Global organisations are not new but have been important in the post-1945 world (Edexcel A-Level Geography): Revision Notes

Global organisations are not new but have been important in the post-1945 world

The United Nations

The first post-war IGO → Established to help reduce tensions in the world that had previously led to WW1 and WW2 with the aim of providing a forum for working out peaceful solutions to international problems and tensions, so that future generations would not have to suffer a world war again.

The United Nations

• Its role in global governance involves helping countries work together to solve international challenges
• It seeks to manage global, environmental, socioeconomic and political problems by use of:
  • The UDHR, which defines human rights in considerable detail
  • The UNDP (UN development programme) coordinates economic and social development
  • The UN convention on the Right of the Child
  • UNEP - Governance of environmental issues
  • The World Food programme - provides food aid to 90 mil people in 80 countries
  • The UN population fund - Combats HIV, funds family planning services
  • WHO
  • The UNHCR, which supports people affected by conflict
  • The MDGs (Millenium Development Goals)
  • The Geneva Convention, protects the rights of prisoners
  • The Security Council
  • Role is affected by members of the Security Council having different geopolitical visions

UN Interventions

The UN assembly provides a forum for countries to discuss their differences instead of fighting about them. But sometimes this discussion & diplomacy is not enough, and hard power options are needed:

• Economic sanctions
• Military interventions - UN peacekeeping forces go into conflict zones to help stop further fighting

UN Interventions

Human Rights

Action	Nature & Evaluation
Sanctions	● Economic • restrictions of trade eg. against Iran ● Cultural sanctions • eg. sporting exchanges Overall success has been limited_
War Crimes Trials	● International criminal court established at The Hague (Netherlands) for crimes such as genocide - Trials are very slow
UN Troops	● Troops are drawn from a number of countries • wear blue helmets ● They have a peacekeeping role → Not allowed to engage in military activity other than to protect themselves - Failure to act in Bosnia
Emergency Relief	● UNHCR organises refugee camps in conflict zones ● Protects vulnerable people from further abuse

Independent Interventions

Some UN member states have intervened in other countries independent of the UN and without UN agreement

• Often happen when member states get frustrated with UN inaction or delays
• UN security council members often have different geopolitical interests, which can mean proposed interventions get voted down