HEALTH, HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERVENTION CASE STUDIES Flashcards
(16 cards)
The Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention
The Geneva Conventions protect the human right of civilians, wounded soldiers or Prisoners of War during war and conflict. Every country in the world signed the conventions, making it the most successful international laws.
However, despite signing, some countries or militant groups have broken the conventions:
- British Soldiers (during the Afghanistan & Iraq occupation) tortured prisoners and killed
wounded Taliban.
- ISIS rape and assault civilians - Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad received the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for the efforts in combating sexual violence as a war weapon, demonstrating
that it is still an issue of today.
- Any ethnic cleansing is considered breaking the accords. Myanmar’s recent treatment of its Muslim Rohingya minority is considered to be ethnic cleansing.
UN millennium goals
The United Nations (UN)
To improve global health and development, the UN created the UN Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). It consisted of 7 goals, which ran from 2000 - 2015.
Goals included:
● Eradicate Poverty and Hunger
● Universal Primary Education
● Combat AIDs, HIV, Malaria and other diseases
● Develop Global Partnerships for Development
● Promote Gender Equality
● Reduce Infant Mortality
● Improve Maternal Health
● Encourage Environmental Sustainability
The UN monitored progress of countries involved and provided some funds for projects. Despite some progress, the MDGs were unsuccessful in achieving its goals.
The UDHR
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
The UN created the UDHR to bring peace and international cooperation. There are 30 articles,
which include:
● Everyone is born free and equal.
● Everyone has the right to an opinion and freedom to express it.
● Everyone has the right to marry.
● Everyone has the right to a nationality and to belong to a country.
There is inconsistencies in how countries interpret the UDHR. This may be because the UDHR is
largely based on Western morals and values, so doesn’t account for some alternative religions or
governance styles. Not all countries - as a result - have signed the UDHR.
Human Rights Report (2016)
Besides IGOs, some governments are trying to improve global human rights. The British
Government created the Human Rights Report, which identifies 30 human rights priority countries
(HRPCs) as having inadequate rights or intentional persecution of its people.
Both the UDHR and Human Rights Report are successful in creating awareness for states with
bad human rights records. It enables:
● Foreign Office to discourage tourists, where they are likely to cause conflict or be arrested.
● NGOs such as Amnesty International to direct their efforts in lobbying governments for change.
● Other governments may put sanctions in place against countries who don’t take their human rights seriously.
Sharia Law
Sharia Law is a system of Islamic religious law derived from the Quran, the Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), and interpretations by Islamic scholars. It governs both personal behaviour and legal matters, covering aspects like prayer, fasting, marriage, finance, and criminal justice.
Western countries may disagree with Sharia Law for several reasons:
It can conflict with secular legal systems that separate religion from state.
Some interpretations involve punishments (like flogging or amputation) that are seen as violations of human rights.
It may restrict freedoms related to gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and freedom of speech or religion.
Bolivia under the rule of Evo Morales
Under Evo Morales (2006–2019), Bolivia saw major political and social changes. Morales was the country’s first Indigenous president and a leader of the socialist Movement for Socialism (MAS) party. He focused on reducing poverty, expanding Indigenous rights, and nationalizing key industries like gas and mining to boost public spending on education and health.
His presidency brought economic growth and reduced inequality, but critics accused him of undermining democracy—especially after he ran for a fourth term despite a referendum opposing it. His time in office ended amid protests and allegations of election fraud, leading to his resignation and exile in 2019.
Evo Morales’ presidency (2006–2019) had several key successes:
- Economic growth: Bolivia saw steady GDP growth, largely due to nationalized gas and mining industries.
- Poverty reduction: Extreme poverty dropped significantly, and income inequality decreased.
- Indigenous rights: He promoted Indigenous identity, culture, and political representation, making Bolivia a plurinominal state in a new constitution.
- Social programs: Morales expanded healthcare, education, and social welfare through state-funded initiatives.
- Stability: His early years brought political and economic stability after decades of turmoil.
