Learning Recap!

The relationship between the developed and the developing world is a

neo-colonial one?

Superpower Geographies

2. Impacts and influences of Superpowers a) The changes from colonial rule to indirect neo-colonial rule b) Key roles in international decision making, policy and action c) Control of trade d) Superpower influence in the idea of developing a ‘global culture’

Learning objectives

To understand what Inter-governmental Organisations are and what they doTo understand the impact of IGOsTo assess the role of IGOs in promoting superpowers

International Organisations or Intergovernmental Organisations - IGOs• Make key decisions about

– World economy– Politics/Conflicts– Environmental issues

• Small number of key players on IGOs• Often created by superpowers post war as a way

to promote cooperation and reduce conflict• Critics say created by superpowers for

superpowers• Some key IGOs include United Nations, NATO &

Davos Group

Who are likely to be the key

players?

International Decision International Decision MakingMaking

Key players and groups:The United Nations (UN) -

• The UN General Assembly • The Security Council

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)The G8

Davos GroupThe World Bank

The International Monetary Fund (IMF)

For each of these players and groups we must identify:-Function-Directly or indirect involvement or decision making-Members-Impact

Power in IGOs

• Big overlap in membership of IGOs• USA, EU dominate many – allows

IGOs focus to follow their interests• Often have a veto• Lot of mutual support – has effect of

a block vote • USA and EU work together to

promote or block policies they favour

What impacts and influence do superpowers have?What impacts and influence do superpowers have?Controlling international decision makingControlling international decision making International

decisionsUN security council

IMF more than 3% votes

WTO

G8

NATO

OECD

World bank

What impacts and influence do superpowers have?What impacts and influence do superpowers have?Controlling international decision makingControlling international decision making International

decisions

UN security council

IMF

WTO

G8

NATO

OECD

World bank

Before we find out what these agencies do – let’s research which agencies the following countries are in/ have control in:Complete the table with a tick or cross.

Organisation

Canada Some EU countries

Japan Russia UK USA China India

G8

UN sc

NATO

OECD

IMF 3% votes

Extension: What other agencies could we include?

4.2 What impacts and influence do superpowers have?What impacts and influence do superpowers have?4.2.2. Controlling international decision making4.2.2. Controlling international decision making International

decisions

UN security council

IMF

WTO

G8

NATO

OECD

World bank

Before we find out what these agencies do – research which agencies the following countries are in/ have control in:Complete the table with a tick or cross.

Organisation

Canada Some EU countries

Japan Russia UK USA China India

G8 n N

UN sc N n N

NATO n n n n

OECD n n N

IMF 3% votes

n n n

Extension: What other agencies could we include?

1. United Nations

• Created 1945• Headquarters in New York• Annual budget $1.8 billion• 16 specialised agencies withheadquarters in France, ItalyCanada & Switzerland

Logo

The United Nations

• Function is to facilitate international law and security, economic development, social progress and human rights as well as achieve world peace

• Founded in 1945 after World War II in replacement of the League of Nations

• It has 192 member states.

UN Members and Paymasters

Who pays most to fund the UN?

What impact might that have?

Greenland & Western Sahara among the few non UN members

UN Agencies

Do you know the following UN agencies?

FAO UNESCO

WHO UNICEF

United Nations Secretary General

Ban Ki-moon

Who am I?What is my

job?

• The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNSG), is the head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations.

• The current Secretary-General is Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, who took office on 1 January 2007. His first term expired on 31 December 2011. He was re-elected, unopposed, to a second term on 21 June 2011.

The UN General Assembly• The core institution of the UN• Each country represented there by their ambassador• Discuss international issues to try to resolve conflict by political

means• The UN’s main function is to prevent the occurrence of major

political international conflict, and to an extent it has fulfilled this function, as after WWII there has not been an international conflict of this nature.

• Secondly it is meant to protect both nation states and it’s people from tyranny, colonialism and Imperialism

• One member one vote• Decisions made by simple majority• Debate issues such as international conflicts, disarmament,

human rights, refugee issues etc• Decisions are NOT legally binding but they have the weight of

international opinion

The United Nations and the UN General

Assembly“we the people of the United Nations are determined to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights , in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.”

UK at the UN

• Who is the UK ambassador to the UN?

Sir Mark Lyall Grant

– since November 2009

Greece at the UN

• Ambassador Anastasis Mitsialis (from 2009)

The UN Security Council• Under UN Charter the Security Council

has the main responsibility to maintain international peace and security

• USA, UK, France, China & Russia – 5 Permanent members of 15 nation council

• 10 others rotate on a 2 year cycle• The General Assembly make

recommendations but the security council can direct nations to take action

1. It can apply sanctions2. Send countries to The International Court3. Send peace keeping troops

They have a VETO – a right to reject resolutions. To be effective ALL must

agree

How can the security council be seen to be a form of political imperialism?

The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. Security Council - which met for the first time in 1946

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11712448

The functions and powers assigned to the Security Council under thecharter are the following:

• to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the UN;

• to investigate any dispute or situation that might lead to international friction and to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;

• to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or an act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;

• to call on members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force in order to prevent or stop aggression;

• to take military action against an aggressor; and • to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate

armaments.

