CHAPTER 6: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, LAW,A ND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFINITONS

supranational

large institutions and groupings such as the European Union to which states authority or national identity is subordinated

neofunctionalism

a theory that holds that economic integration (functionalism) generates a “spillover” effect, resulting in increased political integration

International Committee of the Red Cross

(ICRC) a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides practical support, such as medical care, food, and letters from home, to civilians caught in wars and to prisoners of war (POWs). Exchange of POW’s are usually negotiated through the ICRC

just wars 

a category in international law and political theory that defines when wars can be justly started (jus and bellum) and how thet can be justly fought (jus in bello)

diplomatic immunity

a privilege under which diplomats activites fall ouside the jurisdiction of the host country’s national courts 

european commission 

a european union body whose members, while appointed by states, are supposed to represent EU interests. supported by a multinational civil service in Brussels, the commission’s role is to identify problems and propose solutions to the council of the european union

maastricht treaty

a treaty signed in the dutch city of maastricht and ratified in 1992; it commits the european union to monetary union (a single currency and european central bank) and to a common foreign policy

UN conference on trade and development

(UNCTAD) a structure established in 1964 to promote third world development through various trade proposals

diplomatic recognition

the process by which the status of embassies and that of an ambassador as an official state representative are explicitly defined

a formal acknowledgment that another country’s government is legitimate.

UN security council

a body of five great powers (which can veto resolutions) and ten rotating memeber states that makes decisoins about international peace and security, including the dispatch of UN peacekeeping forces

world court 

also called the international court of justice (ICJ). the judicial arm of the UN; locatedin the Hgue, it hears only cases between states 

international organizations

(IOs) intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the UN and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as the international committe of the Red Cross (ICRC)

single european act

(1985) an act that set a target date of the end of 1992 for the creation of a true common market (free cross-border movement of goods, capital, people, and services) in the european community (EC)

security community

a situation in which low expecation of interstate violence permit a high degree of political cooperation - as for example among NATO members

a group of countries that are so friendly and connected that they don’t even think about going to war with each other anymore.

treaty of rome

(1957) the founding document of the european economic community (EEC) or common market, now subsumed by the european union 

UN general assembly

a body composed of representatives of all states that allocated UN funds, passes nonbinding resolutions, and coordinated third world developement programs and various autonomous agencies through the economic and social council (ECOSOC)

european union

(EU) the official term for the european community (formely the european economic community) and associated treaty organizations. at the beginning of 2018, the EU has 28 member states, although great britain voted in 2016 to exit the EU

responsibility to protect 

(R2P) principle adopted by world leaders in 2005 holding governments responsible for protecting civilians from genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated within a soverign state 

international criminal court

(ICC) a permanent tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity 

european parliament

a quasi-legislative body of the european union that operates as a watchdog over the european commission and has limited legislative power

euratom

an organization created by the 1957 treaty of rome to coordinate nuclear power development by pooling research. investment, and managment

peacebuilding

the use of military peacekeepers, civilian administrators, police trainers, and similar efforts to sustain peace agreements and build stable, democratic governments in societies recovering from civil wars. since 2005, a UN peacebuilding commission has coordinated and supported these activities 

council of the european union

a european union institution in which the relevant ministers (foreign, economic, agriculture, finance, etc.) of each member state meet to enact legislation and reconcile national interests formely known as the council of ministers. when the meeting takes place among the state leaders, it is called the “european council” 

international court of justice

(ICJ) also called the international court of justice (ICJ) the judicial arm of the UN; located in the hague, it hears only cases between states

war crimes

violations of the law governing the conduct of warfare, such as mistreatment of prisoners of war or the unnecessary targeting of civilians

international intergration 

the process by which supranational institutions come to replace national ones; the gradual shifting upward of some sovereignty from the state to regional or global structures 

amnesty international

an influential nongovernmental organization (NGO) that operates globally to monitor and try to rectify glaring abuses of politcal (not economic or social) human rights 

common agricultural policy

(CAP) a european union policy based on the principle that a subsidy extended to farmers in any member county should be extended to farmers in all member countries

free trade area

a zone in which there are no tariffs or other restrictions on the movement of goods and services across borders

crimes agianst humantiy 

a category of legal offenses created at the nuremberg trials after world war II to encompass genocide and other acts committed by the political and military leaders of the thord reich (nazi germany)

universal declaration of human rights

(UDHR) (1948) the cure UN document on human rights: although it lacks the force of international law, it sets forth international norms regarding behavior by governments toward their own citizens and foreigners alike 

human rights

the rights of all people to be free from abuses such as torture or imprisonment for their politcal beliefs (political and civil rights) and to enjoy certain minimum economic and social protections (economic and social rights)

UN charter

the founding document of the united nations; it is based on the principles that states are equal, have soverignty over their own affaris, enjoy independence and territorial integrity, and must fulfill international obligations the charter also lays out the structure and methods of the UN

world health organization

(WHO) an organization based in Geneva that provides technical assistance to improve health conditions in the third world and conduct major immunization campaigns 

customs union 

a common external tariff adopted by members of a free trade area; that is, participating states adopt a unified set of tariffs with regard to goods coming in from outside

• Trade freely with each other (no taxes on each other's goods), and

• All agree to charge the same tax (tariff) on goods coming from countries outside the group.

european court of justice

a judicial arm of the european union, based in luxembourg. the court had actively established its jurisdiction and its rights to overrule national law when in conflicts with EU law

euro

also called the ECU (european currency unit); a single european currency used by 19 members of the european unioin (EU)

common market 

a zone in which labor and capital (as well as goods) flow freely across borders 

international norms 

the expectations held by participants about typical interactions among states 

UN secretariat

the UN’s executive branch, led by the secretary general