Transcript Global Citizenship Human Rights and Non- Governmental Organizations

Global Citizenship
Human Rights and NonGovernmental Organizations
Key Terms
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): The international
document adopted by the United Nations in 1948 that proclaims
basic human rights for all people. Even though it cannot be
enforced, the UDHR firmly establishes the principle of human rights
and has inspired other human rights agreements.
• Geneva Conventions: Internationally recognized rules of conduct
during war that protect military personnel, prisoners of war and
civilians
• Humanitarianism: The belief that everyone deserves to be treated
with respect and dignity and that the wellbeing of all humankind is a
necessary and worthy goal
• Genocide: The systematic and deliberate attempt to kill all members
of an ethnic, racial, or other cultural group.
• Nuremburg Trials: International trials held in the German city of
Nuremburg (1945-1949) to try Nazis who oversaw the holocaust for
war crimes. The trials influenced the creation of international
criminal law and the movement for the establishment of an
international criminal court
• Conventions: Formal agreements between two or more countries
• Protocols: Formal agreements between two or more countries;
codes of conduct.
Key Terms
• International Criminal Court (ICC): The world’s first international
criminal court, which was established by the United Nations in 2002
to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against
humanity.
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): Not-for-Profit voluntary
organizations that work to improve life and social conditions around
the world (e.g. Oxfam, Greenpeace, Doctors without borders).
Although they may receive some funding from government, NGOs
are independent of government control.
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP): The value of all goods and services
produced in a country in a given year.
• Sanctions: Military or economic measures by which one or more
countries try to force another country to respect international law or
human rights (e.g. by stopping trade or aid)
• Terrorism: The unlawful use or threatened use of extreme violence
by individuals and groups to create widespread fear to achieve
political goals.
The World after 1945
• By 1945, most world
leaders had a solid
understanding of the
following global events:
• The First World War (19141918)
• The Second World War
(1939-45)
• The Horror of the
Holocaust (1933-45)
Winston Churchill, Harry Truman
And Joseph Stalin
The Creation of the United Nations
• Understandably, many
world leaders were keen to
ensure that the failures of
the past to achieve world
peace would not be
repeated.
• The central question was:
How do we prevent another
world war?
• The Solution? The creation
of an international forum for
discussion and debate: The
United Nations
The United Nations: New York City, USA
The Creation of the United Nations
• On October 24th,
1945, the United
Nations was created
with the signing of
the Charter of the
United Nations.
• In 1945 there were
51 member states.
• Today, there are 191.
The United Nations General Assembly
The Creation of the United Nations
• John Humpfrey, a professor
of Law at McGill University
in Montreal helped to draft
the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
• In this document, it states
that all human beings have
a right to:
• Life, Liberty, security of the
person and a reasonable
standard of living.
• However, this document is a
guideline and cannot be
enforced by the UN. Why
Not?
John Humpfrey
Canada and the United Nations
• Canada has as a very distinguished
reputation in the world for its record
on human rights and its
involvement in the UN. Consider
the following facts:
• Canada has supported UN
peacekeeping operations with over
100,000 personnel over the last 45
years.
• Canada has signed every UN
convention to strengthen human
rights since 1948.
• There is a linkage between human
rights and global conflicts. If we
can improve human rights around
the world, we can make the world a
better place in which to live.
Former Canadian Ambassador to
The United Nations Stephen Lewis
The Purpose of the United Nations
• The United Nations (UN)
has four purposes:
• To develop and maintain
peace and security
• To develop friendly
relations among nations
• To try and solve
international problems and
in promoting respect for
human rights
• To be a centre for
harmonizing the actions of
the world’s nations
George Bush listens to the
Proceedings of the UN
The Purpose of the United
Nations
The Specific Purpose is to:
Develop international laws
for the world to follow
Promote international
security,
Promote economic
development
Promote social progress
Promote Human Rights
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
shakes hands with former SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan
The Structure of the United Nations
• The United Nations is not a
government in the sense that
it does not make laws for the
rest of the world to follow.
• The sovereignty and selfdetermination of nations is
recognized and respected.
• The role of the UN is to
provide a forum for discussion
and to give a sense of what
the world generally believes to
be right.
• Question: Does International
Law exist?
The United States makes it point
The Structure of the United Nations
• The General
Assembly:
• The Security Council
• The Economic and
Social Council
• The Trusteeship
Council
• The Secretariat
• The International
Court of Justice
(ICC)
The International Court of Justice
The General Assembly
• At the moment, there are 192
members of the General
Assembly.
• The role of the General
assembly is to debate issues of
global significance and to
recommend resolutions to
global problems
• In the General Assembly all
nations are equal and are
provided with one vote
• The General Assembly is
responsible for managing the
budget of the United Nations.
• The GA appoints the nonpermanent members to the
Security Council
The General Assembly
The Security Council
•
The Security Council has 5 permanent members:
Russia, China, France, Britain and the United States.
