EQ3 MIS Flashcards
(26 cards)
Why and when was the UN formed?
The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 to establish a peaceful and fair world. It was the first IGO to be set up after the Second World War, and its importance in global governance has continued to grow.
- The first IGO established post-war
Importance of the UN (4)
Based in New York, the UN became the first IGO established post-war and is important because:
It helps maintains international peace and security
It functions in managing global environmental, socio-economic and political problems
Promotes the principles of human rights and equal rights for all through its commitment to economic and social development
It has a role in global governance through fostering cooperation and dialogue among nations
UN members 1945- currently
Why does it have authority?
The UN’s Membership has grown from the original 51 Member States in 1945 to the current 193 Member States.
All UN Member States are members of the General Assembly.
- Has authority as almost every country in the world is a member
When joining the UN, what has to be signed?
According to this, what are the UN’s aims? (4)
When countries join the UN, they have to sign the United Nations Charter. This sets out the basic principles of global governance and the functions of the UN. According the Charter, the UN’s aims are:
* to maintain global peace and security.
* to develop friendly relations between nations.
* to use cooperation to solve international problems.
* to bring countries together to settle disputes.
What are the key UN environmental agencies and initiatives? (4)
- what’s their function?
1) UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) – Coordinates environmental activities and assists countries in implementing sound policies.
2) IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) – Provides scientific assessments on climate change.
3) UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) – The main body handling global climate agreements.
4) SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) – Especially Goal 13 (Climate Action), Goal 14 (Life Below Water), and Goal 15 (Life on Land).
What’s the Un environmental agencies key successes?
UNEP
- Montreal protocol, what % of ozone depleting substances did it help phase out?
- What did it advocate for post the 2008 financial crisis?
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Mandate: Coordinates environmental activities and assists countries in implementing sustainable policies.
Key Successes:
Montreal Protocol (1987):
Helped phase out 99% of ozone-depleting substances.
Widely considered the most successful environmental agreement to date.
Global Environment Outlook (GEO) Reports:
Comprehensive assessments that guide environmental policy globally.
Promoting Green Economy:
Advocated for sustainable development pathways post-2008 financial crisis.
What’s the Un environmental agencies key successes?
UNFCCC
- Paris agreement and annual COP conferences
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Mandate: Leads global climate negotiations and frameworks.
Key Successes:
Paris Agreement (2015):
Nearly universal participation.
Countries committed to limiting global warming well below 2°C.
Annual COP Conferences:
Keeps climate change on the international agenda.
Facilitates cooperation between developed and developing nations.
What’s the Un social agencies key successes?
World health organisation (WHO)
- smallpox
- polio
- covid 19
World Health Organization (WHO)
Mandate: Lead international public health efforts.
Successes:
Eradication of Smallpox (1980):
A major global health milestone, coordinated by WHO.
Polio Elimination Campaigns:
Polio nearly eradicated worldwide.
COVID-19 Response Coordination:
Led global guidance, vaccine access efforts (COVAX), and data tracking.
What’s the Un social agencies key successes?
United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR)
- support provided to two many displaced people?
- 1951 refugee convention
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Mandate: Protect refugees and displaced persons.
Major Successes:
Provided shelter, food, legal aid, and support to over 100 million displaced people.
Instrumental in refugee resettlement programs and emergency responses (e.g., Syria, Rohingya crisis, Ukraine).
Helped develop and enforce the 1951 Refugee Convention.
What’s the Un social agencies key successes?
UN women
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
Mandate: Advance women’s rights and gender equality.
Major Successes:
Global advocacy for laws protecting women from violence.
Support for women in politics and leadership in multiple countries.
Key player in achieving gender-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
What’s the UN’s economic agencies key successes?
United Nations development programme (UNDP)
- HDI
- support in how many countries ?
- poverty reduction projects
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Mandate: Promote sustainable development, poverty reduction, and economic resilience.
Major Successes:
Human Development Index (HDI):
Introduced a new way to measure development beyond GDP—focusing on health, education, and standard of living.
