Alliances

T6 - Superpowers

IGOS - IMF

• key influence on global economic system

• aims to stabilise global currencies

• loans for devleoping countries to reduce poverty

IGOS - IMF - SAP

• enforces structural adjustment programs in return for loans

• ensures promotion of capitalism

• may require country to cut public services and privatise states industries

• many countries see the IMF as a last resort

• argue SAPs and loans from IMF result in worse poverty

• can become trapped in a debt cycle

structural adjustment programs

• IMF is a global IGO

• 8 countries control 47% pf total votes = superpowers

• through control of the IMF - superpowers have large influence over economic system

• reports off countries being loaned money by china to meet conditions for further loans from IMF

• growing influence of china

IGOS - world bank

• supports capitalism

• loans for developing countries and finances following natural disaster/humaitariran emergencies

• aims to reduce poverty and achieve sustainability

IGOS - world bank - sustainability

• ability to meet needs of current generation without compromising ability of future generations to meet their own needs

• goals for 2030

  • end extreme poverty - % living on less than $1.9 a day less than 3%

  • promote shared prosperity - bottom 40% income of each country inc.

IGOS - WEF

• world economic forum

• works with businesses and government

• swiss non-profit

• promotes public-private cooperation

• want to bring together businesses, govs. and other member software society top improve the world

• discusses wider issues like corruption and terrorism

IGOS - WTO

• focuses on trade and rules of trade

• ensures capitalism thrives and trad his free

• allows market to act independently of gov. involvement

• negotiates free trade agreements

• 164 member - ¾ are developing

IGOS - WTO - global trade

• explosion of global trade since 1950 - argued to be WTO success

• some argue its the result of gbsn - not WTO

global influence of TNCs - historic

• historically material influence on gbsn

• colonial era - east india company ran most of Indias global trade (british company)

• dutch east india company - managed Netherlands trade

global influence of TNCs - cuisine

• growth of TNCs as global players is more recent

• important in global economy - encourage cultural gbsn with products

• e.g. mcdoanlds in 119 countries

• e.g. subway - 600 stores in both india and russia

• speed western culture - use glocalisation to meet local demand

global influence of TNCs - multimedia

• Kim kardashian - 110 million followers in 2018 - 2% from brazil

• social media has led to the global transmission of culture

• disney, netflix, Amazon - trasnmit culture internationally

TNCs - technology - patents

• granted to a company

• mean the company exclusively owns the idea and concept of a product for a period of time

• any technology or process can be registered, must pay royalty to the company that owns the patent

• rules are part of the TRIPS agreement - 1995

TNCs - technology - training

• apple outsourced iPhone production to Foxconn in china

• needed to train workers - inc. number of workers with specific skillset

• can speed skills through country and start businesses

TNCs - technology - shifting balance of power

• TNCs - have money to research and develop new technologies

• charge other comapnies/govs to use the technology

• cements them in a position of power

• TNCs becoming more international

superpowers and global action - environment

• role in decision making for climate cha age

• major superpowers are major ghg emitters - pressure to act

• 2017 - Donald trump withdrew from 2015 Paris agreement

superpowers and global action - global police

• superpowers act as global police - responding to global conflict

• e.g. Afghanistan, us became involved after 9/11

• some believe un failed to intervene in Srebrenica massacre - thousands killed

superpowers and global action - humanitarian crises

• superpowers support nations hit by natural disasters

• developing nations often lack fund to help themselves

• since 2010 earthquake - USA given $5,1 billion in aid

• supported disaster relief and reconstruction

• 164 new clinics in Haiti - immunised 72,000 children

military alliance - NATO

• North Atlantic treaty organisation

• formed 1949 at start of Cold War

• principle that attack on one is an attack on all

• 20,000 personnel

military alliance - NATO - criteria

• must spend 2% of GDP on defence

• USA spends 3.5% of GDP

• median spend was only 1,3% in 2017

military alliance - NATO - influence

• influence diminished after end of Cold War

• did fe international operations

• russia annexing of Crimea - gave NATO new purpose

• future of NATO is uncertain

• trump declared the alliance was ono longer relevant - threatened ti withdraw

• asked all members to meet 2% spending agreement

economic alliance - NAFTA

• doesnt seek to move towards political union - no free movement of people

• trump called for NAFTA renegotiation in 2018

• believes NAFTA has wiped up manufacturing jibe in US - companies moved to Mexico

• meant goods are cheaper for US consumers

economic alliance - EU

• began as free trade agreement

• worked towards increasing political union

• countries allow free movement of people

• uk voted to leave in 2016 - uncertain if others will follow

military alliance - ANZUS

• australia, New Zealand, United States treaty

• set up to cooperate on military matters and stop spread of communism

• 2017 - US and australia joint training

• 2011 - Obama announced us focus would pivot to asia

environmental alliance - IPCC

• intergovernmental panel on climate change, set up by UN

• global scientist meet every 5 years ]

• produce reposfrt about latest CC research

• represent 120 countries

the UN - climate change conferences

• aim to make progress in tackling climate change with annual conferences

• try to establish legally binding agreements with developed countries to reduce emissions

• 2015 paris agreement

the UN - security council

• responsible for preventing conflict and keeping peace

• 5 permanent members - have more influence

• can veto any decision made by the council

• 10 other members

• used by nations to defend their own interest

• russia vetos any threat of action against its own influence and status

• decides when and where peacekeeping should be deployed

the UN - International court of justice

• based in the Netherlands

• sorts disputes between UN member counties

• not for individual companies/people

• 15 judges - represent different global regions

the UN - peacekeeping missions

• 14 missions currently in place e

• including, Haiti, DRC, middle east

• helps countries torn by conflict to create lasting peace

the UN human rights interventions - war crimes trials

• ICC - International criminal court

• tries individual for crimes like genocide

• trails are very slow

• e.g. serbian man accused of Srebrenica massacre in 1995 - trail took 8 years

the UN human rights interventions - sanctions

designed to force countries to change policies - enforce economic or social pain

• economic = restrictions on trade (iran when developing nuclear capabilities)

• cultural = e.g. refusing to let countries participate in sporting fixtures

• success of sanctions alone to create change is limited

the UN human rights interventions - troops

• supplied by member states - wear blue helmets

• peacekeeping role - cant engage in military action unless in self defence

• srebrenica massacre - UN troops failed to help muslim group - were then slaughtered

the UN human rights interventions - emergency relief

• UN high commissioner for refugees - organises refugee camps in conflict zones

• e.g. camp in Jordan to shelter refugees from Syrian civil war

• aims to protect refugees and vulnerable people

superpowers and environment - plastic waste