Conflict and interventions in human rights

Define geopolitics

The global balance of political power and international relations - its closely related wealth and trade

Who are the dominant superpowers in geopolitics?

The US remains the dominant as a global superpower militarily and politically but China is the world's leading trading nation

Example of human rights violations: Angola

Freedom of Association and political speech violations - although the country’s constitution and the African Charter states that free speech is guaranteed but the govt has frequently shut down protests and made political activists ‘disappear’.

Example of human rights violations: Russia

No free and fair elections and trials - no freedom of expression and political freedom - only 0.4% are acquitted in Russian courts

Example of human rights violations: Australia

Rights of Indigenous people are often ignored due to no representation in Parliament. There is no laws against discrimination

Strategies to govern/oversee human rights: Work of NGOs and human rights activists

• P: Important resources distributed and protect people; medical support to the local people; activists can bring human rights violations to light

• N: May not create lots of change; can cause divides if resources aren’t distributed evenly; usually can’t help set up govt of NGOs can cause chaos and be ineffective

Strategies to govern/oversee human rights: Attempts to change laws and norms

• P: Can stop injustices to vulnerability (long-term)

• N: Too much power can lead to corruption (trust in institution falls)

Strategies to govern/oversee human rights: Introduce treaties or conventions - UN, NATO or other organisations

• P: Can bind countries and set agendas to help stop abuses - global pressure

• N: Not legally binding and thus ineffective

Strategies to govern/oversee human rights: Encourage influential of Multi-national corporations?

• P: Puts pressure onto TNCs to change

• N: Not very successful due to corruption

Strategies to govern/oversee human rights: Legal methods such as the European Human Right Court or the UN Security council

• P: Can hold key people accountable

• N: No authority over states unless its the UN Security Council

Strategies to govern/oversee human rights: Military relief

• P: Can help set up governments

• N: If done poorly, it can lead to power vacuums and extremist govts

Explain the supranational bodies: The UN Security Council

• This is the only body that can legally authorise the use of force

• Made up of 15 members: China, USA, Russia, UK and France- other countries are elected on a two year basis

• Their primary responsibility: Maintain international peace and security , investigate any dispute that may lead to international friction, to recommend methods of adjusting disputes and settlements, economic sanctions against an aggressor instead of direct intervention

What does Amnesty International do?

• They monitor the human rights abuses and funds support operations provided by members states.

• Aid workers and NGO staff help the locals.

• Media coverage of human rights abuses.

• Remote sensing an unmanned aircraft useful in dangerous areas.

What is the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)?

• 12 original members - 32 current members

• Set up after WW2 and the threat of the USSR - collective defence

• These countries need to be democratic country and share core values such as individual liberty - Hungary’s PM is pro-Russia - disputes to be kicked out

• Political role: Promotes democratic principles, fostering security of it members, consulting

• Military role: Protects smaller countries, crisis management - Baltic Crisis

How can violation of human rights can be a cause of conflict?

• Denial of human needs such as food, housing, employment opportunity and limited access to education over long periods of time

• Discrimination and denial of freedom in an undemocratic society

• Unrepresentative govts in which people are treated unequally or unjustly and excluded from decision-making

• Oppressive govt that do not respect the needs of all groups, including preservation of ethnic identity or discrimination of gender

• Genocide and torture

How the violation of human rights can be a consequences of conflict?

• High incidence of mortality of military infighting and civilians in local communities nearby

• Damages to infrastructure , including transport systems, hospitals, homes and tele-communications

• The impact on food and water supply

• Displacement on populations

• Exploitation of women and children

• Further so-called ethnic cleansing

What is needed to support the different strategies of global governance?

The continued military presence is required to support other forms of global governance in the ensuring period

When did the UK intervene in Sierra Leone and why?

In Sep 2014 the UK launched Operation Gridlock to help contain the Ebola outbreak in the sub-Saharan Africa

What strategies did UK use in their intervention in Sierra Leone?

They sent in 900 military personnel to build treatment centres and GPs came from the UK to help train local doctors and teach prevention methods.

When was Sierra Leone declared free from Ebola?

Nov 2015

Why did Britain and the UN intervene in Sierra Leone and what did they do?

• The RUF, a political party, rejected the outcome of the last election of 1996 and started a civil war. They used child soldiers and punished voters and committed atrocities.

• Britain and the UN intervened (colonial links) and stopped the RUF from controlling key cities. They restored basic govts and rescued the UN workers and trained armies

Why did Britain and the UN intervene and what was the outcome?

• To secure ‘failed states’ can help reduce terrorists as they usually base in places with a power vacuum. Also refugees impact with the west and some countries have humanitarian (and other) motivations.

• This helped restore order after rebel attacks and since 2022, he country is at peace and the leader of the RUF is on trial.

What occurred in Rwanada?

• There were two major ethnic groups - one blamed the other and fighting broke out

• UN troops were there watching - peacekeepers died after the massacre troops - 800,000 genocide

• Long term impact: UN Security Council monitored - didn’t want to recognise it was a genocides they would have to intervene - slow intervention

What is soft power?

Influence on other places, without the use of military power. - usually the respect and influence without force

What percentage of global aid is USAID? What is the impact?

60% - gives the US substantial power and influence rather than coercion

Why does the BBC count as influential soft power?

They report unbiased news across the world for free

What was the situation in Iraq before the US and NATO intervention in 2003?

Saddam Hussein was a dictator who usually used force against his people. Any questions about his authority, led to persecution and torture. He used chemical weapons against the Kurdish population - human rights violations.

What was the intervention like in Iraq?

• 9/11 pushed the US to take action (even though Iraq was not involved)

• Also the Bush administration stated that Hussein wanted to use WMDs

• US and UK went to ask for permission to go into Iraq - didn’t get approval but still went in

What were the long term consequences of the Iraq?

• Didn’t find WMDs but they did topple the regime

• The US didn’t have a plan for Iraq after so a power vacuum formed

• They disbanded the military but didn’t take away their guns - many angry unemployment men formed militias.

• They disbanded the government and allowed outsiders to decide the new political system (the community became alienated). They tried to enforce western principles but ethnic divides remained.

• This intervention failed and there is now an authoritarian regime in Iraq.