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ITM Master 1. Sem. |
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Internationalisation of Political Decision-Making
Global Political Decision-Making: Example United Nations • The United Nations was established to preserve peace between states after the Second World War. • In a number of ways, the institutions of the United Nations reflected lessons learned from its predecessor, the League of Nations. • The institutions and mechanisms of the United Nations reflect both the demands of Great Power politics (ie. Security Council veto) and universalism. • After the cold war, it became more difficult for states and diplomats to accept that what happened within states was of no concern to outsiders. • It became more common for governments to see active membership in the United Nations as serving their national interest as well as being morally right. • By the mid-1990s the UN had become involved in maintaining international peace and security in three main ways: by resisting aggression between states, by attempting to resolve disputes within states (civil wars), and by focusing on conditions within states, including economic, social and political conditions. • Operations of the United Nations were justified in the traditional way: as a response to a threat to international peace and security. • Any relaxation of the traditional principle of non-intervention had to be treated very cautiously, and new methods of approval in the UN could be advisable. • The number of institutions within the UN system that address economic and social issues has significantly increased. Several Programmes and Funds were created in response to Global Conferences. • Coordination between the various economic and social organisations has been problematic. • Despite a shortage of funds and coordination problems, the UN has done important work in key economic and social areas. • In the late 1990s under the leadership of then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN embarked on an overarching reform effort, which however was not very successful until now and not actively supported by the new Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Example United Nations peacekeeping missions today: Current OperationsAfrica
AmericasAsia and the Pacific
Europe
Middle East
Based mainly on: Baylis & Smith: The Globalization of World Politics |
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Contact:
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS |
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