The Security Council's five permanent members have thepower and influence:ChinaFranceRussia United KingdomUnited States

10 non-permanent member countries. Each member - permanent or otherwise - holds the presidency of the council for a one-month period, on a rotating basis

• A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that that country's interests are affected.

• Both Members of the United Nations and non-members, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, are invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation by a non-member State.

• Veto- Each of the permanent members has the right of veto, if one votes against a resolution it can not be passed, but it can be if a permanent member abstains from voting

• Regardless of the magnitude of the matter, regardless of how the rest of the world will be adversely affected, if one power opposes a action they can attempt to stop it from happening worldwide.

• DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ARE DRAWN UP BY ONE OR MORE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND CIRCULATED PRIVATELY TO THE OTHERS.

• THE DRAFTS CAN BE NEGOTIATED OR CHANGED IN A PROCESS CALLED "CONSULTATIONS". IF AGREED TO BY ALL MEMBERS, THE RESOLUTION IS FORMALLY PROPOSED TO THE COUNCIL.

• When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council's first action is usually to recommend to the parties to try to reach agreement by peaceful means.

• In some cases, the Council itself undertakes investigation• It may set forth principles for a peaceful settlement.

• Thailand and Cambodia claim success at UN Security Council talks Feb 15, 2011• Bangkok/Phnom Penh - Thailand and Cambodia both claimed victory after

a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting in New York to discuss their conflict near an 11th-century Hindu temple on their common border.

• A statement by the council released after the meeting expressed 'grave concern' at the clashes and called on both sides 'to display maximum restraint.'

• The council called for a permanent ceasefire and said both nations should resolve the matter by talking. It gave its support for ongoing efforts by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to broker a solution.

Where has the UN been involved Involved in several key flashpoints

globally;The Arab-Israeli conflict Genocide in Rwanda Brings the case for people to be tried

at the ICC.

The UN at work

2. NATO

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• Military or defense alliance formed in 1949 by 12 countries in Western Europe and North America

• Original purpose – to protect its members from a possible attack from the Soviet Union (Containment)

• First peacetime alliance in U.S. history• An alliance of nations with shared values.

All members are DEMOCRACIES• Has been the most important U.S. alliance

for the past (almost) 60 years

NATO Treaty – Article 5• “The Parties agree that an armed

attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all…”

• No NATO member was ever attacked during the Cold War – it never had to use its military forces

• The first (and only) time a NATO member was attacked was…– September 11, 2001

28 Member countries1949 Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,

Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States

1952 Greece, Turkey

1955 Germany

1982 Spain

1999 Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland

2004

2009

Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

Albania, Croatia

The NATO Alliance

The Warsaw Pact• 1955 - The Soviet response to the

creation of NATO• Consisted of the Soviet Union and

its six satellite countries in Eastern Europe– East Germany– Poland– Hungary– Czechoslovakia– Bulgaria– Romania

• The Warsaw Pact no longer exists

Eastward Expansion• As democracy spread throughout Eastern

Europe, NATO is adding new members• 1999 – Three former Warsaw Pact members

were admitted into NATO– Poland– Hungary– The Czech Republic

• 2002 – Seven former communist states in Eastern Europe added– Estonia– Latvia– Lithuania– Slovenia– Slovakia– Bulgaria

2002

• How do you think Russia feels about this?

NATO-Russia Council• NATO-Russia Council• This was a RAPPROACHMENT between

NATO and Russia• May 2002 – Both sides signed an

agreement• Russia WILL:

– Be given a say at the table with the 26 NATO members

– Be an “equal partner” in discussions on key topics

NATO-Russia Council• Russia WILL NOT:

– Be a member of NATO– Be bound by NATO’s defense pact– Have a veto over NATO’s decisions– Have a vote over NATO’s expansion

• NATO’s essential purpose is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.

• POLITICAL - NATO promotes democratic values and encourages consultation and cooperation on defence and security issues to build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.

• MILITARY - NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military capacity needed to undertake crisis-management operations. These are carried out under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - NATO’s founding treaty - or under a UN mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.

3. The G8

The annual G8 leaders summit is attended by eight of the world's most powerful heads of government. The

meeting is to bring a range of complex and sometimes inter-related issues to

discussion.

Members

Function and decision making• The G8 come together annually to discuss issues of mutual or global

concern. Such issues include health, law enforcement, labour, economic and social development, energy, environment, foreign affairs, justice and interior, terrorism, and trade.

• The summit decides on policies for a range of issues for all eight countries.

• E.g. in 2010 water sanitation was on the agenda. They pledged support towards meeting Millennium Development Goals. They affirmed a common desire to achieve aid-effectiveness for development in Africa.

• They discussed the importance of meeting MDG 4 (reducing child mortality) and MDG 5 (maternal health), but did not indicate water and sanitation as integral to such efforts anywhere in the main Declaration.

Decisions on climate change and other issues• One of the main most obvious issue for them to tackle at the

moment is climate change. At the most recent G8 summit in Canada the leaders of the Group of Eight industrial nations agreed to a limit on global warming of 2 degrees Celsius. The leaders did not, however, agree to a universal emissions reduction target.

