9.8

Question 1

What are four examples of international organizations?

Answer 1

• the World Bank
• the International Monetary Fund
• World Trade Organization
• United Nations

Question 2

Explain the conduct of the United Nations.

Answer 2

The primary goal of the United Nations is to maintain overall world peace, and it does this in many ways.
- discussion and negotiation
- a security council: US, Russia, China, France, Great Britain, all of which have the veto power
*sometimes ineffective; during the Rwandan Genocide, for example, the UN’s “peacekeeper” troops were unable to stop it from progressing
- International Court of Justice that deals with international disputes
*US and Canadian border conflict regarding the Gulf of Maine discussed here
*used in 1980 when Iranians held US diplomats hostage
- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
*life, prohibition of slavery and torture, gender and ethnic equality, etc.
- Economic and Social Council: leads the humanitarian and economic projects of the UN
*refugee aid: food and shelter
*World Food Program: responds to emergencies and helps to develop agricultural infrastructure in underdeveloped countries

Question 3

What are NGOs?

Answer 3

Non-governmental organizations

Question 4

Give specific examples of NGOs.

Answer 4

• International Peace Bureau: tries to convince advanced nations to discard the use of nuclear weapons and spend less on defense
• International Committee of the Red Cross: provides humanitarian aid to people during natural disasters and war conflicts