Chapter 21 and Lecture: The UN

How many states are in the UN

193 with 2 non-member observing states

4 main purposes of the UN

Maintain international peace and security

Develop friendly relations among nations

Cooperate to solve international issues

Be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations

Security council

5 permanent members, 10 non permanent ones, decides on peacekeeping missions, decisions must be passed by 9/15 members including all 5 permanent members

General Assembly (GA)

All states have 1 vote, 2/3 majority needed to pass decisions on key issues, a simple majority is needed for everything else, most decisions aren't binding but simply recommendations

International Criminal Court

The judicial “branch” of the UN, made up of 15 judges elected by the GA and Security Council, participation in the court is voluntary

Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC, coordinates the UN’s economic and social work and provides a vital link between the UN and NGOs

Trusteeship Council

Established to provide support and supervision for 11 special territories that were preparing for independence, their work was completed in 1994 with Palau’s independence

GA funding

Mandatory contributions based on the states size and economy

Funds and Programmes funding

Ex. UNICEF and UNDP are funded through voluntary contributions from member states

Three types of peacekeeping

Classical peacekeeping, peace enforcement, collaboration with other multilateral organizations

Classical peacekeeping

The UN needs permission from the host country, soldiers are placed between countries after a ceasefire, they must remain impartial and can only use their weapons for self-defense

Peace enforcement

Does not require permission for the host country, soldiers can use their weapons/powers more broadly

Arguments for UN peacekeeping

There are 72 successful prevailing peacekeeping projects, they succeeded in not escalating the Arab-Israeli conflict (until Oct. 2023), universal member legitimacy, not been a WW3 since the UN’s founding

Arguments against UN peacekeeping

Works for developed, powerful nations, peacekeeping is given as much power as members chose to give it, Security Council has all the power and fails to represent the global balance of power, they are ill-equipped to deal with new security threats like non-state actors

International organization (IO)

An institution that is governed by formal rules and procedures and consists of 3 or more member states, an instrument in which member states further their own interests

Realist view of IOs

Problematize the authority of IOs, world politics is about a struggle for power rather than a harmony of interests

Neorealist view of IOs

Hegemonic states allow other states to make relative gains with the help of IOs as long as they many absolute gains themselves

Liberal view of IOs

IOs are neutral “referees” who can mitigate states differences

Liberal institutionalism view of IOS

States cooperate with IOs to further their own interests, IOs build trust among states which leads to cooperation

Social constructivist view of IOs

Cooperation depends on how states perceive their identity and interests as well as how they perceive other states’ identities and interests

Critical view of IOs

IOs are a facilitator of global inequalities and power imbalances ex. World Bank and IMF

Feminist view of IOs

Problematize the gendered construction of IOs and how they are dominated by elite men