What are the 5 main functions of the UN ?
- maintaining international peace and security
- promoting sustainable development
- protecting human rights
- upholding international law
- delivering humanitarian aid
how did the second UN security general explain the UN’s role ?
he said “the UN was created not to lead mankind to heaven but to save humanity from hell”
what are the different agencies within the UN ?
- UN general assembly includes all 193 member states and they debate and vote on issues
- security council includes 5 permanent members and 10 others who all take turns. They make key decisions for conflict and security issues
- international court of justice puts war criminals on trial
How did the UN impose sanctions on Iran ?
Iran was considered a ‘rogue state’ and it was attempting to build nuclear weapons. In order to control them the UN imposed economic sanctions such as a trade embargo on their oil exports. This declined oil exports from 2.5 million barrels per day to 1 million which effected global oil prices. As a result Iran agreed to stop their nuclear programme and sanctions where dropped.
how did UN intervention fail in Bosnia ?
the attempts to intervene in the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims led to dutch peacekeepers being put under siege by Bosnian and Serb forces. Several dutch where kidnapped and 8000 Muslim men where killed with 23,000 women being deported some of whom where raped.
what are some of the problems with the UN’s financing ?
- they don’t have an international military due to lack of commitment
- they lack a international govt. and rulings of international court of justice aren’t always respected
- there are inequalities with financing e.g the USA pays 22% of the UN’s annual budget which gives them more power
what are some examples of unilateral action in the UN ?
- the USA acted without the approval of the UN and decided to invade Iraq after 9/11
- the UK proposed unilateral action to condemn the use of chemical weapons in Syria. However they failed to gain approval of the UN security council and parliament
- after Russia’s invasion of Crimea the UN general assembly met to decide on any sanction however they decided not to be to harsh due to their reliance on Russian energy
Why are USA so instrumental in global finances ?
Washington DC is home to two of the most influential organisations: the IMF and the world bank. This means that their western capitalist model dominates these IGOs hence the term the Washington consensus
what are SAPs ?
Structural adjustment programmes. They help countries to repay heir debts such as to the IMF. However the country receiving the debt relief must accept certain conditions.
what are some of the conditions countries must accept to get SAPs ?
- opening up domestic markets and reducing the role of govt.
- removing restrictions on capital
- reducing govt. spending
- devaluing countries currencies to make exports cheaper
what is the HIPC initiative ?
It is the Highly indebted poorer countries initiative and it aims to reduce national debts by writing them off in return for SAPs. It is implemented in many sub Saharan countries such as Tanzania and Somalia
What are some of the conditions of the HIPC initiative ?
countries must show good financial management and lack of corruption. Also they must spend the debt repayments on things like poverty reduction and healthcare.
How did the HIPC initiative aid Uganda’s redevelopment ?
it had debts which totalled $1.9 billion however through the initiative these where cancelled. This brought benefits such as:
- govt. spending rising by 20%
- school enrolment rising from 63% to 93%
- GDP rising from $4.3 billion before debt cancellation to $27.5 15 years after
what are the arguments against SAPs and the HIPC ?
- it opens up the country to TNCs
- promotes the western model of capitalism
- it erodes the economic sovereignty of the country receiving debt relief as they must follow certain conditions
what are the two competing forces when integrating a states geographical area ?
centrifugal forces- pull people apart
centripetal forces- bring people together
what is the united nations environment programme (UNEP)doing to protect the worlds biosphere and atmosphere ?
- they are trying to protect wetlands as they are the most productive ecosystem on the planet. The Ramsar convention attempts to protect this with over 2200 sites globally
- the Montreal protocol has led to a decline in ozone depleting substances (ODSs)
what are the advantages of the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) ?
+membership is almost universal and there is international cooperation
+they have protected many plant and animal species worldwide
+they have risen awareness of endangered species globally
what are the disadvantages of the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) ?
- species not ecosystems are protected so issue such as deforestation aren’t addressed
- species must be under threat before being protected at which point it may be to late
- economic interests may get in the way
What are some of the global environmental issues IGO’s are attempting to address ?
- the over fishing of tuna in the pacific ocean has lead to near extinction
- African elephants are being poached for their ivory pushing them to near extinction
- dispute over the poles for research has led to pollution over there
- a loss of biodiversity due to climate change, over exploitation and invasive alien species
what are the difficulties for IGO’s in managing these global environmental issues ?
- very difficult to monitor fishing and there are so few left its hard to bring back the population. This isn’t helped by the UN convention on laws of the seas which allows exploitation of resources
- countries have seized and stockpiled ivory which they want to sell themselves for the money
- there is no government in the poles so it is hard to control
- at the moment risks of extinction are far greater than conservation and so many countries don’t think its worth it
what are some of the IGO’s trying protect the environment ?
- convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES) protects over 35,000 species of plants
- the water convention aims to protect the quality of water resources
- the millennium ecosystem assessment assesses the impacts of ecosystem change and actions that need to be taken
what is a global common ?
areas of the earth which are not governed by a nation state
how has the global common of Antarctica been managed by international bodies ?
the Antarctic treaty system (ATS) governs it today. It has put hold on territorial claims and has banned military forces there. It has also banned extraction of resources and today it is only allowed to be used for scientific use.