Support in 170+ countries:
Technical and financial assistance for democratic governance, inclusive economic growth, and disaster resilience.
Poverty Reduction Projects:
Helped lift millions out of poverty through sustainable livelihood programs.
What’s the UN’s economic agencies key successes?
United Nations industrial development organisation (UNIDO)
- SUPPORT FOR WHOM
- what had it helped build
- what has it promoted
- where has it boosted industrial innovation?
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Mandate: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development.
Major Successes:
Support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs):
Helped build industrial capacity in developing economies.
Cleaner Production and Eco-Industrial Parks:
Promoted environmentally friendly and sustainable industries.
Technology Transfer and Skills Training:
Boosted industrial innovation in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Success of Un political agencies:
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
- How many peace keeping operations has it deployed since 1948?
- Where has it helped end/ manage conflicts
-where has it enforced sanctions
- authorisation of military interventions where and why (2)
- Limitations
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
Mandate: Maintain international peace and security.
Major Successes:
Peacekeeping Missions:
Deployed over 70 peacekeeping operations since 1948.
Helped end or manage conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia, East Timor, and Kosovo.
Sanctions and Diplomatic Pressure:
Enforced sanctions to pressure regimes (e.g., Iran, North Korea).
Authorization of Military Interventions:
Approved actions to protect civilians, e.g., Libya (2011), Côte d’Ivoire (2011).
Limitations: Limitations:
Frequently blocked by veto powers (e.g., on Syria, Ukraine).
Accused of political bias and inaction in certain crises.
Success of Un political agencies:
United Nations Department of Political and Peace building Affairs (DPPA)
United Nations Department of Political and Peace building Affairs (DPPA)
Mandate: Prevent conflict, mediate political crises, and support peace processes.
Major Successes:
- Conflict Prevention and Mediation:
Successfully facilitated negotiations in Colombia (FARC peace deal) and Yemen ceasefires.
- Support for Democratic Transitions:
Assisted in peaceful elections and transitions in Burkina Faso, Tunisia, and Nepal.
- Early Warning Systems:
Helps prevent escalation of tensions in fragile states.
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
Background
- first country in the Persian gulf to discover what?
- what % of economy is centrally planned?
- 2022 estimated revenue value
- withholds what % of worlds proven oil and gas reserves
- what is Iran considered as ?
- At the time, Iran was the world’s fourth largest oil exporting country
- first country in the pERSIAN GULF TO DISOCVER OIL- PETROLEUM HAS BEEN A PRIMARY INDUSTRY
- 60% of Iran’s economy is centrally planned- dominated by oil and gas production
- estimated revenue of $20-22 billion in 2022
- withholds 10% of the world’s proven oil reserves
- 15% of the worlds gas reserves
- Iran considered an ‘energy superpower’
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
Reason for the un intervention
The UN imposed a trade embargo on Iran in 2006 primarily due to concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. The international community, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and major powers like the US and EU, feared that Iran’s nuclear activities were not solely for peaceful purposes and could lead to nuclear weapons development.
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
dESCRIPTION OF THE iNTERVENTION
2006- The UN Security Council passed a resolution suspending Iranian uranium enrichment as they were thought to e producing a nuclear weapon. Threatened further sanction if they did not cease enrichment activity.
- By the end of 2006, imposed sanctions banning supply of nuclear materials and tech- froze assets of individuals and companies involved in the enriching./
- Iran did not respond in a. satisfactory manner, so sanctions extended to 2010.
- Extension included arms embargo, asset freeze extension and travel bans for individuals involved.
June 2010- The security council froze assets of Iranian revolutionary Guard and Islamic republic of Iran shipping lines.
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
reasons for failed success- what happened in 2009/10
Debates surrounding Iran’s nuclear program intensified in September 2009 when the United States, Britain and France revealed that Iran was building a uranium enrichment facility in a mountain near Qom. Although Iran maintained that the Qom facility was being developed for peaceful purposes and reported its existence to the IAEA, the Security Council emphasized a February 2010 report in which the IAEA noted that Iran continued to enrich uranium. By April 2010, it appeared that Russia and China - Iran’s traditional supporters on the Security Council - might reconsider their tolerance of Iran’s nuclear program as the USA, France, and Great Britain pushed for a resolution approving more sanctions.
