts could rule on issues if brought to UK courts– wanted parl. to be sov
EU’s area of freedom, security and justice
- Flexible opt-out, opt in/out of leg.
