YR 2- Global Politics: institutions Flashcards
(43 cards)
When was the UN officially established?
1945
What was the creation of the UN a reaction to?
A reaction to the 2 world wars, the Holocaust, and the failures of the League of Nations
Summarise in 1 sentence what the United Nations is
The UN is a global diplomatic and political organisation dedicated to international peace and stability
The UN initially had how many members?
41 member states
How many members does the UN have today?
193 members
Identify the 4 main goals of the UN
1) maintain international peace / security
2) develop friendly relations among nations
3) achieve international cooperation in solving international issues
4) be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends
Name the 2 structures that make up the United Nations
UNSC - United Nations Security Council
UNGA - United Nations General Assembly
Explain the member structure of the UN Security Council
- has 15 members of which 5 are permanent
Who are the P5 and what are they a product of ?
-USA
-UK
-FRANCE
-CHINA
-RUSSIA
mostly victors of WW2
there are 10 temporary members on rotational seats in the UN security council. Explain what continents they must be from.
•5 from Africa/Asia
•2 from Latin America
•2 from Western Europe
•1 from Eastern Europe
What do the P5 have that make them special in the UNSC?
A VETO
What is the realist reason for why the P5 have a veto?
To make sure that the major powers remain committed to the UN
What is the primary role of the UN Security Council?
To maintain the international security
Decisions in the UN Security Council require the vote of ___/15 members
9/15
What are the options for the UNSC? what can they do to countries that act against international peace + security?
-diplomatic measured like condemnation
-sanctions: economic, cultural etc
-arms embargoes
-referral to the ICC
-military force (NATO)
-peacekeeping forces
-recognition of states
Which country of the UN Security Council has used the most vetoes and how many have they used since 1945?
Russia / USSR - used 126 UNSC vetoes
When did China first use their UNSC veto and who do they use it in conjunction with?
First used it in 2006. Always use it in conjunction with Russia
How could we reform the UN membership?
• expansion of the P5 - India, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan etc
• abolish the veto
• weaken the veto - 2 states need to use the veto to stop something
Are UN Security Council resolutions binding on all member states?
YES! BINDING
What does the UN Security Council do well? Give some strengths
-provides a platform for debate + discussion
-gives legitimacy to international decisions
-has all major powers involved
-it promotes principle of collective security
-gives an institution primary responsibility for international security
Explain Namibia as a strength of the UNSC
1989 - a UN peacekeeping mission helped end a civil war in+ supported the first free & fair elections in Namibia’s history. Today Namibia is a stable middle income country with a democracy
What does the UNSC do badly? Name some of their weaknesses
-power of the veto = unequal power
-unrepresentative: P5 all in global north
-limited ability to enforce resolutions: no standing army
-it is reactive not proactive.
-powerful states can act outside the UN without fear of consequences.
-outdated - rooted in history: WW2
Summarise Rwanda as a failure of the UN Security Council
The UN had an ‘assistance mission’ for Rwanda in 1994, which knew of the impending genocide. But its peacekeepers failed to stop the majority of Hutus going on a murderous rampage and killing almost 1 million members of the Tutsi minority.
How many members are in the UN General Assembly? (UN)
193 members