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
reasons for failed success- continued enrichment of uranium without external interference.
Nevertheless, Iran vowed to continue enriching uranium, citing its right to do so without external interference and within the limits of international law. Indeed, Iran has demonstrated compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and the countries that have backed sanctions have provided no evidence to the contrary. In fact, in December 2007, U.S. intelligence services declared that Iran had ended its nuclear weapons research in 2003. In spite of these revelations, Washington’s policy remained firm. In March 2008, the Security Council passed Resolution 1803 to reaffirm and uphold previous sanctions.
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
success (economic)
Slowed nuclear development:
Sanctions increased the cost and difficulty of Iran’s nuclear advancement.
Also increased the transactional costs of doing business with the sanctioned nation.
Economic sanction: Trade embargo imposed on Iran- UN
- Iran ignoring grace period offer
- who did this affect the most and why is this a criticism?
- Despite IAE’s offer to Tehran of a 60 day grace period where halting the countries uranium enrichment would be exchanged for un sanctions, Iran did not take it up and ignored the sanctions. This shows a failure of the intervention as Iran were able to just ignore their offers.
- The harsh sanctions have had an impact on all branches of the economy, but are increasingly affecting vulnerable patients as deliveries of medicine and raw materials for Iranian pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment for hospitals were stopped. This is a criticism of the intervention, as it caused more impacts to innocent civilians in Iran - going against the UN’s aims of protecting human rights and reducing injustice.
Unilateral action against Russia (UN)
Background info
- what did Russia do in 2014, what did it argue to back this up?
- what happened on march 16th 2014
- what as the outcome of this?
- What did the EU say
- what did the resolution buy the UN recognise.
2014- Russian backed forces seized control of Crimea, attempting to regain political influence over the country.
- Despite Ukraine gaining independence in 1991, Russia argued it had a historic claim to it (as was previously part of its empire)
march 16th 2014- A referendum was held with 2 options on the ballot: 1) Asked the local population if they wanted to join the Russian referendum. 2) Asked if Crimeans wanted to restore the 1992 constitution and Ukraine’s status as part of Russia.
Result- 95.5% of voters voted in favour of joining Russia.
- The vote was condemned by the EU as ‘illegal and illegitimate’ and its outcomes ‘ill not be recognised’.
- A 2014 resolution by the UN recognises the territorial integrity of the Ukraine, rejecting the results of the referendum as being illegitimate.
Unilateral action against Russia (UN)
Reason for the UN intervention
- specific targets
- what did the Un resolution state
- how many countries approved
- how many UN countries voted against it
- Did Russia’s close partners follow their voting pattern, what does this highlight?
- Russia wanted to annex Crimea
- the sanctions were imposed against individuals, businesses and officials from Russia and Ukraine
- Specific target on technological transfers, Russian Banks and Russian assets.
- the resolution ‘deplores in the strongest terms’ to aggression buy Russia and affirms the international community’s commitment to sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It calls for unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance.
- The text was approved by 141 countries- only 5 UN members vote against it: Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria.
- Many of rUSSIA’S CLOSEST PARTNERS DID NOIT FOLLOW THEIR VOTING PATTERN
sUCCESS OF UNILATERAL ACTION against Russia:
- what is called upon all states to do
- where was Russia suspended from
- Crimea remaining in Ukraine
- prevention of Russian military offensive where?
- How much $ was Russia forced to pay off (debt) between 2014 and June 2019?
- how much did Russia’s economy recess by in 2015?
- It is called upon all states to not recognise these territories as part of Russia.
- Russia was suspended from the G8
- Rejected the referendum and annexation of Crimea- resulting in it remaining part of Ukraine.
- They stopped the Russian military offensive in ‘Nororossiya’ (east Ukraine)
- Russia was forced to pay off 250 billion USD of debt between 2014 and June 2019.
- Russia’s economy went into a recession (-2.2%) in 2015.