UK vs. India
United Kingdom:
- The North–South Divide refers to economic and social differences between Southern England (especially London and the South East) and Northern regions (like the North East, North West, and parts of the Midlands).
- The South tends to have higher income, better job opportunities, and more investment.
- The North often faces higher unemployment, lower life expectancy, and poorer public services, due to deindustrialization and less government focus.
- Industrial Revolution: Northern England thrived during the Industrial Revolution with industries like coal, steel, and textiles. However, as these industries declined in the 20th century, the North faced economic downturns, while the South, especially London, transitioned to a service-based economy.
- Deindustrialization: Post-WWI and during the Great Depression, the North’s economy weakened due to outdated industries and competition, leading to higher unemployment and social unrest.
- Policy Decisions: Government policies in the late 20th century, particularly under Margaret Thatcher, favoured the South’s economic model, leading to further decline in Northern industries.
- A 2025 report highlighted a “skills chasm,” with only 29% in Hull and East Yorkshire holding degrees, compared to 71% in London.
India:
- In India, the South (e.g., Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka) is generally more developed in terms of literacy, healthcare, and economic growth.
- The North (e.g., Uttar Pradesh, Bihar) faces challenges like lower education levels, higher poverty, and population pressure.
- Reasons include historical differences, governance quality, investment, and social development indicators.
- Colonial Legacy: British colonial policies favored certain regions, leading to uneven development. The South benefited from investments in education and infrastructure, while the North lagged.
- Freight Equalisation Policy (1952–1993): This policy subsidized transportation of minerals across India, discouraging industrial investment in mineral-rich eastern and central states, and benefiting coastal and southern states.
- Political Dynamics: Recent political strategies, such as the proposed redrawing of parliamentary constituencies, may increase representation for populous northern states, potentially marginalizing the economically vibrant South.
Saudi Arabia
Large Amounts of Gender Inequality
- Male Guardianship: The 2022 Personal Status Law codifies male guardianship, requiring women to obtain a male guardian’s approval for marriage and certain healthcare decisions.
- Legal Discrimination: Women encounter unequal treatment in marriage, divorce, and child custody cases. Men can file cases against female relatives for “disobedience,” potentially leading to imprisonment or forced return to their guardian’s home.
- Political Representation: As of February 2024, women held only 19.9% of seats in parliament.
- Workforce Participation: Women’s participation in the labour force has increased, reaching 35.8% in the second quarter of 2024, surpassing government targets.
Key Achievements:
- Health: Life expectancy has risen from around 60 years in the 1970s to over 75 years today due to better healthcare access and reduced child mortality.
- Education: Literacy rates have greatly improved (over 95% among youth), and universities have expanded. Female enrolment in higher education has surged.
- Income: Saudi Arabia has a high Human Development Index (HDI)—0.875 in 2021, placing it in the “Very High Human Development” category, thanks to oil wealth and growing investment in infrastructure and public services.
- Vision 2030: A national reform plan aiming to diversify the economy, improve public sector efficiency, and increase women’s participation in the workforce.
International laws and international agreements
Positive Impacts
- Standard-setting: International treaties like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) set universal norms for rights such as freedom, equality, and protection from torture.
- Accountability mechanisms: Bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC) and UN Human Rights Council can investigate abuses, issue reports, and pressure violators.
- Support for victims: International law allows victims to seek justice through regional courts (e.g., European Court of Human Rights) or UN bodies.
- Conditional aid and diplomacy: Countries and institutions (like the EU) often tie aid and trade deals to human rights performance.
Challenges and issues
- Sovereignty issues: Many states reject external interference, making enforcement difficult without their consent.
- Non-compliance: Countries may sign treaties but fail to implement them domestically or ignore rulings.
- Selective enforcement: Political interests often determine which abuses are addressed, leading to accusations of double standards.
- Weak enforcement tools: Most human rights agreements lack strong sanctions or enforcement mechanisms.
China - Economic developments vs. human rights
Economic Development in China
- Since the 1980s, market reforms and global trade have made China the world’s second-largest economy.