• The July 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, had been preceded by the decision,  a month earlier, by G8 Ministers to cancel debts owed to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank by 18 poor, developing countries in Africa which had already satisfied HIPC conditions. The June decisions and those at the Gleneagles summit expanded them, this had been prompted by the strong advocacy for more aid to Africa mounted by the British government's Commission for

Africa (CFA).  

Impacts• Although the G8 is sometimes seen as being omnipotent or the

world’s directoire by anti-globalization protestors, it is also criticised for being irrelevant or a moribund entity because it does not have real decision-making capacities. Nonetheless, the G8 can play an important role and the Summit is simply symbolic.

•

4. The Davos Group or World Economic Forum (WEF)• Swiss based non-profit

making foundation• ‘Entrepreneurship in

the global public interest’

• Focus business & profit• Invitation only meeting• Who goes?

Business CEOsAcademicsPolitical LeadersIGO representativesThe media

The Davos Group• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss non-profit

foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland.

• The meeting brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world, including health and the environment.

• Beside meetings, the foundation produces a series of research reports and engages its members in sector specific initiatives.

• And they go skiing !!

The Davos Group or WEF• WEF is criticised by

anti- globalisation campaigners

• They say capitalism = inequality

• Bono called it ‘fat cats in the snow’

• Has no official status but attracts lots of publicity and Hollywood stars

5. The World BankThe World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Our mission is to fight poverty with

passion and professionalism for lasting results and to help people help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge,

building capacity and forging partnerships in the public and private sectors.

We are not a bank in the common sense; we are made up of two unique development institutions owned by 187 member countries: the International

Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).

Together, we provide low-interest loans, interest-free credits and grants to developing countries for a wide array of purposes that include investments in education, health, public administration, infrastructure, financial and private

sector development, agriculture and environmental and natural resource management.

The World Bank, established in 1944, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. We have more than 10,000 employees in more than 100 offices worldwide.

World Bank: Fact File

Formed in 1944

Its role is to be a bank to finance development.

Its first loan was to France for post war reconstruction.

1950’s –financing the development of ex colonies. 1970-80’s – financing projects for areas which

were environmentally damaged. 1990’s – focus was on debt.

Now – aims to achieve the millennium development goals.

5. IMF

What is the IMF?

• The IMF (International Monetary Fund) formed in 1944

• Stabilise currencies after WW2• Created by 44 rich countries to help

those in debt• Intended to prevent poverty & so

limit the spread of communism• In 2009 has 185 members

• Not all members are equal• The G20 have 70% of the votes• The USA has 17% of votes as the

biggest investor• EU nations have 25% while BRICS

have 9.7%• Most of the poorest African nations

have 1% between them

How does the IMF work?

Is it right that the BRIC nations have so little

voting power?

• IMF reflects US & EU interests• Used £ to promote fight against

communism• But imposed conditions that led to

LEDCs to have to cut health & education budgets so they could cut their debt

Why do some people think the IMF is a tool of

economic Imperialism?

Function

• Initially constructed to loan countries money who were at risk of communism.

• They assist states that are experiencing major economic problems or require help in their development programmes

• Determining how best to invest money is heavily influenced by the principles of capitalist theory. This is because capitalism is responsible for the economic growth of rich nations, therefore, IMF believe that implementing similar policies in developing countries will integrate them into the international economic order

to facilitate the expansion and balanced growth ofinternational trade, and to contribute thereby to the promotionand maintenance of high levels of employmentand real income and to the development of the productiveresources of all members as primary objectives ofeconomic policy.

Involvement

• They negotiate loans directly with member states

• Try to stabilise countries that are faced with debt

• Set up SAP’s – neo-colonialism? – make countries more competitive in global markets therefore attracting investment and economic growth. SAP’s imposed eg.Ghana

Singapore

• Fall to Japan in 1942 = caused major damage + USA feared communism

• USA encouraged rebuilding through loans and investment

• Economic recovery rapid = became an ‘Asian Tiger’

• GDP – 1979 = 5.9 bn, 1989 = 27.5 bn, 1999 = 98 bn, 2007 = 153 bn

Japan

• Suffered severe damage in WWII• Fears USSR would invade, so Allies

encouraged recovery• Japanese gov. gained loans and

grants from IMF• IMF investment led to rapid economic

growth

P 150-151 Oxford

Why might people protest against IGO meetings like the G8?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdaZwTLzCfY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQfqYy9Oci8 Government response to anti-IGO protests

Plenary Question

• Are IGOs a force for good or a method of Neo-colonialism?

• How does membership of international governmental organisations give some countries political and economic power?

International decision making• Global decision making

revolves around inter-governmental organisation (IGOs)

• Some IGOs involve all nations, such as the U.N. – others are more exclusive such as the G8, or regional such as NATO.

• Membership and voting rights may give key players disproportionate power.

• Some influential organisations such as the World Economic Forum (Davos Group) are not-for-profit organisations outside government control.

• IGOs do change over time; the G20 has become more influential in recent years, reflecting the increasing power of the BRICs