• There are also 10 elected members: (Located on Map)
The Security Council
The Security Council
The Security Council
The Role of the Security
Council is the following:
The maintenance of
international peace and
security.
The establishment of
peacekeeping operations
The establishment of
international sanctions
The authorization for
military action
The Security Council Veto
Power
• If a permanent member of the
Security Council Vetoes a UN
resolution, then the resolution will
not pass.
• A Veto is a vote which cancels the
adoption of a new provision. Since
the beginning of the UN, the
following members have vetoed:
• China 6 times
• France 18 times
• Russia/USSR 122 time
• The United Kingdom 32 times
• United States 81 times.
China exercising its Veto Power
The International Court of Justice
• The International Criminal
Court was established in
2002 in the Hague,
Netherlands.
• The court is responsible
for the prosecution of
individuals charged with
war crimes.
• The United States and
China are examples of
countries that do not
recognize the authority of
the ICC. Why?
The International Court
The Economic and Social
Council
• The Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) of the
United Nations
• Its role is to assists the
General Assembly in
promoting international
economic and social
cooperation and
development.
• ECOSOC has 54 members
• All members are elected by
the General Assembly for a
three-year term.
The Economic and Social Council
The United Nations Secretariat
• The United Nations
Secretariat:
• Is headed by the United
Nations Secretary-General.
• Its role is to provide studies
for meetings, technical
information, and provide
facilities needed by United
Nations bodies for their
meetings.
The International Court of
Justice
• Its main role is to settle legal
disputes submitted to it by
member states of the UN
• It is also needed to give
advisory opinions on legal
questions submitted to it by
international organizations and
agencies and the UN General
Assembly.
• The Court’s decisions may be
vetoed by the permanent
members of the Security
Council. The United States
recognizes its authority on an ad
hoc (case by case) basis
The International Court of Justice
Genocide and the International
Criminal Court
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The following is a listing of
Genocides that have taken place in
the world since 1915:
Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-95)
Rwanda (1994) 1 Million deaths
Cambodia (1975-79) 2 Million
deaths
East Timor (1975-79)
The Holocaust (1933-45) 6 Million
deaths
USSR famine in the Ukraine (193233)
Armenians in Turkey (1915-19) 1.5
Million Deaths
Genocide: East Timor
Genocide: Rwanda/Cambodia
Genocide and the International
Criminal Court
The former Yugoslavia was the
Scene of numerous war crimes.
Canadian Judge Louise Arbour
United Nations Branches
• International Labour
Organization (ILO)
• Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO)
• UNESCO: United
Nations economic,
social and cultural
organization
• World Health
Organization (WHO)
• The World Bank
The World Bank Headquarters
Peacekeeping
• When the United
Nations was
established in
1945, the intention
was to prevent
international
conflicts from
getting out of hand.
• The Solution?
• Peacekeeping.
• Who invented
peacekeeping?
What is a Global Citizen?
• A Global Citizen is someone
who:
• Understands that all citizens
of the world are
interconnected
• Understands that global
problems: terrorism, poverty,
pollution and natural disasters
require international cooperation
• Views events from the
perspectives of other nations
• Understands that Canada is
not the centre of the Universe!
David Suzuki: Environmentalist and
Global Citizen
Peacekeeping
• Invented by Lester B
Pearson in 1957 for his
intervention in the Suez
Canal Crisis.
• He won the Nobel Peace
Prize for his efforts.
• Since that time, Canada
has been a world leader in
global peacekeeping
efforts.
• Why are we so good at it?
Lester B Pearson: Former
Canadian Prime Minister and
Global Citizen!
Cyprus Conflict: Separation of Turks and Greeks
Peacekeeping
• The Role of
Peacekeepers:
• Supervise Elections
• Set up local police
forces
• Deliver
Humanitarian
Supplies
• Mediation of
Disputes
UN base destroyed by rocket
General Lewis
MacKenzie
Peacekeeping
• There is a big difference
between Peacekeeping
and Peacemaking.
• From the Bosnian Conflict
onwards, the United
Nations has struggled to
implement its
peacekeeping mandate.
• In some instances, the
efforts of the UN have
been less than successful
General Romeo Dallaire
The Usage of Sanctions
• Canada tries to improve human
rights around the world through its
involvement with peacekeeping
initiatives and foreign aid.
• However, when countries ignore
human rights, or attack other
countries in violation of
international law, Canada can also
impose Sanctions; an act whereby
the Canadian government refuses
to trade with countries in an effort
to change their policies.
• In 1977, Canada imposed
sanctions against South Africa in
an effort to force their government
to abandon their policy of racial
segregation (Apartheid)
Are sanctions effective?
Non-Governmental Associations
(NGOs)
• Non-Governmental
Associations (NGOs) are
organizations that try to
affect international
policies by working
outside the political
process.
• Common NGOs are:
• GreenPeace
• Peta
• Doctors Without Borders
Non-Governmental Associations
(NGOs)
Questions???