- Poverty rates dropped dramatically—from over 80% in 1981 to under 1% by 2020 (World Bank).
- Major investments in infrastructure, education, and health improved general living standards.
Human Rights Concerns:
Despite economic gains, China is widely criticized for suppressing basic rights:
- Civil and Political Rights
Censorship and surveillance: Tight control over media, internet access (e.g., the “Great Firewall”), and dissenting voices.
- Crackdown on dissent: Arrests of activists, lawyers, journalists, and religious leaders.
- Lack of free elections: The Communist Party maintains strict one-party rule, with limited public political participation.
- Ethnic and Religious Rights
Uyghur Muslims: Widespread reports of mass detention, forced labour, and cultural suppression in Xinjiang have drawn global condemnation.
- Tibet and Hong Kong: Strong restrictions on autonomy, protest, and local governance.
- Labour Rights
Trade unions are state-controlled, and independent unionizing is prohibited.
- Migrant workers often face poor conditions, limited legal protections, and wage abuses.
Military Intervention: Iraq 2003
Key Facts
Start Date: March 20, 2003
Main Players: U.S., U.K., and coalition allies
Official Justification: Iraq was accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and having links to terrorist groups like al-Qaeda.
⚖️ Legal and Ethical Controversy
No UN Security Council authorization explicitly permitted the use of force.
The WMDs were never found, undermining the original rationale.
The war is widely seen as a violation of international law, particularly the UN Charter.
💥 Consequences
Saddam Hussein was overthrown and later executed.
Triggered a long and bloody insurgency and sectarian conflict.
Led to the rise of ISIS due to power vacuums and disbandment of Iraqi military.
Over 200,000 civilians died (by some estimates), with millions displaced.
Damaged U.S. and U.K. credibility and increased anti-Western sentiment in the Middle East.
Military Intervention: Libya
The military intervention in Libya in 2011 was a NATO-led operation aimed at protecting civilians during the country’s civil uprising against dictator Muammar Gaddafi, but it ended up contributing to long-term instability.
Summary:
Background: Inspired by the Arab Spring, Libyans revolted against Gaddafi’s 42-year rule. His forces violently cracked down on protesters, leading to a civil war.
- UN Mandate: The UN Security Council (Resolution 1973) authorized international action to protect civilians, including a no-fly zone.
- NATO Intervention: NATO forces, led by the U.S., U.K., and France, began airstrikes in March 2011 targeting Gaddafi’s military to stop attacks on civilians.
- Outcome: Gaddafi was killed in October 2011. The intervention helped end his regime but failed to support post-war reconstruction.
- Aftermath: Libya fell into chaos, with rival militias and governments battling for control. It became a hotspot for human trafficking, armed conflict, and extremism, including ISIS activity.
Controversy:
Critics say NATO exceeded its mandate and that the intervention lacked a plan for peacebuilding, leaving a power vacuum and worsening human rights conditions.
Military Intervention: Serbia
Conflict: Ethnic tensions in Kosovo escalated into war between Serbian forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
Humanitarian Crisis: Reports of ethnic cleansing, mass killings, and forced displacement of Kosovo Albanians prompted global concern.
NATO Action: Without UN approval, NATO launched Operation Allied Force—a 78-day bombing campaign (March–June 1999) targeting Serbian military and infrastructure.
Outcome: Serbian forces withdrew from Kosovo, and the region came under UN administration. Kosovo later declared independence in 2008 (not recognized by Serbia and some other states).
Controversy: The intervention was criticized for bypassing the UN, causing civilian casualties, and setting a precedent for military action on humanitarian grounds.
Aid Failures in Haiti Following the 2010 Earthquake
- Poor Coordination and Oversight
Fragmented response: Hundreds of NGOs operated independently with little coordination or accountability. - Government bypassed: Many aid organizations ignored Haiti’s weak government, undermining national capacity and long-term rebuilding efforts.
- Slow Reconstruction
Decades later, many people still live in temporary shelters. - Less than 10% of rubble was cleared in the first year, hampering rebuilding.
- Promised infrastructure projects and housing were delayed or never completed.
- Misuse and Mismanagement of Funds
Reports show only a small fraction of aid reached Haitian organizations or the population directly. - The American Red Cross, for example, raised nearly $500 million but was heavily criticized for building just six permanent homes. As well as several volunteers soliciting Haitian prostitutes.
- Much of the money went to foreign contractors and overhead costs in donor countries.
- Cholera Outbreak
UN peacekeepers introduced cholera into Haiti later in 2010, leading to a public health crisis that killed over 10,000 people—an avoidable tragedy linked directly to international actors. - Short-Term Focus
Aid was largely humanitarian, not developmental—focused on emergency relief rather than long-term solutions. - Haiti became more dependent on foreign assistance, with limited investment in sustainable economic growth or self-reliance.
Key Stats:
- Only 2% of American aid went to Haitian organizations.
- Up to 40% of U.S. aid went to U.S.-based companies and contractors.
- Over 60% of Haitians still lived in poverty a decade later.
Aid Failures in Bangladesh
Key Problems
- Top-down aid delivery: Donors often bypass local governments and communities, limiting effectiveness and local ownership.
- Corruption and misuse: Aid funds have at times been lost to bureaucratic inefficiencies or diverted by corrupt officials.
- Donor-driven agendas: Projects are frequently designed by foreign agencies without aligning with Bangladesh’s actual needs.
- Short-term focus: Many initiatives have focused on immediate relief (e.g., food aid) rather than sustainable development or resilience building.
- Overlapping NGO work: Hundreds of NGOs operate in Bangladesh, sometimes duplicating efforts without coordination.
Example: Rohingya Refugee Crisis (2017–present)
Billions in aid have supported Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, but:
- Refugees remain dependent on handouts, with little access to education or jobs.
- The aid effort has had limited long-term planning or integration with local communities.
- Host communities have seen rising tension and resource strain, as much of the aid bypassed them.
Result
Despite decades of aid, structural poverty and inequality persist, and Bangladesh remains vulnerable to climate change, frequent flooding, and economic shocks.
Lack of intervention in Guantanamo Bay
Key Reasons:
- U.S. Jurisdiction: Guantanamo Bay is under U.S. control, limiting the ability of international bodies to intervene directly.
- Terrorism and Security Justifications: The U.S. government has defended Guantanamo as essential for detaining terrorism suspects, citing national security concerns.
- Legal Ambiguity: Detainees have been held without trial under the label of “enemy combatants,” exploiting loopholes in international law that complicate human rights enforcement.
- Lack of Political Will: While criticized globally, many allies have hesitated to challenge the U.S. directly due to geopolitical alliances and power dynamics.
- Domestic Resistance: Efforts by U.S. presidents (e.g., Obama) to close the facility faced strong political opposition in Congress.
Human Rights Concerns
- Widespread allegations of torture, indefinite detention, and lack of fair trials have been condemned by human rights groups and the UN, but no effective international action has been taken due to the factors above.
Lack of intervention in China
Key Reasons:
Global Economic Influence:
China is the second-largest economy and a major trading partner for many countries. Nations are often reluctant to risk economic ties by directly confronting China over human rights.
Political and Diplomatic Power:
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China can veto any UN resolution aimed at sanctions or intervention, limiting formal international action.
Sovereignty and Non-Interference:
China strongly upholds the principle of non-interference in domestic affairs and rejects outside criticism as foreign meddling. Many countries respect or fear challenging this stance.
Control of Information:
The Chinese government strictly controls media, internet access, and civil society, limiting external visibility and pressure on domestic human rights issues, such as in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong.
Divided International Response:
While some Western democracies criticize China’s actions, many developing nations or authoritarian governments align with or stay neutral due to Chinese investment and diplomatic influence, especially through the Belt and Road Initiative.
⚠️ Examples of Human Rights Concerns:
Mass detentions of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Crackdowns on freedom of speech, religion, and press.
Suppression of Hong Kong’s autonomy and pro-democracy movements.
